My husband and I stayed for several nights at David's apartment right in the heat of the summer, and found it to be a calm and cool retreat from the dynamic, bustling streets of Malaseña, and Madrid in general. It is a very comfortable, well designed apartment, with all the amenities needed to stay for a long stretch of time. The neighborhood is super lively and fun, with great shops and cafes all over the place! And when you are ready to have a peaceful moment, the apartment is a nice place to relax. Even during the raucous weekend, very little street noise could be heard inside.
To keep the apartment cool, we closed everything up during the hottest parts of the day, and opened the front (upper) and back windows to make a fantastic cross-breeze starting very early in the morning. A nice cool brick basement completes the natural cooling features of the building, and strategic fans are there to help out, too. ;)
We are also grateful that David was very accommodating and helped us get in after a late flight. Thank you! Wished we could have stayed longer!
The only thing we won't miss about Madrid and this neighborhood in particular is the non-stop cigarette smoking -- but for the moment it's an inseparable part of the bohemian atmosphere, so there it is. ;)