Perspectives

Since living in a country is different than visiting it, one of my research techniques to investigate the possibility of living in Spain was to ask everyone I met what they loved and hated about Madrid. I was particularly interested in the opinions of people from other places, whether inside or outside Spain. I don't agree with all the opinions below, but they are also super useful for considering the pros and cons of a city. It would be in interesting thought exercise to ask the same question about America, to know whether I would choose to live there if I had considered it dispassionately.

Negatives

• Less customer service/ more bureaucracy - People are polite in the shops, but I can agree that no one runs up to help you, and several people said that it is hard to get responses from the government, landlords, etc. I think I would need to take my experience of Miami's "island time" and multiply it by a hundred to be prepared for this.
• The weather - Actually, the person who made this complaint is from San Diego, where the climate is nearly perfect, and I suspect he has unreasonable expectations for the rest of the world. The temperatures closely match what I am used to in DC, but it is much, much drier.
• People are not very polite - It is true that no one apologizes when they run into you or step on your toes, and I have heard that the same extends to businesses when they make an error. Canadians have a reputation for excessively apologizing, but I'm realizing the stereotype probably applies to Americans too.
• Poor economy - The unemployment rate is quite high here - 15% compared to the U.S.'s 4%. This also results in lower prices, so it's a great place to spend money but not a great place to earn it.

Positives

• The nightlife is excellent - Nightlife isn't quite the right word for this. I'm sure the clubs and theaters are great, but what I mean is that people enjoy their time outside of work. Every evening the restaurants and bars are packed with people just spending time with their friends and family.
• Public transportation - It's outstanding. I almost never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus or train, although holidays and weekends take longer, and the prices are half that of DC. The trains are often packed, but I'd rather stand and get somewhere quickly.
• People are generally welcoming of outsiders. It's easy to make friends with expats, but it seems like you can also integrate into the Spanish society, as long as you can speak the language.
• People enjoy their food and drink. This is definitely a change from the US, where I often feel like we are eating as quickly as possible so we can get the next thing done. I am partially left out, though, since I won't eat the many ham or seafood dishes on offer.