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VALENCIA

Moving to Valencia: A guide to the best neighbourhoods to live in

If you’re thinking about moving to Valencia, you’ll want to know where the best places are to live in the city and which neighbourhood will best suit you and your family. Find out in our Valencia neighbourhood guide.

Moving to Valencia: A guide to the best neighbourhoods to live in
Barrio del Carmen in Valencia. Photo: Jorge Franganillo/Wikipedia

El Carmen

The Barrio del Carmen (see photo above) lies right in the centre of the city and is part of the Ciutat Vella or Old Town. It’s great if you want to be right in the heart of the action close to lots of bars, cafes and shops. It’s ideal for those who love Spain’s iconic cute narrow streets and historic architecture. This neighbourhood lies within easy walking distance to almost everywhere. The only place that you might want to hop on the tram to is the beach. The only drawback is that this area can get particularly crowded with tourists, especially in summer and during the Las Fallas festival at the end of March. It can also be quite noisy, given the number of late-night bars that can be found down its narrow streets.

La Seu

The oldest part of Valencia, the neighbourhood of La Seu centres around the Cathedral and is also part of the Ciutat Vella. It’s both the religious and political centre of the city and is home to some of its most impressive buildings. Like its neighbour, the barrio del Carmen above, if you live here, you’ll be at the heart of everything and be able to walk to everywhere (except the beach). It can also get quite noisy and crowded however, especially in summer when people sit outside on bar terraces at night.

Aerial view of La Seu. Photo: Felivet/Wikipedia

El Cabanyal

The city’s old fisherman’s district, El Cabanyal (or El Cabañal) was one of the poorest areas of the city until very recently – full of old crumbling apartment buildings and several unsavoury characters. In recent years however it has been getting a facelift – apartments have been renovated, new businesses have opened and younger people have moved in.

Now one of the city’s most up-and-coming neighbourhoods, El Cabanyal is ideal for those who want to be just steps from the beach and love traditional old colourful architecture. The only drawback of living here is that you’re quite far from the city centre, so may need to spend quite a bit of time travelling back and forth on the tram.  

El Cabanyal neighbourhood. Photo: Enric/Wikipedia

El Pla del Remei and Gran Vía

El Pla del Remei and Gran Vía are located in the L’Eixample district – the extension of the city and are more modern than the neighbourhoods in the Old Town. El Pla del Remei and Gran Vía comprise Valencia’s main shopping hub and are filled with all the most popular high street stores, fashion boutiques and upscale apartment buildings.

They’re centred around the art nouveau Mercat de Colón – a grand historic market that has been fully renovated and is now filled with an array of trendy bars and restaurants.  Bordering the green lung of the city – the Turia Gardens on one side and the Ciutat Vella on the other, they offer one of the best locations in the city. The main drawback is that rental prices are high here and you can get a lot more for your money elsewhere. They are also very busy areas, so you may want to consider somewhere quieter if that’s what you’re after.  

Colón Market in Pla del Remei. Photo: Felivet/Wikipedia

El Botànic

El Botànic lies in the district of Extramurs, to the west of the Ciutat Vella and borders the tranquil Turia Gardens. The area also comprises the city’s leafy Botanical Gardens, of which it’s named after. Live here if you want to be within walking distance to the Old Town and all its bars and restaurants, but also want a more relaxed vibe, surrounded by greenery and nature. The neighbourhood has plenty of its own sights too, including museums, a quaint market place and the Torres de Quart – the twin gothic-style defence towers which once formed part of the city wall.

Borrull Street in El Botànic neighbourhood, Valencia. Photo: B25es/Wikipedia

Ruzafa

Ruzafa lies just south of the Ciutat Vella on the eastern side of the grand main central train station. The city’s coolest barrio, it’s home to hipsters, young people and plenty of interesting bars and restaurants. Its trendy alternative vibe means you’ll find everything from vegetarian and vegan cafes to bars hidden in book shops and antique stores. Attracting young professionals, digital nomads and foreigners, it’s ideal for those who want to experience the city’s alternative nightlife and great restaurants. Because of its hipster status, accommodation prices have risen in Ruzafa a lot over the past five years or so, meaning that bargains are hard to find here anymore.

Colourful buildings in Valencia’s Ruzafa barrio. Photo: Northleg Official/Unsplash

Campanar

Campanar is the name given to the city’s fourth district, comprising Les Tendetes, El Calvari, Sant Pau and the neighbourhood of Campanar itself. Located outside of the city walls and on the other side of the Turia Gardens, Campanar was once a separate village filled with canals, fields and citrus orchards. Today, not much of that survives and most of the district is given over to high rises, shopping malls and wide boulevards. But, hidden in amongst all this you can still find the Old Town of Campanar with its colourful two-story houses, shady plazas and pedestrianised streets. It’s ideal for families and those who want a quieter and more local side to Valencian life, close to greenery – with the Bioparc Zoo on one side and the Turia Gardens on the other.

The Sant Pau area of El Campanar. Photo: B25es/Wikipedia

Benimaclet

One of Valencia’s least-known neighbourhoods, Benimaclet lies to the northeast of the city, close to two of the city’s universities. Because of this, it attracts many students and accommodation prices are a lot cheaper than they are in the more central neighbourhoods. But this is not Benimaclet’s only draw. The area, like Campanar, used to be a separate village, which was later annexed to the city, meaning that it has a more laidback and tranquil vibe. And it still feels like a village too with its proper houses instead of just apartment blocks, charming colourful architecture and attractive squares. It may lie further out than some of the neighbourhoods, but it’s just a quick metro ride into the centre for everything you need.

Benimaclet square. Photo: Joanbanjo/Wikipedia

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UNDERSTANDING SPANIARDS

Nine things you should never say to a Valencian person

Whether it be insulting their regional dishes, turning your nose up at their favourite celebrations, or insinuating they're all corrupt, there are a few things you should never say to a Valencian, writes Valencia resident Conor Faulkner.

Nine things you should never say to a Valencian person

Paella with chorizo (or anything non-traditional)

Valencians will proudly tell you that paella originated in the Valencia region, and they’d be right. The first written recipes date back to the 18th century, though historians believe this classic of Spanish gastronomy dates back much further than that, and existed for possibly centuries before as a rural dish that threw together ingredients to hand in the region, namely rabbit, chicken, rice, and green beans.

However, Valencians are pretty particular when it comes to paella recipes, as British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver found out a few years ago when he put chorizo in his recipe and caused an internet meltdown.

Adding anything non-traditional to a paella, especially chorizo, will undoubtedly lead locals to dismissively describe it as mere arroz con cosas (rice with stuff).

READ ALSO:

Calling the pan a ‘paellera’

That in mind, don’t call the huge pan used to make paella a paellera, as some people mistakenly do. This is another sure way to rub a Valencian up the wrong way, because a paella is actually both the dish and the pan. This is a bit of a linguistic sore point for Valencians, as places like Amazon and even El Corte Inglés advertise paelleras.

A real paellera, for those interested, actually refers to the woman or man who makes paellas (who would never, ever dream of adding chorizo!).

Saying Las Fallas are loud/annoying/overrated (or anything negative)

Closely following paella when it comes to Valencian pride is las fallas, the city’s famous fire celebrations. Las Fallas, for those who haven’t ever been, is essentially a three week street party with fireworks and the burning of huge papier-mâché figures known as ninots.

Las Fallas comes from a centuries-old tradition of fire, humour, satire (ninots of celebrities and famous figures are burned) and community spirit (often each neighbourhood will have its own falla or club). However, the main thing about fallas is the noise, specifically the fireworks.

Every day at 2pm there’s the mascletá, a huge, incredibly loud firework display outside the town hall, and the rest of the city is filled with the booms, bangs, whizzes and roars of fireworks for most of the month (and most of the night).

For some Valencians, fallas is a bigger deal than Christmas, so don’t criticise it, even if you really don’t enjoy it. To do so would be like questioning their sense of self and identity, their sense of ‘Valencianess’. It would be like telling a Sevillano that Semana Santa is a bit of a drag… good luck with that.

However, say it quietly, but some Valencians agree and actually leave town themselves during fallas.

READ ALSO:

Say Valenciano is a Catalan dialect

Accusing Valencians of being southern Catalans (Catalanes del sur) or speaking a dialect of Catalan is another surefire way to annoy them.

Though Valencian isn’t widely spoken in the city, in the towns and villages around the wider Valencian Community, it’s still very common and locals take great pride in speaking it (regardless of how linguistically similar it is to Catalan!).

READ ALSO: Do I need to learn Valencian if I live in Spain’s Valencia region?

Criticise the oranges

Valencian oranges are famous, right? Not only are they delicious, but orange trees line the streets around the city (not that you should actually eat those) and make it very picturesque.

Like with paella, criticising Valencian oranges would be a serious affront to Valencian identity and gastronomy — don’t do it!

READ ALSO: Why are there so many blooming oranges in Valencia?

Turn your nose up at horchata

Staying on that theme, saying that you don’t like horchata is another faux pas in Valencia.

Horchata, for those who haven’t tried, is a cold, refreshing drink made with sweetened tiger nuts, and usually dipped with long bits of pastry called fartons.

Ask if they are all corrupt

Valencia has, like many parts of Spain and the world, had its fair share of corrupt politicians and public figures over the years. In fact, in the 90s and early 2000s it became a bit of a stereotype and stain on the Valencian brand.

It’s true that there have been quite a few corrupt politicians, from former regional president Francisco Camps to ex-mayor Rita Barberá, but that does not reflect at all the average Valencian, who as a rule is very, very honest.

READ ALSO: Is Spain as corrupt as it was a decade ago?

Ask if they’ve been to La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias

Of course they have, it’s arguably the most famous attraction in Valencia!

However, the City or Arts and Sciences is not something that many Valencians would visit or even think about in their day-to-day lives. Asking them about it is probably something they’ve heard 1,000 times before from foreigners.

Asking if they know Calatrava personally or say that he is the only famous Valencian

That in mind, one thing that annoys some Valencians is the claim that world-famous architect Santiago Calatrava (the architect behind the Artes y Ciencias complex) is the only famous Valencian, or asking if they personally known him.

For those less up to speed on Valencian celebrities, locals will be quick to remind you of painter Sorolla, composer Joaquín Rodrigo, fashion designer Mariscal, singer Camilo Sexto, TV presenters Pablo Motos, Arturo Valls and Nuria Roca, footballers Andrés Palop and David Albelda as well as tennis stars Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer, just to name a few.

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