Antoni Tàpies is considered Catalunya´s greatest living artist and in 1984 he donated much of his artwork to a foundation dedicated to the study and appreciation of contemporary art. The Fundació Antoni Tàpies is located on Calle Aragó between Passeig de Gracia and Rambla de Catalunya and housed in an early Modernist building with a Tàpies sculpture entitled ´cloud and chair´ floating above its façade to mixed public opinion.

The Eixample is not notorious for its open spaces; Idelfons Cerdà, the designer of the great city expansion, had intended various parks as part of the city plan, but sadly land prices were at such a premium these were soon discarded by canny property developers.
The demolition of an old slaughterhouse provided an opportunity for some greenery; Parc Joan Miró (Parc de l´Escorxador) is an attempt at some urban space. However, it is more famous for its 22 foot high Mirò sculpture entitled Woman and Bird than as a area of outstanding parkland.

Heading seawards and close to the Raval district is the Mercat de Sant Antoni, set on the corner of Ronda de Sant Antoni and Carrer del Comte d´Urgell. One of the best markets in Barcelona and happily free of the tourists crowding out the Boquería (and raising its prices), you can find every kind of Spanish delicacy here. On Sunday mornings the food is put aside and it turns into a second-hand book market.

The area has plenty of excellent bars and restaurants, many focused on the streets Aribau and Balmes, particularly around the area where they cross with Mallorca. The Eixample Esquerra is also humorously known as ´Gaixample´ as it is the focal point for gay nightlife in the city, with the streets Villaroel, Casanova and Muntaner between Gran Vía and Mallorca the centre of activity.