Irishman in Barcelona – The Irish Times
Here’s a breakdown of the key facts from the provided text, focusing on the experiences of the individual and the situation in Barcelona:
The Individual’s Journey:
* Background: Graduated from Waterford Institute of Technology and UCD.
* Travels: Spent time traveling, including a three-year stint in New Zealand.
* Return to Dublin & Move to Barcelona: Returned to Dublin in 2018, found the rental market arduous, and decided to move to Barcelona.
* Career in Barcelona: Worked at Google, then Gartner, and currently at Benevity (a software firm focused on corporate social responsibility).
* Experience in Barcelona: Feels welcomed and at home in Barcelona. Language wasn’t initially a barrier, and he’s been improving his Spanish.
Barcelona’s Situation (as described in the article):
* City Characteristics: Concentrated urban area (buildings generally 7 stories high, less sprawl than Dublin), easy to navigate with good public transport.
* Expat Community: Large and diverse expat community.
* Rental Market: Rents have increased,and availability has decreased. Driven by tourism and an influx of people wanting to live there for a year.
* Digital Visa: A digital visa system (like Portugal’s) has attracted people from the US, Australia, and elsewhere.
* Over-Tourism: A growing issue,with some reported incidents of hostility towards tourists (though the individual hasn’t personally experienced widespread antipathy).
* Regulation of Short-Term Rentals: City authorities are actively reducing short-term rentals (like Airbnb) – thousands have been removed, and a ban on tourist-use apartments within the metro area is planned for November 2028.