Anyone coming to live in the unfamiliar surroundings of a new city is bound to have their fair share of trepidation. Having to deal with all of the aspects of settling in, taking care of finding somewhere to live, looking for work or where to study (if not arranged in advance) and dealing with all of the aspects of bureaucracy that will be more than likely totally unfamiliar to the new arrival.
All of these tasks combined will usually mean that new arrival in Madrid will have little time or thought about exploring the vast choice of nightlife and culture that this exciting city has to offer.
Obviously the first step in settling in Madrid is to find a decent place to live, to suit the family or individuals requirements in terms of price, location and value for money. For those new arrivals in Madrid the best port of call is the offices of ShMadrid, regarded as one of the city’s top rental agencies, providing personal and friendly service and a top class source of affordable short term rental in Madrid as well as a variety of innovative rental alternatives to suit very taste and budget.
Once all the settling in arrangements has been taking care of in the next step is to begin to enjoy life in this fabulous city which has so much to offer for its occupants. It seems like every street corner holds new venture and barely a week goes by without the opportunity to visit a variety of cultural events to suit every taste from art or music festivals, as well as the many fiestas that Madrilenos love to celebrate. Make no mistake about it- Madrid has something in the way of entertainment to suit every taste.
The city of Madrid cares about its occupants, and the city council (Ayuntamiento) or the regional council (Comunidad de Madrid) appear to be constantly competing against each other to organise interesting and varied cultural events to celebrate life in the city.
One thing is for sure that madrilenos enjoy their fiestas. Fiestas are organised to commemorate the significance religious or historical event in Spain’s history and are always joyous occasions, which have evolved over the years into street parties, where everyone takes the opportunity to get dressed up to the nineties and dance in the streets to the early hours of the morning.
Some of the better known fiestas are the Dos de Mayo, La Paloma, San Antonio de la Florida and the San Isidro the dates fall in the hot summer are usually held later in the evenings when the Madrid temperature has fallen. But just as proof that they are prepared to party under any climatic conditions you will also find the streets of Madrid packed with the Festival of Reyes (Three Kings’ Day) which falls at the height of winter.
For those whose culture is a little more sedate, then a visit to the Casa de América gallery should be added to their list. The Casa de América, housed within the Palacio de Linares, build towards the end of the nineteenth century, provides a permanent exhibition of all that is fine in Latin American art, as well as organising and hosting film seasons, musicals, theatre productions among a variety of cultural events.
For those whose tastes in culture are a little more avant-garde, then a visit to the Matadero should be well worth a try. The Matadero, housed in a building that was once the city slaughterhouse, has taken the role of Madrid’s focal point for contemporary art, theatre and cinema.
People who have made Madrid their home, no matter for how long or for a short time, are bound to get up the excitement of the city, that has so much to see and do, to try and to taste.
