Rachel,
Moratalaz is not a bad area. It wasn't considered a very desirable area, YEARS ago, but from all the growing and expanding Madrid has done over the years, it is actually a pretty good place to live, being that its right outside central madrid. (Moratalaz is a suburb, but one of the closer ones, being its right on the edge.)

Its far from the Complutense... the closest thing you'll be next to in Madrid is the area of the Retiro. How long it takes you to get there will also depend on how far into Moratalaz you live, the farther in, the farther away from the center... Transportation is very good, I wouldn't worry about that.

Good luck! You could always look into a Jardin Infantil for your daughter, its like a preschool/day care place, which depending on what you find out before going, it may be an opiton as its not the same as sending her to school.

Good luck!

thanks ever so much to fernando, castiza, and espe3....i feel as if i am getting a clearer picture through your descriptions of moratalaz...fernando, thanks for posting those websites...the map of the neighborhoods helped me to get a sense of where moratalaz was in relation to the complutense and the greater city...and to madrid man, thanks for a fantastic site..the members are so knowledgeable and friendly...i believe my daughter and i will have to arrive early so i can investigate the primaria's in my vacinity...hope one month is enough time...can't even begin to imagine what this adventure will entail as i have never been to spain or the surrounding countries.. hope to also visit france, italy, portugal, and maybe morroco...thankfully i now know where to find the answers to any travel and cultural related questions

Hi Rachel --

For what it´s worth. I have a handy metro program which includes a map as well as estimated calculations of time from one point to another.

Traveling to Ciudad Universitaria (where Complutense is) from Vinateros, Artilleros, or Pavones will take you approximately 22, 24, 25 minutes respectively. I always add on about 10 minutes, particularly during the "peak" metro times which are around 7-9am,1-2pm, 4-6pm, and 7-9pm.

Good luck!

rcae,
I read today an article in "El País", you can find interesting about Moratalaz:

http://www.elpais.es/articulo.html?d_dat...p;anchor=elpmad