City Life of Madrid

Until 1975 Madrid’s growth was rapid but poorly planned.

New areas received public services slowly, and large new skyscrapers destroyed the traditional ambience of many older districts.

Since 1975, when Spain entered a new period of democratic government, Madrid has attempted to recover its traditional atmosphere.

Many sections still have traditional open-stall markets, plazas, and narrow, cobbled streets that preserve the feeling of a small town.

Elsewhere, city authorities have promoted the renovation of 19th-century neighborhoods by requiring that builders retain old building facades and construct modern buildings within them.

As a result, many districts that date to the 19th and early 20th centuries retain a lively street life with small shops, café-bars, and family businesses.

Increasingly, however, older businesses coexist with American fast-food chains, supermarkets, and modern department stores.

The lively street life of the city reflects the kind of housing available to madrileños, as the people of Madrid are called.

Most people live in apartment buildings, with stores and offices on the first one or two levels.

While many people rent their apartments, most own them and participate in cooperatives that maintain the building.

Because living spaces are small by American standards, madrileños do most of their socializing in the streets, bars, restaurants, and parks of their neighborhoods.

Only a few very wealthy areas north of the city have single family houses with gardens and yards similar to those in American suburbs.

Many of the newest neighborhoods are collections of large apartment buildings standing in open fields.

Most of them are now being built as planned neighborhoods with parks, playgrounds, and public swimming pools.

Until about 1960 Spain was a poor country, and most Spaniards had few modern conveniences.

Now most people who live in apartment buildings in Madrid have washing machines, microwave ovens, gas stoves, refrigerators, and other modern appliances.

Many families also have automobiles; there are almost one million cars in the city.

Although Madrid has a good subway system, buses, and commuter railroads that connect the city center with the outer districts, the city is choked with traffic.

The large number of motor vehicles, combined with Madrid’s narrow streets, crowded apartment buildings, and scarce parking, makes traffic jams common.