Expansive plazas, local and foreign crowds, street performers, colorful lights, window shopping, restaurant signs promising the best paella, ham, and churros con chocolate- this is downtown Madrid, a collection of plazas interconnected by a network of side streets. Some of these side streets are wide pedestrian shopping routes, and some are hidden, so it's possible to duck in and out of the bustle as desired. The iconic Puerta del Sol is the giant crossroads of the city and a must-see attraction at any time of the day. The nearby Plaza Mayor, completely enclosed by historic red buildings, is an ideal place to grab a bite to eat outside, amidst scores of tables and people out for a stroll. Plaza Isabel II (also known as “Opera”) is smaller and a good meeting spot, and the stately Plaza del Oriente is the front yard of the Royal Palace. Centro can be touristy (pickpockets are unfortuately not unheard-of here), crowded, and sometimes gimmicky, but it is also the place to experience classic Madrid.

Broad, tree-lined avenues with pretty streetlights frame the neighborhood of Barrio Salamanca. With beautiful condominium buildings that make up most blocks in this area, this part of town is refined and quiet. It is also host to a few of the city's large shopping avenues, including Calle Serrano and Calle Jose Ortega y Gasset. A walk down these streets will reveal upscale chains, small boutiques, and plenty of opportunities for shopping or checking out the stylish displays. The locals here are polished and fashionable, the atmosphere is leisurely, and the lush Retiro Park on the southern border is yet another opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. A stroll through Barrio Salamanca is all about admiring the beautiful architecture, window-shopping, and people-watching in this upper-crust corner of Madrid.

Multi-story residential buildings decorated with ornate balconies line the traditional, quiet, and pretty streets of Chamberí. Humble storefronts and neighborhood taverns are scattered across the lower levels down every block, and here and there, there's a cluster of tables on the sidewalk. It isn't ever crowded, but people are always out, poking into the tiny bakeries, hardware stores, and tobacco shops, or ducking into a bright, unadorned cerveceria to have a coffee or beer by the bar, flip through the paper, and check the sports score. The round Plaza Olavide, where the fairly regular network of streets breaks form, is among the most green and lively spots. Restaurants line its circumference and sought-after outdoor tables fill the center of the plaza, where people relax to the sounds of kids playing and street musicians' tunes.

Hip bars and galleries, independent theaters and music venues, young people with tattoos and funky hair, narrow winding streets — this is Malasaña. Near the center, Plaza Dos de Mayo is a gathering of friends outside bars, dog owners, artists under craft tents, and creative types with notebooks and sketchpads on the plaza’s benches. It may not be as neat and tidy as many other parts of the city, but this only adds to the Malasaña edge. Shops and bars here range from hippie-crunchy to upscale trendy, and on weekends, the streets are bustling around the clock as the nightlife progresses from dinner to bar to disco to late-night food. On the west side of the neighborhood is the subdistrict called Conde Duque, named after a large pink fort in its center that has been converted into a cultural center for exhibitions and performances. Prettier yet just as edgy, this intimate corner of Malasaña is home to a young international community.