Barcelona is a big and busy city. I spent some time reading about the best areas to stay and decided that the Gracia district would be my top choice. However, when I tried to make reservations, I ran into problems finding a two bedroom apartment there that was available for three months. So I had to look at other areas.

We wound up by the Camp de’Arpa metro station a little northwest of the Sagrada Familia. We could walk to the Sagrada Familia in about fifteen minutes, but it took us about forty-five minutes to walk downtown. Of course we had access to the excellent metro system, so we weren’t forced to walk when we didn’t want to.

Our area worked out fine. It was very residential – very few tourists were where we were, so we found friendly people, easy shopping and quiet streets. However, if we had to do it again, we would probably opt for a place a little closer to the downtown. It’s very nice to be able to walk outside your apartment and take in the interesting sights and discover more of the charms of the city. In Barcelona, there is also an added benefit to being a little closer to the tourist area, which is that you are more likely to find restaurants that are open in the evenings. Where we lived, if we wanted to eat out in the evening, we were pretty much restricted to tapas. There just weren’t any restaurants that opened before 8:30 or 9pm.

So where would we look? My initial thought of the Gracia district was a good one. It’s a charming little area not too far away from things with a mixture of tourists and residents. It’s got little picturesque alleyways and interesting shops. It’s also a lot more centrally located and we could have walked to a lot more things. Sometimes I just didn’t feel like battling the crowded subways.

Actually, any place above Placa de Catalunya would be fine. The closer to the water you get, the more touristy it becomes, so if you’re looking for an authentic Barcelona experience, you may want to stay above the Diagonal, but the area between Placa de Catalunya and the Diagonal (Eixample) is safe and very nice, albeit more expensive.  You’ll find broad streets, beautiful architecture and trendy shops. The area around Parc de la Citadella is very nice, too.

If you want a Barcelona neighborhood experience, consider the Clot area by the Glories metro stop. You will still be further out, but Clot has a nice park with a little town square and a bustling Mercat. It all depends on how you feel about being able to walk into town versus taking the subway.

There are places you should not nest in Barcelona. Number one is in the Raval area. Although you can feel safe there during the day, at night can be another story. Barcelona has a pretty serious drug problem, and the churches in El Raval open their doors at night to give the addicts a place to sleep. As you get close to the water, the problem gets worse. At night, prostitutes frequent the end of the Ramblas by the water, and some of these problems can spill over to the Gothic area, too.

Because Barcelona is a bigger city, there’s a lot more options – but there’s big city concerns, too. More than any other place we’ve been, it is important to pay attention to what you have come to like about nesting when you choose your place.

Along with HomeAway and AirBnB, Globex may be helpful in finding a rental in Barcelona.