A couple of weeks ago, I went with a group of people to Spain. I was just wondering which areas of Madrid are bad, low-income, or dangerous. I ask because I will be going back hopefully in a couple of years with some friends and I want to make sure we go to the right spots. Thanks!

Usera y Vallecas, though Vallecas isn't too bad. European slums are not quite as horrific as those in the Americas.

Vallecas is not that bad

You're right Nuria, Vallecas is not that bad. Villaverde Alto's pretty bad. Orcasitas too but that's about it.

Soooo I guess you've all been mugged and mistreated in Usera, Villaverde and Orcasitas...or is it just barrio rivalry??

Well I think you should go to the Castellana-Santiago Bernabeu area with a Barcelona footclub shirt on and enjoy Madrid nightlife....just joking!

There are great spots in most barrios in Madrid, places worth visiting just like anywhere else in the world. If you want to have "tapas" you have to go to the barrios, if you want to enjoy night life you have to go to the barrios as well. jysuper try getting on one of the "buhos"-night buses at midnight in Cibeles and ask the locals "donde esta la marcha en el barrio?" and then you'll realize what is going on.

well, the only time I ever was confronted in Spain was in Arganda del Rey (a satellite city to Madrid waaaay out on linea 9 of the metro). Of course 2 americans walking in front of a bar full of drunk Spaniards at 1am was sort of a case of "wrong place, wrong time"...

A friend of mine who lives in Villaverde has told me there are a couple of good bars there.

"El cafe del siglo" is a place with live music on weekends. It is located on a street off the main square where all buses leave in Villaverde Alto . "Distrito 21" is another good bar too.

I guess you can encounter problems almost everywhere you go especially if alcohol is involved...