Living in Las Tablas and Sanchinarro

What Las Tablas and Sanchinarro is like

Las Tablas and Sanchinarro are two of Madrid's PAUs, the large planned developments built on the city's northern edge from the late 1990s. They grew fast, with wide avenues, closed blocks and new housing, and today they are established neighborhoods, mostly of young families.

What defines them is the employment next door. Distrito Telefónica, the company's headquarters since the late 2000s, and Ciudad BBVA, opened in 2015 with its La Vela tower, are literally inside the neighborhood, and business parks stretch on towards Alcobendas. For people who work there, the commute is measured in minutes.

According to SERPAVI, rent per square metre is at the Madrid average, but the typical monthly rent is 29% higher: large flats are common. That is the price of space, a pool and a garage. The flip side is distance from everything else: the centre is half an hour away, and many plans involve the car.

What works in its favor

Work next door

Distrito Telefónica and Ciudad BBVA are inside the neighborhood. From Las Tablas station, Telefónica is about four minutes away on line 10 and BBVA about twelve on the ML1 light rail.

Developments with a pool

Many blocks are closed urbanizaciones with a shared garden, swimming pool and garage. For a family with children, the courtyard becomes part of the home.

A planned neighborhood

Schools, health centres and large shops were planned together with the homes. The German School (Deutsche Schule Madrid) is in neighboring Montecarmelo.

What to know before moving

• Wide avenues and long distances: there is little street life, and much of daily life ends up happening by car.
• The centre is far — about thirty minutes to Sol with two changes — and the light rail is slow. If your job is in the south or west of Madrid, this is not your place.

Does Las Tablas and Sanchinarro make sense for you?

It depends on where you need to be each week and how often. Las Tablas and Sanchinarro can be an excellent decision or an expensive mistake; your routine makes the difference.

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