Hello fellow travelers,

I'm trying to get a better understanding of the city and have several questions.

• Is there a most charming and safe area to stay in Granada?
• I've seen references to parts of the city being "Gritty". What areas are they referring to?
• What are the advantages of the upper vs lower part of Albaycin?
• What area has the best views?
• Where are the best restaurants, tapas bars and street cafes?
• Is it walkable from one district to another?

I'll try to answer your questions--
The center city, near the cathedral and the Royal Chapel, is my preferred area, with plenty of my favorite tapas bars, shopping, pastry shops and other sites at hand. (Granada is the land of the "free" tapa, with a complimentary tapa given for each drink order.). It's perfectly safe.

The Aura Catedral Hotel sits directly across from the cathedral and receives a 9.2 score on booking.com. Check the reviews of it and the Palacio de Santa Paula Autograph Collection.

The disadvantage to the Upper Albayzín for me--
I find the upper Albayzín somewhat scruffy, and kind of hippy-ville and staying in the upper reaches of this ancient former Moorish quarter requires a lot of climbing up and down.
The lower Albayzín--
The bottom section, the Carrera del Darro, the flat street facing the river bed, on the segway and tourist train route, has some nice lodging, such as the ones mentioned in your other thread (did you see your other thread?).
Some but not all of these hotels have rooms with direct views of the Alhambra, and they will be the most expensive.
Some of these have a typical Moorish style inner courtyard with fountain, giving them a sort of "riad" look.

I would stay away from a hotel directly on the Plaza Nueva because of the noise factor.

The best views--
a. from the Mirador de San Nicolás at sunset, with its full frontal views of the Alhambra. But one needs to watch his/her belongings there, as visitors who sit on the ledge, taking photos and soaking in these views, have been victims of thefts from passing motorcyclists. Just be alert and aware.
b. from the terraces of the sweet Carmen Max Moreau house/museum in the heart of the Albayzín
c. from the outdoor terrace of the Parador de San Francisco that sits within the Alhambra complex facing the Generalife gardens. This is where I go for lunch after my Alhambra visit and sit on the terrace in warm weather. The Parador restaurant is open for non-residents for lunch but only for residents (these days, I believe) for dinner. And tables can be booked on The Fork.
d. from the terrace of the Alhambra Palace hotel, with views not of the Alhambra, but of the city below and the Sierra Nevada in the background.

Favorite restaurants--
Near the Mirador de San Nicolás
Carmen de Aben Humeya or the Mirador de Morayma near this famous square in the Albayzín
On the pretty Plaza de la Pescadería downtown
Cunini and Oliver for seafood (fish/crustaceans)
On the Plaza Bib-Rambla next door
Alhambra for churros & chocolate, Los Diamantes for fried fish, Los Manueles for a great value menu of the day
On Calle Rosario (restaurant row)
Taberna la Tana for wine/tapas, another Los Diamantes for fried fish, seafood
Near the Cathedral
Saint Germain for wine/tapas and the venerable Pastelería López Mezquita for pastries/coffee
Outside the city center
FM, with a cult following of gastro critics/seafood lovers for the best there is from the Motril coast (not cheap!)

Other "best view"--
From one of the outdoor terraces on the Paseo de los Tristes at the bottom of the Albayzín, with the Alhambra complex soaring above you

And if you're willing to do the climb--
Mirador de San Miguel Alto, with all of Granada and the whole valley at your feet---the highest Mirador (viewpoint) in the city.

Thanks so much Maribel. You are a wealth of information. I know my posts may seem redundant. I guess I was a little confused by some other replies as to whether it is an advantage or not to be on main road along the river or in an alternative area. It also wasn't clear to me if there were any areas that may be less safe. Thanks again for being so patient and taking the time to answer all my questions.

We stayed on the Carrera del Darro that Maribel mentions. Unfortunately, the hotel we stayed at is closed, either temporarily or permanently. But we really, really liked the location because the Carrera del Darro is at the bottom section of the Albayzin, so it is easy walking. No uphill and downhill walking. And we walked everywhere from our hotel, such as to the Granada Cathedral and that area. We took a taxi to the Alhambra, of course. We felt very safe in that area.

I agree that Plaza Nueva is noisy, busy, and crowded. I would not want to stay there.

Our favorite meal was at El Trillo Restaurante on Calleon Aljibe de Trillo, recommended by our hotel. This was an uphill walk but it was certainly doable. Not too strenuous. We had nice views of the Alhambra while walking to the restaurant and while dining outside in their garden. They make the best gin tonics!!!
https://www.restaurante-eltrillo.com/

If you would rather not hike up to the Mirador de San Nicolás (although it's a nice cardio workout). during the day, there's the minibus C32 that departs from Plaza Nueva and makes a loop through the Albayzín and also goes up to the Alhambra hill, saving some shoe leather.
The minibus C30 goes from the center of town, from the Plaza Isabel la Católiica to the Alhambra.
The minibus C31 makes a loop around the Albayzín but doesn't go up to the Alhambra.
The C34 makes a loop through the Albayzín and also the former gypsy quarter of Sacromonte, where the flamenco caves are located.

https://granadainfo.com/alhambra/minibus.htm
https://www.transportesrober.com/transporte/planos.htm