The Barrio of Gracia
Barcelona’s districts, or “barrios”, each have their own distinctive features, and nowhere is this more true than in Gracia.    This can largely be accounted for by its history, as it used to be a separate village on the outskirts of the city and was only incorporated into Barcelona in 1897, when it came under the administration of the Barcelona City Council.  Gracia was traditionally a working class district, the location for much industry, particularly textiles, and small scale artisans.  Although it is now one of the trendier areas with accommodation prices to match,  its Catalan identity and independent traditions stay strong. With a reputation for being home to a bohemian and arty crowd, it is not surprising that it retains some of the city’s richest local festival traditions and community spirit.

Gracia's Boundaries
Gracia’s boundaries are delineated by Av. Diagonal, Via Augusta, Princep d’Asturias, Travessera de Dalt, Sardenya, Pi I Maragall, Corsega, and Bailen.  Within this space, the most notable features are its narrow streets and many squares lined with lively bars and restaurants, which is where most of the action takes place, especially in the summer.   Guitarists, jugglers and dogs on a rope-leash (or off the leash) abound, and until the recent legislation was passed prohibiting drinking alcohol on the streets the squares were a favourite meeting point for cheap al fresco sessions.  Significant pressure from local residents who are constantly disturbed by the noise has led to the closure of many bars and a strong campaign has been mounted to keep the area peaceful.

Gracia's Squares
The most famous square is the Plaça del Sol, which is always busy both by day and by night.  The Mond Bar, with its free jukebox specialising in classic and new indie albums is popular with the indie set, whilst the Sol de Nit bar and Sol Soler are always have an animated and up for it crowd.
Another square which gets very busy at night is Rius I Taulet (aka Pl. Del Rellotge) Its large tower in the centre casts an imposing presence, and was originally constructed in the time of Gracia’s independence and served as a look-out post. During the time of the Civil War this was converted into a large clock tower.  This square has a couple of great restaurants, although unless you go down quite early chances are you’ll have to wait a while to get a table. Just off this Plaça is the street C/ Giner, with literally one bar after another, plus a Latin club and plenty more restaurants.
Plaza de la Virreina is home to the 17th century church of Sant Joan, and has an unusual Gaudi-esque mosaic nameplate.  This is also home to some great cafes, ideal for a late weekend breakfast or less crowded evening drink.

Fiesta Major Gracia
As far as traditions are concerned, the most important date in the Gracia calendar is the Fiesta Major, held every year for a week in the middle of August. Streets are decorated, and the amount of entertainment is truly amazing. Over 600 events take place, from local bands and dances to folkloric traditions such as human castles (castellers), fire processions (correfocs), devils (diables) and giants (gegants). The LEM Festival takes place in the autumn and consists of a series of concerts and performances.  The emphasis here is on experimental music, and on introducing upcoming talent to a wide and receptive audience.
Aside from its squares and bars, Gracia’s popularity as a residential area is also thanks to the many services available.  Gracia has its own food market, which is a great place to shop for fruit, veg, fresh fish, cheese… As well as being the perfect opportunity for practicing some Catalan, the quality and prices tend to be very good.  Surrounding stalls sell household items and clothes, especially at the weekends. The rails of small boutiques are lined with trendy clothes by local designers and underground labels.  Unusual jewellery and accessories also abound.  The Verdi Cinema on C/ Verdi and nearby Verdi Park Cinema in C/ Torriljos screen films in original language, which is great for those who prefer to steer clear of dubbed films!

Modernism and Gracia
The district also has its fair share of impressive modernist buildings, many of which can be found in the stretch of Gran de Gracia, from Diagonal towards Fontana metro.  A small road to the left of Fontana metro leads to one of Barcelona’s best kept architectural secrets, Gaudi’s “Casa Vincenç” on C/ de les Carolines 22. This is one of his earlier works, with an angular structure, adventurous colours, and unusual shape. 
It is definitely worth spending some time in Gracia, both by day and night, and there is plenty to discover.