I Lived in Valencia’s ‘Bad’ Neighborhood

Reddit was wrong

The central plaza of the ‘ghetto’ neighbourhood. Do you see the gangsta rap music vibes? Yeah. Me neither. Picture by the author.

In our fast-moving world, it’s hard to catch up with all that happens. Even for the internet.

So when I researched the neighborhoods (‘barrios’) of Valencia to decide where to live for a two-month stay, one kept getting a bad reputation:

Natzaret. The little barrio at the edge of the city.

Reddit Is Suspicious

My research on where I should live was mainly on Reddit. It’s handy to gather personal perspectives. Generic city marketing tells you nothing real.

Reddit’s verdict on Natzaret was not exactly encouraging.

“Natzaret is the “bad” neighborhood” — 5 years ago.

“You are fine as long as you avoid very specific ghettos in certain areas like (…) certain parts of Natzaret” — 2 years ago.

“Nazaret is a no-go zone for tourists.” — 2 years ago.

I admit, I became suspicious. But also curious. And I was on a budget. In fancier parts of Valencia, small apartments run above 1.700 Dollar/month.

So while I write this, I am sitting on my cute little terrace in Natzaret, about to leave tomorrow after two beautiful months.

The bus on Carrer Major de Natzaret. Picture by the author.

Let me tell you about mi barrio.

Giving the ‘Ghetto’ a Try

From my Reddit research, I concluded that despite the bad image and generally poorer infrastructure in Natzaret, it was not extremely dangerous.

I took a Google Maps walk in it.

It looked a bit like how I would imagine South America. Even more impressive when I walked through the streets for real.

All the time, I felt safe in Natzaret. It was calmer than the city center. Relaxed. A bit laid off.

Perfect for a person who craved some time for herself.

The parc in the middle of Natzaret where I use to go with a coffee cup. Picture by the author.

So Redditors seem to be wrong. And there’s a reason for it: Natzaret had changed at an insane pace.

There’s Massive Change Ongoing

The people I met in Natzaret were friendly and approachable. Even if I was a tourist. Or maybe, because I was a tourist. Many were interested and asked me a lot about living in Germany.

In other areas of Valencia and Spain in general, some locals avoid — or even hate — tourists. And it makes sense, as tourism comes with a high cost. But in Natzaret, there still seems to be a positive sentiment.

And I wonder how long it will last. As Natzaret is changing massively.

Natzaret Is About To Be Gentrified

In 2022, a metro line opened connecting Natzaret to the city center in around 15 minutes. A new bus line followed.

That infrastructure, combined with Valencia’s general housing scarcity, has pushed real estate prices up 27% in the last year alone. My hairdresser told me people feel the change daily: Rents are rising. More tourists are arriving. Prices in general are going up.

Natzaret is clearly on the radar for Valencia’s expanding tourist areas. Two streets from where I live, nearly every ground floor is an Airbnb.

So the current beauty of this place, that slightly-outside-the-city feeling, may not last long.

Maybe this moment is a good one for Natzaret. It’s not a ghetto. It’s no longer dangerous.

But the future might erase exactly what makes it special right now.

Hey you, I hope reading my article was time well spent! ☕️ I work on building a community of fellow travelers, sportspeople, and sustainability nerds here on Medium. I am beyond happy if you support me with your claps, a comment, or a follow.

Keep exploring, Jacky

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