The neighbourhood of Vallcarca i els Penitents is a neighbourhood located in the upper area of Barcelona, more specifically in the extensive district of Gracia. It is located next to the neighbourhood of Sant Gervasi and the neighbourhood of El Coll. It is a residential area that has undergone profound transformation in recent years. Like the district of Sants, the district of Gràcia has always been characterized for being an area with great social cohesion, sensitive to social and political statements, and the Vallcarca i els Penitents neighbourhood is proof of this. If you want to rent a flat in a very quiet, residential neighbourhood, where you have an increase of single-family homes, some more modest and other authentic mansions, surrounded by green areas and beautiful parks, and close to the Tibidabo mountain, this may be a neighbourhood of great interest to you.
Initially the neighbourhood was a residential area full of low houses, hardly urbanized and poorly connected, but as Barcelona was growing towards Tibidabo mountain, the area became of interest for real estate investors. They began to buy the land, and planned to build a modest neighbourhood with high buildings with many apartments, to get the most out of the building plots. But the neighbors protested against it, and creating an opposition, they became united in their opposition to the building plans, which has allowed the essence of the neighbourhood to survive to this day. Vallcarca i els Penitents is a very quiet, residential neighbourhood, with good connections and surrounded by green areas. It has a low population density compared to other neighbourhoods of Barcelona, due to the existence of many single-family houses. Some of these have quite large plots of land, and the residential buildings are not high. The neighbourhood is divided by the Viaduct of Vallcarca, a bridge that connects Avinguda de la República Argentina with Paseo Mare de Déu del Coll. The part below the viaduct has green areas and sports facilities, and the part above the viaduct has become an urbanization of stately apartment towers and flats, many of them with communal areas. The area is more upper-middle class, and prices range, from very expensive mansions to relatively affordable flats. The neighbourhood of El Coll, which borders Vallcarca i els Penitents and is separated by the Paseo Mare de Deu del Coll, has cheaper prices than Vallcarca, although the latter is not as expensive as Vila de Gracia. The neighbourhood does not have a lot of services, but crossing the bridge you can access Avinguda de la República Argentina, that does have a large commercial area.
Bordering the neighbourhood of Vallcarca, in El Coll i La Teixonera (district of El Guinardó), is the park of La Creueta del Coll, a beautiful urban park, that has a lake which may be used as a pool during Barcelona’s hot summers. The park has an appealing area, with ping pong tables, a bar, petanque area, seats that simulate a kind of amphitheater, basketball court and a children's play area. Suspended by strong, steel ropes on the side of the lake, there is a sculpture by the famous Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida, called Elogio del Agua. Multiple trees and plants decorate the park and, in the upper part of it, you can find a very large forest park, from which you can enjoy a privileged view of Barcelona.