Toni Soler leaves the Gòtic: "We feel driven out of a neighborhood surrendered to tourist monoculture"

BarcelonaJournalist Toni Soler explained on Instagram that he is leaving Barcelona's Gothic Quarter after 25 years. "We feel somewhat driven out of a neighborhood that has increasingly surrendered to tourism monoculture. Where it is difficult to be a Barcelonian and Catalan and feel at home," he says. The journalist argues that "the Gothic Quarter is full of neighbors who love the neighborhood and deserve for the city to respond to their commitment."

Over the years, Soler has posted various photos of his home, very close to the Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy and the Plaça Reial, in the lower part of the Gothic Quarter. He has also denounced the decline of Ciutat Vella, with iconic establishments –like Pitarra– that are being transformed into depersonalized venues for tourists.

Toni Soler, 61, a father of two, is leaving the neighborhood where he built his family, but not Barcelona. In fact, he says he will live just a few metro stops away and will return often. Soler had been an activist in defense of neighborhood life in the city center, recommending restaurants and shops in the area, but tourist pressure has outweighed his militancy for the neighborhood.

The publication's comments have filled up with similar messages from citizens who have left their neighborhood or the city, and also from shopkeepers in the Gothic Quarter who send them their regards.