Which of these two cities would it be better to buy an apartment? Which city is safe and without the risk of finding gangs and other undesirables around? I need to make a decision, but although I am familiar with both places, I lack the knowledge of demographics and other important facts. ANy information will be appreciated.
Also, I am looking to buy a place for vacationing until my retirement in 10 or so years. Is it safe to leave an empty apartment in these cities? I heard of la patada, where people find places that are empty and just break the door and settle in illegally...is this prevalent in Aranjuez or Henares or any other surrounding town? Thank you, friends
coko

Although I have lived near Madrid for many years and have visited both Alcalá de Henares and Aranjuez on several occasions, I cannot profess to have any detailed knowledge on them. However, after reading your note I discovered that my barber lives in Alacalá de Henares and mentioned your query to him. He claims that the question of security there is not a problem. Although his opinion could well be slightly biased, he waxed quite lyrical about the advantages of living there, good social services and public transport, especially into Madrid. His input on Aranjuez was far less knowledgeable. It should be said that Aranjuez is quite a bit smaller than Alcalá de Henares.

Hope this helps.

iant