Lamento no poder aportarte esta informacion ya que vivo en esta ciudad y nunca se ha dado el caso. No obstante estoy convencido que la informacion que facilita este medio y la oferta existente, te permitirá elegir sin problemas.

Queda en el centro de Barcelona, al lado del Barrio Gotico, al otro lado de la via Laietana. Es precioso, con sus calles peatonales, el museo Picasso, sus tiendas y restaurantes. La Iglesia de Santa Maria del Mar. Imperdible

it really does vary shop by shop. the neighbourhood of el born is one which thrives in the evening, so most do stay open late. in fact barcelona and indeed spain as a country is geared towards staying open late. and it's important to remember that there are a myriad of smaller winding pedestrian alleys with beautiful and unique shops - it's not just the main thoroughfares. so be sure to disappear down some of those quieter looking, nondescript "alleyways" behind the Santa Maria del Mar. i'm not much of a shopper, but never in my life have i stopped and marvelled at so many beautiful shops as i did wandering around barcelona, the gothic quarter and el born especially.

Yes Ryan Air uses the main airport of Barcelona, the El Prat airport. And going into the city itself is very easy with the subway

We stayed at Inside Barcelona Apartments Mercat, which is smack bang in the middle of El Born, overlooking the old market. Perfect location and a really awesome apartment!

Can't remember now but check out Rick Steves travel book on Barcelona. We did the walks he laid out and they were terrific. He suggested restaurants along the way and the different sites we passed.

It was about a 20 min walk from our hotel but you can also take a taxi which was not very expensive.

Taxi :) it's slightly more expensive after 8pm and I think there is a fixed cost for airport transfers but this will be the most convenient method of transportation. A cheaper option would be to take the Aerobus but it only takes you up to Placa de Catalunya which means you will have to take a metro to El Born. Since its your first day in Barcelona after a tiring flight, I suggest you spend a bit extra and take a taxi :)

You shouldn't have a problem going from bar to bar, sometimes you may have to stand at busy bars, but that makes the experience all the more authentic. Enjoy your holiday!