Suburban Lisbon.

Most of the suburbs here are a little bland. Most visitors come for the historic centre and the party. Personally, living in the centre, working in the centre, pretty much spending every waking moment in the centre is tiring. Lisbon lacks green space - there is almost nowhere to escape the noise here. An ill-conceived plan never corrected.

I have been given work in Alameda. I like the place. Loads of big green spaces and a very nice Art Nouveau flavour to the architecture. It is a very different Lisbon, but undoubtedly Lisbon. Just Five stops on the Metro from the heart of old Lisbon, also on the main arteries for traffic - not so good. A popular place to live. Large, quality appartments and all that green space with easy connections. More dogs per person here than any other barrio (so I am told). It does have a very middle class air about it.

I like it mostly for the architecture. You could well miss this, but if like me, you like to take your time slowly exploring the contemporary nature of modern suburbs, then there is loads to see. I also like Alameda for the art...

Within the context of the place you could very easily miss all of this. There is plenty to distract you, and often it is all written in English. Another homogenised shopping High Street. Look beyond.

Loads of this everywhere in Alameda. It is beautiful. What sort of residential property developer would pay proper money for this sort of stuff today?