Barcelona is all about the arts. They are at the core of its identity, and not just through the traditional institutions. They are eclectic, often edgy, sometimes outrageous. On the streets. Out there. In your face.

Much of the action, but far from all of it, centers on the famous Las Ramblas, a long, tree-lined shopping/dining/arts boulevard that has few if any peers in the world.

Ramble along Las Ramblas on any day and you will encounter, for example, various living "statues" - gargoyles, bicyclists, "beheaded" ghouls, angels and princesses, perched in their assigned spots, ready to spring to life and coax a little cash out of the tourists who pose with them. You will see musicians, caricature artists, jugglers, acrobats, even the occasional weird mime act.

Such life pervades the city. A classical cellist plays music from "Phantom of the Opera" outside the cathedral walls in the Gothic Quarter. Performers on indescribable, exotic instruments enchant passersby along narrow, winding side streets. Guitarists ply their trade at outdoor cafés, and diners often are in a generous mood, given the vigor of the local sangria.

All this goes on until at least 2 a.m. In Barcelona, you dine late and party long.

Here is clearly a city in which an artist can make a good living independently - and many do. Barcelona nurtures and encourages that.

It's smart for the city's bottom line, because the arts, Barcelona obviously understands, is not just about fun. It is tied to commerce.

Barcelona is the heart of Catalonia, an autonomous and culturally distinct region that is Spain's principal economic engine. Catalans have a reputation as the nation's most businesslike, innovative and savvy people. Noted for its arts, architecture and industrial design, Barcelona is Europe's sixth-richest city, with a per-capita income 44 percent above the continent's average.

And it is one of Europe's most creative, embracing, adapting cities. This is no coincidence.

Barcelona is very good at using what it has.

Local architect Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia church, with its organic-looking spires, may be far from finished, but is the city's iconic attraction. A major museum devoted to Pablo Picasso resides in an ancient palace in the La Ribera district. The ultra-modern Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona also does installations in a medieval convent chapel nearby, and the MACBA plaza is one of the world's prime venues for skateboarders. Somehow, it all works.

Barcelona is much larger than Cincinnati - 1.5 million in the city proper, compared to our population of 300,000 to 400,000 (depending on how heavy Mayor Mark Mallory's thumb is on the scale). Barcelona has densely populated, compact historic neighborhoods with structures that date back many centuries - some even to Roman times. It boasts a robust transportation system - five subway lines, high-speed rail, 900 buses, tram lines and cable cars. Yet the central city is very walkable.

Its modern resurgence started with the 1992 Olympics. Preparing for the Games forced the city to reconnect with its long-neglected waterfront and its rich architecture (sound familiar, Cincinnati?). But it sustained the growth long after the Olympics.

Barcelona's embrace of chaotic creativity and tourism has its downsides. Pickpockets are a chronic and serious problem. Banners on light poles warn against people relieving themselves in the streets.