La Barceloneta in Barcelona - Brief history and profile

 • The small triangular form of La Barceloneta covers just 71 hectares, but this is 71 hectares of the most expensive real estate in the Cuitat Vella due to its prime location near the beach, the Port Vell marina and Barcelona city centre.

• The name Barceloneta means literally “little Barcelona.” It lies on reclaimed land from the sea and there were residents here as early as the 15th century.

• The first real houses were constructed in 1753 by the army.  The purpose was to provide new housing for former residents of Ribera who had been displaced by the construction of Cuitadella Garrison, (which later became the Cuitadella Park) Barcelona was still walled at this time and there was no room for new residents within the walls.

• In true military fashion 15 parallel streets were planned, each 7.5 meters wide and crossed by other three cross-sectional streets of 9.3 meters width.

• The original houses, some of which can still be seen, were two floors high and originally intended to house 1 family. They were all the same and built in a grid pattern.

• The earliest residents were mostly mariners, fishermen, shipbuilders. From 1846 they were joined by factories and factory workers as the industrial age started and  the city council of Barcelona banned new factories within the city walls. New industrial areas outside old Barcelona sprung up and Barceloneta with it’s close proximity to the port and the emerging railways was the an ideal location for industry. One of the original industries, the gas production industry, still has its head office close to Barceloneta.

• When the walls of Barcelona came down and trams connected the city, Barceloneta began the transformation into the beach and leisure area that it is today. Most of the two storey houses have been long since been built up or replaced, but the street layout is still the same and the “village in a city” atmosphere is still strong.

• Today La Barceloneta is a bustling, vibrant and essential part of Barcelona. Around 16000 inhabitants are adapting to the new Barceloneta which merges the best of old world tradition and customs with fast paced modern tourism. Hundred year old bars and fish restaurants co-exist well with new and trendy cocktail bars, chiriniguitos and hotels.

• Some old timers grumble that the number of tourists living and renting apartments in Barceloneta have turned the neighbourhood into one long vertical "hotel", the roads being corridors and the tiny flats the rooms. They might be right, but most locals and visitors agree that the infusion of visitors has made Barceloneta an even more colourful and lively area of Barcelona than before.
  
     
  La Barceloneta - Main tourist attractions and sights    

  • Passeig Joan de Borbó – This picturesque boulevard is a tourist attraction in itself and makes for a lovely stroll down to the Barceloneta beach

• Museum of Catalan History in the Palau de Mar building. Try the roof top cafe terrace for lovely views of the port.

• Museu Marítim – Barcelona Maritime museum

• The IMAX Theatre, Moll d’Espanya in Port Vell

• The Golondrinas – harbour tour boats in Port Vell

• The old lighthouse, now a clock tower, Torre del Reloj on Moll dels Pescadors, which used to be a lighthouse.Built in 1772

• Church of Sant Miquel del Port from 1755 on  the Plaça Barceloneta  
     
  La Barceloneta - Personal opinions from people who live there

  • Positive: Unbeatable neighbour atmosphere • The streets, the neighbours, the colours of the washing hanging out from every flat makes it feel like a real home with real people • there’s nothing like the smell of the sea and the salt for feeling the joy of life • for walking, biking, skating this is the best place in town • it’s like living in a village by the sea • we have plenty of old world restaurants and cafes in Barceloneta and if we want new and trendy we go to the Born which is just a short walk away.

• Negative: Many tourists in the summer • the close proximity to the sea means that the humidity can make it a bit chilly in the winter • shopping is limited, but it’s close to the city centre • No lifts • finding free parking is hard but there is underground parking nearby
   
      
 La Barceloneta - Real estate perspective of buying flats in this part of Barcelona 
   
  • The prices per square metre are among the highest in the city, but on the other hand this area will never go out of style. Extremely popular for second-home investments because of great location and because apartments in Barceloneta are very easy to rent out on short term rentals.

• The flats in Barceloneta are generally very small and compact. This is because originally the buildings of the Barceloneta were constructed in rectangular areas of 16,80m xs 8,40m (about 141 m2). Later they were halved into in areas of 8,40 xs 8,40 (about 70 m2) and then halved again into areas of 8,40 xs 4,20 (about 35 m2) called quarter-flats ('cuartos de casa')

• If you subtract the space for walls and the stairs, the quarter size apartments are less than 32 m2 big. 60% of the flats in Barceloneta are quarter size 'cuartos de casa'

• Very few big spacious flats and big balconies and terraces are virtually non-existant.

• Many flats need renovating, but again the investment usually justifies the renovation cost

• Most buildings do not have a lift.

This content kindly provided by Ficasso Real Estate Barcelona.