This week, COPE radio station did a broadcast about the living options young professionals are choosing in Spain after the COVID-19 crisis.
Coliving is also an option that is gaining importance, that’s why Urban Campus Malasaña Coliving resident, Noemi, was invited to do an interview to explain her experience living with us, why she chose coliving and all the benefits this alternative brings to someone in her situation. Some of the key aspects she highlighted were comfort, flexibility and community.
You can listen to the whole interview below! (Spanish)
Urban Campus was featured in an article in “Le Monde” about the rise of “coliving”, a new space for cohabitation.
Some companies are offering residences or houses for employees of the same or different companies, often with the help of external service providers.
Halfway between coworking and flat-sharing, the concept of “coliving”, which arrived in France a few years ago, offers individuals the opportunity to live in large shared buildings, which have many common areas and provide the users with a full programme of activities (gym, coworking, restaurant, bbq, workshops…)
An external operator manages and animates the space, the services are similar to the ones provided by hotels, and all bills are included in the monthly price. Forms of coliving vary, from small houses with handpicked residents to large residences with hundreds of rooms. According to a study published at the end of 2019 by the real estate subsidiary of the bank BNP Paribas, the market only offered 5,000 unit, but since then the number of coliving units continues to increase exponentially.
This new practice is aimed primarily at young workers, who are looking to avoid high rents at the beginning of their careers and want to meet new people. “Co-living affects urban, young, single people who live alone and find it difficult to leave the academic environment,” notes Monique Eleb, a sociologist specializing in housing.
Companies have started to propose this type of accommodation, when they hire an employee or send them on a project, as co-living is a very attractive offer for this kind of profile, notes Claire Flurin, co-founder and administrator of the international association Co-Liv. “Before the Covid crisis, we already had strong signals, particularly in the tech sector, with requests either for rooms in coliving sites, or entire coliving residences dedicated to the company, similarly to Google campus.”
The concept facilitates remote professional activity, as an extension of coworking. For example, shared offices with Wi-Fi and printers can be part of the equipment. “In our coliving residences, a large workspace is included in the common areas”, describes Maxime Armand, co-founder of Urban Campus. “The concept is both housing and coworking spaces, on the ground floor or first floor, with comfortable seats, a double screen… We want to create places to live and work”, explains, Géraud Le Merrer, digital and marketing director of Sharies.
Read the full article in French in le Monde
Urban Campus was featured in Diario Siglo XXI in a new article that highlights the main difference between Coliving vs Flat-sharing, two living concepts that are often confused.
Click here to read the full article in Spanish.
English Version –
Coliving offers people a comfortable place to stay and create a social life with other users with similar interests. With a global expansion, this new residential model differentiates itself from flat-sharing because it offers the possibility of sharing common spaces while allowing users to enjoy their own privacy, living in an apartment, bedroom or studio with a private bathroom.
This type of service is characterised because tenants share the whole building and its common areas like gyms, coworking spaces, terraces, movie areas, living rooms, kitchens and other spaces while keeping their private space, always with a private bathroom.
This concept, is managed by Urban Campus in Spain, a leading company within the Coliving real estate market that is often confused with traditional flat-sharing, although these are two different options.
In flat-sharing, residents interact, on many occasions, in the same bedroom and often share a bathroom. Generally speaking, these are old flats that have been reconditioned to fit leasing purposes. Nevertheless, they do not have a functional distribution of the space, nor offer comfort to the tenant, something that is indeed perceived in Coliving.
For professionals, looking for a place to live can become a tedious and discouraging task as they may need to share a bedroom or flat with strangers, opposite personalities or who are simply living completely different moments in their life. With the arrival of Urban Campus Coliving, this process is carried out easily online.
Urban Campus selects its Coliving spaces in the best-located neighbourhoods, guaranteeing safety and accessibility to the whole city. Tenants who will live in the space are carefully selected, ensuring a fit with the rest of the Coliving’s residents and offer the best experience living in a like-minded community of professionals with similar needs and interests.
In the type of contract and booking process, we can find another big difference between Coliving and flat-sharing.
While Coliving tries to simplify the entire booking and leasing process, flat-sharing tend to overcomplicate the tenants’ experience with endless requirements that landlords demand before agreeing to sign the leasing contract. They also usually ask for excessively high deposits that serve as a guarantee, while in many cases also adding an agency fee.
On the other hand, Coliving presents a different scope that makes this process way simpler. At Urban Campus, the whole leasing process, from the booking to the contract’s signing is as flexible as it gets, as the minimum stay duration is one month and is done online through the company’s user-friendly booking platform. Here, all the administrative details are clearly shown in a transparent manner.
This residential concept is inspired by a harmonious distribution of the building and private spaces, to foster social interaction and maximise common areas. Coliving provides all the necessary equipment to move in and start living, even bed linens and towels if required.
All of these advantages offered by Coliving compared to the flat-sharing model, have made Coliving a new tendency when it comes to leasing a new living space to begin a new life concept.
Urban Campus Mellado Madrid Coliving (Chamberí)
Summer is always a great time to be outdoors. Similarly to the park plans shared in our “Best Summer Plans in Madrid” article, being out in nature revitalizes both our mind and body. Take a break from the city heat this summer and check out some of the many locations the Madrid area has to offer. Here are our Top 5 Day Trips from Madrid
This small town located in the North of Madrid is the perfect place to escape for the day. It’s a beautiful medieval walled town surrounded by the Lozoya River. This destination is also well known by hikers as it offers great routes around the town and surrounding natural areas.
The best way to get to Buitrago de Lozoya is by car, but you can also get there by bus in around 1h45min.
Rascafría is another amazing town 100km away from Madrid located in the Guadarrama National Park. It attracts many tourists and especially nature lovers due to its immense forests and unique landscapes.
Rascafría offers lots of hiking routes for all experience levels, with breathtaking views, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and creeks. If you are looking to disconnect from the city, and connect with nature, this is the perfect place to explore. If you are interested in discovering some of the most popular routes in the area, click here!
If you are looking for an alternative plan, you can also check out the “Sierra Madrileña” at night. The ski-resort Valdeskí, near Navacerrada, adapts their activity program during summer and offers different options, including stargazing, night hikes, sunset walks and more! If you are want to unwind and discover Madrid’s night sky, we fully recommend this experience. You can find more info on their Instagram page.
In another article, we told you about visiting some of the best pools in Madrid. Now, we want to suggest a similar plan to cool off when the summer heat strikes.
There are tons of lakes, rivers, and natural pools around the outskirts of Madrid where ‘madrileños’ go when looking to escape the suffocating city heat.
Embalse de San Juan
The Embalse de San Juan is known as “Madrid’s beach”. It has over 14km of sand beach and is the first beach in Madrid to have an international “Blue-Flag” recognition, which guarantees the water’s cleanliness, environmental education, safety & environmental management. It’s a great option to take a dip and layout in the sun and tan. there’s even canoeing! Click here to find out how to get there.
Las Berceas
Another great option is the pools of Las Berceas in Cercedilla, located in the North West of Madrid. These awesome pools, surrounded by Scots pines, are inside a wonderful recreational park immersed in nature and get their water from the mountains. Apart from the refreshing pools, this site has some incredible views. Click here to see how to get there.
Cascada de Aljibe
Lastly, we have to recommend Cascada de Aljibe (Aljibe waterfalls). It’s true that it’s a bit further away, as it’s located in the Guadalajara province next to Madrid, but it’s definitely worth the trip.
These waterfalls are one of the most beautiful in Spain and are composed of two waterfalls. The first is around 3m high and the second 7m. The waterfalls have clear water pools where you can take a refreshing dip.
While getting there is a bit of a trek (a 2,9km hike) from the closest town called Roblecasa, we truly believe it’s worth it! Click here to find out how to get there.
Another fantastic hiking trip for those who love to disconnect in nature is La Pedriza, a Natural Reserve located in the Northeastern area of Madrid. It has plenty of amazing routes, things to do and places to visit, but on this occasion, we wanted to recommend La Charca Verde. This is a beautiful natural green pool that gets its emerald colour from the rock’s pigmentation and reflection of the water. It is forbidden to swim in the water for ecological preservation purposes.
To get there, you will go through amazing breathtaking sightseeing spots and trails with rich flora & fauna.
Click here to find out how to get there from the Quebrantaherraduras parking lot near Manzanares El Real, the closest town.
Madrid is undoubtedly a vibrant and lively city all year round, and summer is no exception.
Yes, Madrid might not have a sea, but it does offer an immense variety of summer plans to keep yourself busier than a honey bee in Spring.
If you just moved to the Spanish capital, summer is also a great moment to discover the city.
Keep reading to hear out some of the best summer plans in Madrid…
It is no lie that Madrid can be very hot during summer but there is no better remedy to face the heat than going to a pool to cool down. And if you’re going for a dip, you might as well do it in style.
Madrid has some amazing hotels with rooftop pools. Here are two of our favourites, which are open to non-hotel guests.
This beautiful hotel is located right next to Plaza de Callao in the heart of Madrid, next to one of the main and most iconic streets in Madrid, Gran Vía. This hotel has an amazing rooftop pool that is open from May to September. They offer flexible options to stay in the hotel or enjoy the pool like “dayrooms” starting at 65€ for 2 people so you and your companion can use a room and the pool for 8 hours.
If you’re interested, make sure you call to book, as this option is not available online.
Contact number: +34 912 00 85 85
Where is it? Calle de Silva, 6, 28013 Madrid
Our second rooftop pool recommendation is not as centric as the first one, but it’s just as great.
NYX Hotel Madrid by Leonardo Hotels is located in the Tetuán neighbourhood in the North of Madrid. This 186 bedroom hotel is just 10 minutes away from the Real Madrid stadium, Santiago Bernabéu, and has a wonderful pool. The terrace also has cool wall art designed by a few local artists.
In the mood for a cocktail? They’ve got a great list of creative drinks. Our recommendation? The NYX Fizz, a beautifully presented vanilla & ginger cocktail that will leave you thirsty for more.
Only looking to use the pool? 30€ will get you a sunbed, towel, and drink. The hotel is easy to get to and is just 1 km away from Nuevos Ministerios.
Contact number: +34 915 53 59 00
Where is it? Calle del Aviador Zorita, 34, 28020 Madrid
On a budget? There are plenty of great low-cost municipal swimming pools around the city for you to enjoy. Look for the closest pool and book your spot!
While summer days might be hot, summer nights are just perfect. Madrid is littered with outdoor cinemas for you to enjoy a movie under the stars. These are 2 of our favourite places to enjoy an outdoor screening in summer.
One of the coolest places in Madrid is the Matadero Cultural Centre which is next to the Manzanares River in the southern part of the city.
Matadero not only hosts many great art exhibitions during the summer, but it’s also home to CinePlaza. For its 4th consecutive year, it will show the best independent movies from Thursday to Sunday for a whole month, from the 15th of July to the 15th of August.
The program presents 20 movies from the best cinema festivals in the world including Cannes, Sundance, San Sebastián, Berlín, Toronto and Venice.
If you are a cinema lover, then you’ll love this next part. You’ll be able to attend any of these screenings for just 3,50€.
Face-masks are required during the screening so make sure you bring your own!
La Casa Encendida is another renowned cultural centre in the heart of Madrid.
The building from 1913, was originally built to be a banking entity and was then turned into a cultural centre in 2002.
In summer, its famous terrace, lovingly named “La Terraza Magnética” (The Magnetic Terrace) hosts outdoor movie screenings every Saturday during July and August. For just 3€ per screening, you can enjoy great films and this summer’s theme explores the relationship between humans and nature.
Summer in Madrid is really something special. So special in fact, it even has its own summer festival, and its 37th edition started just a few days ago. From July 6th to August 29th, this festival hosts over 50 events focused on music, theatre, circus, cinema, fashion, comics & gastronomy.
This year, South Korea has been invited and some of the performances will honour their vast culture. The festival will also pay tribute to Peru’s bicentenary independence bicentenary and will feature performances from the Slovenian National Theater Opera and Ballet Ljubljana. This year will undoubtedly be a rich cultural experience.
Los Veranos de la Villa is a multi-site festival that takes place around different places in the city, including Conde Duque, Palacio Fernan Nuñez, Paseo de Recoletos, Parque de la Bombilla and many more.
It’s no secret that Spanish people are party people. In fact, each neighbourhood in Madrid has its own Catholic saint or Virgen, and every year the neighbourhood throws a party to honour them.
During the first half of August, three bordering neighbourhoods celebrate theirs. San Cayetano in El Rastro/Embajadores on August 7th, San Lorenzo in Lavapiés on August 10th and Virgen de La Paloma in La Latina on August 15th, turning the streets into real festivity isles.
Each ‘fiesta’ is more exciting than the next. People of all ages line the streets and dance and sing. Vendors come out to sell authentic treats, like ‘churros’, ‘sangria’ or sardines. And you’ll even get to catch a glimpse of a traditional ‘Madrileño’ dance like the ‘chotis’ when the ‘chulapas’ & ‘chulapos’ come out dressed in traditional ‘castizo’ style clothes.
While this year’s celebrations will happen, they will have some restrictive measures due to the COVID19.
Madrid has plenty of parks to escape the city’s bustling streets and hot sun. And finding sanctuary under a shady tree come those hot months is nothing short of a miracle.
Here are three of our favourite parks so you can set up your own outdoor summer plan.
This park is the biggest public park in Madrid and is even one of the biggest parks in the world. It’s 5 times bigger than Central Park in New York!
Yes, we know it’s huge, but we are not suggesting that you visit the whole park in one day! Instead, our advice would be to go around the park’s lake which is surrounded by nice restaurants and food stands. You’ll also find plenty of green areas to chill in or have a nice picnic and have some stunning views of the Almudena Cathedral and other famous buildings like Edificio España.
Oh El Retiro, what’s a more iconic and beautiful park than this?
This park is located in the city centre and is frequented by people all year round. It is full of monuments, statues, fountains and green vegetation. It also has a big pond in the middle where you can rent a rowboat.
This park is the perfect place to come together with friends and spend the afternoon under a tree chatting, playing games or having a nice picnic. You can even book a table at “Florida Park”, a nice restaurant with a terrace that’s also a club. You can enjoy different tapas and drinks while grooving to live music. Make sure you check their concerts calendar as they have different music styles.
Make sure to also visit the beautiful ‘Palacio de Cristal’ and take a sneak peek inside as it often exhibits expositions that are open to the public for free.
El Retiro is also ideal for those who like to move on wheels – such as inline skates, skateboards, or bicycles – given that there are lots of smooth paths around the park.
Unlike El Retiro Park, Parque del Oeste is not as well known, but it’s just as memorable. This green park is located in the ‘Argüelles’ neighbourhood in the Northwest part of the city centre and is also right next to the previously mentioned Casa de Campo. This amazing park is very close to our Urban Campus Mellado Madrid Coliving and our community goes there to practice outdoor yoga from time to time!
On one end of the park, you’ll find the famous ‘Templo de Debod’, an ancient Egyptian monument given as a gift by the Egyptian government in 1968 after Spain helped during an international UNESCO call to save the Nubia temples. ‘Templo de Debod’ is also known for its breathtaking sunsets.
Parque del Oeste also has its own rose garden with hundreds of types of roses in different sizes and colours.
Now you have even more reasons to look forward to spending summer in Madrid! Even if it’s only for a few days or weeks. We hope these recommendations come in handy.
Our community here at Urban Campus loves to get together to enjoy summer plans as a family.
Are you looking for a place to live in Madrid? Make sure you check out our Coliving spaces!
Urban Campus was featured in the digital newspaper El Confidencial Digital last week.
The article explains how Urban Campus has positioned itself as a coliving pioneer in Madrid presenting coliving as a new residential alternative. It goes on to explain how coliving differentiates from other accommodation options and how we have successfully nurtured a community of professionals in both our Mellado Madrid Coliving and Malasaña Madrid Coliving.
Click here to read the full article (in Spanish).
June brought sunny weather, summer vibes and a thematic community month focused on Making Living Sustainability.
Every week, our community took part in different activities and events related to this topic, including workshops, a documentary screening, fundraising, and food experiences.
June now leaves behind a month full of good memories, a trace of ecological awareness, and reminds our members that we can contribute and take care of our planet by working together.
To kick off the month we organized a community fundraiser to raise money to donate this to plant trees around the world and help fight deforestation.
Take a look at everything that happened during June, the month Making Living Sustainable!
We designed our own community glass recycling bins, making recycling easier and more accessible for everyone we live with and share our space within our coliving spaces.
The community met in our first coliving space Mellado Madrid Coliving to brainstorm ideas, and expressed their creativity and imagination by painting their creations on the surface of the recycling bins!
During its release, it was one of the top 10 top most-watched programmes on Netflix.
Coliving residents gathered one evening in the cinema room of our Malasaña coliving space to watch Seaspiracy. A 2021 documentary directed and featured by British cinematographer Ali Tabrizi casts a critical light on the terrible consequences caused by massive commercial fishing in the environment.
Paola Popi of Nutreser brought us a workshop on nutrition, eating habits, and sustainable cooking.
Paola took us through which eating habits bring us closer to human nature, which foods are natural to our physiological needs, and how to nourish ourselves while caring for ourselves and the planet.
Together we cooked a few simple preparations following a root to tip method, taking advantage of the full food product. We learned how this methodology can contribute to the prevention of food waste, how to incorporate things like eggshells or the peels of various vegetables into our meals, and the amazing benefits they offer our bodies.
. 
French artist, Joanie Lemercier brought an immersive exposition in which he presents the importance he gives to nature throughout personal and artistic life and invites us to reflect on nature’s representation through technology.
In 7 major facilities, Joan was able to create digital landscapes that transport us from the abstract lines of ‘magnificent computer-generated mountains to the disturbing reality of an overexploited nature,’ revealing the ‘reality of a nature full of scars caused by human overexploitation’.
We teamed up with our partner Fantastic V (@fantasticvmadrid), a local vegan spot created by meat lovers who set out to offer carnivores an alternative to the typical junk food spots.
The BBQ was a great success and other collaborators joined in to support the initiative! From vegan burgers to ‘choripan’, vegan ice cream, kombucha, hard seltzer and more, the event offered a variety of options for our members to taste and try all why learning about how we can all incorporate more meatless moments into our lifestyle.
In this workshop, we created a gourmet garden full of aromatic plants, herbs, edible flowers, and different types of lettuce, and revived our bathtub terrace garden in our Mellado Madrid Coliving! Our members also learned about the ‘cutting method’ and how to use it to create more beautiful plants, a technique they’ll now be able to continuously apply to keep the terrace thriving.
Now our community is working on a watering system to make sure their plants stay healthy. We can’t wait to see how they use the fresh herbs and greens they’ve planted right at home.
To bid farewell to the month of Making Living Sustainable we organized a sustainable startup tasting party where our community got to try products from two of the hottest sustainable startups in Madrid, Moonwater and Ekonoke in a private tasting.
Both companies took us through their entrepreneurial endeavours to understand how they overcame various obstacles, their numerous pivots, and how they manage to balance their values with market demands.
We tried four of the different flavoured waters from Moonwater and compared delicious greens from Eknonoke’s gardens to store-bought brands. From wasabi and mustard flavoured leaves to tiny pea sprouts, and the strongest arugula any of us have ever tried, the tasting party was an excellent way to wrap up our month on sustainability.
What a journey June has been. A month of new collaborators, learnings, discoveries, with a focus on working together to create and foster a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
And now it’s time for July! That means a whole new theme, and a whole new calendar of initiatives – our focus? “Reset. Realign. Restart.” A month dedicated to mental and physical wellbeing and creating healthy habits together. Stay tuned!
Living in Madrid can truly be an amazing experience. But before we get there, it’s no secret that looking for a job can be a job in itself, and a tough one too. Being patient and selective as to where we apply, being aware of our competitive edge and the situation in the job market is key to success. We know moving to a new place can be challenging, at Urban Campus we’re here to help, with a few tips to help you start your job hunt in Madrid.
Coworking at Urban Campus Mellado Madrid Coliving
Before looking for a job, set yourself an objective, make it realistic and establish a deadline. To do this, it is important to understand the current job market in Madrid. You can do this by staying up to date with new reports and statistics from reliable sources like La Comunidad de Madrid, SEPE or newspapers like El País and ABC.
You should then determine which industry or type of job you would like to strive for while setting a time limit by which you should ideally have found it.
Bear in mind that Madrid is not a cheap city, at least by Spanish standards. Living costs are among some of the highest in Spain, and leasing, especially in the centre, can be expensive.
With traditional leasing, a studio in a good area can cost around 950€ plus expenses which would add up to around 1100€ per month. This, without mentioning agency fees and entry deposits.
Fortunately, there are a few options, like coliving, which include expenses and allow you to feel part of a wonderful community of professionals with whom you can bond from day 1. If you’re looking for a place to soft-land and save money, definitely check Urban Campus Coliving spaces out.
Urban Campus Mellado Madrid Coliving
Spread the word and don’t be ashamed to share your search in your immediate circle! Family and friends can go a long way to help out. Consider that each of them might also have a range of contacts, in Madrid, or might know of someone who does.
From there, broaden your horizons. Contact people you’ve crossed paths with, who might live in Madrid or who might know someone who lives in the city, like ex-work colleagues, former university classmates or teachers. These people who are already acquainted with you could connect you with a good job opportunity or a talent seeker.
Finding it hard to get back in touch? Try LinkedIn. Your profile is already laid out as a digital CV with all your professional information all you need to do is make the first move and reach out.
Lastly, remember to attend networking events in the specific industry you would like to work in. Madrid is a very attractive city for new startups and expanding companies, which means there are always opportunities to participate in professional activities and events. It’s a great way to meet new people who could be hiring or looking to collaborate. Malt, a platform for freelancers, is also a great place to find professional and networking events. Another option is Meetup, a social network to find events or activities or join groups of people with similar interests, you can also create your own.
At Urban Campus, we’re always looking to create opportunities for professional growth and are constantly organizing activities with partners at our coworking and coliving spaces. Among them are workshops, talks, and interactive panels, allowing you to network and meet top professionals from many sectors. Stay up to date about our upcoming events and don’t miss out!
Networking event at Urban Campus Malasaña Madrid Coliving
While going online to search for anything and everything is basically second nature nowadays, we don’t always know where and how we should look for job opportunities online.
The biggest job portal in Spain is InfoJobs, with over 11.000 job offers in Madrid (as of today). Here, you’ll find positions in all sectors and for any experience level. They have filters that allow you to search geographically, by posting date, post category, minimum studies, and experience or minimum salary expected. You can also create job alerts to get emails with new job openings so you can be the first to apply whenever you see a juicy offer.
Another big job portal is Indeed which is a meta-searcher. This means that it searches for job offers in other job portals and groups them on its website. This will allow you to save time and be more efficient with your searches as you get visibility of many job portals on a single website. Similarly to InfoJobs, Indeed also allows you to create job email notifications and can is easily accessible with its mobile app for both Android and iOS. Additionally, it also has its own job openings on the website which are regularly updated.
If you’re a designer or have creative skills, you have to check out Domestika, a portal that manages a community of creatives and allows companies looking for creative profiles to post job openings. In this portal, you can find job offers in creative categories such as animation, architecture, design, photography, advertising and many others. You can filter and do specific searches so you only get job offers that interest you in terms of location, category, skills and types of positions (half/full-time, project, freelance etc). Domestika also offers a wide range of courses for creative professionals looking to learn new skills. They have great video courses on illustration, marketing & business, craft, photography, design, 3D animation, technology, calligraphy and typology.
It lets you check out cool projects from other users and it even allows you to follow them so you can stay updated about any new stuff they might be working on.
For marketers, Empleo Marketing is your place as it focuses exclusively on marketing positions. There are job openings from all over Spain but it also allows you to filter by region, by category, type of contract and working hours. A disadvantage is that it does not allow you to search by skills so you’ll need to go into each individual offer to see the requirements.
Another great job portal is Welcome to the Jungle which, as their tag line says, can help you find the ‘tribe’ you belong to, getting the right job at the right company. They connect people looking for jobs with companies that are frequently hiring due to rapid growth (like start-ups & scale-ups) and share their values with others.
In this portal, you can find detailed information about companies, allowing you to select those that fit your profile better to apply to those. They also have a great blog section and frequently share content about professional tips, trends, pain points, or interview recommendations to make you the perfect candidate.
Alternatively, Linkedin is a professional social network and a great place to search for job opportunities with their “Jobs” feature. You can easily search by keywords, title, skill, or company. For example, Digital marketing, Google Adsense, remote working in Madrid. Boom! See how hundreds of job offers unfold before your eyes. If you need, you can also filter even more by applying different parameters such as “date posted”, “Experience level”, “Company”, “Job type”, possibility to work “remotely” and much more. This will allow you to easily visualize any good potential opportunities which may fit your profile.
Finally, don’t forget to keep an eye out for companies looking to grow nationally or expand into Spain. The press is quite involved with these new companies growing or arriving in Madrid. Stay up to date with BusinessInsider, ElReferente, Expansión or Forbes.
Even though Madrid is known to be a welcoming city, moving to a new place with no other connections or previous knowledge of how to get around can always be quite challenging. But as the saying goes, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
Having somewhere to ‘soft land’ can make things so much easier. Arriving in a place where there is already an established network of people can open up new doors and opportunities even when you weren’t even looking for them.
At Urban Campus, we have developed a community of engaged professionals which make up an incredibly powerful network. Members can refer you to people they know are hiring, and both our coworking and coliving spaces are home to numerous entrepreneurs, startups and larger companies who share job openings directly within the community.
Even if you’re not looking for a job, you can always find people with similar interests or passions eager to create new projects and form synergies. If you’re curious to learn more about a project created at Urban Campus, don’t hesitate to read more about it here.
Urban Campus Mellado Madrid Coliving – Common area
In the end, anything that is worthy deserves patience. As Aristotle once said, “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”
We hope these tips come in handy and can help you start your job search off in Madrid on the right foot. Think smart and be patient! Your opportunity is out there.
Curious about our Coworking and Coliving spaces? Do not hesitate to get in touch with us and join our community.
Madrid’s Malasaña neighbourhood is definitely one of a kind. Its privileged and centric location makes it a perfect spot for people from all over the Spanish capital to come together to enjoy the neighbourhood’s diverse cultural and food scenes.
Malasaña’s identity is strongly influenced by the roaring countercultural movement, ‘La Movida Madrileña’, which took place in the 80s during the post-Franco dictatorship transition. Today, it’s considered to be one of the most alternative and trendy areas in the city, filled with bohemian bars, eclectic restaurants, street markets, galleries, and so much more. Without a doubt, a perfect area to explore over the weekend with friends, as a couple, or alone.
Check out Urban Campus’ TOP 10 best things to do in Malasaña…
If you’re looking for some good entertainment, then Microteatro is a good place to start.
This spot is hosted in what used to be an old brothel, yet now is an amazing bohemian space that presents short-duration plays for small audiences of up to 7-15 people. You can grab a drink and hop around from one play to the next. Whether you are looking to have a good laugh during a comedy short play or at the edge of your seat while witnessing a thrilling drama, this is definitely a great place to enjoy yourself.
Microtreatro is open from Tuesday to Sunday and has both afternoon and night sessions.
Where is it? Calle de Loreto y Chicote, 9
Are you familiar with the custom of turning abandoned, industrial or old buildings into modern spaces? Well, Madrid has its own cultural space inside a beautiful 18th Century Baroque military quarter in Malasaña, just 5 minutes away from our Urban Campus Malasaña Madrid Coliving.
Today, this building is an important metropolitan centre that hosts a wide variety of cultural activities.
‘Conde-Duque’ is divided into 3 big patios and has always got something going on. From art or photography exhibitions, music concerts, theatre and dance performances to movies & documentaries in its modern auditorium. During summer they even screen classic films outdoors on one of their patios.
Want to learn more? Head over to their website to see their current cultural program.
Where is it? Calle del Conde Duque, 11
There are very few places in Malasaña that represent its essence as well as ‘La Vía Láctea’. This iconic bar, located next to the Plaza Dos de Mayo, was a very important meeting point during the 80s ‘Movida Madrileña’ and was regularly attended by influential figures, artists and people at the time.
Its walls, covered with photographs, posters, stickers & marker scribbles tell thousands of stories, transporting you back to that eclectic era.
Nowadays, Vía Láctea is a great place to go out with friends, enjoy a few drinks with some great classic 70s-80s songs and meet new people. If that doesn’t sound like enough, there’s also a pool table for you to show off your billard.
A night out at Vía Láctea is a guaranteed night to remember.
Where is it? Calle de Velarde, 18
Looking for a more laidback plan? Then this is your place. A charming shop that mixes two of life’s greatest pleasures – books & wine!
This bookstore specialises in independent authors and editorials and sells a great selection of both books and wines. It’s also recognized for having great customer service with friendly staff who are always ready to lend a hand and recommend a great read.
It’s definitely a great place to get lost in the pages of a book while enjoying a glass of wine (or two?) or a nice cup of coffee. Sounds like a great Sunday afternoon plan if you ask us.
‘Tipos Infames’ also hosts events such as authors’ signings, books’ or magazines’ presentations and interesting talks about various trending topics.
Where is it? Calle de San Joaquín, 3
Malasaña is not solely known for its alternative bars or bohemian vibe, it’s also an amazing area to grab a bite. Restaurants around the neighbourhood offer different alternatives for all preferences and palates. Here are three great options to satisfy your appetite.
One of our top recommendations is the Chinese restaurant ‘Xiongzai’ or popularly known as the ‘Winnie Pooh joint’ because of the jumping Winnie Pooh next to the restaurant’s name.
This legendary Chinese ‘cheap eats’ restaurant has delicious ramen soup options, a variety of dim sum, and great cold Chinese beer.
Where is it? Xiongzai Restaurant (Calle de San Leonardo, 3)
If you’re looking for a vegetarian restaurant that also offers delicious gluten-free dishes, then ‘Vega’ is where it’s at.
This modern restaurant offers a variety of fusion dishes, all made with ecological products. You can order anything from Indian curry to Moroccan couscous, to jackfruit tacos or even Thai ceviche.
Where is it? Vega (Calle de la Luna, 9)
One of Malasaña’s most famous restaurants, ‘Ochentagrados’, is definitely worth a visit.
Modernly decorated, this restaurant offers Spanish cuisine with a major twist. They’ve taken all of the classics and kicked it up a notch. Served in small plate ‘tapas’, the menu is full of surprises and mixes in some great fusion flavours.
Our recommendation? A fun take on the typical Spanish rib dish, their ‘costillas melosas’ are served in a toasted sweet rib sandwich that never disappoints.
Got a sweet tooth? Try the ‘Blanco Limón’. Yoghurt ice cream covered with lemon & yoghurt foam cream on a crunchy white chocolate base. Already craving a bite? Don’t wait! Book a table in advance as it usually gets pretty crowded during peak hours.
Where is it? Ochentagrados Malasaña (Calle de Manuela Malasaña, 10)
Ochentagrados also has 3 other restaurants in Castellana, Pozuelo & Las Tablas.
*Psst! Quick side note: If you’re curious to know more about bars and restaurants around the centre of Madrid, check out our Community’s Top 12 Bars & Restaurants recommendations!
Something that is also very characteristic of Malasaña is undoubtedly its vintage shops. Seriously, the area is full of them, and each one offers more unique clothing than the next.
If you’re all about that trendy vintage look (that has managed to make its way back to the 21st century) check out the following shops:
This famous store is an essential and it’s not your average vintage clothes shop.
They sell clothes not by the piece, but by weight. It’s a great option if you’re looking for a bargain and want to stock up on some 2nd hand retro digs.
Where is it? Flamingos Vintage Kilo (Calle de San Joaquín, 16)
Another, more classic vintage shop, ‘Magpie’ is located on the same street as ‘La Via Láctea’ and you’re sure to find some great finds there.
‘Retro Adidas sweatshirts, classic converse shoes, vintage glamorous sunglasses… you name it. If you’re looking for it, you’ll probably find it here.
Where is it? Magpie Vintage Clothes (Calle de Velarde, 3)
Malasaña has gained its popularity largely due to its vibrant nightlife and this place doesn’t fall short. ‘Maravillas Club’ is another iconic spot to enjoy performances, monologues, indie concerts or comedy shows. It’s also a great place to go out dancing on a night out as they usually play great top international classics. There’s even a scaffold for you to stand on and show off your moves on the dance floor.
They sell amazing craft beer from ‘Garage Beer Co.’ which comes in fresh from their factory to their beer tap and into your glass.
Where is it? Calle San Vicente Ferrer, 33
Another cool trend that has made its ways back is vinyl records. For those who yearn for the good old times collecting vinyl has even become a major hobby.
Malasaña is, fortunately, a great place to go crate digging and find some true top tracks from all genres. If you love music and are always on the hunt for that precious vinyl, check out the following recommendations.
This great record shop is very close to our Urban Campus Malasaña Madrid Coliving and has a fantastic vinyl record collection from all genres and eras. Miles Davis’ Jazz, Pink Floyd’s rock, or Tame Impala’s indie music, you name it, Marilians will most likely have what you’re looking for. They also stay updated about new releases too, so if what you’re looking for is a new jammer, they’ll probably have it.
Marilians also organizes small intimate gigs from time to time with local musicians.
Where is it? Marilians Records (Calle de Noviciado, 9)
Looking for electronic music vinyl options? ‘Radial Records’ is basically the Eden of cult electronic music in Madrid.
This store, which opened not so long ago, has already gained popularity for its fantastic selection, offering records from unique labels and artists from all over the world.
Put on an album of your choice, the shop has tons of turntables available for you to use. Hernán, the store’s owner, is always ready to lend a hand and help you out to choose the best option.
Where is it? Radial Records (Calle del Conde Duque, 7)
Recycled Music Center (RMC)
‘RMC’ is a small yet great vinyl-focused shop that sells new and secondhand types of vinyl from all genres and artists, especially electronic. It’s frequented by the most diligent crate diggers as it’s not uncommon to find hidden gems inside this store’s four walls.
Where is it? Recycled Music Center (Calle de la Palma, 39)
Furthermore, they frequently like to organise DJ workshops for those who are looking to learn the mixing mastery of turntables. They also usually invite DJs to do sets that are streamed online.
*Are you a music lover? Make sure you check out Urban Campus on Spotify and follow our latest playlist!
A true place of everything that Malasaña stands for. We wanted to mention this special bookshop located in the heart of this neighbourhood, Plaza Dos de Mayo.
‘Rincón de Lectura’ is a timeless place dedicated to buying and selling secondhand books. Their shelves are full of wonderful and diverse books of all topics and formats at affordable prices. An indispensable place to visit if you’re ever close by.
Our Urban Campus Community bookworms would love this place to get new books and recommend them to the rest of the community during their monthly book exchanges.
Where is it? Plaza Dos de Mayo, 5
Oh, beer… Who could resist a cold craft beer on a hot summer day?
If you are a beer lover, make sure to stop by ‘Fábricas Maravillas’. They claim to have true Malasaña beer, so fresh and hoppy that it’s worthy of holding this title.
This place has its own microbrewery and makes its own craft beer. Customers have the chance to visit the small ‘factory’ and try out new beers that are continuously being elaborated.
Where is it? Calle de Valverde, 29
Have you done any of these things before or visited any of these places? If not, make sure to check them out and keep exploring the wonderful Malasaña neighbourhood, each street and every shop is filled with a unique story of its own.
Picture sources:
An agreement between Urban Campus & OVHcloud has been reached to offer a 10% discount at Urban Campus Madrid coworking spaces to startups enrolled in the OVHcloud Startup Program. A fantastic opportunity for young and ambitious startups to develop their activities in a dynamic coworking environment at Urban Campus in the centre of Madrid.
Additionally, OVHcloud is committed to preferentially study the applications from startups that belong to the Urban Campus community.
They will also provide office hours to answer any question coming from our community members regarding technology, cloud services, the company itself or its Startup Program.
If you are an Urban Campus member looking to benefit from this collaboration with OVHcloud, contact Jonathan Clarke (jonathan.clarke@ovhcloud.com), a former Urban Campus Mellado Madrid Coliving resident.
Urban Campus and OVHcloud will also be looking to organize events together soon.
What is OVHcloud?
OVHcloud offers cloud solutions in which its users, programmers, developers, partners, admins and operators are free to manage their data safely and securely. OVHcloud Startup Program provides up to 100 thousand euros in credits, up to 20 hours of free tech consulting services as well as access to an entrepreneurial ecosystem that provides the extra support for startups to build a successful MVP, trial out new products and even scale internationally.
Are you interested in OVHcloud Startup Program?
Join now and start benefiting from its entrepreneurial environment to keep growing your startup.
If you’re looking for a place to work, check out our Urban Campus Jerónimo Coworking in the heart of Madrid and join our community.