One of my favorite things about Madrid so far is the use of urban communal spaces. Urban Americans place a lot of pride in our neighborhoods. Silver Lake, Upper East Side, Jackson Heights, City Terrace, the list goes on and on, but it has always seemed to me that these names are often nothing more than purely geographic tags.
In Madrid, it seems to me that neighborhoods are often based around some sort of public space that is the heart of the neighborhood. In Trafalgar, where I live, the Plaza de Olavide is everyone’s backyard. For my friend that lives in Moncloa, for example, the Parque de Oeste is their public space.
Sure, everyone in New York knows about Central Park, and that makes the city iconic, but these ultra-regional plazas and parks are what make Madrid’s neighborhoods iconic. I believe that stems from more than just their existence. Plazas are centers of commerce, house vital services, and as they are usually the geographic center of a neighborhood, they are part of the daily commute. In more ways than one, they define the lifestyles of the surrounding residents. Though usually lined with commerce, I wouldn’t say they are centers of consumption, like the average American “main street” is. People go to buy things, sure, but more frequently, people go after lunch to chill out and read a book, walk their dog, or enjoy the ambience.
I’ve made stopping by the Plaza de Olavide part of my life. I know when the Cañas and Tapas restaurant have their bocadillo promotion, I like chatting with the lady at the Alimentacion store, and I let myself unwind by the fountain once in a while. The thing that really ties it all together is the community, and the life within the plaza.
It’s a beautiful way to spend more time outside of the home that doesn't really exist in American culture. It is true that in some ways, studying abroad means learning or doing something new every day, developing a daily routine that involves the environment around you is a great way to know it on a deeper level.
Nan Jiang
Fall 2024
GW Madrid (GW Study Program)
Elliott School of International Affairs
International Affairs Major