Design Barcelona: Studiostore has got it all!

One of the hottest spots for design Barcelona that promotes culture, art and creativity is Studiostore, the lively multi-purpose open space in the heart of the Born area.

Calle Comerc was always one of my favorite streets. There is the Chocolate museum with the best chocolate pralines and probably the best hot chocolate in town and when you enter you feel as if you’re taking a tour of Charlie’s chocolate factory (only without Oumpaloompas, unfortunately). Then you cross the street and you have the Mutt Gallery and Iguapop (a cool clothing store) and the new and original concept store Studiostore.

We visited a few days ago and were lucky to be able to talk to its owner and idea maker Lafede, who told us some “behind the scenes” information about her interesting concept.
The Studiostore was born recently, but it has already won high praise in design Barcelona. Lafede and her team opened the doors of this store in January 2012 and by doing this she also opened the curtains of a cool space, which hadn’t been used in over 20 years. She told us it was all a lucky coincidence how she found the place; I would say the street called her, because Studiostore totally fits into the neighborhood. Studiostore is 300 m2 divided into studio space and the store, which has two floors. Big neon lightning saying TOGETHER all over one wall of the store represents one of the Studiostore mottos – being together and Back to basics.

Lafede is primarily dedicated to furniture design, lightning and retail spaces but as she said, she didn’ t want to be closed in her studio without the opportunity to meet her possible clients. By mixing her studio space with a 2 floor showroom she creates just that, the ability to meet with existing clients and the opportunity to turn window shoppers into new clients.

Studiostore collaborates with some well-known designers such as Woouf!, Sheriff & Cherry and Paco Rueda and together they release a collection of items that are sold in the front store. Besides all of this there are many events, conferences or pop-up stores happening in Studiostore as well. The lastest event that has recently finished was called The Gran Bazzar, where one can find original pieces from about 50 Barcelona artists including clothes, accessories, furniture, or design gadgets.
The next event will start in May and studiostore will open its walls to talented Barcelona photographers, so don’t miss it.

Lafede (Federica Sandretti), Italian designer and architect, specialized in retail design, came to Barcelona 12 years ago. She worked with Custo Barcelona, but had an idea of connecting her own studio with an open space that would bring and connect people interested in design and art. That´s how the idea of Studiostore was born and after 3 months of running this concept store we can already tell that it worked out well.

See you in Studiostore!

Sarka

Sports Shops in Barcelona

Sports Shops in Barcelona cater to all kinds of different sports.  So if you’re a runner or a surfer or anything in-between then we have got you covered.  Read on to find the Sports shop in Barcelona that is right for you.

Decathlon

Decathlon shops are some of the largest sports shops in Barcelona.  They have all kinds of different sports equipment and clothing, so you will be sure to find what you are looking for.  You can buy anything from roller blades to football kits.  Decathlon is also very cheap, they may not have the best quality Sports equipment but it is great value.  There are a few Decathlon stores in Barcelona including one right in the centre just off Las Ramblas.

Website

Map

Esports Nuria Barcelona

This shop has a good range of sports equipment, although it is not quite as big as Decathlon.  Esports Nuria is a great shop for swimmers as they sell all you would need for swimming in the Mediterranean or just in your local pool.

Website

Map

Inercia

Inercia is a more specialised sports shop in Barcelona.  They sell skate boards, long boards and roller blades along with any equipment that you need/ want with them.  If you like these extreme sports then Inercia is a great place to go.  They have high end products, which are a little expensive.  Although I would say they are worth the money.  The staff are very friendly and helpful and most of them can speak reasonably good English.

Website

Map

La General Surfera

This is another specialised sports shop in Barcelona, specialising in Surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding.  This sports shop sells high-end goods and brands, making it quite expensive.  It’s a very hip place that is perfect for you if you like to look good on your skateboard/snowboard/surfboard.  La General Surfera is quite large and they have a good selection of extreme sport clothing and equipment.

Website

Map

Adidas

There are also a couple of good Adidas shops in Barcelona.  One of them is an Adidas originals shop, which is more of a sporty fashion shop.  You can find this one in the Gotico area.  There is also an Adidas shop on Passeig de Grácia, which can be described as more of a sports shop.  It has a good selection of sporting clothing and equipment for sports such as running and football.  It is not the biggest sports shop in Barcelona but in this shop it’s all about quality not quantity.

Map

If you know of any other great Sports shops in Barcelona or have any comments we would love to hear them.

Cheers

Matthew Rutter

Flea markets in Barcelona are a great place to shop if you are interested in Barcelona antique, art, clothes or in general second hand „stuff“.

We went to see two of the most interesting Barcelona flea markets and although this way of shopping is very cheap, it still left us broke!

El Flea Market Barcelona – “One man’s garbage is another man´s gold”

That´s the main philosophy of the Flea Market Barcelona, which is organized monthly in the streets of Barcelona. The last one that we visited took place on Plaza Blanquerna just behind the Museu Marítim. The market has an open friendly atmosphere with some nice guitar tunes and people chatting away the afternoon from their little stands with clothes, jewelry, books, LPs, and much more. All the wares must be in good condition and at reasonable prices so I bought 2 bags, 2 scarves and 3 t-shirts, because I just had to have them, and in the end I spent around 10 euros. This place is great for anyone who wants to reduce waste and consumerism, because a longer life is given to products.  Also these Barcelona flea markets are perfect for those who love to hang out on the street and buy original pieces that really can’t be found anywhere else.

You can easily set yourself up as a vendor at the Barcelona flea market as well.  Just contact the organizer, setup your stand and enjoy. There are several reasons to do so, but I liked the story of the boy who sold me the 3 t-shirts for 5 euros. „My girlfriend has so many clothes and there wasn´t any place for me in the wardrobe, so I made her to get rid of some ” I sent her my best greetings and went home quite satisfied about the deal I made.
You will find more info about upcomming markets here www.fleamarketbcn.com.

Largest Barcelona flea market – Mercat dels Encants

If you like this way of shopping you should visit the best known flea market in Barcelona. It´s just enormous and you can get really everything from Barcelona antique, books, cosmetics, computers to rasty bicycles and used mattresses. You’ll see as much variety as London´s Harods, but in more lively, cheaper, and more bohemian way. Mercat dels Encants takes place close to the metro Glories every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but some of the sellers close their stand around midday, so it´s always better to come in the morning. When I came, the market was literally packed. It was on Saturday at 11 a.m., probably the worst time to go in hindsight. The nice thing is that the merchants are quite motivated so you hear “barato barato” (cheap cheap) or “one euro one euro” a lot.
If you go, be prepared to bargain. It´s the way of shopping here.  It´s more than expected and it´s fun too! The prices are usually set about 2-3 times higher than what the merchant will accept, so you better get bargaining quick!

I wish you the best deals!

Did you manage a real bargain lately? Let us know!

Sharka “like the animal”

If you like fashion, you could be interested in the blog La Maquinista mall Barcelona that Kathy wrote for you

Or read our free e-book dedicated to fashion here.

I mentioned in my last blog not going to Maremagnum on a Sunday, it was the first mall that I visited in Barcelona and all in all a failed mission due to the crowds; not one to give up on shopping I did some research online and discovered La Maquinista Mall, a ways outside of the city, and decided to check it out on a Thursday. I had no idea La Maquinista Mall was open-air and on the day that I went it was freezing outside. It actually turned out to be a good thing because I discovered all the stores and cafes were heated (the ones outside had heat lamps) and the cold deterred the crowds to the point that I practically had the entire place to myself.

La Maquinista Mall is three stories high, four if you count the lower parking level. It has over 230 stores that offer everything from specialty goods (Iberian ham) to electronics to the latest fashions. On the top floor there is a cinema that plays movies in 3D and stays open later than the rest of the mall. There are also several themed restaurants, two of which offer American style barbecue. Haha. I was by myself so I didn’t bother eating at either one but I’d love to go back and see how authentic it really is! There are so many variations on BBQ that it is difficult to do it “wrong.” But not to get sidetracked, La Maquinista Mall was quite the experience and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves shopping as much as I do.

The mall seems to be designed with Spanish shoppers in mind as there is a big free parking lot on the lower level. If you don’t have a car, you can take the green line to Torras y Bajes station and when you get off you will be able to spot La Maquinista and just walk towards it. It’s huge and impossible to miss. The stores are all on two main levels, sandwiched between parking and the cinema at the top. I had no idea how big it was when I embarked on the first level. My assumption was that it followed a straight line so I could walk to the end, turn around, go up an escalator, tour the second level, and exit at the same point I came in. But no, there is an entire wing to La Maquinista that veers off on both levels and has even more stores.

I was looking for shoes and warm clothes so some of the highlights for me were definitely Blanco, H&M, Desigual, Bershka, and Pull & Bear. There are several American stores at La Maquinista Mall that I imagine are worth a look for Spanish shoppers but for me were not of interest. These include Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Forever 21, and Guess.  I also noticed The Body Shop, which I’m not sure is an American store, but is  a wonderful place if you’re looking for fragrant body washes and lotions or all natural cosmetics. For the guys, there’s a massive electronic store on the first level and several “Gamer” stores. There is a grocery store, and specialty food shops that sell the aforementioned Iberian ham, coffee, candy, chocolate specifically, and other gourmet stuff.

There’s really not much else I can say about this mall, other than, for an American shopper it can be kind of overwhelming (in a good way). Let’s face it, the European aesthetic in fashion is something that hipsters in the United States are copying and also willing to pay top dollar for. Look through any Urban Outfitters catalog and you’ll notice a striking similarity between what the people here in Spain are wearing and the clothes on the pages. Does that mean Europeans are more fashionable? I don’t have the authority to say but it is nice that copycat versions of the same stuff are available all over La Maquinista Mall for much cheaper. I bought a puffer coat and a knitted scarf for 20 euros.

Some of the stores are located in other parts of the city, but if you go on a weekday to La Maquinista Mall you’ll probably find the stores are much less crowded and will have a better selection. Just make sure you leave for the metro before it gets dark, I’ve heard the area around the mall gets a little sketchy at night.

Here is a map to get there:

View Larger Map

and the web address too!

La Maquinista Mall

What malls have you been to in Barcelona? What do you think about the American/European fashion dynamic?

Ciao!
Kathy

La Boqueria

I won’t lie to you and pretend that I am a professional chef, I won’t even tell you I can cook well but when I walked through Barcelona ramblas Boqueria Market I felt as if I was playing the part. La Boqueria Market or Sant Josep is the place to go for any item you need for a delicious Mediterranean meal, or simply for some extra fruits and treats on the go. The Boqueria has everything you could possibly imagine under one tall metal umbrella. Sant Josep market is the largest of Barcelona’s 39 food markets, and it is also the largest in Europe. This market assaults your senses with the sounds of the people ordering in close proximity, the numerous smells intoxicating your brain, the riot of colors that cover every stand, the feel of Barcelona’s ripest fruits, and of course the taste of heaven on earth as you delight in the freshest food the city has to offer.

Walking through the Boqueria can be like walking through a maze of foods and ingredients. It can take your brain a few minutes to adjust to all of the sites and sounds inside the crowded market. Take a deep breath and decide what you want to see because the market is actually organized quite well for an open bazaar.  The first thing you see when entering Boqueria Market from the Rambla are the fruit stalls on either side of the main alley. An incredible array of colorful fruits tempt the thirsty visitor, especially as they’re so nicely presented and packed for quick consumption. You can take your choice from pre-packed, ready to eat fruit salads, pineapple, mango, kiwi and a seemingly endless range of exotic fruits and fruit juices. Just off this main alley you can buy all the same stuff at a more reasonable price, especially if you can do without the packaging. The market is organized; fruit and vegetables on the outside, then pickles, olives, grains. Next come the stalls selling meats, chicken and innards like brains, whole heads, tongues, eyes, gonads, gizzards, and any organs you could possibly think of, (or want to eat). The inner circle is devoted to fish, seafood, and shellfish.

Once you have managed to maneuver yourself through the maze of alluring and attractive foods it is time to decide what to buy. Whether you are perusing through the market while walking down the Rambla or if you are doing some serious shopping for a big dinner with friends make sure to stop for a refreshing fresh fruit drink. The fruit stalls in the entrance aisles have every flavor of fruit under the sun chilled and ready for quench your thirst. If you are planning doing some serious shopping for some special events then pay attention to the stall prices, as those centralized and close to the entrance tend to have higher asking prices then the stalls further back.

History of the Boqueria ~

For the other historic enthusiasts out there here is a brief background of our favorite one stop shop for kitchen stock ups. The Boqueria holds its inauguration back in 1217 when tables were installed near the harbor as a place to sell fish, pork, and other delicacies. Until 1794 the Boqueria was known as the Mercat de la Palla, or Straw Market. Over time the market grew in popularity and farmers from neighboring cities would travel here to sell their goods. Competition among sellers was fierce as the Mercat de la Palla even back then was popular among the crowds. The fish shops and butchers tables soon created a street of their own making the Mercat an even larger bazaar of eats and treats. The open market was becoming so large that it soon became its own locale, being named Sant Josep. Sant Josep was inaugurated October 18th, 1827 as an official market. During this time Sant Josep was soon surrounded by flowers, fountains, and porches from the surrounding buildings. La Rambla and the Boqueria during this time were the central spots for peddlers and sellers of all types of wares.

It was in 1914 that the metal roof and enclosure that stands today were built. The current sellers are mostly of the third and fourth generation of salesmen of the market. The market continues to bring the past and present together, through food and culture. It is a place to discover new foods, new flavors, and learn new Spanish dishes. They are the union of the past with the present. In 2005 the Boqueria was given the award for best market in the world by the World Markets Congress of Washington. In 2003 the Boqueria began giving daily cooking classes to adults and children alike. The Boqueria is a destination for locals and tourists alike. It brings out the inner chef for all of us.

Check out our SuiteLife video tour of the greatest market in Europe:

Tell us about some of your favorite Mediterranean dishes made with Boqueria’s freshest ingredients. Share any mouth watering recipes or cooking tips you may have.

Cheers,

Brettsky

Address: La Rambla, 89 bis – Plaça de la Boqueria

Phone: 933 182 584 / 933 182 017

How to get there: Metro L3, stop Liceu. | Bus 14, 59 and 91.

Web site: www.boqueria.info

E-mail: mercatboqueria@mercatsbcn.cat

Opening time: Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 8.30pm.

SuiteLife Launches the 7th Edition of The Barcelona Bible: Shopping in Barcelona

Download it Today for FREE!

Hey Barcelona fashionistas! SuiteLife has just launched it’s 7th FREE Ebook in The Barcelona Bible Series, Shopping in Barcelona, and we’re really excited to share it with you! We all know that Barcelona is a shopper’s paradise, but if you don’t know your way around it’s easy to get lost in the maze. The author, Charlotte Giver, takes us on a whirlwind tour of the best shopping that BCN has to offer!

Download the new ebook and check out our others with this link: Shopping in Barcelona Free Ebook

Enjoy!

Benny

Barcelona is an amazing city and here’s why:

1. Because it’s a meditteranean city

Barcelona’s beaches are extremely beautiful, and you can enjoy the waves from spring till autumn. I mean, where else can you have a swim just after work, right? If your office is far from the beach, using public transportation should get you there in less than half hour from pretty much anywhere in the city.

2. Barcelona – a city of architecture, design and fashion

I cannot repeat how extremely fascinating Barcelona’s architecture is … Even if you come only for that, it was  a well spent holiday! Otherwise, Barcelona is great for fashion, art and graphic design as well.

3. Nature and it’s beauty

Barcelona has countless gourgeous parks, for instance Park Guell or Park del Ciutadella, where the nature, the trees and the sound of the birds just take your breath away. You can explore Barcelona by foot or bike, doesn’t matter, but do it!

4. Barcelona Climate

Weather in Barcelona has attracted so many people who actually decided to live here… It’s true, that living in a country where you have sun throughout most of the time of the year is really charming, and some people give up their homecountries, cause really, the sun keeps them smiling, and it’s a totally different feeling. Isn’t it nice when you get out of the bed, open your curtains and see the sun? Already worth it to wake up.  And of coure, nothing is more enjoyable then being sorrounded by the nature (for instance Park de la Ciutadella), the sea or the historical city in a mild temperature…!

5. Food

Barcelona has thousands of restaurants offering local food or cheaper cafe’s offering lunch-time menus. Did you know the ratio of good restaurants to inhabitants in Barcelona is 3 times higher than in other major European tourist spots like Rome, Paris, etc…? This fact should be taken with a grain of salt as it’s according to the Catalunyan government website.  However, the Mediterranean influences mixed with more traditional Spanish fare, provides for an exquisite selection of truly mouthwatering food.

6. Barcelona Culture

Barcelona is the city which will never run out of cultural events and activities. If you pay a visit, you will be lucky to do a fraction of them during your stay.. For those who live here, or plan to move to Barcelona, guys, check Internet, and ads around you, because there are so many things going on that you don’t want to miss!

7. Barcelona’s a travel hub!

Barcelona is one of the premier cities to travel from. It’s a major hub and if you’re into jetsetting around Europe, and with a plethora of mouthwatering low cost deals to be found daily, then Barcelona is a great base for you!

Yours,

Eszter

The 24 Hour Store in Barcelona: A Lost Concept

Do I really need a 24 Hour store in Barcelona to survive here?

‘You’re in Barcelona! Why are you thinking about Walmart?  Never in my wildest dreams…’ This is my latest self-conversation.

You would think I was brought up in a place not at all similar to this, but all of a sudden the concept of stores closing by 9 pm and not opening on a Sunday seem so foreign to me. But it does make perfect sense as it did in Jamaica (10 years ago): how can you go to the beach or enjoy a Sunday stroll with the family if you are at the supermarket… or any other shopping for that matter? And of course you will learn the concept of doing without (improvising) or, meeting your neighbours if you run out of that necessary ingredient.

But for those of you who don’t like any of those ideas, especially after you just spent the last 48 hours partying in Barcelona and have no more cash to go to a great restaurant with a terrace, I have taken the liberty of putting it out there. Are you ready? There ARE 24 Hour stores in Barcelona! You may have to walk a few blocks but none the less, they do exist!

I have to tell you. You should be very grateful for these stores because there are major hurdles to get over here in order to open one of these late night/ 24 Hour stores in Barcelona. The laws of Barcelona do not promote this concept at all, thus there are heavy fees involved.

First up on the 24 hour shopping list is Open25. They are the only ones that actually open for the entire 24 hours on Monday and Sunday 365 days a year. Otherwise they open Thursday to Sunday 24 hours and Monday to Wednesday 8:00am to 2:00am. Open25 sells everything you could need to get by until the rest of Barcelona re-opens. Click here for their locations – Open25.

Open25

Next  on the list are OpenCor and VIPS. They open until 2:00am and have way more than what will get you by. Restaurants, electronics… stuff. What?!? But they aren’t open after 2:00am. Seriously, if you are hungry after 2:00am go to bed.

Ok so really now this will get your mind off Walmart because Walmart does not have 24 hour pharmacies where I am from. This should be your only NEED after 2:00am. So because I care so much , here are a few 24 Hour pharmacies in Barcelona, addresses and all:

• Farmacia Torres

Calle Aribau, 62

08011 Barcelona

Tel: 934-539-220

• Farmacia Cervera

Muntaner, 254 (Between Travessera and Diagonal)
08021 Barcelona

Tel: 932-000-996

• Farmacia Bonanova

Plaza Bonanova, 6
08022 Barcelona

Tel: 934-178-032

Even though you should be enjoying the Barcelona experience and adhering to their culture of either being asleep or partying after 1:00am, I will throw in a 24 hour copy shop. But as a reader of this blog I hope you will only use it if you need to photocopy travel documents for travel early in the morning. Who needs Kinkos when you have Workcenter!

Workcenter 24 Hour Copying + DHL

In the end all you really need to know when you think you need a to do 24 hour shopping in Barcelona is that there are two greater options in Barcelona for that time of night … sleeping and partying! And that’s the way it’s done in Barcelona. Relax a little and enjoy the ride!

Besos

Melissa

Travel to Japan without getting on a plane! The “Japonisme” store is right in Gracia!

In our search for an unusual store in Barcelona, we went to the Gracia Barcelona neighborhood where you can find many unusual stores from clothing stores to design or art stores. This time we chose to highlight the japanese store in Gracia “Japonisme“.

Japan: An other world of art, culture and design.

Since my last trip to Japan, I’ve been a huge fan of the country and especially of the culture and art. Who doesn’t fall in love with the japanese art and way of life? Indeed this is pretty different from what we know. Japan has its own little world that is so different from our occidental culture like their respect of everything and their love of ascetically beautiful things. What a great surprise when I found the Japonisme store in Gracia, a little part of Japan in the Catalan country.

The first thing when you think about a japanese store is: Do they sell Anime, manga, Video Games and/or Sushi? And this time the answer will be NO! Japonisme is totally different from all the other Japanese stores in Barcelona. You will discover the Japan that you never knew but one that’s pretty cool to discover.

The decoration is quite typical of a japanese store: clean, stylish and minimalist. You will be welcomed by Shumpei Hisaoka a native japanese interior designer who came a few years ago to Barcelona to pursue a career in house design but as we know the job market is not in his best period for now. So that’s why he decided to do his own store where you will find japanese stuff, japanese design and really soon a zen garden in the back of the store.

You will find some kawai stuff like keychains, tea and all the mainstream stuff that most people know about, but you’ll also find more particular stuff like the “Japonese Pelota” which is an awesome piece for its ingenuity and design.  It’s is a ball that when you throw it the ball changes its face by itself, you will find different designs of this ball which can be a really good present for your friends and family.

This is also the only place in Barcelona where you can find Jika Tabi the traditional Japanese worker shoes, the ones that separate your big toe from the others. You can also find some nice little bags in the japanese style, tea cups and decorative umbrellas. Hair combs, lamps or even matresses.

Japonsime takes extra special care to choose the best quality for all their products which are a mix between traditional and modern art.

“Japonisme” welcomes you in Gracia.

• Adress: c/ Verdi, 54
• Metro: From the Metro Station Fontana (L3) take the street c/ d’Asturies and you will cross the street c/Verdi, Japonisme will be on your left.
• Hours: 5:30pm to 9:30pm

Go there and don’t forget to walk around Gracia, especially the Carrer Verdi which is the most known and beautiful street of this district. And the most typical of Gracia.

- by Kok Natha HEN (pictures included)

Discover a unique camera store in Barcelona – Lomography in El Borne is where you can find all kinds of Lomography Cameras.

 

In our series of unusual stores in Barcelona, we found other pretty different Barcelona stores that specialize in the Lomography camera.

As I’m a big camera lover I was looking for an unusual, specialist camera store in Barcelona. You may say there are plenty of those here in Barcelona but they are just generic stores like Fnac or Fotoprix and I was looking for something more genuine, more unusual. And I found it: the Lomography Store in El Born.
Since the opening in 2004, this specialist Lomography store is one of the favorite stores for all the city camera lovers. You can find this store in a small street of El Born where you will be welcomed by Tomas the manager and Federico who can help you find any camera from the Sardina Camera to the FishEye Camera.

This store doesn’t only offer cameras but also accessories like bags, t-shirt and even books. They also organize workshops at least twice a month, activities and picnics about photography. So if you’re in Barcelona for few months don’t hesitate to go there and take a photography class.
Camera lovers will be happy to go back to their childhood, to grasp all the photographic effects that their grand-parents camera did. They can also make the perfect present. They are pretty classy and can be the perfect start to a collection.

Just name your favorite photography effect and they will find the camera for you.

The cameras look like toys but in fact they are great for real pictures.

They also have accessories like bags and t-shirts to complete the look of the perfect camera-enthusiast.

There are lots of different models of Lomography from the Fisheye Camera to the Holga Camera.

Where is the store:

• Address: Rosic, 3 esquina Mirallers 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
• Hours: Monday-Friday 11:30 to 20:30 and Saturday: 11:00 a 14:30 y 17:00 a 20:30.
• Phone: 0034 93 3197006
• Map

Go there and get one of those amazing Lomography cameras for yourself and have fun taking pictures of your family and friends.

For more information on the different cameras go on the Lomography Website.

-by Kok Natha HEN (pictures included).