Sarrià

Sarrià was an independent village until it was annexed by Barcelona in 1921, and it has never quite lost that identity: narrow, winding streets, a central square with a parish church, and small family-run shops give it a small-town feel that's rare in the city center. Set uphill from the Eixample toward Tibidabo, it's one of Barcelona's wealthiest residential areas, with elegant townhouses, leafy streets, and a noticeably slower pace than the tourist core. Carrer Major de Sarrià, the old main street, still hosts a traditional market and old-fashioned bakeries and delis. It's a genuinely local neighborhood with little in the way of major sights, making it best for those who want to see how well-off Barcelonins actually live.