Thinking of moving to Meath St.

candy19

Hey all,

I was just wondering if anyone could advise me on the meath st area. I am thinking about signing a year long lease in the next few days and I just wanted people's opinion about the area in general.

We are three girls moving up from the country, debating this area as it is very convienient for college for all of us.

I have heard some negative things from a few mates, but I wasn't sure if I should entirely base my decision on their thoughts/views are they are slightly more upmarket than I am if you know what I mean!

If anyone could offer me some advice I would much appreciate it.

All the best,

Candy!

electrogrimey

I've two good mates that share an apartment on Meath St, and I've been down loads of time. In fairness, it's definitely not the nicest area in Dublin, but I've never seen or heard of anyone having any problems down there. Really handy place to live too.

talla10

i wouldnt go anywhere near meath st!!!people gettin mugged daily, drug gangs selling their **** on the street, junkies hanging around the area looking for a fix!!

its defo not a good area to rent and if your from the country there are much better places to rent for same price as id imagine meath st is expensive to rent being so close to city centre but keep looking would be my advice!

Bateman

I live in Rialto and quite often I'd walk home from town at all hours of the night, would always go up the Dean St/Meath St/Pimlico direction and have never seen anything to make me feel unsafe.

electrogrimey

talla10 wrote: »

i wouldnt go anywhere near meath st!!!people gettin mugged daily, drug gangs selling their **** on the street, junkies hanging around the area looking for a fix!!

its defo not a good area to rent and if your from the country there are much better places to rent for same price as id imagine meath st is expensive to rent being so close to city centre but keep looking would be my advice!

OP don't listen to this ridiculous 'advice'. The Liberties (where Meath street is) is a historically working class Dublin area, but it's nothing like the above.

BostonB

Not a great area. There are better places to rent. I know a few people who had hassle in the general area.

http://www.streetsofdublin.com/the_real_streets/the_liberties/

Crime
The area has improved dramatically in recent years. However there are still a worrying amount of drug users roaming around Thomas Street (Dublin). Drugs are a serious problem in the area, with users travelling from across the city to obtain their daily fix - often under the nose of the under-resourced and stretched authorities. More recently then area has been victim to a feud between drug gangs which has seen gun, grenade and pipe bomb attacks in what was once a "poor but pure" Dublin community.

candy19

From what I knew of the area around there myself, it was like rustic dublin. I have seen one or two things while passing the area on the 123 bus (thomas st) but as it wasn't anything significant I thought thats not going to have any bearing on my decision.

Like the way I feel is go could go around any corner in Dublin and see drugs been dealt, people shooting up etc. I've seen instances like this in Phibsboro, Harolds Cross, Terenure, Rathmines, Ranelagh and around the St. Stephen's Green/Grafton St area's. It's sad to say that it's becomming a regular occurance on our streets, and even though you may not see it as much in the country, you still know whose at what etc.

We all have been living in Dublin for three years already, so we won't be amatuers around our own personal safety compared to first years if you know what I mean

I suppose I was mainly wondering about walking home at night/late evening?

As for the rent end of things, we are getting a suprisingly good deal for a practically new apartment....which is nice considering I would only have to walk 10/15 mins to college:)

JosDel

another area bashing thread..

Truley

I lived on Meath Street for three years during college and absolutely love it there. I used to walk and cycle through it every evening for work and I never once had a problem with my personal safety. In fact I had more problems with noisy neighbours, crime and intimidation the two years I lived in Dublin 4 then I ever did in Meath Street.

Sure it's a bit rough around the edges but you'll find that the houses are largly made up of elderly people, students, and foreign families with young children who keep to themselves. Walking home alone at night is sketchy no matter where you are, getting to Meath Street means walking up an always busy and well lit Dame Street, not exactly a dark alleyway. Very few people hang around Meath Street itself at night as there are only two pubs largely frequented by an older crowd.

Advantages are great shops, market stalls, convenient location and an area steeped with history and character. I have such fond memories of living there and wouldn't hesitate recommending it to anyone else.

BostonB

If you are going to trot out the line you can have a bad experience anywhere then it doesn't matter where you live. But thats obviously not true. Some places have more problems than others, and thus the odds of having trouble are higher. You could live in the middle of Beruit and have no trouble then get mugged in the middle of Garda HQ. Thats hardly representative is it.

Spend an hour walking around the area, during the evening and night time. You should do that no matter where you are thinking of. Then decide.

candy19

Truley wrote: »

I lived on Meath Street for three years during college and absolutely love it there. I used to walk and cycle through it every evening for work and I never once had a problem with my personal safety. In fact I had more problems with noisy neighbours, crime and intimidation the two years I lived in Dublin 4 then I ever did in Meath Street.

Sure it's a bit rough around the edges but you'll find that the houses are largly made up of elderly people, students, and foreign families with young children who keep to themselves. Walking home alone at night is sketchy no matter where you are, getting to Meath Street means walking up an always busy and well lit Dame Street, not exactly a dark alleyway. Very few people hang around Meath Street itself at night as there are only two pubs largely frequented by an older crowd.

Advantages are great shops, market stalls, convenient location and an area steeped with history and character. I have such fond memories of living there and wouldn't hesitate recommending it to anyone else.

Thanks for that hey, well I am happy to move there and so are the girls. I am going up to Dublin tomorrow and I am going to have a good walk around the area. We are right be side one of those pubs. I talked to a few people who have lived their as well and they said that they never had an issue as well and they have lived their all there lives.

The way I feel is that you are going to have some issues in some places more than others. OP I'm glad to here that you had a good experience in the area, funnily D4 was my other option, but not near as handy!

mattjack

worked in and around the area for years,never had any problems,

BostonB

Out of curiosity I would have assumed the rent would be a critical factor, so was there so little difference between D4 and Meath St in terms of rent, that its not an issue?

candy19

Yea rent is an issue for all of us, none of us are willing to go above €400 per month and there wasn't that many nice places in D4 in our budget range compared to the Dublin 8 area.

John Mason

i used to live around there - its a great area.

never felt scared or threatened - it has a great vibe too

BostonB

candy19 wrote: »

Yea rent is an issue for all of us, none of us are willing to go above €400 per month and there wasn't that many nice places in D4 in our budget range compared to the Dublin 8 area.

For the same kinda place whats the % difference in rent?

candy19

BostonB wrote: »

For the same kinda place whats the % difference in rent?

Ya would need to add like another €300 onto our budget! It's that expensive

Gavin "shels"

As you'll see when any thread comes up about Dublin 8 I'll be in posting. Anyway lived in the Liberties all my 19 years, and not to far from Meath St never had much trouble at all. Meath St is great, all the local butchers, fresh veg, etc... yes you get the odd knacker selling drugs on the corner of the road but in all fairness that happens alot in Dublin.

121 bus is also one of the most realible buses I know, not often but very realible.

irlirishkev

I live just off Francis Street, and I love it here. It's a great location, as you know already. No it's not as polished as other areas of the city, but this Old Dublin. It's the real deal. I'm proud to live here, and would recommend it to anyone.

Ignore the scaremongers, no matter what area you ask about, there will always be those who concentrate on the negatives. I honestly don't know how some people leave their homes in the mornings.. :rolleyes:

My gf has lived in the area longer than I have, and she loves it too. I say go for it OP, you won't be sorry.

RMD

Forget what people say about junkies, dealing etc, the people who normally mention this are the ones are **** scared of such things and generally overplay it.

Most probably wont agree with me but junkies are grand, they're an eyesore certainly but avoid them and they'll cause no bother to you. I've walked through worse areas twice a day for 5 years, you'll see dealing and maybe some junkie shooting up, but I'm still yet to see this violence or muggings that everyone seems to be talking about. To much time spent reading tabloids is their problem.

Meath St might have the odd junkie / pusher going about but it'll be fine, within a month of living there you'll know how to handle yourself around them. Meath St is in a great area, great history and a lot of nice / cool stuff around locally. If you're getting a good deal I'd certainly take it.

cosmic

I love going for a walk down Meath Street during the day (when I'm not stuck in work!). The markets are great (you can get 6 months worth of washing powder for a tenner!) and the people who work there, and the locals who frequent the markets, are just lovely, there are some real characters! There's a great sense of comminuty spirit down that way too. Every area has it's problems/dangers but the good about Meath Street (as listed by other posters) would definitely outweigh the bad.

jdivision

It's a good place to live

BostonB

Its impossible that an area is as bad and as good as described here, all at the same time. its just not realistic. I can only talk of my personal experience of working in the area, and friends living in the area. Not passing through on a bus.

cosmic

BostonB wrote: »

Its impossible that an area is as bad and as good as described here, all at the same time. its just not realistic. I can only talk of my personal experience of working in the area, and friends living in the area. Not passing through on a bus.

Who mentioned passing through on a bus? I believe Gavin said the 121 which passes through it is a good bus, which it is, I get it myself, but that's the only mention of buses. The majority of posters on this thread either live or have lived in the area. I live quite close and friends of mine live just off it so I spend a lot of time in the area at various times of the day. All you did was post a random article about the area.

John Mason

BostonB wrote: »

Its impossible that an area is as bad and as good as described here, all at the same time. its just not realistic. I can only talk of my personal experience of working in the area, and friends living in the area. Not passing through on a bus.

i lived there in brabzon square,which is on grey street,just off meath street across the road from the pimlico pub.

my friend lives in another square - cant think of the name, opposite reginald street.

anyway, we loved the area,i would move back there tomorrow. i never had any problems.

the markets are brilliant, as are the butcheer, green grocers etc.

i only left because i could afford to buy there and bought a house elsewhere.

JosDel

I dont live in the area, but now and again I would head up to Thomas St and Meath St on Saturdays with the Mrs to do a bit of shopping and all I can say is the people on the stalls are very nice, meath st market is the best in dublin and the pints in Kennedys on Thomas St are lovely....

BostonB

cosmic wrote: »

Who mentioned passing through on a bus? I believe Gavin said the 121 which passes through it is a good bus, which it is, I get it myself, but that's the only mention of buses. The majority of posters on this thread either live or have lived in the area. I live quite close and friends of mine live just off it so I spend a lot of time in the area at various times of the day. All you did was post a random article about the area.

Actually thats not correct. I did not only just post a random article. I said...

BostonB wrote: »

... I know a few people who had hassle in the general area....

BostonB wrote: »

... I can only talk of my personal experience of working in the area, and friends living in the area. ...

That my personal experience of the area. I'm delighted others is different.

candy19

Hi all,

OP here! I walked around the area yesterday evening, myself and the other girl found it quite nice. Sure we'll miss going to the park but everything is on our doorstep and is accessible to us which is what we need.

Like everyone is aware of what goes on where, I wouldn't say that anywhere in Dublin is better or worse than the next place!

We have three days left to decide, and we're going in the direction of moving into the place.

Gavin "shels"

candy19 wrote: »

Hi all,

OP here! I walked around the area yesterday evening, myself and the other girl found it quite nice. Sure we'll miss going to the park but everything is on our doorstep and is accessible to us which is what we need.

The Phoenix Park isn't that far of a walk, 20 mins maybe, or you could jump onto the 123 down to James Hospital and walk from there or even get the Luas to Heuston. Also Patricks Park is 10 min walk away. Wouldn't recommend going to the park at Cornmarket though.

cosmic

Gavin shels wrote: »

The Phoenix Park isn't that far of a walk, 20 mins maybe, or you could jump onto the 123 down to James Hospital and walk from there or even get the Luas to Heuston. Also Patricks Park is 10 min walk away. Wouldn't recommend going to the park at Cornmarket though.

You're not too far from the War Memorial Gardens either which really are beautiful.

BostonB

Its about 5 mins on a bike. If you are looking for a place, no harm to get somewhere with secure parking for a bike. Theres also a Dublin Bike Station at the end of Thomas St. Always seems to be empty when I pass it though.