DIAGONAL MAR

BARCELONA’S MODERN SEASIDE NEIGHBORHOOD

AT A GLANCE PROS AND CONS LOCATION MARKET SNAPSHOT PHOTOS

WELCOME TO DIAGONAL MAR

Diagonal Mar neighborhood is the newest of all the Barcelona neighborhoods, and even though it’s also the smallest, it packs a lot of swanky punch for its diminutive size. Diagonal Mar is perfect for people who want really modern living conditions, proximity to the beach, and the expensive but breathtaking views that many of the flats in these skyscrapers offer.

First proposed in 1987, the area that now encompasses this neighborhood was thought to be the perfect spot to breathe new life into the city. Located where Avenida Diagonal meets the seaside (giving rise to its name), Diagonal Mar neighborhood is located next to the poorest and most socially deprived neighborhood of Barcelona, La Mina. This has been a topic for debate.

It’s one of the most pleasant areas in the city, sprawling with big parks and green spaces, excellent amenities, and being a hop, skip, and a jump away from the uncluttered tourist-free Levante Beach.

AT A GLANCE

THE NEIGHBORS

This is a pretty upperclass neighborhood. The buildings are all relatively new and nothing is very cheap.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Modern buildings, green space, and amenities like pools, tennis courts, and private parks.

LIFESTYLE

Laid back and modern. The beach and the huge new shopping centre are where most of local life takes place.

WHAT NOT TO EXPECT

A city experience. This would be more like a suburb experience as the area is located on the very edge of the city limits.

THE MARKET

Pricey most of the time. More demand then supply. Prices pushed up by speculation.

YOU FALL IN LOVE

The clean modern new developments and almost American style living in terms of building, flats, and amenities.

PROS AND CONS

Living in Diagonal Mar neighborhood is almost like an out-of-city experience. The modern and more Americanized setup leaves you feeling as if you could be in Miami, and obviously, some people really like this.

You’ll be living just a stone’s throw from the beautiful Mediterranean, so beach lovers rejoice!

The buildings are very tall (up to about 20 stories) and if you have the bank, you’ll be able to buy arguably the best views of Barcelona and of the sea that exist in the city.

EXPENSIVE! That’s right, if you wanna live in the smallest and most exclusive Barcelona Neighborhood, then you gotta be able to shell out the big bucks.

Although there is a metro and bicing, if you don’t have a car, you might feel a little isolated on the outskirts of the city. When you’re out drunk at 4am on a Wednesday and trying to get yourself home to bed you might not love that you live in Diagonal Mar.

Socially, there is quite some debate on the social implications of a ‘gated’ community like Diagonal Mar. Weather this will negatively affect surrounding neighborhoods is yet to be seen.

LOCATION

Nearby Transportation

MARKET SNAPSHOT

RENT

15€ M²

Average price per m²

On average, Gracia is

20%

More than other
Barcelona neighborhoods

SALE

4000€ M²

Average price per m2

On average, Gracia is

19%

More than other
Barcelona neighborhoods

MARKET EXPLAINED

Diagonal Mar neighborhood is expensive and exclusive. What’s really interesting is to look at the dwelling density figures. In Diagonal Mar there are approximately 48 dwellings per hectare. That might not mean much to you alone, but compare it with the Eixample neighborhood, which has about 150 dwellings per hectare. Very simply, in this already small area, there aren’t that many flats. In the eyes of a city planner lower density means less sense of a community feeling and less collective spending power to support local businesses. From a real estate perspective it means high demand and low supply, generally increasing sale and rental prices.

If budget isn’t too much of an issue for you, then welcome to Diagonal Mar, one of the most pleasant areas of Barcelona in which to live! You’ll find big modern buildings and some of the best views in BCN. Many of the buildings are setup around the edges of large blocks so they could create huge green common spaces behind the buildings. These spaces are public during the day, but the gates are locked at night, and hence Diagonal Mar neighborhood is often thought of as a gated community. Many of the buildings have pools, parking, 24 hour security, storage space, tennis and paddle ball courts, and much more. This comes at a price though and you can expect to pay monthly community fees of upwards of 300.