Until a couple of decades ago, the Born didn't enjoy a very good reputation. After the Olympics, and with the boost of the Barcelona brand, the neighbourhood was transformed into a kind of chic showcase for tourists: a showroom here, a Starbucks there, and several luxury shops that you used to only find on Passeig de Gràcia.
But if there is one thing that has defined the Born for more than three centuries, it is the resistance of its inhabitants to the invader, whoever he or she may be. Today, the small shops of local designers that honour the neighbourhood's artisanal past still operate, but where there used to be a showroom, there is now a supermarket; and where there used to be a luxury shop, now there is a bakery. El Born is once again what it was always meant to be: a neighbourhood for its inhabitants.
