This was very definitely a Barcelona experience. The apartment is 5 flights up, thank goodness for the elevator, and looks out into the shared back area of the block. The daily life in this area was as much of an attraction as the more conventional sites in the city. It's convenient to the metro, bus, and local grocery shopping as well as couple of bars and lots of entertainment. It was quiet inside and during the heat wave our 5 person family (including a 5yr old) really enjoyed the air-conditioning. We will recommend it to our friends and definitely use it again if we are lucky enough to come back to Barcelona.