# Alcobendas, Madrid?



## TeacherMum (Jul 23, 2013)

I need some local opinions on Alcobendas – please!?

I am moving to Madrid in August to teach at a school in La Moraleja. I have chosen to live in Alcobendas (Calle de Melilla), because it is convenient on a daily basis for walking to work (or one metro stop away) with my two sons who will also attend my school. However, my son’s father has expressed reservations about the area, describing it as potentially unsafe, as evidenced by graffiti on the base of my apartment building (which my parents viewed and chose for me). My understanding of Alcobendas from my future colleagues and the HR team, as well as walking the area myself, was that it would be a good area to live in for my family (acknowledging it is outside the centre).

Please can anyone local offer their opinion of the safety and appropriateness of Alcobendas as an area to live in with children? Many thanks!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

TeacherMum said:


> I need some local opinions on Alcobendas – please!?
> 
> I am moving to Madrid in August to teach at a school in La Moraleja. I have chosen to live in Alcobendas (Calle de Melilla), because it is convenient on a daily basis for walking to work (or one metro stop away) with my two sons who will also attend my school. However, my son’s father has expressed reservations about the area, describing it as potentially unsafe, as evidenced by graffiti on the base of my apartment building (which my parents viewed and chose for me). My understanding of Alcobendas from my future colleagues and the HR team, as well as walking the area myself, was that it would be a good area to live in for my family (acknowledging it is outside the centre).
> 
> Please can anyone local offer their opinion of the safety and appropriateness of Alcobendas as an area to live in with children? Many thanks!


Alcobendas is a normal suburb town of Madrid. It's large and whilst I'm sure there are some dodgy areas, as there are in any town, it's not known as a "bad area" in any way.
Gaffitti is not a sign of a bad area - it's endemic in the Comunidad de Madrid. My daughter's secondary school was covered in graffitti when she first went and it turned out to be a very good school, a close knit community with none of the much publicised problems of bullying or violence towards teachers.
I wish they'd ban those bloody spray paints!!
There's someone on here who lives in Alcobendas, but I can't remember his name now, and Chopera probably has an opinion about this too. You won't be able to send them a PM until you have 5 posts though, so look around and see if there's anything else you want to post on.
There have been quite a few people posting recently about moving here to teach in that area...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Alcobendas is a normal suburb town of Madrid. It's large and whilst I'm sure there are some dodgy areas, as there are in any town, it's not known as a "bad area" in any way.
> Gaffitti is not a sign of a bad area - it's endemic in the Comunidad de Madrid. My daughter's secondary school was covered in graffitti when she first went and it turned out to be a very good school, a close knit community with none of the much publicised problems of bullying or violence towards teachers.
> I wish they'd ban those bloody spray paints!!
> There's someone on here who lives in Alcobendas, but I can't remember his name now, and Chopera probably has an opinion about this too. You won't be able to send them a PM until you have 5 posts though, so look around and see if there's anything else you want to post on.
> There have been quite a few people posting recently about moving here to teach in that area...


PS Penelope Cruz is from Alcobendas and she mentioned it in her acceptance speech for the Oscar


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Agree with Pesky Wesky. Alcobendas is a normal satellite town that borders Madrid. I don't know the area that well, although my wife works there. Unfortunately graffitti is everywhere in Madrid and it is not a sign of an area being unsafe. There was a recent thread discussing good areas to live in Madrid for people working in the schools to the north, so it might be worth reading through that. However if you have already chosen Alcobendas then I wouldn't be put off by a bit of graffitti (we have it all over our area as well)


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## gcumming (Apr 19, 2012)

I have lived a bit further up the road from you for just over a year, it is a great place to live. you are better off in the "town" as you are than in La Moraleja , where you are car-bound for everything and the roads are small and windy. However, if you´ve not signed a contract on an apartment I´d suggest moving a bit further northwest, towords the end of Paseo Chopera/Marques de la Valdavia or to the area known as Valdelasfuentes (a bulding site on Google Maps satellite view, but plenty houses there!; also close to the metro), or south to be closer to Parque de la Andalucia. The centre of town can be a bit noisy, since people (inc kids) stay up pretty late here, and out on the edges you get a bit more air and less traffic. That said, where you are is fine, especially if you are a "towny", and very handy for all services - no need to use a car regularly at all, though if you do have one you may have difficulty parking close to home unless you have a garage.

/SNIP/


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## TeacherMum (Jul 23, 2013)

*Thanks*

Thank you so much to you all for taking the time to comment! It's on the outskirts of town, very near to Parque de Andalucía and the apartment has a garage, so your comments leave me feeling confident about where I've chosen.


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## gcumming (Apr 19, 2012)

Just wondered how you have got on since you moved here! Settled in to new school year chaos yet? The start of year seems to be very disorganised in the state schools, and at least some of the private schools seem to be the same.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Yes, how are you settling in?


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