English 3 students write about Poblenou

FromsocialismtoPoblenou

I was born and raised in another country where socialism reigned But life brings us change and reversals So I ended up in Barcelona And over time, I discovered Poblenou by myself

I go down the Poblenou Rambla surrounded by a Mediterranean atmosphere At the end, an amazing picture opens up: the sea, the sun, and, on Sunday, a wave of happiness covers you. I go up the Poblenou Rambla and return to my routine

I am happy to repeat this way every day

ElTioChe

The Poblenou is the neighborhood where I live

Tsagan Adiyanova English

3

There are many wonderful spaces but I will speak of El Tio Che When the spring arrives there’s nothing better than sitting at a terrace of El Tio Che and having an ice cream, orxata, slush, etc and enjoying good company

First, I went with my grandparents and my parents, after that with my friends and with my boyfriend, now I go with my son and daughter and have a good time Never lose the good traditions!

Laura Benlloch English 3

Aneighborhoodfacingthesea

This district was an important industrial zone full of different factories many years ago. Fortunately, over the years, this area underwent many changes until it became a modern and comfortable neighborhood

Besides, it's located in a strategic place which is close to everything such as elegant hotels, cinemas, shopping centers, beaches, and many more things

But it also has a nice boulevard surrounded by beautiful buildings, restaurants, cafes, etc By walking in the Ramblas you can get to the wonderful beaches without leaving the neighborhood Another important thing is that it has a very good bus service to get anywhere in the city

Several factors might explain the reason to live here, including those mentioned above.

NeighborhoodsassociationsinPoblenou

With the arrival of the 1992 Olympic Games, Poblenou suffered the fastest transformation in its history.

Thirty years ago, neighborhood organizations predicted a big property speculation, the eviction of the neighbors and the loss of the neighborhood’s identity. They called it a “process of social substitution” and it is now defined as “gentrification”. Unfortunately, this word is very popular nowadays. Today it is a growing reality.

TheboulevardofPoblenouinBarcelona

Originally it was called Passeig del Triomf, although it was always popularly known as Boulevard of Poblenou

The name changed officially in 1986. The closure of the factories of this neighborhood, caused the area to have more and more leisure, culture and commercial activity

This Boulevard became the main axis of this area of the city It is one kilometer long and goes from Avinguda Diagonal to near Bogatell beach It has become one of the longest Boulevard in all of Barcelona, great for walking and social relations.

These associations, open to all residents, have a constant struggle between the big speculators and the city council. So, we have a library, state nurseries and an old people’s home, for example. They also managed to get an agreement approved which guaranteed that 30% of the public housing built would go to residents.

From here, I want to express all my support to the different associations for their permanent dedication.

Wemustbecomemodernpeople

One beautiful spring day I woke up, had breakfast like every day listening to Jordi Baste's radio program.

After that I went out to the street like every day. My first stop was Pep's newspaper shop. There were two people there. The first one was a young man looking at a video game magazine while talking on the headphones with a second one in a language that I couldn't understand.

Surprisingly, the young man paid for the magazine not with cash but with his smartwatch. Behind him the other person, Mrs. Carmeta, looked at the situation with a smile on her face because she didn’t understand anything.

She is an old neighbor of my parents who is around 86 years old and she was there to buy the weekly magazine. Then she took out a lot of coins from her purse and asked Josep to take the exact amount because she was still confused with the euro.

At that moment, I understood the new reality of my dearest Poblenou and how it had changed, places, things and human relationships that have disappeared and won’t return. My lovely Poblenou from the 70s and 80s is gone forever and the youngest Poblenou is taking its place with its new modernity and people from other cultures.

Poblenou is the neighborhood where I was born, grew and who knows if where I will die, called and known by many as the Catalan Manchester, an industrial neighborhood with workers until the end of the last century, a neighborhood that achieved independence of Sant Martí after a decade of permanent growth in 1870, outraged by the textile industry and food as well as by the associative movement, neighborhood of neighborhoods, up to 8 at the beginning by the last century, between the shantytowns and the Somorrostro, immigrant neighborhood, example of integration.

This is a neighborhood which gives its back to the sea, between the noise of the knitting machines, sludgers, sawmills, and all kinds of industrial machinery, the smoke from the chimneys, the sirens from the factories, orchards, rats, and feral dogs and cats.

It opens to the sea and the world with the arrival of the 1992 Olympics, in constant transformation, @22 area, real estate bubble, disproportionate increase in housing taxes, tourist invasion and all kinds of mafias.

This is my neighborhood, a neighborhood that now begins to honor its name, a neighborhood for a few privileged.

MyNeighborhood

Poblenou is one of Barcelona’s neighborhoods. It was a working-class neighborhood. Now there are many tourists.

Since the 1992 Olympic games, the Poblenou has had big changes. The promenade has been built, where there are many beaches with sports equipments.

In Poblenou’s Rambla there are many shops and restaurants and at the end we can see Bogatell's beach.

Near Bogatell we have the Somorrostro’s beach where from 1875 to 1960s there were a lot of shacks, where fishermen, workers from the Poblenou’s factories and gypsies, lived. The great flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya lived in one of these shacks.

In recent years, the city hall began the @22’s project. Business buildings, universities, research centers, residentials buildings, equipment and green zones have been built. In the end, it’s a humble neighborhood but full of life. I’m privileged to live here.

Friendship

On Friday in February we met in Poblenou. He arrived by motorbike and I was waiting and I was thinking about the first words that I would say to him.

We went for a walk in front of the beach. He didn’t know this neighborhood although he came jogging to the area from the beach.

We sat on a stone bench and I told him that my birthday was this Saturday. At this moment, we decided to get up and go to Balius Bar.

The Balius cocktail bar was the most important drugstore in Poblenou years ago. Later on it was reformed but it has kept the original facade. Here people drink the better cocktails in the city. People listen to jazz concerts and talk with their friends too.

We talked a lot about our lives, time passed, and we said “see you soon”. The greatest gifts life could give you are friends.

MyexperiencelivinginPoblenou

Poblenou is a nice neighborhood full of life with a lot of bars and restaurants where you can find a wide variety of foods and drinks It also has many squares to enjoy outdoor spaces I love living here, close to the beach.

People here are friendly Its passages are full of mystery and the architecture is beautiful The ‘Passeig Maritim’ is one of my favorite places to take a walk I know this is a tiny neighborhood but I’d love to discover it by myself walking around There are a lot of places full of culture at boulevards You can find people from other countries having fun every day

I’ve been here for a short time but I can say it’s a wonderful place to live

FamilyurbangardensinPoblenou

My daughters and I always dreamed of having an urban garden at home.

We got it with a wooden box, compost and seeds.

My daughters watered the seeds twice a week, and they began to grow plants.

We have tomatoes, lettuce and strawberries.

Then we had an idea. We wanted a green Poblenou, so we planted two cacti and a plant at the base of a tree near our home.