July 19, 2009

Surfacing
Madrid Finds Its Own Marais
By ANDREW FERREN

NESTLED among several of Madrid’s busiest boulevards — Gran Via, Princesa and Alberto Aguilera — quiet little Calle Conde Duque forms a picturesque frontier between the city’s chaotic 17th-century center and its just slightly more spacious and orderly 19th-century districts. Lately, the street has also become an important beachhead for international design, providing a tranquil oasis of stylish boutiques, friendly cafes and outdoor restaurants just steps away from the blaring horns and big box stores.
“It feels a bit like the Marais in Paris or New York’s SoHo did back when they started as little more than clusters of small, independent fashion boutiques,” said David Meliani of the shop Mint Marché (Conde Duque 14; 34-91-541-8366), which opened in late 2007 specializing in French and Scandinavian designs for women.
In fact, Grupo Sportivo is to Conde Duque what Marc Jacobs was to Bleecker: a pioneering mini-empire of related boutiques offering something for everyone. As the name suggests, the shop Sportivo (Conde Duque 30; 34-91-542-5661), which opened in 2001, is all about men’s sportswear, especially the type of Anglo-athletic-inspired apparel that has become the uniform of Madrid’s smart set. Its sister store, Mini (Calle del Limón 24; 34-91-548-0835), has suits and slightly more grown-up clothes for the working man.
The Sportivo family has grown of late, with the addition of Duke (Conde Duque 28; 34-91-542-4849), specializing in high-end sneakers, and Clean (Acuerdo 36; 34-91-593-9452), which opened last fall just two blocks off Conde Duque and stocks French labels like A.P.C., extending the retail empire into women’s clothing and accessories.
The internationalist bent continues at the tiny record store Radio City (Plaza Guardias de Corps 1; 34-91-547-7767; www.radiocitydiscos.com), which sells vintage and independent vinyl LPs and CDs ranging from Brazilian bossa nova to rare soul and R&B classics. Around the corner is the two-year-old Blanca Berlin Galería (Calle del Limón 28; 34-91-542-9313; www.blancaberlingaleria.com), representing Spanish as well as Mexican, Korean, Brazilian and American photographers.
Stretching along the street’s western flank for three of its four blocks is the Cuartel del Conde Duque, a vast former military barracks built between 1717 and 1730. In the 1980s it became the Centro Cultural Conde Duque (www.munimadrid.es/condeduque), housing two free museums, an auditorium, city archives and various libraries. The building’s transformation continues, as work has never really ended.
“The cultural center keeps improving, and frankly so does the neighborhood,” said Mack Kern, the American owner and chef of the restaurant Toma (Conde Duque 14; 34-91-547-4996). Toma’s 15-euro (about $21 at $1.41 to the euro) lunch menu might include a spinach, pear and goat cheese salad followed by a filet of marinated wild boar. Locals also love La Herradura (Montserrat 32; 34-91-542-3936) for the Mexican breakfast of huevos rancheros and café de olla, and often finish the day at El Jardín Secreto (San Bernardino 22; 34-91-541-8023) for caipirinhas and chocolate cake.