Apartment Adventures

We made an acquaintance with another real estate agent, Rafa, who managed to get us a viewing of a rooftop terraced apartment in Plaza del Negrito. This was another apartment on our top ten list that remained elusive until we met patient and kind Rafa. Even though it is a bohemian location now, with readings at vegan restaurants and trendy bars, it still has the feel of the past with ornate 18th Century Palaces and fragrant lemon trees that ring the fountained plaza. This barrio in el Carmen is know colloquially as “El Negrito” from a little cherub perched on top on the fountain. In 1850, when drinking water finally arrived in Valencia, this fountain was one of the first to offer fresh clean water. A Spanish cocktail called Agua de Valencia is a nod to this Valencian fountain water.

Our previous real estate agent told us the owner of this elusive apartment was flipping the beautiful rooftop apartment to an Airbnb and was taking it off the apartment rental market. It took Rafa only a few days to convince the owner to let us see the apartment and consider renting it for a year. 

We wandered down a narrow feeder street but could not find the apartment. We texted Rafa who responded he was en route and to wait for him. We walked back to the fountain and listened as a tour guide explained to his group that the fountain water had been blessed and while it hadn’t turned to wine yet, the bars around them could fix that problem.

Steve checked on line and the bars in the plaza stayed open and played music until 3 am. It also said was a favorite stop for tourists and locals alike during the Fallas- a two week street party with fireworks.

Airbnb reviewers in the area didn’t complain of the noise. Of course, if the people staying at these rentals were participating in the festivals and frequenting the bars, they would be part of the crush of people up until 3 am making the noise.

Rafa appeared and led us to a door but the key he picked up didn’t work. He called his office and got a code, and that worked to open the outside door. We took the elevator up but strangely the apartment wasn’t there. Rafa spoke to a man getting off the elevator who said we were in the wrong building and to go next door. We went back down and found a small door hidden behind a restaurant umbrella that proved to be the right place. The ornate staircase and exposed brick inside the wooden door made a great first impression. We squished in the tiny elevator and went up to the loft and climbed a few steps to the rooftop terrace. The panorama view of church towers, cupolas and terra-cotta roofs was dazzling in the sunlight even with neighboring building’s pipes, power lines and mismatched laundry drying on the line. Lit up at night it would be spectacular. The apartment layout with three bedrooms, two of them with en suite bathrooms, would be comfortable when guests came to visit. The church bell in the distance made a pleasant sound, so our only concern was noise at night.

Rafa said to walk the plaza that night to see if the noise at the street cafes and bars was unbearable. He also said the Fallas were cancelled this year due to the virus and with the recent uptick, they would probably we cancelled again, and that the people in the bars at night were still at a record low. He said to let him know if we wanted to proceed. We walked back at 10 pm, and the plaza had a golden glow and there was minimal hubbub and noise. We decided this was our place.

The next day we messaged Rafa that it was a go and we went to AProperties to sign the lease and put down a deposit. We should hear next week if the owner approves the lease and a few minor repairs. FInger’s crossed we sign the final paperwork on the 5th and get the keys the 7th to move in. Perfect timing as our Airbnb rental ends on the 8th. Getting closer to being settled feels like an accomplishment. Thomas Carlyle said it well: “Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to develop his achievement muscle.”

We stopped at the bank and finally were approved to open a bank account and transfer money in order to make security deposits for the apartment.

Now it’s time to celebrate successful apartment hunting adventures and take the metro to the beach. It’s only a fifteen minute metro ride to the Mediterranean Sea to enjoy the cool water. See you at the beach!