'Unpopular opinion': I have come to speak well of Gràcia

We all have a friend who never leaves the Gràcia neighborhood. Well, I'm going to tell you... Look, I'm that friend. I moved from Madrid to Gràcia in October and I'm in that initial stage of infatuation where you only see the virtues. Understand me, I've gone from living in a frantic Madrid neighborhood to living in a neighborhood that looks a lot like a village. This has made my quality of life improve exponentially. To begin with, because of the low presence of cars I find, considering that I live in a city. Many of the streets in the neighborhood are practically pedestrian and I have a considerable number of squares, where community life takes place. We could say that Gràcia was already a super-block before super-blocks existed.

I am aware that living in this neighborhood is a great privilege. The rental price is absolutely exorbitant ---1,148 euros on average according to Incasòl---, gentrification has driven out many of its residents and prices are prohibitive. Unfortunately, it is a global problem in Barcelona that needs to be solved urgently if we want cities to be livable places. The difference between Gràcia and some areas of the city is that the identity and personality of the neighborhood resist. Although there are more and more hipster businesses, much of the commerce is still local, large chains have not wiped out traditional establishments, and there are specialized stores, with their own identity, where the shop assistant knows you and advises you. A fantasy in 2024.

That a central neighborhood of a tourist city like Barcelona remains this way is, mostly, thanks to its residents. Undoubtedly, one of the main characteristics that differentiates Gràcia from other areas is its strong associative fabric. Practically every weekend you can find a popular activity organized by an entity: correfocs, calçotades, botifarrades, stick dances, castells, parades, cavalcades, storytelling, concerts, dances, big-heads... And without overlooking the street commissions that organize to decorate the neighborhood for the Gràcia festivities. All this makes you feel part of a community. In an increasingly selfish and solitary society, we could consider it a privilege.

I'm not going to deny it. Gràcia, like all neighborhoods, has its flaws. Of course it does. But all that will be another story… Today I came to talk about how Gràcia is part of the Barcelona I love. And long may it last.