All the neighbourhoods of the elegant district of Eixample are wide and distinguished. They differ from other neighbourhoods, because of its spacious avenues and wide sidewalks, designed especially for casual walks. Before the implementation of the new urban plan by Ildefonso Cerdà, pedestrians felt almost punished by the narrow sidewalks and roads that became dangerous because of the immense increase of motor vehicles. The construction of l’Eixample, which is much more spacious than those of the more popular neighbourhoods, was destined for the middle class, who decided to live in this district with hidden benefits of the urban plan. The district has apartments with large interior patios, which automatically means apartments profit from more daylight than buildings in other neighbourhoods, where the streets are narrower and courtyards are smaller, thus with very limited light. La Nova Esquerra de l'Eixample is an ideal neighbourhood for students, families and anyone looking for an area with all services nearby.
If you decide to rent a house in this district, you will enjoy bigger properties, with more and larger rooms. The balconies are normally on the side of the main street, and the galleries with beautiful windows are on the side of the large interior courtyard, which provides a source of natural light that make the rooms look even more spacious. High ceilings, and often elegant coffered ceilings, give these apartments the original feeling of a mansion that Ildefons Cerdà had intended. La Nova Esquerra de l'Eixample was initially part of what is known as La Esquerre de l’Eixample (the left). The Paseo de Gracia, which functions as a dividing line in this neighbourhood, distinguishing the right side from the left. The neighbourhood is full of all kinds of services, like supermarkets, restaurants, bars, cafeterias and first-class schools. If you want to rent a flat in a large and spacious neighbourhood, suitable for families and with good study opportunities, or if you are a student and prefer to share a large apartment with several other students, this may be your ideal neighbourhood.
This beautiful neighbourhood is distinguished by having one of the most important professional schools in Barcelona, the Industrial School within the ancient Can Batlló campus. Therefore, it is a very interesting neighbourhood for students who want to share a flat. On the other hand, La Nova Esquerra de l'Eixample houses the only prison located in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, La Modelo. Not functioning as a prison anymore, it can now be visited in order to observe this interesting construction, built between 1881 and 1904. Another remarkable building is the modernist style La Casa Golferichs. The large Joan Miró park is another highlight of the neighbourhood, in addition to the Las Arenas shopping center, an old bullring that has maintained its main façade, but has completely modified its interior to create a large shopping center with movie theaters, restaurants, and many shops and places for events.