Deciding in which area of Madrid to live?
This article belongs to the series “Interviews & Areas of Madrid”. In it we give voice to its residents, Spanish or foreign, recently moved or with many years of experience in the neighborhood. From their personal experience and their recommendations, we will approach each area with the intention of facilitating the decision-making process on which area you will feel more comfortable when moving to Madrid.
Milagro Magaz de la Gala, a purebred Madrileña, tells us about her neighborhood, Cuatro Caminos, where Madrid’s new financial district is located.
Milagro is a lawyer specialized in Family and Inheritance Law and has been practicing since 1985.
Getting to know Milagro and Cuatro Caminos
How long have you lived in Cuatro Caminos? Do you also work in the area?
I have always lived in Madrid, and always in the same area, Orense Street and its surroundings. It’s the district of Tetuán, neighborhood of Cuatro Caminos, located in the northwest of the city. The neighborhood is bounded by Raimundo Fernandez Villaverde street to the south, Bravo Murillo to the west, Paseo de la Castellana to the east, and San German to the north. The southwestern part is more popular, and the northeastern part is more modern, including the financial center of Madrid called AZCA.
I am a lawyer. I am dedicated to Family and Inheritance Law. And my office is also in the area.
Why did you choose Cuatro Caminos?
I have always lived here because I was born here and I have tried to stay close to my family.
I am going to focus more on the northeast part of the neighborhood, which is where I live, and, as I said, very different from the southwest.
What can you do on foot?
I do everything on foot, since my work office is also in the area, as well as the Family Courts. In addition, there are many stores of all kinds, clothing stores, shoe stores, tobacconists, pharmacies, supermarkets, perfumeries, hairdressers, etc. One of the largest centers of El Corte Inglés is located in the southern part of the neighborhood. There is also an infinite leisure offer.
Do you use public transport? Or private car?
As I say, I usually do everything on foot, although the area is perfectly communicated with the rest of the city, the airport and the suburbs.
As for the metro, we have five lines: 1-2-6-8 and 10.
As for buses, there are 21 day lines and 3 night lines.
The Nuevos Ministerios train station is located to the south of the neighborhood.
It is also easy to find cabs, as it’s a busy commercial and business district.
If you have a private car, there are about 20 public and private parking lots.
Shopping in the neighborhood: a couple of favorite stores
Both the west side (Bravo Murillo) and the east side (Orense) are eminently commercial. There is everything.
The shopping centers El Corte Inglés, Zara, Decathlon, Leroy Merlin and Moda Shopping stand out in the east, as well as the Maravillas and San Enrique food markets in the west.
There are several stores of the Carrefour, Mercadona, Lidl, Aldi, Dia, Auchan chains distributed throughout the area.
Leisure in the neighborhood: restaurants, bars
The offer of bars, cafes and restaurants is unlimited. Of all tastes and for all budgets. From the tavern “El Quinto Vino” in Hernani street, to “O`Pazo” in Reina Mercedes street or “Kabuki” in Presidente Carmona.
My favorites are “Teitu” Asturian restaurant in Poeta Joan Maragall, and “Cazorla” Andalusian restaurant in San Germán.We also have renowned bakeries-catering, such as “Mallorca”, “Rodilla” or “Viena Capellanes”.
Neighborhood culture: theaters, cinemas, museums…
There is a temporary exhibition hall in Azca. There is the ONCE Museum of Typhlology, Ivory Press, and we have the Palace of Exhibitions and Congresses in Avenida General Perón, where various fairs are held throughout the year.
There are no cinemas or theaters at present.
Tell us something about sports
The Santiago Bernabeu stadium is very close to the southern part of the neighborhood. The offer of gyms is also very high, and equally for all budgets: “Basic-Fit”, “Holiday Gym”, “Forus Capitán Haya”, the latter has an indoor swimming pool. Lately there has been a proliferation of boxing clubs.
Green areas, which is your favorite?
Parque de Perón, with “terrace-bars”, basketball courts and swings. Avenida de Brasil, a large area with restaurants and swings. And the huge central square of AZCA, which is going to be remodeled and improved soon.
Would you recommend the area for families with children?
My own daughters grew up here, so I think it’s a good place. There is a charter school, several other schools in the surrounding neighborhoods, language schools, parks for children to play in, and restaurants with terraces where children are entertained and welcome.
Something you would like to add
Above all, it’s a very lively neighborhood, with a lot of commercial activity, good services and excellent communications.
You can live here without having to move at all.
And, finally, a summary of what type of housing can be found in Cuatro Caminos
Cuatro Caminos is a neighborhood that belongs to the Tetuán District. One out of the 21 districts that exist in Madrid.
Currently, there is an offer of around 271 properties for rent with an average price of around 17€/sq ms.
All of the properties offered are flats. 72% of them are 1 and 2 bedrooms’. There are also studios (7%), and 3 and +4 bedrooms (21%).
Of these, 19% are rented with a garage, 35% have a terrace and 7% a swimming pool.
With this table you can easily see the range of prices and the type of property with the greatest offer:
- These percentages and prices refer to an approximate average of the rental supply we have observed over the last few years. The supply of available rental housing in Cuatro Caminos varies from day to day. The more in-demand the area, the more dynamic the market.
Does Cuatro Caminos convince you? Do you think it would be a good choice for you?
If you are planning to move to Madrid soon, you’ll find all the relevant information in The secret of relocating to Madrid. If, in addition, you need help with the organization or even if you prefer that we accompany you, check out our services.
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