Making Dublin more fun

conorlechance

So yeah despite being the 'most friendliest' city folk in Europe, i'd have my doubts being from Donegal you also ranked just behind Brussels and Zurich as the most boring capitals. If tourists feel this over a few days period what does it mean for us regular dwellers of the city?

Obviously the fact that we have a small population as capital cities go it won't be as dynamic a place as your Paris, Londons and Romes but having said that what would you like to see in Dublin to make it a funner place for you personally?

I'd like personally to see some urban skate parks, not sure where exactly but somewhere relatively central.

Also where I live now there is a real lack of tennis courts, and well I love tennis.

Rob_l

OP donegals not a city sure its a friendly small town but it cant rank on this survey because well its not a city :P

The city could use more amenities thats for sure but they are not very successful when done as private ventures and I think you will find it will be very hard to get a grant from Dublin CC to anything for a while

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

lightening

The Asian markets are great for cheap stuff, nuts, spices, herbs, dried fruit and the like. Moore st. has good butchers with cheap joints on sale, unusual stuff too along with plenty of game, plenty of fruit and veg around too. The choice is out there, its just getting the time to go.

The odd trip to the supermarket is necessary, but avoidable if you have the time and you know where to go. There are a few "English Market" style markets, but they tend to be overpriced like the one in Cork.

I do get some of my fruit and veg in the Red Stables market on the Northside.

BaconZombie

I still don't see why they did not let them make Parnell St in China Town.

lightening wrote: »

The Asian markets are great for cheap stuff, nuts, spices, herbs, dried fruit and the like. Moore st. has good butchers with cheap joints on sale, unusual stuff too along with plenty of game, plenty of fruit and veg around too. The choice is out there, its just getting the time to go.

The odd trip to the supermarket is necessary, but avoidable if you have the time and you know where to go. There are a few "English Market" style markets, but they tend to be overpriced like the one in Cork.

I do get some of my fruit and veg in the Red Stables market on the Northside.

R.D. aka MR.D

well i did a small tour of museums etc myself yesterday out of boredom and i realised how little there is to do in dublin!

The museums are good but soem of the stuff they boast about is just pathetic. if your into that kind of thing. and the Chester Beatty doesn't get enough promotin despite being lovely.

walking around the city isn't even that enjoyable(apart from D2) and that probaly has a lot to do with the weather! its just so grey compared to other european cities.

honestly i think there is just too little to do.

as for ideas i have no idea apart from developing some sort of weather machine and knocking down the city centre and starting over!

carlmango11

We need:

Wax Museum
Out of city Theme Park or Water park (indoor)
Ice Rink (not in drogheda )
Some type of observation something-or-other
Better theatres/shows
Docklands has unused potential, we need tall buildings there to truly make a new district not must a suburb. Also it would finally give Dublin a real skyline.
Add some different gardens to Phoenix Park maybe, japanese gardens? rose gardens?
Create new districts for different things (ie work on successful Temple bar 'district' idea)
Expand city centre size... somehow.
A Couple of nice town like suburbs with large markets and high streets etc. rather than endless identical housing estates. A development on Howth/Bray idea.
Better night life
More non-modern music venues (Classic, Opera) to broaden range of things to do
Maybe a Museum of Dublin, but one of those fun interactive 'journey' ones not just a load of glasses-off artifacts and endless reading.
An aquarium.
One of those massive cinemas that do all the major movies, sometimes in 3D, iMax or something??
More non-chain store shopping. But at the same time flagship stores for international brands.
More squares. Dublin is very cramped. It lacks "grandeur!" *french accent* This gives it a very large-town feel.
The Sun.

In general we just need more unique things to open I think but we're not very insightful in this country I must say. Chain stores and pubs seems to be as far as we've gotten. :mad:

lightening

carlmango11 wrote: »

Out of city Theme Park or Water park (indoor)

Dublin had Europe's biggest indoor Water park.

carlmango11 wrote: »

Some type of observation something-or-other

Dunsink Observatory is the oldest scientific institution in Ireland. Built in 1783-1785

carlmango11 wrote: »

Better theatres/shows

Better than what? We have as good as any city in Europe.

carlmango11 wrote: »

Add some different gardens to Phoenix Park maybe, japanese gardens? rose gardens?

Along with the numerous amazing Georgian squares and maintained waterways we have the botanic gardens, acres of hot houses, green houses, Japanese gardens.... We have St. Annes park with acres of Rose Gardens and a Arboretum. Not to mention the fantastic Blessington Stree Basin and Stephens Green.[/QUOTE]

carlmango11 wrote: »

Expand city centre size... somehow.

Impossible.

carlmango11 wrote: »

A Couple of nice town like suburbs with large markets and high streets etc. rather than endless identical housing estates. A development on Howth/Bray idea.

Enough developement going on. Howth and Bray are fine as they are, Howth already has a market.

carlmango11 wrote: »

Better night life

It has the best in Ireland.

carlmango11 wrote: »

More non-modern music venues (Classic, Opera) to broaden range of things to do

National Concert Hall. Amazing gigs on every week.

They are off the top of my head, I am sure Google will help you find what you are looking for in Dublin. If not, other people that actually know the city will enlighten you, or, you could be really really really adventurous and actually get out in the city, get to know it, learn about it, because, to be honest, it looks like you haven't a clue about the city.

Taltos

Some small ideas

1. Pedestrians and bikes only in the whole interior - both North & South
Just think of touring the city centre on horses etc or having a proper tram system interconnecting the 2 halves of the center...
2. Promote the canals / river - open up more trips - why not free ones...
3. Outdoor skating rink overlooking the river - may need some form of covering for our lovely inclement weather
4. clean up the streets
remove all rubbish, druggies, beggers, layabouts, charities (see how I have them all grouped... )
5. Get rid of the neon signs from the takeaways - make the shopfronts more traditional
On and no 4 again just to be sure to be sure...

lightening

Taltos wrote: »

may need some form of covering for our lovely inclement weather

Excellent!!! Some sort of covered pave ways in a few spots, I believe they have them in Bologna.

carlmango11

Very pro-Ireland attitude you got goin on there, nothing is wrong nothing has to change.

Dublin had Europe's biggest indoor Water park.

Are you talking about the National Aquatic Centre? Hmm yes massive. I'm sure it is the biggest in Europe but that's only because they have the weather to build them outdoors. We have no Theme Parks like the UK or any other European country.

Dunsink Observatory is the oldest scientific institution in Ireland. Built in 1783-1785

No I mean something high up which you can visit and see all the city. An observation deck on a tall building or something, just like the London Eye in London or the Empire State in NY or most cathedrals in other cities.

Better than what? We have as good as any city in Europe.

I can't say I agree. And even if it is, that doesnt mean we can't improve it. If theater was decent in Ireland, people would go there more often on a night out, and tourists would go see shows.

Along with the numerous amazing Georgian squares and maintained waterways we have the botanic gardens, acres of hot houses, green houses, Japanese gardens.... We have St. Annes park with acres of Rose Gardens and a Arboretum. Not to mention the fantastic Blessington Stree Basin and Stephens Green.

I mean in the Phoenix Park, to make it more interesting. Not different parts of every park from all over the city.

Impossible.

Do you actually believe that? So you think city centres' sizes are decided on when they're made?

Enough developement going on. Howth and Bray are fine as they are, Howth already has a market.

Haha no they're not, Bray is boring and depressing. Howth is a suburb with a hill.

It has the best in Ireland.

......And that makes it good!? Haha of course it has the best in Ireland it's the capital. That survey wasn't just based on Ireland, it was all of Europe. If your going to compare Dublin to the rest of Ireland you're gonna get nowhere. That's like saying, public transport in Dublin is astounding, it's much better than Cavans.

National Concert Hall. Amazing gigs on every week.

Fair enough.

They are off the top of my head, I am sure Google will help you find what you are looking for in Dublin. If not, other people that actually know the city will enlighten you, or, you could be really really really adventurous and actually get out in the city, get to know it, learn about it, because, to be honest, it looks like you haven't a clue about the city.

Hmm, my post really ticked you off, I was just making suggestions on how to make Dublin more fun. You got really sour

herya

carlmango11 wrote: »

No I mean something high up which you can visit and see all the city. An observation deck on a tall building or something, just like the London Eye in London or the Empire State in NY or most cathedrals in other cities.

You have Guinness Brewery. Also supposedly there are plans for a ferris wheel next to the Customs House. That should fix it.

Do you actually believe that? So you think city centres' sizes are decided on when they're made?

No they are decided upon what people built centuries ago, unless you want to demolish whole streets to build them anew.

Dublin_Gunner

herya wrote: »

You have Guinness Brewery. Also supposedly there are plans for a ferris wheel next to the Customs House. That should fix it.

Add the Smithfield tower to that too.

No they are decided upon what people built centuries ago, unless you want to demolish whole streets to build them anew.

Yeah, lets just tear up city residential area's. :rolleyes:

Dublin CC is pretty much defined between the two canals, there is no space to expand the CC any further. We could only build up, if planning permission would allow.


Anyway, at least were slightly better dressed than our Londonian counterparts lol

conorlechance

just seen the weather as a point, tbh thats not anything, i think we have ok weather here, like at least we don't have to suffer through freezing winters, and whatever you think about living in snow for 5 months of the year, it might seem wonderful in theory but its much much worse than rain. besides in dublin anyway it doesnt rain that much, its only the summer where i notice it really as you expect days to be brighter at that time of year but give me dublin in terms of weather over any of the northern mainland european cities. imagine living inland with no beach or anything in 35 degree hit like in munich or somewhere?????? o dublin its not sevilla or malaga but what ya going to do.

lightening

carlmango11 wrote: »

Hmm, my post really ticked you off

No, not at all, you just came on with suggestions of things that are already there for the taking in the city. Plenty of high observation points in the city. Try the Sugarloaf on a clear day too, great views over the city to the North East coast. Howth is far more than a suburb with a hill. I sailed out from Howth in to the bay last night, excellent way to spend your time, good restaurants there, excellent market, amazing cliff walks, nice hill to climb, public slipway for launching, brilliant fish mongers, practically tame seals....

Your idea of expanding the city center is just a non-runner. It's a medieval city.

And, you did say Dublin needed an aquatics center, in fairness, there is one, you can't argue with that.

herya

lightening wrote: »

No, not at all, you just came on with suggestions of things that are already there for the taking in the city. Plenty of high observation points in the city. Try the Sugarloaf on a clear day too, great views over the city to the North East coast.

Good point, I actually prefer the view from Killiney Hill or Bray Head over some ugly modern tower any day! A modest size wheel could be fine for the views of the City Centre though.

carlmango11

As regards expanding the city centre, I didn't mean knock down houses I meant more along the lines of rezoning areas in the city centre to retail and commercial areas, rather than having O'Connell Street next to council housing estates and newsagents, because as it stands, Dublin, for a city of 1.7 million in it's greater area, has a pretty small centre. It's very compact. I just mean expanding the boundries of where one can build stores and offices etc. And if you want to build residences in the city centre they should 100% be high density as houses in a city centre brings it way down. Also I don't think council housing in the city centre is a good idea

Rowley Birkin QC

Scien wrote: »

I'd love to see some proper Markets in Dublin City. Having to constantly eat generic Supermarket food is boring.

http://www.irishfarmersmarkets.ie/smithfield.html
http://www.farmleigh.ie/culturalevents/foodmarket/
http://www.dublinks.com/index.cfm/loc/5-33/pt/0/spid/FCFD5CE3-B53D-490F-AD4E85EC25815EBA.htm

There's lots more markets going on but these are the ones I've been to, Farmleigh is a good day out. The Chinese and Indian shops on Parnell St. have some great stuff aswell.

herya

You're right - they are there - but I agree that the market scene is underdeveloped. Farmer's markets are rather small and far between. As far as I know there is no continental type market in Dublin (big market hall with fresh foods and produce open every day), I'd love to see one open.

Rowley Birkin QC

Smithfield Markets. Recently did a project there for the City Council and that place is teeming with people in the early hours, not convenient for most people though and its more suited towards bulk buyers. There's also Moore St. in fairness.

What would be cool though is something like the English Market in Cork, Covent Gardens market in London or Montmarte in Paris.

Lots more issues raised in this thread. As for Dublin not having a "real" skyline I think that is a nonsense. It certainly doesn't have a high rise skyline but a recent DCC publication on high rise developments in the city, "Maximising the Cities Potential" , received an overwhelmingly negative reaction from the public. Many people reckon that the low rise nature of the city adds to its legibility from street level, the buildings have a "natural" relationship to the street and the people on the street rather than towering overhead. Many city districts are also heavily protected in terms of designation, precluding many types of intensive development.

BraziliaNZ

it's ok, it's a shame you can't sit outside and drink beer/coffee etc much the way they do in warmer places, but you can't change the weather. They were going on about Smithfield being the new Temple Bar but the place is a joke, the only thing that gets business is Fresh, and it's full of scumbags, full of them.