Complete Guide to Lavapiés, Madrid
Hi! Welcome to the neighborhood I've lived in for the past year!
I actually just moved out of my apartment in Lavapiés, so this is my passing on all of my recommendations for anyone else who decides to move here or stay here while they're visiting Madrid (I would recommend it in both circumstances!!)
Lavapies is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Madrid's city center after La Latina. It's very very hilly (I lived at the bottom of a hill and I felt it everyday), but the architecture is charming in a way that the newer parts of Madrid struggle to encapsulate to the same degree. It's colorful, eclectic, and
Lavapiés also gets a bad rep by some Spaniards and outsiders for being dangerous. It's not. It does have some grit and definitely it's own character, but in a way that I believe gives it a lot of personality and keeps it authentic. It is also incredibly multicultural, with most immigrant communities coming from Morocco, India and Bangladesh, and various countries around Africa and the Middle East. The plaza where Lavapiés metro is located is probably not exactly where you'd want to stay and can get a little seedy at night (lots of drugs and drug deals happen over here), but the rest of the neighborhood is completely safe and even still, the distinction between that and actual danger is important. I've walked past Plaza de Lavapiés tons of times at night and while I'd never linger there, I've never feared for my safety either. It's also worth noting that albeit slowly, Lavapiés is becoming more trendy and gentrified, so Spaniards who may be right about danger or crime in the neighborhood 10-20 years ago may be a little out of touch now,
Speaking of, Lavapiés happens to be in a sweet spot right now of being a more relevant neighborhood but with streets that are not nearly as crowded and loud as Chueca or Malasaña. I also think that it's one of the best geographical locations in the city... La Latina and Las Huertas (Barrio de las Letras) border it from the west and north, the Botanical Gardens and Retiro Park are a 10-20 minute walk depending on where exactly you are, Atocha train station is right below, and Sol is one stop away on the 3 metro line. AND, if you stay/ live closer to Calle de Santa Isabel, being in between and 1 and the 3 lines will take you almost everywhere you could need to go in Madrid.
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