City Centre Living - Pro's V Cons

pigeonbutler

I'm considering moving to an apartment in city centre (IFSC). I'm currently in Castleknock/Blanch area and have a 15 minute train ride to work. If I move I'll have a 5 minute walk!

I've lived in lots of different suburban places: Sandymount, Stillorgan, UCD campus and now my current place. So I'm wondering what are the pros and con's of city centre living compared to out in the suburbs?

Let's forget about rent costs (I have a specific place in mind so I know what I'm letting myself in for) and I've got a parking space coming with the apartment.

kmick

Pros
Nightlife on your doorstep and the easy walk home
Buzz of living in town

Cons
Dead in IFSC at weekend - it is inhabited by students, wackos, howayas in PJ's and crows.
Noise

Jay D

a shop is never far away, **** I hate the suburbs.
In fact anything you want is never far away.

the noise level takes a bit of getting used to I suppose.

BendiBus

The cost saving of not having to pay to commute is considerable. You're not tied to a timetable for commuting. The whole city is accessible from the city centre due to the radial nature of public transport. The IFSC isn't noisy unless you're facing directly onto one of the main roads (North Wall Quay, Sheriff St etc). You can go home for lunch.

Cons. Do you really want to be THAT close to work?

arse..biscuits

Loads of ethnic shops which are really cheap.
Get all your fruit and veg at markets really cheap.
Great butchers, fishmongers.
Get a pushbike, everything is so close, cinema, pubs.
Getting to know all the local crazies is fun too.
Living in town is great:)

stovelid

Actually, living so near to all the pubs and clubs is a pro and a con...

pigeonbutler

BendiBus wrote: »

The cost saving of not having to pay to commute is considerable. You're not tied to a timetable for commuting. The whole city is accessible from the city centre due to the radial nature of public transport. The IFSC isn't noisy unless you're facing directly onto one of the main roads (North Wall Quay, Sheriff St etc). You can go home for lunch.

Cons. Do you really want to be THAT close to work?

Some people in here said that alright. But I'm lucky that I'm junior enough for another couple of years that I won't be dragged in here at awkward times.

John Mason

not having to use taxi's the biggest pro of them all

living that close to work is not good.

used to live and work on parnell street, i felt i was never getting away from work, i had to pass the office at 3am drunk - not good

arse..biscuits

Little tip, don't tell people in work that you live so close, very hard to come up with excuses if your late or want to leave early etc.

Solarball10

Pros:
Everything on your doorstep!

Cons:
Noise

I live on O'Connell street, and I work in Sandyford, bloody pain getting the luas out there every morning, wouldn't mind if it dropped me at the office, but then I've to walk another 15 mins to get to work...nightmare! Wouldn't get a place out there though as it's way more expensive than city centre.
Dunno why people think it's bad living too close to work, I'd KILL to work in IFSC or anywhere nearby! Roll outta bed and you're there!

Noise can be annoying, in my apartment it's not too bad cos the bedroom's @ the back, so nothing can be heard, the living room's a different story though - sometimes ya gotta turn up the TV full blast to drown out the sirens though :rolleyes: I mean, don't they KNOW I'm trying to hear Blanche from Corrie's latest hilarious put-down?!

ballroom blitz

I lived in town for almost a year last year but had to move further out because it drove me nuts. I thought the pro's outlined below would make up for all the crap but in the end I had to get out and I'm much happier where I am now as its quite close to town so the commute is cheap (or free with a bike) and a taxi home is never more than €10 from the city.

Pro's:
No transport costs
Easy to meet up with people from your old area
lots of varety for shopping etc
Easy to just nip home at any stage if you've forgotten something

Con's:
Town is always busy so no matter where you are going there are people in your way
Lots of scum hanging around all the time
Doing the weekly shop in a city centre store will eventually drive you mad as will carrying the bags home through the crowds.
Constant noise be it drunks, traffic, cops or neighbours.

I would recommend from my experience somewhere close to town but not smack bang in the middle of it.

AnonoBoy

BendiBus wrote: »

The IFSC isn't noisy

HAH!!!!!!

It bloody well is at the moment and will be for a while. Prepare to be woken by LUAS works every morning for a while if you move there.

arse..biscuits

I live close to Thomas Street and it is completely silent at night. My flat faces into the centre of the complex. We hear absloutely nothing at night.

Dub13

ozzyoh wrote: »

I live on O'Connell street,

I did not think there was any accommodation on O'Connell street.

cuckoo

I used to live city centre, and two cons that i found were that random friends would want to call in at the randomest of times (i got fussy about answering the door/phone), and i began to crave clean air. Lots of traffic where i was, and the windowsill (on the inside) would be constantly covered with a film of grey dust.

Still, it was brill just strolling home, and it really suited me at the time.

irlirishkev

Pros:

1) You can walk everywhere. Dublin is such a small city. Everything is walking distance.
2) All kinds of shops. No matter what you're looking for, you'll find it (and be able to walk there).
3) So many different cultures all around you.
4) Selection of cinemas
5) The constant 'buzz' of the city
6) City Centre is on the coast, so you're still close to the sea and all it's amenities
7) 99% of Dublin Bus routes start from and go to town (if you know what I mean)
8) Pubs all over the place, and many more late opening than in the suburbs.
9) Phoenix Park is just down the road
10) Stephen's green, Merrion Square, Iveagh Gardens etc..
11) Hundreds of restaurants and take aways to choose from
12) Temple Bar on a Sunday morning/afternoon

Cons:

1) Junkies
2) Temple Bar on a Saturday night
3) Too many spars/centras/londiseseses


I love living in town. I'm just off O'Connell Street, and my apartment faces into a courtyard. It's so quiet it's unreal. I know people who lived on the quays, and said they couldn't stand the noise. I think you just have to pick your location carefully.

irlirishkev

Dub13 wrote: »

I did not think there was any accommodation on O'Connell street.

There's a block of apartments at the very top, facing the AIB Branch.
I think there's a couple randomly placed further down the street too.. Cool address!

MagicMarker

What i've found when looking for places on the likes of daft.ie is that city centre apartments are generally overcrowded and full of students as well as mostly non nationals (not that that's a bad thing:))...

Personally, i'd be looking to share with only one or two people and not pay more than 500 a month, is that possible in the city centre?

irlirishkev

MagicMarker wrote: »

Personally, i'd be looking to share with only one or two people and not pay more than 500 a month, is that possible in the city centre?

Well, you won't get a two bed for 1k a month (unless you're very lucky or it's a complete dump), so you're either looking at paying more (maybe about 700), or share with a 3rd person, which means someone will have to share a room..

universe777

Pros:

You can roll out of bed and into work in 5 mins or so if you work in the city.

Nights out wont involve getting robbed by a scobie taxi driver bitching out politics/soccer/the mother in-law..

You'll save a heap in money and time, as rent isn't that much cheaper outside of the city, unless you're living with your parents. I finish work at 5pm, I'm home at 5.05pm. I live in Smithfield.

Cons:

Noise, its fine at weekends but the noise from the road behind my block does my head in. Its traffic noise, usually starts at 6am.
If getting an apartment, do your best to find one in a courtyard, dead quiet.
I miss the quietness of the suburbs, walk outside at night and you can hear a pin drop.
I know IFSC well, get one in a courtyard, just down off the square where NCI is, Aran House is one building in there which is alright.
We have no noise from other residents here in Smithfield market, apartments are built well, 24hr security too.
IFSC apartments are not safe to be honest, quiet area but anyone can walk into a building up a few floors unhindered and be hanging around your corridor.

mikemac

AnonoBoy wrote: »

HAH!!!!!!

It bloody well is at the moment and will be for a while. Prepare to be woken by LUAS works every morning for a while if you move there.

They start work in the IFSC at 8am and who's still in bed at 8am anyway? Unless you're working shift then no sympathy due for anyone on this front imo

ozzyoh wrote: »

Pros:

I live on O'Connell street, and I work in Sandyford,

Are there residental buildings in O'Connell St? I thought it was all commerical and even I didn't know there were apartments on that street.

And I do remember some radio interview by Dublin expert Pat Liddy and he said nobody lived on O'Connell St.
I'm suprised

irlirishkev

micmclo wrote: »

Are there residental buildings in O'Connell St? I thought it was all commerical and even I didn't know there were apartments on that street.

And I do remember some radio interview by Dublin expert Pat Liddy and he said nobody lived on O'Connell St.
I'm suprised

See my 2nd previous post..

mikemac

irlirishkev wrote: »

See my 2nd previous post..

Aware of your post and you'll see I edited my last post to show this 4 hours before you quoted me

AnonoBoy

micmclo wrote: »

They start work in the IFSC at 8am and who's still in bed at 8am anyway? Unless you're working shift then no sympathy due for anyone on this front imo

Well sooooorrrrrrrrryyyy if I sleep in too late for your approval. But I don't have to be in work until 9.30 so why should I be up at 8?

I'm just advising the OP about the noise in IFSC. Perhaps he too is one of those people that deserve no sympathy due to their sleeping past the hallowed hour of 8am. :rolleyes:

Wishbone Ash

Just wondering - do people who live in noisy city centre (or any noisy) environments not become accustomed to that noise?

And just to add that the area around the Dublin Fruit and Vegetable markets is very noisy especially from about 4.30am. I'm in there occasionally at around 5am and often wonder if the noise bothers all those in nearby apartments.

They start work in the IFSC at 8am and who's still in bed at 8am anyway? Unless you're working shift then no sympathy due for anyone on this front imo

Eh, plenty of people work shifts. Plenty of people also start work at 9.30 or 10am. Plenty of people work from home. There's nothing worse than being woken up at 8am by drilling when you are due in work at 3pm and are to stay past 11.

BendiBus

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Just wondering - do people who live in noisy city centre (or any noisy) environments not become accustomed to that noise?

I used to live on the corner of Church St & Arran Quay. Busy 24 hours a day. People and constant traffic. Being at a junction every time the lights changed (24 hours remember!), there was the sound of accelerating vehicles - way worse than passing traffic. Not to mention a fire & ambulance station just up the road and a Garda station straight across the road.

I slept like a baby there for 5 years.

Not sure how my lungs fared though. When I was moving out and started moving things like pictures that hadn't moved in years, the difference in colour between covered & uncovered surfaces was shocking :eek: And yes it was city grime, not my domestic cleaning routine that that was the problem.

Dandelion6

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Just wondering - do people who live in noisy city centre (or any noisy) environments not become accustomed to that noise?

Actually I've had the opposite problem. I used to sleep through anything, now I get woken up a lot more easily. Not sure if that's to do with living in a noisier place now, or just getting older

Anyway, earplugs are cheap, and work very well.

Collie D

irlirishkev wrote: »

Cool address!

Indeed