The apartment was built at the turn of the century, a part of Barcelona's expansion of the medieval city into the 'Eixample' (catalan for 'extention'). The apartment block is a classic example of the 'modernist' style with the curving sweeps of its exterior masonry, and the ironwork of the balconies and grilles, down to the etched glazed door, tile work and decorative plasterwork of the vestibule. This part of the 'Eixample' borders the old town, which has several advantages over actually staying in the old town, while still being within a 15 minute walk of the centre. The streets are more spacious, there is none of the petty crime, and the area has a life of its own.
The apartment is very well served by local shops all within a couple of minutes walk. Specialist shops, from delicatessens and herbalists to supermarkets, designer furniture shops and numerous restaurants and bars which cater mainly to Catalan locals, rather than purely to tourists. Another considerable advantage the apartment has over much of the hotel accommodation on offer is its tranquillity, since noise is a major problem, especially on the main thorough-fares of Barcelona.
Further along Tamarit, at the junction with the Avenida Mistral, there is a large Sainsbury type supermarket called 'Bon Preu', while across the road you'll find other supermarket's which open on Sundays. Bakeries, patisseries, butchers, greengroceries and pharmacies are all to be found within minutes of the apartment. Best of all however is the Mercat Sant Antoni, one of the best markets in Barcelona, which is just a few blocks away.