Hi! Moving to BCN for 3 months this winter (mid-20s solo female). What area would you recommend staying?
I prefer walking distance to lots of cafes/places to eat, lots of history/old architecture, and don't mind night life. I'm not from a huge city but know enough Spanish to get by (and hoping to improve while there. Currently looking at:
1) Gracia
2) Between El Born and Dreta De L'Eixemple
3) Central El Raval
Or, somewhere else?
Contributor 
18,668 posts
22 reviews 
40 helpful votes Of the three, I'd choose Vila de Gràcia but any of them should be fine. Some parts of El Raval, particularly the parts closer to the port, are probably best avoided.
Gràcia is an elegant, expensive, neighborhood. Both Born and Dreta de l'Eixample are nice. Gràcia and Eixample have cafés and bars on a walking distance.
Ditto.
Contributor
18,668 posts
22 reviews
40 helpful votes All of Barcelona has cafes and bars in walking distance. For me, Gràcia is more Boho than elegant. There are, of course some elegant buildings, but fewer than in l'Eixample, for example. I feel that much of l'Eixample will be more expensive than Gràcia, though neither will be cheap. The OP didn't say that they were particularly looking for inexpensive accommodation, though.
