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Sevilla's Concrete Dreams: Metro Lines, River Plans, and My Broken AC Unit

@Sarah Bloom2/8/2026blog

so okay, the heat here isn't weather, it's a physical entity. it sits on your chest after two blocks. my neighbor says it's ' julio-agosto solidarity,' which just means we're all sweaty and irritable together. anyway, forget the postcard. the real sevilla is under construction. again.

my history nerd brain geeked out when i heard about the *metro line 3 finally moving past 'studies.' they've been talking about this since i was in elementary school, digging up the same calle feria every summer. the new line from pino montano to huerta de la salud? allegedly. i'll believe it when i'm not stepping in a freshly dug trench on my way to the market. cost is the usual song-billions, eu funds, local contractors sweating. my friend who does qc on these sites says the real cost is the eternal noise. 'bring earplugs or a very loud kind of patience,' he grumbled over a cerveza.

and then there's the río.: the plan to 're-naturalize' the guadalquivir's banks. tear out some concrete, plant more本土 trees, make it less of a barren desert walk and more of a... thing. sounds lovely. the data says it'll increase flood resilience, which, given the last winter's chaos, is a smart panic move. but watch the gentrification. rent's already a joke. my cousin pays €750 for a one-bedroom 'zulo' (pigeonhole) in triana that smells permanently of fryer oil. the new 'río verde' projects are pushing prices up faster than a flamenco foot stomp. safety-wise, it's mostly pickpockets and the occasional drunk tourist confusion in the macarena at 3am. still safer than most big cities, but keep your wits.


> "they're calling it 'seville 2030' in the ayuntamiento offices. my cousin installed the new smart lighting in el centro. says half the panels are already broken. classic."

> "heard a bartender in el centro swear they're rerouting the metro to avoid disturbing the remains of a roman road they found under a construction zone. so, another decade delay. cheers to that."


let's talk jobs. unless you're a chef, a tour guide, or an engineer on one of these mega-sites, the market's thin. most young people i know are either in the public admin rut (stable, soul-crushing) or bouncing to madrid/germany. the 'digital nomad visa' hype is real, but the internet in my cortijo still hiccups like my abuela's radio.

transport: the new metro line is the big thing, but the bus network is a spaghetti map of hope and despair. app says the 27 is in 4 mins, you arrive, and it's a memory. ride-sharing is cheaper than taxis unless it's raining, then suddenly it's 'surge pricing' madness. i'm just waiting for them to finish the cycle-path network they promised in 2018. maybe by the time my knees give out.


the weather*? it's not 'sun-drenched.' it's a hammer. you learn to schedule life in reverse-stroll at 10pm, nap at 3pm. a short flight away? malaga is like a different country-coastal breeze, less judgment about wearing sandals at night. or a quick drive to córdoba's patios, which are basically green oases sevilla's concrete dreams keep forgetting to build.



so yeah, the city's a paradox: digging up its past to build its future, while everyone just tries to survive the present. i'm gonna go sit in the one park that's not a construction zone and drink a tinto de verano that costs too much. here's some links i actually use when i'm procrastinating:

- the metro sevilla official site for the latest 'próximo parada' fantasy.
- the subreddit r/Seville for the real gossip on which streets are closed this week.
- this yelp list for finding a tapas bar that hasn't been on tv this month.


anyway, the cranes are my new skyline. might as well get used to the view. now if you'll excuse me, i have to go argue with my landlord about the 'renovation fee' he added this month. it's for the 'community betterment.' sure, jorge. sure.

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About the author: Sarah Bloom

Collecting ideas and sharing the best ones with you.

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