Otxarkoaga Residents Call for Investment and Improved Services in Bilbao Neighborhood

Bilbao, Spain - Residents of the Otxarkoaga neighborhood in Bilbao have voiced a mix of opinions regarding their community, highlighting both improvements and persistent challenges. In a recent series of interviews, locals expressed concerns over a perceived lack of commercial activity, with one resident stating, "Here, the only things you buy are bread, tobacco, and from the pharmacy. There is nothing." This sentiment was echoed by others who noted the decline in local shops, contrasting it with a time when there "used to be everything, flamenco at night, more stalls, more things." The absence of vibrant local commerce reportedly forces residents to travel to neighboring areas for basic necessities. Cleanliness and safety also emerged as key issues. One resident remarked, "I would change the cleanliness of the streets a bit more and the presence of municipal police more often." Another, reflecting on the neighborhood's evolution, lamented, "Now we can't live in the neighborhood, nor go out at night because of the scandals, the messes, the fights that happen in the apartments and on the street." Despite these concerns, some residents acknowledged that the neighborhood has changed for the better compared to previous decades, which were marked by issues like drug use and unemployment. However, they stressed that more socioeconomic investment is needed to prevent the area from falling behind. "The neighborhood needs investment and help, but people don't support anything, they pass on everything," a comment read. The need for better infrastructure, such as more elevators and fewer steep hills, was also raised, particularly to assist the elderly population.