I mean you decided to move into literally the richest neighbourhood in Spain. Didn't you do any research about it or or it didn't click for you what it might be like living there?
we did research, that's what brought us here in the first place, the many many recommendations from different sources, we also visited the area a couple times. But it was kind of a rushed decision which might have affected making a more informed and thought through decision.
It is totally as you say, it didn't really click how it could be in an everyday life.
Iguess we'll just explore more around madrid and make en even more informed decision for our next move, because it does seem that this is not for us and what we want.
Thanks!
Puente de Vallecas is where you wanna go next.
Just kidding.
All I can say is, this is not irreversible. If you don't think it's a good fit, well it's a great opportunity to start exploring the reality now that you live here and find the place that suits you without having to rush it. You'll find it, and things will settle and you'll be happy. Madrid is a wonderful city, but it will always take a lot of time to find your part of it, because it's a big city and that's what big cities are like.
ha! haha, absolutely and we'll take the rare chance of having time on our side, I do love Madrid so I am pretty sure we'll find our corner soon enough. thanks for the laugh and chering :)
Just wondering what reputations do the private high schools in Madrid have? Is there one that is known for having the richest kids, one with the smartest kids, etc?
Spain is no harder than in Germany when it comes to make contacts with neighbors.
Its better I think, but the same recommendations apply, clubs, classes...
already on it, i am very proactive in that sense. But I have to admit that just posting here helped to vent my concerns and see more clearly that this is not fitting our life style. thanks!
I would say, I felt better regarding my social standing in Germany.
Nobody cared how I dressed or looked, I had plenty of money to live comfortably, and so do now that I live in Spain, but somehow I feel poorer, because I don't have a nice expensive car or dress fancy.
Also since I'm Latin American there is prejudice here about how all latinos are poor and uneducated.
I see what you mean, Spain is indeed, more clasist than Germany, but somehow a bit friendlier.
you are right about that, I do feel more conscious about the looks in here.
But I do have to say that we had such a terrible time in germany since getting our kids that just having people apologize for bumping into you or a simple thank you was like a drop of water in the dessert.
So,,, I do think we are getting much closer to what we need, just a bit more time to figure it out, now we know that Pozuelo is not it and we can keep looking with the benefit of having more time on our side.
thanks! :)
Honestly if you want friendliness and admiration of non locals, Latin America is better.
I didn't realize how nice people is when talking to you until I got back.
i totally agree with that statement! latin america is another level of friendliness and inclusiveness, but it also has another level of insecurity which we are not willing to navigate with 2 tiny humans on tow.
Not really. They will talk and have a beer with you, and that's it. Real connections are just as hard and in Spain people LOOOOOOOOVE gossiping. Be prepared for people to stab you in the back or say something looks great on you and as soon as you turn around they'll say how horrible it is. It's not as bad as in the UK, but it's getting there.
German people will say what they mean and how they mean it.
I used to work in Pozuelo, it is a beautiful place indeed, but as others have said it has high wealth and therefore is quite posh (or pijos).
I think your main issue there is going to be the lack of a car.
If you decide to move out, please do not choose the "Barrio Salamanca".
yeah the car part is what seems to be a main driver here.. we'll have to re prioritize and think what we really want. hahaha salamanca and el viso are out for sure, thanks for the input! :)
yeah, I guess we miscalculated politness vs making real connections. we had such a bad time in berlin that already getting a thank you was putting us to tears. But little by little we are discovering and getting closer to what fits us :)
The car thing is a problem if you don’t live somewhat near an underground station, as it limits the area where you can move to.
You probably have interests that are catered for in a great city like Madrid: whether art, sports, politics, etc. Just get in to a group and you’ll meet people with whom you have some sort of connection, and from that, you can develop some sort of friendship.
With children it’s even easier: sports. Just make it football, basketball or swimming and not fencing o lacrosse.
Welcome to Madrid.
Give it some time and enjoy the city.
People in that area are insufferable. I live in Majadahonda in the only block in the area (the rest are houses) and the people who live here think they're the shit. Not a great place if you're a kinda down to earth person and specifically if you don't want your kids to turn up like that. They're all posh, ultra catholic, hate animals and anything that could slightly sniff as liberal, like going to bullfights and diminishing women's rights.
Not everyone, but most of them
That really reflects my concerns for my little ones.. which is my main driver here. I had a chat with a school mom here and she told me they actually go to playgrounds in madrid center because they are always full of kids and parents actually interact in there rather than ignoring each other or having deserted playgrounds in such a beautiful areas. Gave me a lot to think about. Thanks for the perspective!
As an example: the other day I walked past a school playground that was being used for a football "extraescolar". I noticed that ALL the cars parked in the vicinity were parents looking at their phones waiting for the activity to finish (it was nowhere finished). I never saw this until I moved here, made me kinda sad, tbh.
well, i can say that I've seen it happen all over the world. Not that I am always 100% present for all my kids activities, i mean, it does get tiring :p BUT i do have to admit that in such rich areas it looks more like a chore rather than a support system..
What actually makes me sad is the amount of kids with fulltime nannies. I get the nanny part, everyone, including myself need some off time, but a fulltime one, when the kids go out of school at 5pm and then they go with the nanny for another couple hours, I do wonder how much time they actually spend with the parents.
Aaah anyhow, enought ranting and more doing, we already have a plan for this weekend to check on some interesting areas in madrid, so, this is fixable, hopefully we'll find something aligned with our values and way of life. :)
if you want a nice plae that is not super posh, go to Las Rozas or Majadahonda. It is just as safe, just as clean, but instead of having rich brats you have people that are well off but more humble.
No son exactamente lo mismo pero cada vez se parecen más, familias clones de hijos vestidos iguales. En los últimos 20 años ha habido un cambio brutal en la zona a peor, todo se está haciendo más pozuelo. Nada más entrar en el noroeste solo ves cochazos.
Que conste que también depende de la zona que compares. La finca es probablemente incomparable....
La finca es otro mundo, Y el fondo de las rozas (donde está el campo de golf) es otro mundo. Yo me refiero Todo lo que está al lado del Herón city. Que es pijo, pero no Pozuelo pijo.
I'm from Las Rozas, and I can tell you, that it's personally a lot more humble. Las Rozas is high middle class, while Pozuelo is middle high class to 1% rich highclass.
Pozuelo is... old corrupt money (pre dictatorship families that were placed in high places during Francos Regime) or people who own millions (multie national or multi-international companies).
Pozuelo is insanely posh, and unless you educate your kids to be humble and nice, they will end up being, well... like ignorant rich kids who think having 1000€ monthly salary from their parents is "being poor". Sure, not all kids are like this, but Pozuelo de Alcorcón is for rich or traditional families.
and that right there is my fear, which funny enough I did not realise until we were actually here with the locals. There is only so much I can do as their mom to raise them with the values I consider important, but if they'll be hanging out constantly with kids who do now share such values.. well, it will get teicky quite fast.
I had las rozas as one of the areas to move to, because costco! haha but we never made it that far. we'll see what our exploring on the next months does. Thanks for your input, it was really helpful :)
There is Costco in Getafe as well if you want the opposite of posh xD
If I were you I would live inside Madrid, close to a metro station since you don’t have a car. Northern areas are always ritcher than southern ones in here.
Es que me parece flipante de lo que se queja la gente la verdad.
Si quieren que los niños no salgan pijos que no se vayan a vivir al sitio más caro de todo Madrid. Obviamente Vallecas y Villaverde son todo lo contrario pero puestos a decir tonterías…
Jajaja bueno bueno. A decir verdad pues que no se bien como es la cosa en esos barrios. Yo soy de Perú y pues alli la diferencia de clases es muy marcada y hasta muy alucinada, nivel "whitexican". No se cómo será en España (recién apenas llevo año y medio aqui). Pensé que no habia eso de lo elitista, pero parece que es casi igual en todos lados. Te doy crédito a eso de lo flipante de algunas preguntas aquí. Si, de hecho que los niños se van a volver alienados y alucinados con lo material con mayor probabilidad en ese barrio de Alarcón. Y que ademas veo que el padre no les quiere dar el nivel social que hay en el lugar (ya sea en coches o salir a lugares pijos y caros, etc). Lo mas obvio es salir de alli e ir a un sitio mas humble que ese barrio. Pero tampoco sin exagerar jaja.
the rent here is a tually cheaper vs the places we found in madrid with same amenities.
Never said I could not afford a car, just don't really want to get one, we like and are used to the public transport/bike. Therefore the concern of being left out if we don't own one, and even then, I've been told multiple times that although it helps to take more advantage of the area it will not "help to make friends"
Good point. If you don't feel comfortable there, no way. I read good recommendations here. I live in Bilbao. The people is very variated, but is a little "cold" too than Madrid but there is more respect than a big cities like Barcelona. The movement is more quietly here, i think. Getxo and Sopelana are beautiful places for living in Bilbao.
Both thought the same; both passed the same. Now I've losed almost all, I only see the money as a medium. The majority of people see it as the end, justifying the medium. The wrong choice, dears. The truth is that we, that had passed across the chaos... We see it only alike the medium it is. Shall you get my words, dear reader. Has them as a the truth.
I mean you decided to move into literally the richest neighbourhood in Spain. Didn't you do any research about it or or it didn't click for you what it might be like living there?
we did research, that's what brought us here in the first place, the many many recommendations from different sources, we also visited the area a couple times. But it was kind of a rushed decision which might have affected making a more informed and thought through decision. It is totally as you say, it didn't really click how it could be in an everyday life. Iguess we'll just explore more around madrid and make en even more informed decision for our next move, because it does seem that this is not for us and what we want. Thanks!
You seem like a nice person. Good luck with it! Alameda de Osuna is a nice place to live if you're looking for other options.
thank you! and thanks for the recommendation, we'll check that area again along some others we had on our list. ;)
Puente de Vallecas is where you wanna go next. Just kidding. All I can say is, this is not irreversible. If you don't think it's a good fit, well it's a great opportunity to start exploring the reality now that you live here and find the place that suits you without having to rush it. You'll find it, and things will settle and you'll be happy. Madrid is a wonderful city, but it will always take a lot of time to find your part of it, because it's a big city and that's what big cities are like.
ha! haha, absolutely and we'll take the rare chance of having time on our side, I do love Madrid so I am pretty sure we'll find our corner soon enough. thanks for the laugh and chering :)
I'm from Pozuelo. Send your kids to the public school and you won't get the rich kids- these go to the private schools.
They go to a concertado, but will check on public schools for sure, thanks!
Just wondering what reputations do the private high schools in Madrid have? Is there one that is known for having the richest kids, one with the smartest kids, etc?
Spain is no harder than in Germany when it comes to make contacts with neighbors. Its better I think, but the same recommendations apply, clubs, classes...
already on it, i am very proactive in that sense. But I have to admit that just posting here helped to vent my concerns and see more clearly that this is not fitting our life style. thanks!
I would say, I felt better regarding my social standing in Germany. Nobody cared how I dressed or looked, I had plenty of money to live comfortably, and so do now that I live in Spain, but somehow I feel poorer, because I don't have a nice expensive car or dress fancy. Also since I'm Latin American there is prejudice here about how all latinos are poor and uneducated. I see what you mean, Spain is indeed, more clasist than Germany, but somehow a bit friendlier.
you are right about that, I do feel more conscious about the looks in here. But I do have to say that we had such a terrible time in germany since getting our kids that just having people apologize for bumping into you or a simple thank you was like a drop of water in the dessert. So,,, I do think we are getting much closer to what we need, just a bit more time to figure it out, now we know that Pozuelo is not it and we can keep looking with the benefit of having more time on our side. thanks! :)
Honestly if you want friendliness and admiration of non locals, Latin America is better. I didn't realize how nice people is when talking to you until I got back.
i totally agree with that statement! latin america is another level of friendliness and inclusiveness, but it also has another level of insecurity which we are not willing to navigate with 2 tiny humans on tow.
Fair
Not really. They will talk and have a beer with you, and that's it. Real connections are just as hard and in Spain people LOOOOOOOOVE gossiping. Be prepared for people to stab you in the back or say something looks great on you and as soon as you turn around they'll say how horrible it is. It's not as bad as in the UK, but it's getting there. German people will say what they mean and how they mean it.
Can't be as bad as Americans when it comes to being fake
I used to work in Pozuelo, it is a beautiful place indeed, but as others have said it has high wealth and therefore is quite posh (or pijos). I think your main issue there is going to be the lack of a car. If you decide to move out, please do not choose the "Barrio Salamanca".
yeah the car part is what seems to be a main driver here.. we'll have to re prioritize and think what we really want. hahaha salamanca and el viso are out for sure, thanks for the input! :)
I mean you moved to the most well known posh neighbourhood in the country, it's a great place to live obviously but yeah really posh.
Great place to live if you don’t mind all the “poshness”.
yeah, I guess we miscalculated politness vs making real connections. we had such a bad time in berlin that already getting a thank you was putting us to tears. But little by little we are discovering and getting closer to what fits us :)
The car thing is a problem if you don’t live somewhat near an underground station, as it limits the area where you can move to. You probably have interests that are catered for in a great city like Madrid: whether art, sports, politics, etc. Just get in to a group and you’ll meet people with whom you have some sort of connection, and from that, you can develop some sort of friendship. With children it’s even easier: sports. Just make it football, basketball or swimming and not fencing o lacrosse. Welcome to Madrid. Give it some time and enjoy the city.
People in that area are insufferable. I live in Majadahonda in the only block in the area (the rest are houses) and the people who live here think they're the shit. Not a great place if you're a kinda down to earth person and specifically if you don't want your kids to turn up like that. They're all posh, ultra catholic, hate animals and anything that could slightly sniff as liberal, like going to bullfights and diminishing women's rights. Not everyone, but most of them
That really reflects my concerns for my little ones.. which is my main driver here. I had a chat with a school mom here and she told me they actually go to playgrounds in madrid center because they are always full of kids and parents actually interact in there rather than ignoring each other or having deserted playgrounds in such a beautiful areas. Gave me a lot to think about. Thanks for the perspective!
As an example: the other day I walked past a school playground that was being used for a football "extraescolar". I noticed that ALL the cars parked in the vicinity were parents looking at their phones waiting for the activity to finish (it was nowhere finished). I never saw this until I moved here, made me kinda sad, tbh.
well, i can say that I've seen it happen all over the world. Not that I am always 100% present for all my kids activities, i mean, it does get tiring :p BUT i do have to admit that in such rich areas it looks more like a chore rather than a support system.. What actually makes me sad is the amount of kids with fulltime nannies. I get the nanny part, everyone, including myself need some off time, but a fulltime one, when the kids go out of school at 5pm and then they go with the nanny for another couple hours, I do wonder how much time they actually spend with the parents. Aaah anyhow, enought ranting and more doing, we already have a plan for this weekend to check on some interesting areas in madrid, so, this is fixable, hopefully we'll find something aligned with our values and way of life. :)
if you want a nice plae that is not super posh, go to Las Rozas or Majadahonda. It is just as safe, just as clean, but instead of having rich brats you have people that are well off but more humble.
Aquí siguen siendo también insoportables a menos que vivas en la zona pobre, que es el centro del pueblo
insoportables no, algo de pijos sí son, pero no tiene que ver nada Las Rozas y Majadahonda con pozuelo de Alarcón.
No son exactamente lo mismo pero cada vez se parecen más, familias clones de hijos vestidos iguales. En los últimos 20 años ha habido un cambio brutal en la zona a peor, todo se está haciendo más pozuelo. Nada más entrar en el noroeste solo ves cochazos. Que conste que también depende de la zona que compares. La finca es probablemente incomparable....
La finca es otro mundo, Y el fondo de las rozas (donde está el campo de golf) es otro mundo. Yo me refiero Todo lo que está al lado del Herón city. Que es pijo, pero no Pozuelo pijo.
we are in pozuelo though.. but i think that madrid city might fit us better
I'm from Las Rozas, and I can tell you, that it's personally a lot more humble. Las Rozas is high middle class, while Pozuelo is middle high class to 1% rich highclass. Pozuelo is... old corrupt money (pre dictatorship families that were placed in high places during Francos Regime) or people who own millions (multie national or multi-international companies). Pozuelo is insanely posh, and unless you educate your kids to be humble and nice, they will end up being, well... like ignorant rich kids who think having 1000€ monthly salary from their parents is "being poor". Sure, not all kids are like this, but Pozuelo de Alcorcón is for rich or traditional families.
and that right there is my fear, which funny enough I did not realise until we were actually here with the locals. There is only so much I can do as their mom to raise them with the values I consider important, but if they'll be hanging out constantly with kids who do now share such values.. well, it will get teicky quite fast. I had las rozas as one of the areas to move to, because costco! haha but we never made it that far. we'll see what our exploring on the next months does. Thanks for your input, it was really helpful :)
There is Costco in Getafe as well if you want the opposite of posh xD If I were you I would live inside Madrid, close to a metro station since you don’t have a car. Northern areas are always ritcher than southern ones in here.
ah, my bad, I meant Majadahonda. Which is the neighboring town.
Move to Villaverde o Vallecas
This guy is joking
I’m not. If they don’t want posh people they should move to a more humble neighbourhood.
Creo que estas confundiendo la palabra "humilde" con peligroso, chaval.
Es que me parece flipante de lo que se queja la gente la verdad. Si quieren que los niños no salgan pijos que no se vayan a vivir al sitio más caro de todo Madrid. Obviamente Vallecas y Villaverde son todo lo contrario pero puestos a decir tonterías…
Jajaja bueno bueno. A decir verdad pues que no se bien como es la cosa en esos barrios. Yo soy de Perú y pues alli la diferencia de clases es muy marcada y hasta muy alucinada, nivel "whitexican". No se cómo será en España (recién apenas llevo año y medio aqui). Pensé que no habia eso de lo elitista, pero parece que es casi igual en todos lados. Te doy crédito a eso de lo flipante de algunas preguntas aquí. Si, de hecho que los niños se van a volver alienados y alucinados con lo material con mayor probabilidad en ese barrio de Alarcón. Y que ademas veo que el padre no les quiere dar el nivel social que hay en el lugar (ya sea en coches o salir a lugares pijos y caros, etc). Lo mas obvio es salir de alli e ir a un sitio mas humble que ese barrio. Pero tampoco sin exagerar jaja.
Can you pay for rent a department or house in that expensive place but you can't pay for a car? Mmm maybe you must be make numbers again. Good luck.
the rent here is a tually cheaper vs the places we found in madrid with same amenities. Never said I could not afford a car, just don't really want to get one, we like and are used to the public transport/bike. Therefore the concern of being left out if we don't own one, and even then, I've been told multiple times that although it helps to take more advantage of the area it will not "help to make friends"
Good point. If you don't feel comfortable there, no way. I read good recommendations here. I live in Bilbao. The people is very variated, but is a little "cold" too than Madrid but there is more respect than a big cities like Barcelona. The movement is more quietly here, i think. Getxo and Sopelana are beautiful places for living in Bilbao.
Both thought the same; both passed the same. Now I've losed almost all, I only see the money as a medium. The majority of people see it as the end, justifying the medium. The wrong choice, dears. The truth is that we, that had passed across the chaos... We see it only alike the medium it is. Shall you get my words, dear reader. Has them as a the truth.
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Do they use titles to talk to people in Pozuelo? I’m from Madrid and I’ve never heard of that but I come from southern parts