As a tourist when you visit Borne you enter like every other ant that visits Barcelona; by crossing Via Laietana and going down Carrer l’Argenteria until you come upon the imposing Santa Maria del Mar. 
Besides Sagrada Família, St. Maria del Mar is one of the must sees in Barcelona; its Gothic style surrounded by tiny narrow streets really creates a memorable experience (especially if you come from the US and aren’t use to seeing such grandeur). Other than your visit to this church, the deceptive Picasso Museum lies around the corner. To be brutally honest with you, the average art connoisseur will be disappointed with this museum. All of Picassos’ most famous paintings aren’t even there. On the contrary, if you are an art connoisseur and are a big fan of Picasso’s blue period and cubism than by all means wait in line and pay to enter; however, for the majority of you don’t waste your time, it’s not worth it.
Moving on from the touristy things, Borne is stockpiled with fun and leisure. It has been the up and up neighborhood for the past 5 to 10 years making it the trendy part of Barcelona.
When you stroll through Paseo del Borne you become witness to the hippest bars that offer any cocktail you desire. Accompanying these bars are many fantastic, well looked after local eateries serving up tapas and other regional fares. Oh, but wait, there is more, some of the most posh and fashionable boutiques inhabit these tiny streets creating an ambiance of the “super cool”.
Sounds like the bees knees, doesn’t it? But what I have offered you is just a sample of what el Borne really is. It’s not all glamour and glitz that I have made it out to be; it’s conjoined with a dark and sometimes dangerous twin. Once you cross Carrer de la Princesa you begin to notice a gradual change from chic to dilapidated. As the sightseers start to dissipate it becomes easy to see a change in style of the edifices and people.
It isn’t uncommon to find some of the buildings’ exteriors bricked up and abandoned allowing squatters to set up their nests, creating an unsavory atmosphere. Unlike the facades, the natives aren’t typically scandalous; they’re a hodgepodge of foreigners, hippies with a couple of sprinkles of Catalans. Granted you might find a few bad eggs strolling the streets, such as the thief or the junkie, but in general the people are kind and go about their business.
Though it might sound worthless to venture to upper Borne, I would like to point out that there are still things worth seeing. Amongst the negligence exists the Palau de la Música and Mercat Santa Caterina
, both are architectural marvels that are well worth a view from the outside as well as the inside. Besides these buildings a slow stroll through the streets during the day can inspire and entertain anyone looking to escape the madness that can be found in other parts of Borne.
The contrast of charming to offensive, sleek to shabby, refined to crass is what makes the old maritime district of Barcelona so appealing. It’s truly a place where you can experience everything and anything, including the positive as well as the negative. All you have to do is ask my sister about the drunken French accordion player who put on a great show!
Teaching English in Spain 