Since Spotahome was founded by alumni of IE Business School, we’ve been meaning to make a special guide for incoming students and we’re proud to announce that it’s finally here! Here’s a list of the most popular neighborhoods and housing for IE Business School students with cool restaurants, shops and attractions nearby. We even made video tours of some of the neighborhoods!
Where is IE Business School?
IE Business School, known in Spanish as Instituto de Empresa, is one of the top ranked business schools in Spain and in Europe. Located on the northern edge of the famous Salamanca neighborhood, to the Northeast of the city center and just north of Retiro Park, it is known for being one of Madrid’s wealthiest neighborhoods. IE is also on the border of the Prosperidad and Rios Rosas neighborhoods, each having their own flavor. You can see IE’s main building at Maria de Molina 31 marked on the map above. By clicking on the map, you can view a basic description of each neighborhood.
The most popular Madrid neighborhoods and housing for IE students
Salamanca
One bedroom apartment just steps from IE business school **Salamanca** is known as the affluent neighborhood in Madrid’s center, with some of the most exclusive stores and restaurants on the group of streets collectively known as the Milla del Oro (Golden Mile). It is one of the few parts of Madrid with a square, parallel street structure like in New York City. The Palacio de los Deportes, the main sports events venue in Madrid, can be found here. Calle Goya in Salamanca is also famous for its shopping options. And in the southern part of this neighborhood, you can find Retiro, which is one of the largest and most beautiful parks in the city.
The north of Salamanca is walking distance to IE. If you live further south, you can easily take Bus 19 to get to IE. Get on the bus on Calle de Velázquez, but make sure to get off at Calle de María de Molina. From there, it is only a five-minute walk to IE.
You can have a lovely breakfast at Panela before class and wind down with a beer at Makkila. Availabilities of properties on Spotahome change frequently, so to see all of our currently available properties, do a search at www.spotahome.com/Madrid!
Guindalera
Guindalera, one of the more residential parts of the wealthy Salamanca district, is one of the most popular areas for IE students. Guindalera is just south of the Intercambiador de Avenida de América bus terminal, with service to Eastern suburbs such as Alcalá de Henares along with ALSA buses to other cities such as Barcelona or Málaga. Many parts of Guindalera are within walking distance of campus or just a short Metro or bus ride away. To the south of Guindalera you will also find Las Ventas, Madrid’s bullring and the most important in all of Spain. Even if you do not go to a bullfight, you can go to a concert in Las Ventas, where artists such as Coldplay and Romeo Santos have performed.
From Guindalera, you can walk to campus or you can take the Metro from Cartagena on Line 7 to the Intercambiador de Avenida de América or to Gregorio Marañón. You could also take the 12 bus from the Francisco Silvela-Avenida de América stop and get off right on campus at María de Molina-Serrano.
Prosperidad
Prosperidad, lovingly called La Prospe by residents, is located in the southeastern part of the Chamartín district. Just on the other side of the Intercambiador de Avenida de América from Guindalera, the neighborhood is known as a quiet, residential neighborhood with lots of families and older residents.
The main commercial artery of the neighborhood is Calle López de Hoyos, one of the longest streets in all of Madrid. In addition, Prosperidad is home to the Auditorio Nacional de Música where you can enjoy a variety of music concerts including classical music from the in-house Orquesta Nacional de España and Coro Nacional de España as well as performances by artists such as Estrella Morente.
From Prosperidad you can take the 16 and 19 buses get off at the Serrano-María de Molina stop. You can also easily take the 9 bus from the Plaza López de Hoyos and get off at the Velázquez-María de Molina stop, which is only a seven-minute walk from campus!
Almagro
These rooms in a 6 bedroom flat in Chamberi are another great choice for IE students. **Almagro**, part of the larger Chamberí district, is one of the premier places to live in central Madrid. It’s location is absolutely ideal, situated between the designer shopping in Malasaña and the and the hip, fashionable Chueca and Malasaña neighborhoods. From the Paseo de la Castellana, which separates Almagro from Salamanca, you can get into the center of Madrid in minutes by bus (sometimes to Puerta de Atocha in 15!)
Before going to class, you can have a nice cup of coffee and delicious pan con tomateor pastries at Pancomido Café or drink a delicious fruit juice at Macedonia Fruit Café. You can stop in at the Museo Sorolla on the weekends and enjoy its fantastic patio during any break or enjoy a late Spanish lunch at La Parcelita when you are taking a break from class.
Trafalgar
 This cool flat is in Madrid’s Trafalgar neighborhood. Along with Almagro, **Trafalgar** is another neighborhood in the larger Chamberí district that’s one of the premier places to live in central Madrid. Trafalgar borders the vibrant (and very hipster) Malasaña neighborhood and the Moncloa/Argüelles area, which is home to many university campuses. At the Glorieta de Quevedo begins Calle de Fuencarral, one of Madrid’s premier shopping streets (with many of its stores open on Sundays) that goes into Malasaña and ends at Gran Vía. Trafalgar is ideal for those looking to be close to Malasaña, but also look for an easy connection to campus. From Trafalgar, you can take the 16 bus from the Cardenal Cisneros-Eloy Gonzalo stop to the María de Molina-Serrano stop, which will leave you right on campus.
The neighborhood has access to several metro stops. You can get to campus by taking the Metro from Canal and taking Line 7 to Gregorio Marañón or taking the 16 bus to María de Molina-Serrano.
Ríos Rosas
**Ríos Rosas**, also part of the larger Chamberí district, is a quiet residential area that is easily accessible from the city center. One of the greatest assets of this neighborhood is the Parque de Tercer Depósito, colloquially known as Parque Santander. Its 12 hectares have been divided into two large areas. One of them, dedicated to leisure activities, features pedestrian pathways, a pond, wooden benches and swings for children. The sports area includes a 1.5 kilometer running circuit, eight indoor paddle tennis courts, long and short golf practice ranges, and two football fields (one full size, and one 7-a-side field).
In addition, the Canal Isabel II has a wealth of sports installations, including one of the best public swimming pools in Madrid, paddle tennis courts, a large running track, and an indoor golf center. When you’re not in class or enjoy the sports facilities at Canal Isabel II or Parque Santander, you can enjoy numerous tapas options on Calle Ponzano, including the Ríos Rosas outpost of Bar Lambuzo, which serves Andalusian fare. Afterwards, you can enjoy a wealth of performing arts at the Teatros Canal.
From Ríos Rosas, you can get to IE from taking the Metro on Line 7 from the Canal stop to Gregorio Marañón, a 10-minute walk from campus. Another option would be to take the 12 bus from José Abascal-Bravo Murillo and getting off at the María de Molina-Serrano stop.
Alonso Martínez
This cool shared apartment is in Madrid’s Alonso Martinez neighborhood.
Alonso Martínez, while still in the Chamberí district, is a sister neighborhood of the posh Salamanca that sits at the edge of fashionable and hip SoHo-esque Chueca. The center of the neighborhood is Plaza de Colón, where every now and then Spanish celebrities can be sighted. The neighborhood is within walking distance of the main cultural and commercial areas of the city. Alonso Martínez is the perfect area for those who want to have the Madrid lifestyle combined with style and fashion, topped with a Parisian feel. Calles Fernando VI, Argensola, Génova, among others, have wonderful shops and restaurants. In addition, the Plaza de Santa Bárbara is the perfect place to enjoy an afternoon caña with friends.
When you’re not in class, you enjoy the wonderful fresh juices and frozen yogurt at Juicy Avenue, do some shopping at the main flagship of multi-brand boutique NAC, enjoy French pastries at Mamá Framboise, and buy amazing cheeses at Poncelet. For dinner, you can go to Dray Martina and Lady Madonna, two of Madrid’s trendiest restaurants.
From Alonso Martínez, you can take the 7 bus from the Plaza Alonso Martínez to the Plaza Doctor Marañón. From Plaza Doctor Marañón it’s a five-minute walk from campus. You can also take the Metro from Alonso Martínez and walk ten minutes from the Gregorio Marañón Metro stop to IE.
You can walk down Santa Engracia and get to the Alonso Martínez Metro or just get on the 7 bus at Calle Almagro 3.
How to find a great apartment in Madrid
Spotahome offers hundreds of rooms and full flats in Madrid. Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for you to secure your housing before your arrival to the city. We provide video tours, floor plans and detailed descriptions of every property. At Spotahome, you can put in the exact address of IE’s main building (Calle María de Molina, 31, 28006, Madrid, España), and calculate the commute time from each flat.
More useful guides to make your life easier in Spain:
- How to apply for Spanish (EU) citizenship
- How to Get Your Spanish Social Security Number in Madrid
- How to go freelance in Spain
- Your go-to guide to moving to Madrid
- Best Spanish blogs and websites
- Great online bank options for foreigners living in Spain
We hope this post was helpful!
If you’re looking for housing for IE in Madrid, we’d be happy to help you with your search. Get in touch with us at [email protected].
Spotahome offers hundreds of spacious and personally-checked rooms, studios and apartments all over Spain, so you can book your perfect home online before you even arrive in the city. Click on the following links to find your new home in: **Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia.
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