Centro is Madrid's medina — the historic core wrapped around the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, and the Austrias grid of narrow streets that have looked mostly the same since the 17th century. It's the most architecturally dense neighborhood in the city and the one most compromised by tourism pressure: the bulk of Madrid's short-term-let demand concentrates here, and Plan Especial de Hospedaje Ring 1 restrictions make new VUT licenses essentially unobtainable. The residential population that remains skews older, more local, and occupies buildings their families have held for generations. This is not a buyer's neighborhood in the Salamanca or Chamberí sense — it's a buyer's neighborhood for someone who values cultural density over space, light, and ease.