imate , ▁close - pack ed ▁streets ▁and ▁pre domin ately ▁low - r ise , ▁Mediter rane an ▁architecture ▁give ▁it ▁a ▁distinct ▁feel . ▁Its ▁old , ▁one - way ▁streets ▁are ▁organized ▁around ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁pla zas , ▁including ▁Pla ça ▁de ▁V ila ▁de ▁Gr à cia , ▁Pla ça ▁del ▁Sol ▁and ▁Pla ça ▁de ▁la ▁Vir re ina . ▁“ Old - world ▁charm ” ▁ab ounds . ▁ ▁The ▁Gr à cia ▁population ▁is ▁an ▁mix ▁of ▁young ▁profession als ▁and ▁artists ▁and ▁a ▁growing ▁elder ly ▁population , ▁with ▁a ▁significant ▁portion ▁of ▁older ▁Catal ans ▁who ▁came ▁of ▁age ▁as ▁Franco ▁came ▁to ▁power . ▁Catal an ▁flags ▁ad orn ▁many ▁a ▁Gr à cia ▁window ▁or ▁terra ce , ▁symbols ▁of ▁the ▁neighbourhood ' s ▁fier c ely ▁pro - in dep end ence ▁politics . ▁ ▁Comp ared ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁classic ▁Barcelona ▁neighbourhood s , ▁Ci utat ▁V ella ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁city , ▁Gr à cia ▁is ▁relatively ▁void ▁of ▁major ▁tour ist ▁attra ctions . ▁In ▁this ▁bo hem ian ▁enc lave ▁of ▁Catal an ▁urban ▁life ▁there ▁aren ' t ▁many ▁international ▁br ands ▁or ▁fast - fo od ▁ch ains . ▁instead , ▁small ▁g our met ▁street ▁food ▁out posts ▁are ▁common ; ▁there ▁are ▁an ▁array ▁of ▁eth nic ▁cu is ines , ▁from ▁Japanese ▁to ▁Greek . ▁U bi quit ous ▁as ▁well ▁are ▁the ▁b ount iful ▁small ▁c