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Review 3838: Negre BCN Apartments, Borne Rustic Atico

www.negre.us

Review by CMM from OR

2bed/1bath apartment in the Borne neighborhood, Barcelona

When

August 2008, One week

Location

The apartment is on the top (sixth) floor of an old building not far from the Picasso Museum, in the heart of the Borne neighborhood. It is on a very quiet street. I suppose it's a good location, although I found the area to be overwhelmed with tourists and the surrounding restaurants, bars and shops very expensive.

Nearby Amenities

There are plenty of grocery stores and food shops (including the Mercat Santa Caterina) within a five-minute walk. Dozens of restaurants within a five-minute walk.

The House/Apartment

I would not call the building historic, but it certainly is old. There is NO LIFT in the building and the apartment is located at the top of six very long flights of stairs. This definitely made us think twice every time we were deciding whether to leave the apartment to stroll around. It's manageable only (especially in the heat of August) if you are relatively young and fit.

Despite its central location, the apartment was quiet, but that might be because we had the air conditioner turned on the entire time we were there. The apartment is on the top floor and the ceilings are quite low; without air conditioning the apartment would have been unbearable. Fortunately, the A/C worked just fine.

Garden

There is an outside patio, which is really just the roof of the apartment building. Technically, other tenants have access to it (there are clotheslines there for the use of the other residents), but we never saw them. Not particularly scenic, but nice all the same.

Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas

Furniture was not particularly nice but seemed to be relatively clean. Think college off-campus housing quality level.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms

Beds were flimsy. Bathroom was very small but adequate. Shower worked fine.

Kitchen

Kitchen was small but adequate for simple meals. Utensils, plates, etc were good.

Problems or Bonuses

The layout and orientation of the apartment is odd. Because it is on the roof of the apartment building, which was severely angled in order to help with drainage, the apartment's floors are undulating--severely in some places. Also, the ceilings are low and the apartment is fairly dark. It makes for a rather odd, somewhat creepy, feel. There were four of us staying there (two adults and two kids) and the apartment felt cramped for that many people, even though there was sufficient sleeping space. It just was not a great place to hang out.

Agency and Representatives (and price)

The agency was pleasant and reliable. I would not hesitate to rent from them again. They speak English and their communications were prompt and professional. We paid about €900 for the week, which I felt was reasonable for Barcelona.

Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?

I probably would not stay here again, for the reasons noted above. It is a quirky apartment that others might like more than we did.

Things to do in this area

The Borne neighborhood is a good location for those who want lots of restaurants, gelateria, etc at their doorstep (who doesn't, I suppose). There is a subway stop a few blocks away, which we used a lot. I also liked the fact that Barcelona's beaches are within walking distance (Barceloneta) or a short cab ride (Portonovo) away.

I know I am in the minority on this board, but I did not love Barcelona. Although it is a beautiful and exciting city, I found it to be overrun with tourists and extremely expensive. On our 14-week tour of Spain and Italy this summer, I found it to be, by far, the most expensive and most overtly touristy city in which we stayed. I am a dedicated cook and I was really looking forward to seeing the Boqueria Market, but it was unbelievably packed every time I went by it. We much preferred the smaller markets such as the one located in the center of Barceloneta. Our favorite parts of the city were the beaches, which were surprisingly clean and beautiful and had terrific people-watching, and some of the neighborhoods away from the center, such as Portonovo.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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