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Interactive Map of Best Private Schools for Expat Kids in Madrid

November 21st, 2011 | Posted by Pierre in Household | Logistics | Pierre - (0 Comments)
Interactive map of the Best Schools for Expats Kids in Madrid

Interactive map of the Best Schools for Expats Kids in Madrid

Interactive map of the Best Schools for Expats Kids in Madrid

Today, I wanted to share an interactive map I did with the Best Private Schools for Expat Children in Madrid.

I wast trying to help an american family to choose the best school and realized how hard it was to get a global picture. So I worked on simplifying the decision process for the first criteria: location. After doing some good research, this map lists all the good schools, and really helps to understand to realize that, for instance, private expat schools are mainly in north-west madrid and the suburbs. Oh, and if you wondered about prices: from 4,000 to 20,000 €  a year.

As for other details or if you want more advice on how to choose the best school, head to my detailed how-to blog for moving to madrid tips: head to this specific “how to choose the best private school for expat kids” post on Moving2Madrid.

Of course, as always, if you need any help or advice for choosing a school and/or moving to madrid, do not hesitate to email me !

Madridly yours,
Pierre Waters – Moving2Madrid
+Pierre-Alban Waters

Kitting out su casa

July 30th, 2011 | Posted by JMurphy in Household | Janine | Shopping | What's Happening Madrid - (2 Comments)

Some purchases from A loja do gato preto

When moving to Madrid, it’s impossible to bring everything you need for your new home along with you plus it’s fun to mix things up a bit for each new place.  When looking for home supplies and decorations, it’s easy to hit up one of the many Cortes Ingles mega-markets for a one-stop shopping experience; however, there are lots of great home stores scattered around Madrid.  I recently found a few in the Salamanca barrio and the prices are great at the moment during the season of rebajas!

A loja do gato preto was a wonderful find during a stroll one afternoon down c/ Velázquez.  They have a wide selection of home decorations and are a great choice if you like bright colours.  I saw some yellow, blue and purple buddha statues, intricately painted lanterns and a wide selection of photo frames.  They also have useful but good-looking tools like dishracks, spoon holders and trivets and quirky japanese geisha soap dispensers.  The prices are right too … I snagged a couple of medium bowls for €2.50 and placemats for just €1.90 each (the bright buddha heads were €24.90 and I was really tempted!).  I will definitely be going back to and will try my best not to buy everything in the shop!

Just around the corner on Calle de Hermosilla (just a block north of the Serrano metro stop) are some other well-known shops such as Habitat, which sells contemporary furnishings and decorations.  They had a wonderful display setup downstairs with ideas for your outdoor space … I love the orange folding chairs, they would be perfect for a little Madrid terraza!  Continue a bit further down the road and you will find outposts of Zara Home and Zara Home – Kids.  A slightly cheaper option is Butlers who had a wide selection of games and kid-friendly decorations along with a wide selection of nautical themed decor … perfect for decorating a beach house!

It’s exciting moving into a new home and I am pleased to find such fun shops here in Madrid!

A loja do gato preto: C/ Velázquez, 24 – 28001 Madrid / 34 91 577 16 07

Habitat: C/ Hermosilla, 18 – 28001 Madrid / 911812600 OR Paseo de la Castellana 79 – 28046 Madrid / 917 705 442

Zara Home & Zara Home Kids: C/ Hermosilla, 16 – 28001 Madrid / +34 915776445 (check their website for other locations)

Butlers: Calle de Hermosilla, 13, 28001 Madrid

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Mercado Torrijos

April 1st, 2011 | Posted by allisonstendardi in Allison | Food and Restaurants | Household | Shopping - (1 Comments)

I’m always on the lookout for a new place to grocery shop. While Corte Ingles and Carrefour may carry most of what you want, shopping there every week (or every few days, really) can get boring. There’s something very European about pulling out the granny cart and heading to the local market to find select ingredients. I am a huge fan of Mercado de Ventas, a very local market out by the bullring, but the distance sometimes makes this unfeasible. So boy was I thrilled when I just happen to be walking on Hermosilla and I found Mercado Torrijos.

Mercado Torrijos is located just behind the big Corte Ingles building on Goya, near the intersection of Alcala. It just opened in February and it’s shaping up to be my favorite market in Madrid. It’s clean, upscale, and not too crowded, though once all the stalls are fully completed I bet the crowds will increase. Mercado Torrijos has all the market staples: fruit, veggies, fresh fish, meat, eggs, and a bar to get a coffee. AND, it has a Hamburger Nostra on the second level.

So if you’re in the Goya area and need a great place to shop that doesn’t involve inefficient lines at Carrefour that take forever, head to Mercado Torrijos.

Mercado Torrijos

Calle del General Díaz Porlier, 8

Gardening in Madrid

March 30th, 2011 | Posted by AnneGA in Anne | Household | Lifestyle - (0 Comments)

Spring is in the air in Madrid and you can just feel the sun urging plants and flowers to sprout and come to life after a long, cold, wet winter. 

Living in the city makes dreams of a backyard garden seem impossible, but it’s amazing what you can do with a few window boxes or a patio pot garden.  Whether you just want to add some color and life to your home or actually grow some fresh, edible treats, my friend Rachel and I found the perfect place for you to get started.

Casla – jardineria y paisajismo – is a lovely nursery with everything you could ever need to start a garden.  Their helpful staff can assist you as you pick out the perfect herbs, vegetables,  flowers and pots for your little space in Madrid.  And it’s surprisingly affordable with small pots for around 3 euros, herb plants and flowers for about 2 euros, and most other items at a very reasonable price.

The best part is that Casla is right in Madrid, so you don’t even have to leave the city to start your garden!  It’s just East of Paseo de la Castellana and just North of Nuevos Ministerios metro – close to Barnebeu Stadium.

I’m already enjoying watching my Begonia bloom and smile every time I spot my mint, rosemary, and cilantro sprouting.  I hope you enjoy visiting Casla as much as we did!

Casla
www.centro-jardineria.es
Condes del Val, 9 – Padre Damian, 22
914 574 847

Buying printer ink

February 18th, 2011 | Posted by allisonstendardi in Allison | Household | Shopping - (2 Comments)

I hate when I see that little “printer ink is low” warning flash on my computer telling me an expensive trip to Office Max is in order. But here in Madrid there is no Office Max…or Costco, or WalMart, or all my all time fave, Target. When our printer first started flashing low I began hunting around for deals on toner. There are various papelerias around the city, some which offer ink, although I found them to be expensive. Even more expensive than it usually is.  And don’t even get me started on Corte Ingles. After tromping all over the city looking for reasonably priced printer toner, I finally found it. And it was two blocks from my house.

Prink offers discounted generic printer toner that works with a variety of printer types. They have inkjet cartridges in color packs and individual packs, toner, refill kits, paper, and more. I simply went in knowing my printer type (Canon MP630), showed it to the cashier, and she looked through the racks to find exactly what I needed. I signed up for a rewards card, which is free, hoping I’ll get a free gift coming my way. I have been twice to the store already (I am married to an MBA student with lots of class work…) during my time in Madrid, and both times they had exactly what I needed and gave me a packet of free photo paper with my purchase.

Prink has locations all over Madrid. The one closest to me, featured in this photo, is currently hidden under a construction site. It’s certainly not fancy, but it does the trick.