Barcelona is 'a paradise,' but newcomers affected by housing and safety issues

"Eleven years ago, we were not sure we were going to stay. As a matter of fact, we thought we were here just for an adventure for a year or two," Tamsen Wassell, a US national residing in Barcelona for over a decade, told Catalan News during the Barcelona International Community Day.

As her, around 5,000 people attended the event to learn about the different businesses and networking opportunities available for the city's newcomers or those who have been calling Barcelona their home for years.

"I came and settled here because my wife wanted to," Dennis D'Amore, another US national living in the Catalan capital, told this media outlet. D'Amore has been living in the Catalan capital for the last five years.

While he was not very expectant of what he was going to find, Russian national Natalia fell in "immediate love" with the city after traveling here inspired by a book by Spanish novelist Carlos Ruiz Zafón about Barcelona. However, she did not specify which one, as Zafón talks about the Catalan capital in many of his novels.

After years living here, now she "sees all the flaws, but I still love Barcelona and I think that you just have to accept that nothing is perfect and it's chaotic, but it still has its vibe, and it's beautiful," she told this media outlet during the event held on September 28 at the Maritime Museum.

Listen to our Filling the Sink podcast episode to hear what these newcomers had to say!

Special city

"Barcelona is really special," a comment by Jason from the Philippines, who lives in London but shared by many.

"We are both from London, and Barcelona is the closest to paradise," Jason jokingly added while speaking to Catalan News accompanied by Kaleb, a New Zealander also residing in the United Kingdom.

"The more we are here, the more we discover there are so many things to see," Kaleb added.

Meanwhile, others expected the city to be quieter, such as Sonya from Indonesia, who moved into the city back during the Covid-19 pandemic for her masters.

'Oh, look at this, there are not that many people,' she thought back then, but after three years living in Barcelona, she now acknowledges that there "are so many people." But there "are always so many activities for different people for youngsters, teenagers, or even senior citizens," she said.

"I found different parts of me in this city," she added.

Many Catalans would debate if foreigners living in the city are residents or newcomers. Some have lived in the Catalan capital for years or even decades. Others, such as Julian, have moved less than a year ago.

"It has been great so far," Julian from the US said. "The reality is slightly different, but I think it's a really great place to live. I'm really happy to stay here for the long term. I don't think I'm going anywhere else," he added.

Security

Some could argue that the city turns visitors into residents, as Russian national Victoria traveled to Barcelona as a tourist 15 years ago, and what she remembers is completely "different from what it is now."

Years ago, "there were much fewer tourists. It was much safer," she explained, a shared comment by many of the Barcelona-born who have been demonstrating against tourists and events tailor-made for the international community.

"When you are a tourist here, it is a little bit different when you are living here with a kid," she said.

During the conversation with Victoria, she explained that after moving to the city, a friend of her got robbed "two hours after landing," and some others a week after or even "two weeks after." A few months later, she was also robbed.

In fact, the lack of security worries the most to Barcelona residents, as a survey published by the city council shows.

Meanwhile, Shikhar from India is well aware of the complaints, but "personally, it has never happened to me, and there are always negative cases. Overall, I'm overwhelmed by the positive side of Barcelona," he told Catalan News.

Even Dennis D'Amore, who once had a knife put in his rear tire, was robbed, and had windows of his vehicle crashed several times, considers Barcelona a "very safe community."

Housing

'Tourists go home!' is one of the current chants seen written across Barcelona's walls against massive tourism, and somehow, it also targets those foreign nationals moving into the territory.

Resident organizations blame newcomers for being behind why prices have increased and housing access has become more difficult.

But many foreigners also face housing issues, such as Shikhar from India, who has been in the Catalan capital for eight years and considers "housing has not been a sector very good for the expats, because right now it is very difficult to find a place here," even though in the short past, he remembers, that it was not the case, as three or four years ago everything was different.

But Kaleb and Jason's experience was completely different.

When looking for a house to buy, "language was the challenge, especially for first-time buyers from overseas who do not speak the language," Jason told Catalan News.

Once they managed to find an organization that helped them and focused on expats, everything became very "straightforward."

Kaleb even highlighted how fast it was here "compared to New Zealand and the United Kingdom."

It took two months to find a house.

Julian from the US also has a similar experience with housing and he considers himself in a "more fortunate situation" than some of his colleagues who have been facing many difficulties to settle in.

One of his friends is currently in her third apartment in one year, which "seems pretty normal for someone trying to figure out where they want to live." However, he saw a fun and exciting side: it is "a good experience to find out what neighborhood they want to live in."

While some find it unique, others, such as Brian from Ireland, understand the overall situation as Barcelona has "gone through such a different change," including the cost of living, which in the last 15 years has gone "so out of control and it is not proportionate to a standard salary, which I think it is going to be a huge conflict in the future," he said.

"It is not sustainable, and I do not know how it is going to be solved, but besides that, it is an amazing city," he added.

A city, however, that Simona from Italy, who accompanies Brian at the Barcelona International Community Day, expected to be "more greenery, to have more parks, and more playgrounds," as the only way to enjoy some fresh air is to "do a so-called 'escapada (short trip),' which you need to take a train and be out for a couple of days."