I found Lavapies a very interesting area to walk and explore. Yes it had a bit of an edge compared to other parts of Madrid, and it’s a district where you are likely to see groups of people sitting around doing largely nothing and yes you may actually witness the odd illicit substance deal. However I can see that in large parts of London and importantly at no point did I personally feel threatened or unsafe. It is a very ethnically mixed area with trendy bars and a collection of reasonably priced ethnic restaurants. I didn’t personally try it but by the young crowds using them on this particular Saturday lunchtime I would hazard a guess that you can get a very good curry in Lavapies. I found this a good area to explore, especially as it is a district that is undergoing gentrification and all the challenges that brings. But I did not forget that this is a residential area for people who may not be the most affluent, so as long as you don’t act as a privileged tourist I am sure you will be fine. Historically Lavapies has been the low rent district and therefore the poorer district of Madrid. Historically a working class neighbourhood, in the 1970s a lot of people were attracted here by the cheap rents and the neighborhood began to get a reputation for being overcrowded. In the 1980s and 1990s it became an area with many squatters. And from the 2000’s it is a district where immigrants have settled in Madrid, such as Indians, Chinese, Senegalese and Middle Easterners, who have all been attracted by the lower rents. This led to an influx of the reasonably priced ethnic restaurants and bars which have brought many hipsters and young people into the neighborhood, which has increased its popularity, started pushing up the rents and led to a general gentrification. Let’s hope the Madrid council get this one right as it’s a difficult balancing act..

Lavapies is a great neighbourhood in Madrid that on any holiday I take to this most beautiful of cities we always look forward to visiting. The barrio encompasses a large area ,its multicultural and diverse, vibrant and lively, packed with pubs,bars and restaurants and some amazing architecture, it's a very cool district, we visited some amazing bars in this area,just visiting Plaza De Lavapies sums up this district, lots of great pubs and bars ,we really enjoyed all our visits to the Lavapies district and when we are back in Madrid next year we will most certainly revisit this district. Well worth checking out if your planning a holiday to Madrid.