El Raval
For my Spanish Film class we watched a documentary on the neighborhood of El Raval called “En Construcción” directed by Jose Luis Guerin. The film followed groups of neighbors and construction workers around the barrio during the late 20th century when El Raval was being rebuilt. Although the film does not have much dialog or plot, the focus is on the noise and the reactions or interactions of the neighbors and the change in their neighborhood. The area of the neighborhood is generally poor and the apartment buildings that were torn down were beginning to fall apart and the people living in them did not have enough money to take care of them.
Before visiting the barrio el Raval, I was unsure of what I could encounter due to the movie and other videos I had watched related to the area. I was pleasantly surprised that the area was much different than depicted in the movie, although many years have passed since them. Upon entering El Raval there are many specialized and specific shops such as clothing boutiques, jewelry stores, healthy foods such as fresh pressed juice or gluten free. The people are a mix of rich, poor, touristic, and young “hipsters.” There were many people out in the streets walking, shopping, or eating. I think that the buildings and the apartments are enchanting with their warm, burnt and pastel colors, balconies, and shutters. All of the balconies have clothing and laundry drying on the railings and other decorations such as plants, flowers, or lights. Like the mixed people, there is a variety of restaurants, bars, cafes, and other places of varying quality that cater to all social classes. For example there are beautiful and luxurious hotels such as Barceló Raval or Casa Camper Hotel. Although there are expensive hotels and apartments, there are also many buildings that are falling apart because the owners do not have enough money to fix them.
I enjoyed walking through the streets of el Raval because I was able to see what the area looked like as a whole and post construction, a view in which the movie did not provide. El Raval runs all the way from Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes until the sea at the start of the port where the World Trade Center of Barcelona is located. El Raval is located to the South of las Ramblas, a populated area with many tourists. Las Ramblas divides el Raval from the el barrio Gótico. Before the area looked as it does now, el Gótico was too crowded to build infrastructure such as hospitals, parks, or schools. Therefore, these were built in el Raval as the city began to spread and need more space. To the west is the barrio Sant Antoni, a part of the district of l'Eixample. To the South, el Poble Sec in the district of Sants Montjïc borders el Raval. During the reconstruction of el Raval, many families moved to El Poble Sec. Before seeing the barrio, I believed that the rich has spaces much better and there was nothing for the lower classes living in the neighborhood, but now I see that isn’t entirely true. There are many parks and open spaces that were fixed up in order for everyone to enjoy. It is important that everyone has access to these spaces because the atmosphere and ambiance of a city is different in open spaces where everyone can watch or be observed. The people appear to be very relaxed, including the cats that have their own garden to enjoy the atmosphere and the sun.
El Raval reminds me of Venice Beach, California. I work at a sports camp every summer and in high school I would drive through the area everyday to go home. While working at the camp I interact with many of the children’s parents because I am in charge of payments and camp registration. I see families of all different social classes. Some pay full price for many weeks of camp, others only come for one week, some pay significantly reduced rates, and a handful comes for free. While driving home I see homeless people begging for food or money on the same streets that hundreds of tourists walk past everyday. There are some beautiful homes on the canals or on the beach and other small run down apartments. There are expensive hotels and overpriced restaurants. Just like El Raval, this area attracts people from different social classes because there is much to see and do for everyone.
Much like Venice Beach, I believe that people are attracted to el Raval because of its alternative culture that provides a space for everyone to co-exist together regardless of their social class, income, or interests. Along la Rambla del Raval one can see teenagers skateboarding, tourists eating Middle Eastern food, hipsters shopping in trendy stores, homeless sleeping on the benches, or businessmen taking a cigarette break. The public spaces allow for everyone to feel comfortable and safe with their surroundings. An open air atmosphere is a universal pleasure that anyone, regardless of their background, can take advantage of.