adrienne

I've been looking at 2 bedroom apartments on the Habitat site (since several people on the board have stayed in these apartments and give them good ratings). I've narrowed the list down to 4. My main critieria are light and airy and wifi and a terrace or balcony. There will be 2 of us and this is our first time in Barcelona - my first time in Spain! We'll be going for a week in mid March (returning home before Holy Week).

Most of my sightseeing seems to be centered in Eixample with La Rambla a second hot spot of sightseeing. Also a day trip to Montserrat. My travel companion (TC) wants to shop and will tag along with me for whatever sightseeing I want to do - she has no opinions on what to see and do but that's another story.

Here's my shortlist in Eixample (priority order):

Modernista B (terrace)
http://tinyurl.com/cqnul8p

Rossello 1 (interior patio)
http://tinyurl.com/cqfhetw

Comtal 22 (light and airy)
http://tinyurl.com/br3394o

Modernista A (small balcony)
http://tinyurl.com/bwkkokz

My fifth choice is Ferran 1 in Barri Gothic. The down side is it looks dark (but may not be). The positive - 2 bedrooms each with queen beds.
http://tinyurl.com/ch4nqdz

Thanks for your help!

BigRuss

One of the Modernistas.

Comtal is in a crap location for your needs.

Reviews on Rossello seem poor.

Christina

I agree, I like the Modernistas best, and I like that location best, definitely. It wouldn't be terrible, but I wouldn't choose to be right on that big avenue, Diaganol, and the MOdernistas are closer to stores and restaurants I like.

Agree with Comtal location.

I wouldn't choose that last one because it doesn't even have a living room. That's why it has two bedrooms, the living room is one of them, basically. So why is that a positive when the others have 2 BRs also, don't they?

adrienne

Thanks! It went over my had that Ferran 1 doesn't have a living room and it's on the 2nd floor w/o an elevator. The Ferran is definitely out.

Robert2533

Have you checked Apartment Barcelona (www.apartmentbarcelona.com)?

Or for something really nice, but still affordable, Splendom Suites Barcelona (www.splendomsuites.com).

BigRuss

Don't forget to get one of these discounts if you're intending to see a ton of modern art: www.articketbcn.org

adrienne

What's the difference between Eixample Derecho and Izquierdo?

The Suites looked nice but too expensive.

adrienne

I'll definitely be buying the ticket. I'm not a modern art fan but I do enjoy Miro and feel I should visit the Picasso museum.

I think I read on someone's trip report that if you buy a guide book there is a discount card inside? I'll have to go back and check that out.

Right now I'm looking at airline tickets and reading about Girona. I'm ready to start booking things.

Dukey1

Please whatever you do do NOT stay away from Las Ramblas (I mean to visit it) when you start hearing all the scare stories about the murderers, the pickpockets, the shell games, the bad food, etc., etc., IMO it is part of the city and not to be missed including all those crazy living statues...enjoy your stay.

danon

Ferran is in the location I don't like

another vote for Modernista

Christina

Derecho means right and izquierdo means left in Spanish, that's all. That's kind of funny as eixample is Catalan and the other words Spanish. In Catalan, that would be dreta and esquerra. It's the left or right of psg de Gracia, I believe.

this website explains the areas
http://www.oh-barcelona.com/en/barce...ixample-dreta/

Cowboy1968

The difference between Eixample Derecha/Dreta and Izquierda/ Esquerra is that the former is what is right of Passeig de Gracia and the latter what is left of it.
Personally, I like the left part better, or what is between Pg de Gracia and Universitat, very roughly seen.
Each part, and Eixample in total, is a very huge chunk of Barcelona. So saying that you want to see things in Eixample is more or less meaningless, as those can be 10kms apart.

I guess you mean that you want to see the Gaudi buildings along Passeig de Gracia and probably Sagrada Familia.
If that was true, none of those sights required you to stay in one of the apartments you mentioned. You can obviously walk from the Modernistas and Rosello to the Gaudi buildings, but neither from Comtal or Ferran would the effort to get there be worth mentioning.
It's also irrelevant for getting to Sagrada Familia, or to Pl. Espanya for the train to Montserrat.

Ferran is in the Old Town, and not even on Carrer Ferran, which would be a somewhat wide street. But on one of the narrow small streets. Some find it historic and cute, others cramped and depressing. Tastes differ.

Rosello is in fact on Diagonal, a busy thoroughfare. Can be too noisy when apartment faces the street. Can be quiet if the apartment faces the courtyard.

Modernistas are fine.
Though, and only IMHO, I find that part around Pg de Gracia a bit dull when the upscale stores on Pg de Gracia closed. And the area around Comtal a bit more lively, more like a regular downtown neighborhood. Definetely two levels less fancy than the Modernistas neighborhood. You can love that or hate that. When in doubt, go for the Modernistas.

Cowboy1968

Christina was a bit faster explaining the esquerra/dreta
did not see that when posting

adrienne

I'm going to digest all of this great information. Thanks for the explanation of right and left. I didn't look up the words since I thought they were areas of Eixample.

Dukey - I can't wait to walk down Las Ramblas and see all the action and eat tapas and drink wine I want to hang out there a lot - right after my Gaudi fix!! I'm not one of those hysterical people who posts here - they annoy me.

Cowboy - you're not slow - you typed more!

BigRuss

Dunno that I'd eat tapas and drink wine on La Rambla but other areas (Placa Major [sp?], Rambla de Catalunya) yep.

There are lots of "Ramblas" but La Rambla is the main one and the least interesting for food and wine. The others are generally a little quieter (although Rambla del Mar is lively) and less infested with stickyfingered larcenists. Definitely prefer the Barri Gotic or Port Vell areas to La Rambla . . . It's not about hysterics, it's about the atmosphere.

nsalerno

We stayed at Habitat September 2009 in the BarriGotic area close th the Picaso Museum. Other people rave about Habitat but we found it dark, not much hot water, no phone and really hard to contact the owners. We were not enthralled with it!


I think you may be happier in another area especially since you have lots of things you want to do elsewhere!

danon

" stayed at Habitat"?
Habitat is an agency .
why would you try to contact the owner
of the apt.?

nsalerno

Habitat is the name of an apartment building in Barcelona . We stayed at the apartment named Princessa 3. You can find it at www.habitatapartments.com. It is in the Barri Gothic area.

We called the representative or the superintendent. It was the phone number left at the apartment. Maybe not the owner! When he finally came to the apartment ( no phone in the apartment) he said that the hot water tank was very small. We called also because the booklet explaining the washing machine was only in Spanish and we were having difficulty trying to get it running! The streets in this area are very old and very narrow and the buildings are close together as old areas sometimes are. So we had to keep the curtains closed most of the time since you were looking into someones unit and they into yours. Making for a dark apartment.

nsalerno

Check Trip Advisor. Mixed reviews!

Cowboy1968

I think you don't get it.. Habitat rents this and hundreds of other apartments. But they don't own them.
Personally, I don't get most of your criticism, except for the small water boiler maybe.
When you live on a narrow street, you don't have to keep your curtains closed. You will look into other apartments and your neighbors across the street will look into yours. Big deal.
Have not seen many apartments with landline phones. Everybody got a mobile phone so there is no need.
Well, the washing machine... I feel with you as no matter where I stay in Barcelona, I usually have bad karma with washers or dryers. If you need a manual in your language, just put in name and make of washer into Google, and you will get it (I got kind of used to this procedure due to my bad karma with washers).