The best thing to me about Madrid is Chueca. It is THE neighborhood to go to if you are gay, fasionable, a minority, a woman, or just plain special in every sense of the word. I spent most of my free-time in and around Chueca, on Fuencarral, Hortaleza, and Pelayo. I did most of my shopping at little stores there, ate at Momo (the best mango cheescake on the planet), Chez Pomme, Vegeveriana (sp?)and Mama Ina's, drank at the Black and White, the Bohemian, and Star's and just hung out in the plaza for hours. Chueca was also the place where I could find good books at the Berkana (and where I bought my coolest t-shirt in bright orange that simply says: Chueca, Madrid) and little shops that sold everything from cute t-shirts that aren't touristy but are in Spanish and to little antique shops that stocked everything from kitsch to elegant and many, many great shoe stores where you could find non-foot binding heels and flats and sandals. you will never feel uncomfortable in chueca unless you are just an uncomfortable person.

Here are some other cool things that I found in Madrid:

Angel de fuego: Every friday afternoon near the Callao metro you'll find the street performer fireangel. She is dressed all in flames and when you put something into her fire bag (that's right a fire bag), she gives you a saying for the day. well worth a trip.

Bar de la Ruda and El Rastro: On Sundays after a hell night of partying, why not inflict more torture. Crawl your soggy butt out of bed and go to the el rastro. avoid the main street and stick to the side streets where you'll meet lots of old ladies selling everything from ice cream scoopers to plants to early 20th century paintings. the shopper in me couldn't resist. after all this, head over to my favorite bar, bar de la ruda on calle de la ruda. it's about two blocks over from the la latina metro stops. it's the most mellow and exciting place to be on sundays and the only place i went to where the food is good, the beers are larger than your head, you can sit for hours and people will talk to you. oh...and the music is excellent. it's a bit punky-alternative, so if you're not into that, don't go, because the music can get loud and the people are not yuppified (yeah).

Mercado de Fuencarral: this is where you can pick up your copy of "In Madrid", the english magazine for expatriates living in Madrid and where all the rad clothes are. There are also a couple tattoo parlors, a dj shop, and a dj spins records all day. here you can find clothes that aren't cheap, polyester zara-esque things, and where brands like lois, custo barcelona, levi's super blue jeans, and betsy johnson are represented. the mercado also has some kick a-- jewelry, including an artist who makes his own silver stuff. amazing. and it has an internet cafe down in the basement.

gay pride: if you are ever in madrid during gay pride, go. enough said. if you can never make it during this time, they have videos to purchase (in both formats) of that year's pride at most gay owned businesses in Chueca. A week before I left, they had the 2001 video out on the shelf and ready to go.

Flyers for clubs. the graphics in Madrid are amazing. They are so ahead of most countries on this. while there, pick up as many little club cards and flyers as you can. then get home and realize all the cool places you missed because you were too busy or dumb to look at everything you picked up.

Siam and Momo and Chez Pomme: The best food in Madrid, hands down. Momo is probably the best as far as variety, but if you are sick of eating tortilla espanol and helado (especially if you are a vegetarian) go to these places and chow down. I am extremely picky about food and I would eat almost anything at these places. There is also a real pizza place on Hortaleza (there are two, but one is decorated in mostly white, the other in red...go to the red one) that serves real New York style pizza. [i'm sorry dru, but eggs do not belong on pizza :p.]

Palacio Real at night: the bats, the bats, the bats and the frozen statues and the view of the city and the lovers doing some down and dirty stuff on benches that look like cement tombs. it was like being on a bad horror movie set and it's completely safe--there is usually a police vehicle sitting there during the night hours. the best part is watching the bats chase moths. kids will dig it. take a picnic and make it even weirder.

plaza de santa ana on a weeknight: just a really great terrace with lots of art history. go sit with the writers on the terrace and discuss hemingway and garcia lorca. santa ana is surrounded by really cute restaurants and o.k. clubs that aren't too eurotrashy. a really good place to spend a tues-thurs. night.

barrajas airport: air-conditioned, clean, and you can watch the planes take off. even if it didn't have this, i'd love this airport simply because it has phones that work and that will often take your credit cards and it has that weird english guy who makes very british announcements.

ohhhh...i almost forgot, kingston's and big bamboo. the best places to go dancing because you can actually dance (there is room) and people actually know how to dance (there is no just shoulder to shoulder jumping up and down). yeah... if you are lucky, maybe the dancers at kingston's will show you a few steps. go especially if you are craving a very diverse crowd of people as both these places have the highest number of minorities that i had seen in spain.

[ 08-02-2001: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

sheba--
Wow, thanks! You've set up much of my itinerary for my next trip to Spain! I would LOVE to watch the bats--what a kick! My daughter would be mesmerized. I used to live in Gainesville, Florida, where they have been incredibly hospitable to bats (you've got to when you live in a natural mosquito farm--we should learn that up here in the land of lakes)--there is a huge bat house at the University of Florida, and people used to gather to watch them swarm out at dusk.

Thanks for highlighting some alternatives to the Prado-Plaza Mayor-Castellana circuit. It sounds like you either have a great sense of what's going on or you had amazing travel advice!

I hope you can join us in late August for our Minneapolis dinner party. I know you had said that school would be taking over your life then (mine too!), but if you are looking to get out for an evening, come join us! I can't promise the variety of Chueca (this IS Minnesota, after all!), but a nice glass of sangria and (yet another) tortilla...and good company and talk about Spain!
Tara

being a normal white fella who dislikes
fashion & the ilk who is not particularly special, gay, or a minority, i found chueca to be my faviorite also.

i also am fond of the british announcer. that same guy works at barcelona and seville airport.
my favorite announcement is "Last call for Air Europa flight ### to Gran Canaria. Please proceed urgently to gate %?".

HA! I also love that announcer. Especially when "last call" means at least 5 more calls. I was so happy to arrive at Barajas and hear the same voice as always!

well miles....you must be just plain special then.

Sheba,

A HUGE bouquet of flowers to you for the wonderful and detailed information. Initially, I thought that 2 days on my own in Madrid would suffice but now, judging from what I read, I think I should extend my stay !

jennifer

hey jennifer,

don't forget to come back and tell us all about your trip--especially the cool places that you've been to. maybe with the help of others we can kinda plot a little mini-alternative travel guide for madrid.

oh...and also check out skg2's archived posts about places to go out at night. it was so extensive and awesome and made me look like a really hep kitty with the kiddies.

Hey Sheba I was wondering if you travelled solo on your trip to Madrid. I'm going to be visiting for the first time and it will also be my first time travelling alone. I was wondering if you thought Madrid was easy and safe to navigate as a women travelling alone. Actually I would value anyones opinion on this. And again thanks for all the great info on where to go!

sorry dont know why I spelled travel w/two ll's