chris7

Hi all,

I will be moving to Madrid soon as I have taken up a new position there.

As a recent graduate, I am looking for somewhere reasonably cheap but fairly lively as well.

Any advice on locations and dealing with agents etc would be brilliant

Thanks!

steviedeluxe

Hi. There's a poster here called Madridboy who may be able to update you on current trendy areas. But my opinion (for what it's worth) is that the lively areas eg Malasanya, Sol, Huertas, Lavapies (be careful at night with this one) will also be expensive areas. I think you'd be better finding a good location which is convenient for work - where will you be working? Madrid has an extensive public transport system which is far cheaper than the UK equivalent, and the taxis are a fraction of what you'd pay in London, although they too, seem to disappear when it rains.
There's a magazine in local bookstores, language schools, Irish pubs etc called In-Madrid, and they have a classifieds section

http://www.in-madrid.com/

You can also try looking in the accommodation sections of the following

http://www.madridinsider.com/
http://mapmagazine.com/

My opinion is you'll be far better off renting a room in a flat-share to start with (budget 550 or so for a month), as you'll have some company and help with getting used to new ways. Lastly, remember that others have to work, so don't expect your neighbours to show you any favours if you start rolling in at 4am each morning and creating a racket.

Lastly, to read what a resident Brit thinks of Madrid, read this blog.

http://aviewofmadrid.blogspot.com/

chris7

Thanks for the advice, will have a thorough look through the classifieds a bit later.

Will be working outside the city centre, towards Boadilla Del Monte, but I am used to commuting over an hour (probably due to the woes of TFL and the railways) so location quality takes some preference over proximity to work.

steviedeluxe

Well it's quite a bit to the west - I can't say I know much about Boadilla del Monte at all. So far as I can tell from their guide, it doesn't have a connection to the local train network (cercanias). If you're stuck with public transport you may need to get the train to Alcorcon or to Pozuelo and then take a connecting bus. There is a new tram line I believe, but I don't know how long the journey from Madrid would take. In fact my guess (which may be contradicted by others who've travelled to Boadilla) is that the quickest way to travel there would be to take the bus from Moncloa. This may fit in with your desire to live in a lively area - the Moncloa area is full of students and there are any number of bars, shops, clubs etc catering for the students, but there are still families, expat population etc. Not too far from the centre either. I think the Moncloa district is your best bet, at least to start with.

alig2010

Hi Chris. Congrats on getting a job. Madrid is a great place to live. You should have a great time there.

Consider getting a holiday let or staying in a hostel for a couple of weeks when you get here to give yourself time to really check out how you will commute, what the area where you are working is like etc. Malasana is a good area to look at too. Not too expensive if you are sharing. Around San Bernardo metro might also be around the right side of town for you. Bluespace has storage near atocha train station if you need to keep some belongings safe while you look.

Unless you want to pay a LOT in rent you will be better off with a flat share.

Street life in Madrid can be a bit noisy (including the 3am bin collections) so avoid bedrooms at the front of the flats unless you are deaf/a very heavy sleeper.

lingobongo.com also has some interesting classifieds worth looking at.

Pop along to J&J's book shop/bar in Malasana, friendly bunch and they will have all been through the process themselves.

Hit a couple of intercambios too, O'Neills Pub has one, so does J&Js.

Good luck with the new job. When are you starting?

You might find a sub let from end of june thru sept as the tefl teachers leave for the summer. Lingobongo might have some.

Rosemary

I wish you the very best of luck, I am very envious.

Graham

alig2010

ps. Don't make the mistake of flogging all your stuff and thinking you will buy what you need in Madrid. Things are a lot more expensive there than you'd think. Perhaps aim to bring enough to get by for a couple of months and then decide what you want to ship over or flog at that stage. Lots of courier companies will bring stuff over relatively cheaply these days. If you have a bike and want it here then look at bringing one over when you fly. It costs about 40€ and will be cheaper than getting one when you are in Madrid.

chris7

Thanks for the well wishes guys, should be starting next month hopefully so going to rush a few things

More than fine with dealing with noisy areas, can't be much worse than the student accommodation I've gotten used to over the last few years!