Choosing where to live in your new City

Choosing where to live in your new city!

We are so used to our surroundings. Most of us just  stay in the country we were born until we are old enough to venture out on our own. There is never the worry or apprehension about relocating or finding your way around a new place. It’s sort of just given to you. The knowledge has been there all your life. It’s something you’re just used to.

This all changed when I decided to move to Valencia. I had never done anything like this before. Of course, I relocated for University. But it was never too far from my house. It wasn’t completely new to me and it certainly was not much of a culture shock. So of course, the adventure of moving to Valencia on my own, and getting used to my surroundings and finding my bearings all alone was a challenge I had to prepare for.

Thankfully, for those thinking of moving country too, and are struggling with how to find the best locations, I hope to give you some advice on how I did this. If you’re thinking of moving to Valencia, even better as I am able to tell you the best neighbourhood where I am having the best experience.

Before moving to Valencia, I really wanted to live in the ‘cool’ neighbourhood, where there was going to be plenty of nightlife, and lots of cheap options to eat and drink. But I really didn’t know how to go about this or even where to begin looking. I didn’t have anyone in my family who had took on an Erasmus adventure before like me. I didn't have any friends who had done so either, so I struggled for help and advice on moving to Valencia.

That is why I want to make it my aim to help others who are struggling to find a neighbourhood to live, and feel a little indecisive just like I did. I really couldn’t think of anything worse than choosing the wrong neighbourhood. Your whole experience can alter dependent on how you feel about your surroundings. So I had to get this right.

Of course, when doing an internship, the location of your office has to be considered as it wouldn’t be ideal travelling an hour back and forth to work every single day. However, for me, I was definitely willing to travel via public transport, if the internship was a little further than I had imagined. Luckily for me, I chose to live in a location just a 20 minute walk from where I work.

But my thoughts were ‘I am going to be at home more than I will be at work’. I really wanted a great location as I would be spending my weekends there. Which to me, are way more important than the weekdays. My Monday to Friday internship really didn’t have too much influence on me choosing my living location.

How did you find your neighbourhood?

After looking through tripadvisor and some review websites online, I heard the location ‘Benimaclet’ listed a lot! This triggered my intrigue. It kept popping up in various forums and a lot of similar people to me seemed to love it there! I researched further into this neighbourhood and heard so much about how there are so many students living here, as it’s fairly close and accessible to the Universities in Valencia.

It is so easy to google ‘Best places to live in Valencia for students’. This is exactly how I went about doing so. Google had so many options. I also searched the location on Instagram. This helped me get some real life interpretations of how the neighbourhood actually looks. Google images can be a little deceiving and innacturate, so Instagram was perfect! It also helped gain an understanding of the type of people who lived in the neighbourhood and what kind of activities were available in the area.

How accessible is Benimaclet?

Although not studying in Valencia, I still wanted to live within the vibe of students. I wanted to live near the beach, city centre and bars… so it was perfect.

Benimaclet has an excellent transport system. You can get to Xativa Metro station in around 7 minutes on the metro 3 or metro 9. This is a short distance at only around 4 stops until you get off the tram. Of course, Xativa is close to Russafa and Colon, where there are perfect shopping opportunities and even better nights out! This really is the heart of Valencia. So to know you can get here from Benimaclet in such a short distance of time is great!

What about the beach?

Getting to the beach is just as simple! I arrived in July and being from the UK, where the weather is never great, the idea of living close to a beach was almost enough of a decision maker for me. I even took a brief look on google maps before deciding which neighbourhood to live, just to be sure it was near the coast.

Instead of getting the underground metro for this, you just get the tram! The tram is located overground, the same location as the metro. The beach is a short 12 minutes away from Benimaclet. You can get here by taking the number 4 or number 6 tram. Of course, with the option to take the tram, it’s also a perfect way to absorb some scenery en route. Taking the underground all the time can get a little tiring and gloomy. So the option to travel overground is great! And there surely is no better feeling than realising you’re getting closer and closer to the Sea!

Not only is Benimaclet perfect for transport links all across the city, it also has a great village-like feel to it. I have been to a few bars and have seen the same few people walk past. It sort of feels like a small community with like-minded people, which I love.

Another thing I researched upon which helped me choose Benimaclet to live was the colourful market that takes over the streets every Friday. Here they sell almost everything from Kitchen cutlery to clothing. So if you don’t want to travel to the old town or Colon for a market, you have one right on your doorstep in Benimaclet.

Life revolves around the small main square which is Benimaclet Plaza. This is a really pretty place to sit and admire the surroundings and watch the world go by. Being surrounded by the locals and getting involved in local events is great! Not only this, you’re never short of finding small local cafes, where you can enjoy a cappuccino for the small price of 2€!

Are there any parks nearby?

Just a 10 minute walk from Benimaclet Metro stop, you will find Jardins del Real. This is a beautiful park where you can enjoy a nice morning jog an sit outside the fountain with a coffee or a beer. It’s full of dog walkers, so perfect for dog lovers!

Not only this, they also have a bird selection of beautiful parrots. They have many great photo opportunities also to improve your instagram feeds. Within this park, they also have a great museum. It’s a great Natural science museum with exhibits on topics such as paleontology, technology & local ecosystems.It’s the perfect reason to get out on the weekends and take a nice stroll and finish with an educational trip at the Museum. The fact they’re in the same location is just perfect!

If you’re thinking of moving country, but are scared about where you will live and have the fear you will choose the wrong neighbourhood. I really hope this blog helped you gain a little confidence and knowledge on how to go about this. If you’re thinking of moving to Valencia, Benimaclet has enhanced my Valencian experience greatly. I am never short of activities or motives after work. I feel like I fit right in within this small community of fantastic people.

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