Living in Torrejon de Ardoz

We are currently expats in Mexico waiting on what we hope is a reasonably quick rebound of the US economy, to start packing for our overdue transfer to Europe. We originally were supposed to move to Paris but are starting to seriously rethink. If allowed, I believe we will choose the Madrid area instead. My husband is from Barcelona but has not been a resident of Spain since 1982. The kids are now bilingual due to our 5 years here outside of Mexico City. (Toluca) I am wondering about Torrejon de Ardoz as a place to live. I know it will not have the excitement of Madrid but we want the suburban life with house, yard and dogs. My husband will work next to Barajas Airport and we hope to be no more than 30 minutes away. Alcobendas looks good for bilingual schools but I wonder about the price of housing there. La Moraleja is out of sight. We want a 4br for 40,000,000 pesetas maximum.
Any advice, opinions will be appreciated.

Hey! Congratulations, Gail! I'm excited about your future in Spain. Good for you. I'm sure your husband will be back too (EVEN THOUGH it's in Castilla ). I'm sure that with all the Madrileño/as here you'll get some strong opinions. Good luck and enjoy!

Hi!

I really don't know much regarding Torrejón de Ardoz. It has an airport (almost entirely militar) and a huge militar base (it was an american base).

It is sais that is a calm city, but I'm talking only about my guesses.

Alcobendas has cheap and good zones to live, and it is very near the Barjas airport. Have you think in el Encinar de los Reyes or Arroyo de la Vega? They are two zones with "chalets" (houses with yards), and they are cheaper than La Moraleja.

Also, you may consider Barajas Pueblo as an alternative (the Av. Logroño zone and Alameda de Osuna) they are also nice houses there, and very near to the airport.

Hope to be of any help

Fernando

A distant relative of my wife's lives in Torrejon de Ardoz. He's a bank president so there must be an upscale neighborhood there. But the traffic around San Fernando on the road into Madrid in the AM is very heavy.

We usually stay with other relatives in Almeda de Osuna: very well communicated and very close to aeropuerto de Barajas. From Barajas pueblo, if you continue on Avda. de Logroño past the traffic circle (la Villa) where it intersects with the autovia, toward Madrid, it's on your left. It's an upscale neighborhood with schools, etc., and there's even a new sports complex there.

Last September, ESP 40.000.000 would have been a 'lowball' price in that neighborhood.

[ 10-17-2001: Message edited by: Eddie ]

Goodness, I wrote just yesterday and already 3 answers. Many thanks and two questions, oops I mean three: where is San Fernando, when are rush hour times for the northern and western suburbs and is the area recommended, Almeda de Osuna(don't have it on the screen to see spelling) maybe too close to the noise of the airport?

Fast answers to important questions

where is San Fernando?

In the northwest of Madrid. Is a small town almost surrounded by Madrid.

When are rush hour times for the northern and western suburbs?

Work times and returning times. That is, from 7 o'clock in the morning to 9, and from 8 o'clock to 10 o'clock more or less.

Is the area recommended, Almeda de Osuna maybe too close to the noise of the airport?

Yes it is. Every town or residential area near to the airport (northwest of Madrid) is as close to it as to hear the noise. In Alameda de Osuna (I know it because I have a friend who lives there) you can sometimes hear the planes landing and taking off, but, in my opinion, that doesn't keep it from being attractive to live on (is not as loud nor as frequent to be disgusting).

Fernando

I have a map of Madrid that I just opened again and Almeda O. jumped out at me. However, I cannot seem to see San Fer or the two places that Fernando recommended. What is close by to help me zoom in better? I can see it will be better to rent one year while we look at all of these places more closely before buying. I appreciate immensely your help.

San Fernando is on the main road northeast from Madrid going toward Torrejon de Ardoz & Alcala de Henares. It's on the rio Jarama about halfway between the aeropuerto de Barajas turnoff and Torrejon. In addition to being a transportation center (commuter rail line to/from Madrid) there's much truck traffic. They might have been doing roadway construction (i.e., extending an expressway toward Madrid) when we were last there, so it could be getting less congested.

We usually spend a week or so each year with relatives on c/ de la Rioja in the Almeda de Osuna neighborhood; and I have never seen aircraft overflying Almeda de Osuna. I have looked down from a flight landing at Barajas and seen Torrejon AB (now a NATO Base). It looks to me that Barajas' flight pattern is mainly to the north of the airport (opposite direction from Almeda de Osuna) and west of Torrejon. You can hear some aircraft noise from Barajas but it's not like being under the flight pattern.

[ 10-18-2001: Message edited by: Eddie ]

Gail,

Here's a link to property available in the location you chose. In fact, it's a link to property all around the city, and you can pick and choose locations, get pictures, and prices, on a lot of the offerings.

I used it myself, when we were looking for property to buy in the same area. It's a pretty good source of information.
http://www.webcom.com/cyberven/real/

I didn't find it in the MadridMan links, but I think that's because it's for serious house hunters, not tourist types like most of us are.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the prices, but remember, the size of the place you are looking for may make it a bit more difficult to find a place that easily.

Hope this helps!

Wolf

Barajas airport is 15 Km far from downtown, at the East (not at the northwest). About 5 Km more far is San Fernando, on the way to Barcelona, in a 3 lines road with a terrific traffic.
Just close to the airport is la Alameda de Osuna, but in the west (the other side than San Fernando), with better comunication.
Noises are worst in San Fernando because planes do not fly central Madrid and go through the East part of the city.
The San Fernando area (including Torrejón) is a workers area, with no high economical/cultural/social level, but prices are lower than in Alameda and Alcobendas.

Also you can think on Madrid downtown: your husband can go to the airport by Metro (line 8).

Hope this help you

Very helpful and appreciated. I am wondering if you know what is just on the north side of Alcobendas and if it is a nice place to live. We are looking for a neighborhood with houses and a yard.

Alcobendas is in Highway N-I, but near Barajas area, wich is in the Highway N-II. For comunications between these two roads you can use M-40 (this motorway is a ring around Madrid) and the A-10 (from M-40 right to Barajas Airport)

At the north of Alcobendas you will find villages as Algete, Humanes... They are not far from Alcobendas, but the only way to rich Madrid from there is by road (buses and car). From Alcobendas you can use a local train ('cercanías').

As a pro for this places, they are much cheapier than those near Madrid.

Hope this help you.

Again, thanks for the good information. If we find a house further out, like the towns that you mentioned, then is it possible to drive to the nearest cercanias train station, park in a SAFE place, like a parking lot and then take the train into Madrid? Or is it all too much trouble and better just to drive into Madrid, or does it depend on where we want to go and when we want to go?

Gail:

Come into Madrid in a car is for fools :-)
You will came at your work-place for dinner.

Jokes apart. Good idea is go to a train station such as the Alcobenda's one (do not know if there is a parking with security service, sorry, but many of them has it and price for a full day is 100 pesetas or 0.4$), then go to Nuevos Ministerios, and from here take the direct metro line to Barajas, wich is under construction right now.

If you are still willing go to Barajas by car, use the ring of highways around Madrid (M-30 and specially M-40) and DO NOT GO TO THE DOWNTOWN.