Field Trip to El Raval

     The third class field trip that I went on with my Barcelona: Past & Present class was to the El Raval neighborhood of Barcelona. This is an area that used to be a very dangerous, bad neighborhood, but it is now improving. The first reason for the improvements is that public areas have been created. This attracted many young people who go there to have fun and enjoy themselves. The public areas of El Raval are especially popular with young skateboarders. As young people migrated to the area, schools and museums were built and families began to move there as well. The second effort to improve the El Raval area was the recent construction of a luxury hotel. The hotel was built in an effort to make the neighborhood into a more wealthy area. It is still unclear whether the hotel will have the desired effects on the neighborhood.

     Museums and cultural spaces created by the Barcelona City Council and located in El Raval include MACBA, Barcelona's contemporary art museum and CCCB, Barcelona's contemporary culture center, which displays the work of independent contemporary artists in the forms of exhibitions, concerts, festivals, and film screenings. El Raval is also home to the Barcelona Anarchist's Library.
     Young people who moved into El Raval have opened up lots of funky art galleries and shops. Because of this, the area is becoming a desirable place for young people to go to spend time walking around and shopping.
     The field trip to El Raval was my favorite class trip. Although I loved learning about the early history of the old parts of Barcelona city on the other trips, I really enjoyed walking around El Raval and seeing new parts of the city that are being developed today. There were so many interesting restaurants and shops that I plan to go back to and explore during my last week in Barcelona. I also saw interesting architecture, including the glass building pictured below, which shows a reflection of a Barcelona skyline. As can be seen in my photographs, the modern glass building placed directly next to an older-style building exemplifies the synergy of old and new that runs throughout El Raval. El Raval reminded me of hip, funky, and youthful American neighborhoods that I have been to, such as SoHo in New York City and the South End in my home city of Boston. I am excited to go back and spend more time exploring El Raval.