Hi - has anyone stayed in this apartment?

http://tinyurl.com/y525yq Any comments welcome - thanks.

It doesn't say the exact location, but the zone is definitely not a 10min walk to Sorolla or 20 to Biblioteca. I'd rather say by bus.

Thank you Josele! How about this one?

http://tinyurl.com/y8pkyh

The link doesn't work.
But generally, it depends on what you want to visit. The Museums, Botanical gardens, Retiro and Biblioteca are in Paseo del Prado area, and the Sol/Plaza Mayor is the old Madrid. For what I have read from other posters, there are many apartments in this latter area, and very few but hotels in the former.
The Sorolla museum is near the Castellana-Prado axis, though far from the Museums.
In the old quarters therre are certain streets full of hookers, not dangerous but unpleasant, so make sure where it is located the apartment.

That first one looks like a winner to me as long as you don't mind three flights up. Following their "owner's website" link, this seems to be a detailed map of the location -- which is fantastic as far as I'm concerned:

http://tinyurl.com/y6vrkj

The location of the aptment in Neopatrick's post is Calle Leganitos. Hooker's places are located around Montera and Ballesta (red de San Luis, in the middle of Gran Via).
It has Metro and buses right round the corner, necessary for going to the Museums; but if you want to go walking to "nearer" Sol or Plaza Mayor, it is long and up hill most the time. There are few places of interest really near, only Plaza de España, and Palacio de Liria (belongs to Duchess of Alba).
I have read about other apartments in the very Plaza Mayor, being ideally located but with an ammount of noise.

Hi everyone - many thanks for replies - the other apartment I looked at was this one - http://tinyurl.com/y2gkwy =- hope this link works better. Any comments welcome again!

I'm no Madrid expert, but we rented an apartment very near Opera for a week this summer. It's probably 5 minutes from the location of that first one above. I'm sorry, but I can't think of any "long hard uphill" walks from there to Plaza Mayor, which should probably take about 10 to 15 minutes easy walking tops from that apartment. What am I missing here? What hills are we talking about? I missed them.

By the way, in an entire week of lots of walking in all that central area, I was unaware of any "dangerous" or "sleazy" hooker areas. Am I blind?

Yes, Patrick..Madrid is built over hills, and the streets from Opera to Plaza Mayor , believe it or not..are actually uphill For some of us are quite hard , maybe you come from a place where there are harder ones and felt them easy or you are in a really good shape for which I congratulate you (and envy a bit, I reckon).
And no, Opera is not a hooker's area. The area josele talked about are quite far apart, nearer to Puerta del Sol. You weren't there..because it is pretty obvious what the men and ladies there are doing

I live in Southwest Florida, where the biggest hill to climb is the 2 feet to go over the crest of dune by the beach -- or maybe the incline up a piece of sidewalk uprooted a bit by a Banyan Tree -- LOL. I do remember a rather long uphill walk where that big fleamarket is, and another to the side of the huge park, but I sure didn't think much of those minor little inclines all around Puerto del Sol and Plaza Mayor as well as from there to Gran Via.

I guess I've seen hookers just about everywhere, so I'm immune. We were in the Puerto del Sol area pretty much every night. Our apartment was about half way between Opera and Plaza Mayor, actually.

I am talking about Gran Via from Plaza de España to Callao Sq. and it is Up-the-hill (next square along Gran Via, now flat, is Red de San Luis), then take Calle Carmen to Puerta del Sol, and it is Up-the-hill. I lived in Madrid for eight years, and have done it many times. Once in Puerta del Sol it is (almost) flat to Opera-Palacio Real. The Leganitos apartment is near the corner Plaza España with Gran Via. I do not care walking, but some people do.
About the hookers, well, I bet you would not enjoy an apartment in Calle Montera.

About this other apartment, I think it is a better location, though "near the Palacio Real" is very generic. Do you know the exact location?

If you walk along Calle de la Montera after 10pm and do not see a "lady of the night" or a transvestite then the world must be coming to an end.

haha, Viajero, that's true !! But you forgot the "men of the night"..not transvestites.. but gays Montera has its own fauna