Looking 2 stay in an apt for 4 nights in Barcelona and we are considering this apartment
http://tinyurl.com/m4whtj. The address is Rambla de Cataluña, 39. According to the website its in the District: Eixample Izquierdo and the Metro station: Paseo de Gracia. Would appreciate hearing from anyone who is familar with that location. Thanks!

I have spent a good deal of time in Barcelona and this is my favorite part of the city ... Passeig de Gracia is the most beautiful street in the city (and one of the most beautiful in the world) ... and you are just a few blocks from the Plaza de Cataluna which is the center of the city (and you can take the bus right from the airport to the Plaza and save yourself cab fare) ... and Las Ramblas (which is very touristy ... sort of Barcelona's "Times Square") is just a short walk down your street (and while it's fun to walk around ... it's noisy so it's great to be close but not right in the middle of it).

This would be my preferred location in Barcelona ... you're close to everything and in a lovely neighborhood and right near a Metro. (By the way, if you like Thai food, there is a great Thai restaurant near the Passeig de Gracia metro ... Thai Gardens. I spent a wonderful Christmas Eve there a few years ago drinking cava and celebrating with my daughter and her friends.)

I'm jealous ... I miss Barcelona!

Thanks, terryb. anyone else have thought??

agree with PP about the location. My favorite street in Barcelona. Part of it is pedestrian with cafes and restaurants galore.
I bookmarked the place for my future visits to BCN ( been 3 times already)
Don't miss Cerverceria Catalana for tapas just a few blocks north.

http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/barce...CERIA-CATALANA

I haved stayed in the Born district for the last two years and prefer it to other areas. I like the small streets and alleyways and the younger feel of it plus some of our favorite restaurants and bars are located there. We stayed in http://habitatapartments.com/en/barc.../princesa3.htm both years. My 19 year old loved it and his middle aged parents also had a great time. Maybe the difference in the two areas is like the difference between upper east side and tibeca/soho. Just depends on what you like...

Thanks --
macdogmom, our preference is for the el born area. The problem I have been having is that we need a bed that is at least a queen sized, 60" x 80" or so. I seem to being having diffculty finding them. Princesa 3 is one I like. Do you know the size of the bed? I sent an email to habitat but havent heard back yet. (Meantime I'm getting blurry eyed looking at them all!)

I am not sure what size the bed was. My husband is 6'5" and i don't remember having a problem, so maybe it was a queen. Our son slept in the fold out coach in the living room. It is a very quiet location, but just around the corner are great cafes, shopping and a nice little market. I walked all over Barcelona from the apartment and really found it very close to lots of things I wanted to explore (I also love to walk when we are in a foreign city). And we loved Cal Pep, Bossborn restaurants plus one of our favorite bar's of all time (and with great tapas) --El Xampanyet. Good luck.

Thanks so much -- hmmm...my husband is an inch shorter so maybe it will work 4 us. We're excited to go back to Barcelona -- been almost 10 years since we've been there. thanks 4 the info!

I stayed in an apartment on the Rambla de Catalunya and I would prefer this to any other area of Barcelona. El Born is a bit more crowded and touristy, although that would be my second choice. The Rambla de Catalunya is not to be confused with the Ramblas below the Placa de Catalunya; it is much nicer. There is a center strip down the middle of the street where people walk and there are benches and cafe tables.

I agree about the Cerveseria Catalana, a great place for tapas.

This is the trip report I wrote about my stay in the apartment on the Rambla de Catalunya:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

Thanks, Nikki - I had read and saved your trip report, but had missed/forgotten the description of the bed in your apt. So that is good to know. I think we would be happy in either location.