Lavapies, Madrid

Lavapiés is one of the traditionally poor neighborhoods near the center of Madrid. This district has been able to retain a considerable part of the Madrileno spirit of the days of Spanish history. Lavapiés is an area that houses a high concentration of immigrants many of whom belong to China, Arab, India, Africa and the Caribbean. Lavapiés tends to attract artists and writers alike that contributes to the district's cosmopolitan feel. The population of the immigrants has led to an incredible variety of shops and restaurants - indeed Lavapies, Madrid is a good place for good bistros that are affordable as well. Here, you can get everything from local food to some of the most popular names in international cuisine.

Lavapiés, Madrid is one of the best places to come looking for non-Spanish foodstuff, herbs and spices. The district was a suburb since the biblical times and it has maintained it status of abandonment until recent years. Lavapiés draws a major part of tourist revenue and contributes to the travel industry of Madrid. It happens to be a place that is home to artists, writers and painters primarily because it is affordable and contains some of the last streets in Madrid where you will find people talking late into the night before their houses, to give you a sense of a lost community.

Gossip sessions are conducted in Lavapies, Madrid by shouting the words over great distances from one balcony to another. Chairs are put out across sidewalks for anyone who loves to watch the world pass by like the time that slips between your fingers when you hold the sand. Come to Lavapiés for venturing into one of Madrid's most diverse and tourist-ridden neighborhood. The ambience at the Calle Ave Maria or Colegio is reminiscent of the typical outdoor café life with its relaxation and informality.