I don't know the exact street , but the area right near Recoletos
Cercania is very nice.
If you have the address, do the google street view...(I always do it) to get a "feel" of the area.
Salamanca is just on the other side of Castellana and Retiro cannot be more than 8- 10 min from the apt.
Looks good to me.

I mean, the apt. looks nice.
Some streets in Chueca area are a bit gritty, some seem fine.
Sorry, I don't know it well enough.

Danon, I was hoping that you would respond since you always have on-target advice for Madrid and Barcelona.

Do you (or anyone else familiar with Madrid rentals) have any favorite apartments in Madrid?

Any apartments from Spain Select that you did NOT like? Many thanks!!

we rented twice from SS.
The first was in 2007 on Calle Major ( I think it was CM I)
The location was good ( faced the courtyard),but the apt. was a bit "tired" looking. Perhaps it has been redone?
The second time was in 2010 in a relatively new Carretas
. The apt was fine...the building is a minute from Sol...
- busy, small street.
I don't know other rental agencies in Madrid, but would be glad to comment on your selection ( if I can)
Some streets around the apt. you are considering look fine, a few look a bit iffy.I googled it.
Chueca is known as a hip , gay area . At one time it had a bit of a reputation .

perhaps lin or cova would comment ????

Actually,
I rely like this apt. Although on the other side of Retiro.

http://www.spain-select.com/en_US/rent-apartments/anunciacion

really

Danon: I really liked that apartment! It was among the first ones that I looked at and really liked. It is 3 bedrooms, so the price is higher than the other one, but it looks well worth it, no?

But what do you think of that location, to the southeast of the Park? ( I am more familiar with the streets a bit further north.)

It will be the first time in Madrid for my friend. Will she feel that she is very far from the center of things? I do know that there are good restaurants not far away. And I believe there is a public market a few blocks north on Ibiza.


Anyone else care to comment about that neighborhood?

You are right, it might be not best for the firs time visitor....not close to attractions
Bailen apt. seems nice. It is a central location....but if you can get the street number, would be asked to comment. I only know the part of the street closer to the Palace.
Another very central apt. Is also 3 bed San Augustine.
All apt. on Calle Major are in a great location.....it is a busy, central street....not sure how
soundproof the apt. are.

easier to comment, sorry iPad. Is not best for typing..

We are staying here in May-
http://www.spain-select.com/en_US/rent-apartments/leon

We stayed in Salamanca district last spring and I decided that is was a little too off the beaten track. I liked Las Letras district and this apt is near plaza Santa Ana. It feels very central, but I liked small streets and good food near by!

I poured over your trip report last year before our first visit to Madrid last May. Going back this May with our two sons to show them all the sights and great food.

The Travesía de Belén apartment is close to where Spain-Selects offices are located. The area isn't bad. You would be very close to the newly renovated Mercado San Anton (www.mercadosananton.com), which you should like.

Thanks again for those comments.

Robert: When you say that the area "isn't bad," what do you mean exactly? I got a glimpse on the Google map and it looks like the actual street, Travesia de Belen, is very narrow, with a mix of commercial and residential structures with plenty of graffiti..not the most attractive, but I don't care as long as it is safe and the actual apartment is nice.

That location does seem to be within walking distance of Salamanca, Puerto del Sol, and the museums. (We do like to walk a lot!)

I've showed the two places to my friend and will wait for her to comment. If it were me alone, I would take the one east of Retiro, the Anunciacion. For sure!

I'm surprised that the fairly upscale daily or weekly rentals in Madrid do not seem as plentiful as those in Barcelona.

Are there any events in Madrid during the last two weeks of OCtober that I should keep in mind? Or anything else I should know when I select the dates? PLEASE give me your thoughts on this! I owe you and your partner a big debt of gratitude for all the help you've offered me before my previous trips. To think that I would never have discovered the miracle of lechazo without her. And after all my travels, those meals still rank at or near the very top of my all-time-best eating list!

Oct. 12 is a national holiday.
I landed in Madrid that day last year, there was a big military parade for several hours ,
some streets were closed for traffic. Many citizens out and about.

Thanks, Danon! We will be there toward the end of the month, so will miss that holiday.

I'm over the moon with excitement about this trip!

No problem
I am plotting a visit to Valencia and Madrid mid Oct.
Let us know how the apt. " hunt" goes.

The rental situation in Madrid is different than Barcelona. Spain Select owns a number of their apartments, which is a major difference. It's like dealing with Paris Perfect.

As far as the narrow streets go, it's part of old Madrid, and not quite as upscale as the Salamaca district.

As far as the graffiti goes, it can be an eye sore. The city is working on cleaning it up, but with the tight budgets, who knows. It's one American gift that should be discouraged, but instead seems to be embraced when they referred to it as "Street Art".

Thanks again! We are leaning toward the rental east of Retiro. We can walk through the park to get to some of the major sights, and will be close to restaurants and tapas bars for the evening meals. I am figuring 20 minutes to the Prado; does that sound about right?

Robert: Are there any new eating places I should keep in mind in that general neighborhood?


http://madrid.callejero.net/calle-de-la-anunciacion.html

Great looking apartments! I may do this this instead of hotel on my next visit to Madrid.

Thank you ekscrunchy...you piqued my interest in going to Madrid a year ago and I loved it as well.

We checked out a couple of new places last month, but not in the area east of the Retiro, where our old favorites are. One new one you should check is Vi Cool by Sergi Arola, C/Huertas, 12, great menu del dia. The other was the Cheese Bar, José Abascal, 61 (you'll need to take the bus). It's owned by Poncelet, the great cheese shop.

Sagardi has opened up a new restaurant in the Basque cultural center, upstairs, Jovellanos, 2.

Well, I like it. Probably because my hairdresser is right below, there are a few good bakeries around and the market is just 4 minutes away. Good shopping, too.

There are plenty of buses running through Barbara de Braganza, and there is a metro stop in Alonso Martinez and a Cercanias stop in Recoletos.

I don´t think that the graffiti should be a deciding factor. I feel it is more central than any place east of Retiro.

Bye, Cova

Cova thanks for your input. I realize that that area is more interesting, but we ended up booking the larger apartment in Retiro, with the understanding that we will be doing lots of walking. (Probably a good thing due to the food I intend to consume on this trip). It was a very difficult decision and I hope we made the right choice. It's only for 4 days and I will get a good idea of a neighborhood that is off the beaten path a bit as far as tourism.

If anyone has any ideas for neighborhood restaurants and food shops of any kind, please let me know. We will need a very good bread bakery, for instance, so that we can prepare a good breakfast. The location is at the SE corner of the park.

How is the municipal market on Ibiza? Are there any other markets nearby?

Well, if you want to buy where the spanish people go ... your best option is going to be the Mercadona supermarket in Reyes Magos.
We might go to markets and so on ... but at the end of the day, we all have our favourites in Mercadona (specially toiletries). Good yoghurts and juice, not the best in fresh fruit, but a great buffala mozarella
www.mercadona.es

Gracias,Cova!


Is there a Mercadona near Pza de Anunciacion, which is the location of the apartment?

For me Spanish supermarkets are exciting because I can stock up on things like pimenton, tortas de aceite, canned seafood, canned piquillos, etc. I guess the prices are better than Corte Ingles (??)

Also, do you know if the supermarkets would be open on a Sunday? That is the day we arrive so will have to buy supplies and treats.

Cova: Perdoname..I just noticed that you already gave the location of the Mercadona! Thanks again.

On a sunday your best option is the Corte Ingles in Preciados. The first Sunday in the month Carrefour or the Alcampo in Pio XII should be open, but Mercadona is never open.

I have just checked the location of your apartment, and it is just around the corner from Reyes Magos. Quite a few people living in the Salamanca area used to do the trek down there until the new Mercadona in Serrano opened last week.

Lin will know more about them, giving that it is a Valencia company. They work with their own label in order to keep prices low, and there are a few things that have real fans. As I told you, I´m not a fan of their fresh fruit (yes to salads and various vegs), and I don´t think that they have a good Pimentón de la Vera, but they have good tortas de aceite.

Bye, Cova

Mercadona is fine in general. I buy there frequently due to their parking and proximity to where we live.

They sell "tomate rallado" already in a tub.. just add olive oil and some salt and put on toasted bread with jamon .. YUM.

Their fruit can be wonderful. Can de insipid. But I have even had bad luck at el Corte Inglés on fruit.

Not all brands are available, as Cova pointed out. They re-brand lots of stuff. If a product isn't selling ( after a very short period) they actually never order ti again.So, for locals, it can be hit or miss on brand names.

Pretty good bread, made on site ( but probably from frozen dough,, but still makes store smell great!

You need to know your prices. El Corte Inglés sometimes has very good specials.

Mercadona has some good ice cream and lemon sorbete. They come in rectangular tubs. Not as heavy in butter as FAB ice cream, but very very tasty. They have good marcona almonds, etc., and ALBO tuna in Olive oil.

You are both a tremendous help! Cova: Where would you go to buy pimenton/saffron in Madrid? I'm all ears for any and all food-buying tips that you might have!

Cova are you meaning that the Corte Inlges on Preciados is open on Sundays? Do they mean that Sundays are holidays in this schedule? (Sorry to be dense here!)

I will be there on the 3rd Sunday in October.

http://www.elcorteingles.es/centroscomerciales/centroscomerciales/portal.do?IDM=158&NM=2

Yes, it is open every Sunday. The area around Puerta del Sol (and Gran Via near Callao, and some shops in Fuencarral) is a touristic area and shops can open on Sundays.

Two other options, although more expensive than the supermarket in Preciados, would be the Gourmet Club in Goya and the Gourmet Experience in Nuevos Ministerios.

Bye, Cova

2 Friends and I rented a 2 bedroom apartment for 3 nights last spring from Spain Select. Lovely apartment and great location in La Latina also great service from Spain Select.
http://www.spain-select.com/en_US/rent-apartments/plaza-de-la-paja-iii
Very close to large market and subways. Walkable distance to many other sites.

ekscrunchy, if you have an occasion to picnic in Parque del Buen Retiro or just need to grab a quick lunch, I recommend Mallorca, a gourmet deli nearby.
Here is my recollection from a long layover in Madrid: "Best. Sandwiches. Ever!!! DH had three jamon variations and I had vegetable mini quiche, a salmon/avocado on ciabatta, and a mini sandwich with white asparagus and mayo. It would have been around 10 euros but I stupidly grabbed expensive waters."
http://www.pasteleria-mallorca.com/

Yorkshire, thanks! I will keep that place in mind. "Best sandwiches ever" cannot be ignored!

I'll also start a restaurant thread closer to the date of the trip...

Ekscrunchy:
Cannot give you tips on apartments; but we will spend some days in Madrid again next june; and may be wi will have some news about Mercado de San antón and Casa Mingo(serving sidra, grilled chicken and tortilla; not high end food, but reports said they are good).
Let us know about your planning and we wait (salivating in advance) for your report!!! Needless to say; I am planning to eat as many "tortas de aceite" as I can!!!

Of course, "we will" not "wi will"!

JE that's great that you will return soon. I had Casa MIngo on my list for last time but we never had time to go there. And also remember those two Asturian restaurants on the east side of Retiro park..Couzapin and Carlos Tartiere. We peered in last time and they looked really bustling and filled with contented diners! And open all day, and Sundays, I believe.

I'll be so interested in reading about your eating adventures!

One of these days I will make it to your "neck of the woods!" The NYTimes just did another article last week:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/05/13/travel/20120513-SURFACING.html

Ekscrunchy:
This is the site of the hotel:
http://restaurantegarzon.com/001.html
Pueblo Garzón is really close to José Ignacio and Punta del Este; which you can really enjoy from september to april or even may; june to august is really too cold and almost empty.
If you decide to come to the south, I expect we can meet you in Montevideo or "Punta" as we call Punta del Este; in the meantime, enjoy Madrid; and thanks for the tip about those other Asturian restaurants.
Another tip: really close to Casa mingo, there is a little church where the great Goya is buried.

JE, in the Mercado de San Antón, try to arrive early and get to the Victor Montes in the first floor, just by the fishmonger. Really good stuff, not a big difference to their place in Bilbao. Also, Octavio has good ham and it can be vacuum-packed.

Ekscrunchy, I know it is not spanish, but given that you are going to stay at an apartment ... try the Gorgonzola at Octavio. Totally adictive !

bye, Cova

Ok but Cova, now you have to tells about Victor Montes! I hope to spend a lot of time in that market! Sounds like it might be a good place for a light lunch, no?

Thanks again, JE! It's great to exchange notes!

Thanks Cova!!!! I am planning to visit the Mercado de San Anton may be more than once, as our hotel is located near Chueca(at Mesonero Romanos corner at Gran Via).
Ekscrunchyf course it is good exchange notes; may be I find something new in june; plus there is a possible second trip this year;to France, but as always ending in Madrid(may be in september-october).I am starting to follow comments on a flamenco version of Carmen, starting in a few days at least until september.

It´s the same place as the one in Bilbao, in the Plaza Nueva. They began selling croquettes at the Mercado de San Miguel, and when the Mercado de San Antón opened, they went the whole way and installed a small "outpost". They still sell the croquettes (fried or to prepare at home), but the most important thing is the pintxos selection. Many of my favourites from home, including the txangurro. Always packed, mind you.

JE, there are many new places around. The premium gintonic fever is still strong. Although my latest favourite is a Thai place near Atocha

Bye, Cova