moving to Dublin... and in need of your help!

triene

Hi there

My boyfriend got a job in Dublin, so we're moving from Belgium at the end of May! While reading all of your posts on housing and places to live I started to worry a bit. I was in Dublin in April, and however I was aware of a slightly grubby atmosphere around Gardner St, I didn't have the feeling I was visiting a city heading for an irreversible decline.

I was hoping to find a place near the city centre, I love the stroll and the city feel... But I have no idea where to look now. Some websites recommend areas like Smithfield, Portobello or Kilmainhaim/Inchicore, others tell me I have to get myself a place in the Rathmines/Ranelagh area.
I visited the Rathmines in April, but didn't find it very interesting; as far as I could see there was not much going on there. If I'm wrong, please do contradict me. Most important to me is that the area I live in is relatively safe, and that a walk to a fun concert or pub won't get me too many blisters .

Greets!

diddlybit

triene wrote: »

I visited the Rathmines in April, but didn't find it very interesting; as far as I could see there was not much going on there.

I would have thought there was loads going on in Rathmines!

If you are looking for somewhere with a bit of life, Portobello and Ranelagh and good. Portobello's very central and can walk into town no problem. Ranelagh is a 20 min walk from Stephen's Green and has some nice pubs and restaurants. On the Luas line which is very handy. Rents are relatively high in both places though.

Smithfield has turned into a bit of a ghost town in the last couple of years, though it does host three of my favourite pubs in Dublin.

Couldn't give you advice on Inchicore or Kilmainham sadly.

Doug89

Congrats on the move.

All the places you've listed are fine really. All not too far out of the city centre, which you wouldn't REALLY want to live in anyway.

Rathmines/Ranelagh/Portobello are lovely, don't get me wrong, there are some horrid grotty bedsits, but also nice apartments.

Even though it's gone down a lot, rent in Dublin is still expensive, so still be prepared to pay I guess €700ish a months for a 1 bed apartment in those places. A cheaper way would be to look at housesharing, but being a couple few places would take you - you'd probably have to set one up yourself, which can both be fun and a right pain.

Up around St James' Hospital is another option, (D8) again it's on the Luas line, and a very short cycle to town.

As fas as I know rents go down a bit when you look at the northside of the city, (places which have an odd number in the postcode, so D7, D1 etc etc), places like Drumcondra and Fairview would also suit.

My advice would be to get yourself a bike, all these places are walking distance to the city centre, but bike is just handier. And that some beautiful places to live can be hidden behind what's shown on googlemaps.

Courage!!!

diddlybit

Have a read of these OP.

Doug89 is right, you'd probably get more for your money if you moved away form the City Centre a little. My advice would be to try get over for a day or two, and have a wander around these places so you can get a feel for them. There's a lot that you can't see in a photograph or on a real estate ad.


http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056267020

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056237953

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055551068

triene

Thank you both! Great advice!

I think I will get myself an old bike somewhere and wander around. Ranelagh sounds nice, I'll definitely go exploring.
I was really taken aback from that article in the IrishIndep on drugs & "anti social behaviour" in the city. Although I must admit I haven't had the time yet to figure out which newspaper I SHOULD read/believe. I'll get to that later .

Are there a lot of flee markets in Dublin? Or any other places where you can find old bikes?

cosmic

triene wrote: »

I was really taken aback from that article in the IrishIndep on drugs & "anti social behaviour" in the city. Although I must admit I haven't had the time yet to figure out which newspaper I SHOULD read/believe.

Never believe a thing you read in the Independent! Ugh, it's pure trash.

HivemindXX

triene wrote: »

Are there a lot of flee markets in Dublin? Or any other places where you can find old bikes?

There are some flea markets but I can't really recommend anything since it's been a very long time since I went to one.

If you want an old bike try Rothar in Phibsboro (www.rothar.ie). They take in old bikes and refurbish them for sale (this doubles as bicycle mechanic training for the people doing the refurbishing).

There is also the Dublin Bikes scheme (www.dublinbikes.ie) which has bikes all around the city centre (but not further out) which you take from a stand and drop back to another stand. Bike rental doesn't cost anything so long as you drop it back to a station within a half hour but there is a fee to use the system (€10 for a year or €2 for three days) there is a security deposit of €150 but they only take this off your credit card if you fail to return the bike within 24 hours.

Toby Take a Bow

triene wrote: »

Thank you both! Great advice!

I think I will get myself an old bike somewhere and wander around. Ranelagh sounds nice, I'll definitely go exploring.
I was really taken aback from that article in the IrishIndep on drugs & "anti social behaviour" in the city. Although I must admit I haven't had the time yet to figure out which newspaper I SHOULD read/believe. I'll get to that later .

Are there a lot of flee markets in Dublin? Or any other places where you can find old bikes?

There's a flea-type market in Newmarket, in Dublin 8, which is also a really nice place to live. It's near Meath Street, Francis Street, The Tenters, Cork Street. That kind of area. There's a bike shop on Patrick's street (around the corner) that was selling new bikes for around €150. Probably cheaper now (not sure if that's the case though).

RedXIV

Also, if your boyfriend has a job in Dublin, he'll probably qualify for the bike to work scheme (http://www.biketowork.ie/) which could be used to get a decent bike for ye.

Doug89

Also, thing is that Dublin is a capital city, and is there a capital city in the world that doesn't have 'anti-social problems'?

triene

Of course, every capital has its bad bits. We have Brussels, a great city with a reasonable amount of dodgy corners. I was just wondering whether the ominous article of the Independent was a reliable report of the city's current situation. I'll see for myself in two weeks, but I definitely look forward to returning to Dublin.
Thanks for your help!

n900guy

The major difference and problem in Dublin is that there is no reasonably safe and respectble city centre living area. The north and south city areas are primarily complete shi tholes that you don't want to walk around at night. Don't go near Gardner Street or anywhere near there. IFSC is a ghost town at weekends or populated by the pyjama people.

On the south side, the area from James's, Christchurch are unliveable compared to Brussels. Your only option in the actual city is probably aroudn Harcourt Green, or else Baggot Street and down towards Northumberland Road.

Basically, it's the donut effect. Your options for pleasant living in Dublin are basically: Ballsbridge, Ranelagh. They are the only areas with safe surrounds, and a good standard of services (public transport). Rathmines is a kip; well, that is IMO. If you are the sort of person who thinks Galway is great, then chances are you will like Rathmines. Ranelagh has the Luas so you can use the tram, and Ballsbridge has a fantastic bus service. If you aren't on one of the Air Coach routes, then getting to the airport gets very awkward in Dublin.

Birneybau

n900guy wrote: »

The major difference and problem in Dublin is that there is no reasonably safe and respectble city centre living area. The north and south city areas are primarily complete shi tholes that you don't want to walk around at night. Don't go near Gardner Street or anywhere near there. IFSC is a ghost town at weekends or populated by the pyjama people.

On the south side, the area from James's, Christchurch are unliveable compared to Brussels. Your only option in the actual city is probably aroudn Harcourt Green, or else Baggot Street and down towards Northumberland Road.

Basically, it's the donut effect. Your options for pleasant living in Dublin are basically: Ballsbridge, Ranelagh. They are the only areas with safe surrounds, and a good standard of services (public transport). Rathmines is a kip; well, that is IMO. If you are the sort of person who thinks Galway is great, then chances are you will like Rathmines. Ranelagh has the Luas so you can use the tram, and Ballsbridge has a fantastic bus service. If you aren't on one of the Air Coach routes, then getting to the airport gets very awkward in Dublin.

Yeah, there's only about 2 square miles of Dublin that are liveable, the rest of the place resembles "Dawn of the Dead". :rolleyes:

cosmic

n900guy wrote: »

...Blah blah blah...

Ah yes, there's always one :rolleyes:

Spiritofthekop

n900guy wrote: »

The major difference and problem in Dublin is that there is no reasonably safe and respectble city centre living area. The north and south city areas are primarily complete shi tholes that you don't want to walk around at night. Don't go near Gardner Street or anywhere near there. IFSC is a ghost town at weekends or populated by the pyjama people.

On the south side, the area from James's, Christchurch are unliveable compared to Brussels. Your only option in the actual city is probably aroudn Harcourt Green, or else Baggot Street and down towards Northumberland Road.

Basically, it's the donut effect. Your options for pleasant living in Dublin are basically: Ballsbridge, Ranelagh. They are the only areas with safe surrounds, and a good standard of services (public transport). Rathmines is a kip; well, that is IMO. If you are the sort of person who thinks Galway is great, then chances are you will like Rathmines. Ranelagh has the Luas so you can use the tram, and Ballsbridge has a fantastic bus service. If you aren't on one of the Air Coach routes, then getting to the airport gets very awkward in Dublin.

100% agree with ALL of this.

triene

OK, this worries me a bit. I consider myself to be a relatively tolerant type of person, I don't mind some liveliness, I don't feel scared easily and I've lived in a big city before. I'm very curious now about my perception of the atmosphere when I'll arrive at the end of May.
Conclusion; Ranelagh is the place to be? Were it not for the very limited number of properties available on daft.ie...

I am pie

Spiritofthekop wrote: »

100% agree with ALL of this.

100% disagree. Nonsense really.

OP - Look along the green LUAS line, anything as far out as Dundrum will get you in and out of town in pretty quick time. Rathmines road has good options for supermarkets and your a stroll from Ranelagh's bar's and cafes. You'll find decent places along leinster road, if your shoe leather can tolerate and extra 10 minutes wandering time, you'll find some places off Harold's Cross Road in and around Leinster road.

Rathgar is nice also, decent village atmosphere, few good bars & restaurants. You could head out towards Terenure (good bus link to city centre) and find nice places there also.

If you want to be closer to town there are plenty of apartments in around Grand Canal dock. In around Slattery's pub / Chophouse bar-restaurant is good area. Barrow St and grand canal dock sq have decent apt's too.

Although...Ranelagh is nice ! It's just not easy to find a decent place with a decent price there !

RedXIV

Would you consider living a little further out? I live in Blackrock, about 20 mins on the DART or a bus into the city center and it's a lovely little spot and there are quite a few like it in the area?

I am pie

ps.. OP - have a search around on the internet for crime stat's for Dublin city. Having lived here for a good few years now i can say that no one has every laid a finger on me on my g/f. Not too deny there are a few areas with things you'd rather not see, but like any city that i've ever been to in the world you simply ignore these areas (Brussels included !)

latenia

Seriously just ignore "n900guy" and "Spiritofthekop." The truth is that no area of the city centre is 'unsafe' in the sense that you or your property would be constantly in danger. Some parts look a little rougher than others but in the greater scheme of things, compared to other European or world cities, the dangers are miniscule.

CiaranC

n900guy wrote: »

The major difference and problem in Dublin is that there is no reasonably safe and respectble city centre living area.

Treine, you should be aware that Ireland is populated with a lot of people who come from some field in the countryside or some middle-class private housing estate in suburbia whose only experience of being in even a mid-sized city is Dublin. Several dont want to be here, but are forced to for work as our entire economy is centred in the capital. Working class people and normal city life terrifies and bewilders them. (Watch this guy come back on talking about how he lived in London and Paris and those are much safer or some other such nonsense, as they always do).

Ive lived in Melbourne (Australia) and Victoria (in Canada) in the last three years and Dublin is far safer than either. And both of those are reasonably safe cities. The poster above would wet his pants if he encountered Victorias crack cocaine problem, haha.

Dublin is very safe, but has quite a few areas which are less safe. So like any other city in the world really. It has a huge twenty/thirty-something population from all over the world and is a brilliantly liveable, fun city!

Lonely Planet wrote:

Definition of a great city: a place that makes virtue out of vice and knows exactly where to find fun. Welcome to Dublin, contender for greatest city in Europe.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/dublin

Bear in mind that you will get plenty of moaning, miserable, negative people as well (Boards.ie is absolutely infested with them) like the above. Ignore them.

kylith

n900guy wrote: »

<snipped whinge>

Oh, good grief! Dublin is not that bad. I've lived in D8 for the last decade and the worst that's happened me is someone threw a baguette at my house. I've had more hassle in the 'upmarket' area of Cabinteely in a week than I've had in the south city in 10 years.

OP: Dublin is like anywhere else. There are places where you need to watch yourself after dark, but mostly you'll have no problems if you keep your wits about you. Around D8 is actually a very nice area; on the Luas line, some nice parks, football pitches, a scenic canal, the South Circular Road has some lovely houses and apartments to rent. Rents are definitely cheaper there than further out of the city. Somewhere like Ranelagh is very nice, but the cost of renting reflects the fact that it's a fashionable area to live.

tony 2 tone

Rathmines is a grand spot OP, close to town, you have LIDL and ALDI for shopping, and a few nice pubs around the area.
Raneleigh is also good and on the LUAS line.
I live just off Patrick street, very close to the city centre which is handy for going to gigs or pubs but is noisy with traffic and people going home from a night out.
Personaly I wouldn't bother with Smithfield, going by experience and some threads by other people, and don't know Inchicore Kilmainham too well but don't think there is too much in the way of shops etc out that way. But you are close to Kilmainham hospital and the war memorial in Island Bridge and the Phoenix park which are nice to walk around.

mvt

n900guy wrote: »

The major difference and problem in Dublin is that there is no reasonably safe and respectble city centre living area. The north and south city areas are primarily complete shi tholes that you don't want to walk around at night. Don't go near Gardner Street or anywhere near there. IFSC is a ghost town at weekends or populated by the pyjama people.

On the south side, the area from James's, Christchurch are unliveable compared to Brussels. Your only option in the actual city is probably aroudn Harcourt Green, or else Baggot Street and down towards Northumberland Road.

Basically, it's the donut effect. Your options for pleasant living in Dublin are basically: Ballsbridge, Ranelagh. They are the only areas with safe surrounds, and a good standard of services (public transport). Rathmines is a kip; well, that is IMO. If you are the sort of person who thinks Galway is great, then chances are you will like Rathmines. Ranelagh has the Luas so you can use the tram, and Ballsbridge has a fantastic bus service. If you aren't on one of the Air Coach routes, then getting to the airport gets very awkward in Dublin.

What a terrible post!
Please disregard this in its entirety. All the places mentioned in the OP are reasonable places to live in Dublin city.I'm from Kilmainham and live in Inchicore so am slightly biased towards them but you won't go far wrong in any of the other locations.

triene

Well thanks guys, you've given me a lot to think about, I'll take my time to find a good place to live. I was focussing on the city centre though, I don't know anyone in Dublin and living close to the centre might give me more opportunities to "mingle" and invest in my social life . But if necessary I will reconsider after a few days of extensive exploring.
Does anyone have some good advice for checking out apartments? Things to keep in mind? Is it a good idea to hire an agent for this? And is it possible to negotiate about the lease term of an apartment?

mvt

You might want to give a rough idea of where your boyfriend is going to work i.e Sandyford or the IFSC so that people can comment on transit links.
Are you going to be put up in a hotel temporarily by your boyfriends company or are you going to try to source an apt from Belgium?
Maybe you should start sending emails to estate agents already.
I would imagine if you were dealing directly with a private landlord there would be some scope for haggling with the lease,not so sure with an agent.

triene

His work is somewhere around Grand Canal Dock station, is that part of IFSC? I don't really know what IFSC is actually.
We booked a hostel for a couple of days (his company didn't offer a relocation package), and were planning to contact agents/landlords before our departure here in order to make some appointments. I don't think it's a good idea to sign a contract before having seen the place.

southsiderosie

triene wrote: »

Well thanks guys, you've given me a lot to think about, I'll take my time to find a good place to live. I was focussing on the city centre though, I don't know anyone in Dublin and living close to the centre might give me more opportunities to "mingle" and invest in my social life . But if necessary I will reconsider after a few days of extensive exploring.
Does anyone have some good advice for checking out apartments? Things to keep in mind? Is it a good idea to hire an agent for this? And is it possible to negotiate about the lease term of an apartment?

You don't need to hire an agent. Just make a lot of phone calls and go through the daft and gumtree listings.

Be forewarned: a lot of the newer apartments in the city center (Smithfield, Grand Canal, Aungier Street/D8) have absolutely abysmal sound and weather insulation.

One of my friends had a decent place just off of Capel street on the north side (D1), and I liked that area a lot - it is very diverse, and there is a good mix of small shops and large retailers nearby. I think this is the only part of the inner-city north side I would live in though. Most people I know who moved to Smithfield regret it now, especially since it has been a commercial disappointment. The Cobblestone is a great pub though.

I wouldn't worry about being outside of the city center (as defined by the canals) - Dublin is quite small and walkable. If anything infringes on having a social life, it's the cost of drink :mad:, not the distance into town.

I lived in Terenure and Ranelagh, and I quite liked Ranelagh. Terenure is a far walk, and the buses do not run regularly on the weekends or outside of peak travel times. There are two Luas stops in Ranelagh, although most of the time I just walked into town (about 25 minutes). There is an Aldi nearby, a weekend organic food market, and a few nice pubs. There is also a proper coffeeshop with good wireless and a hidden back patio that is quite nice - this is a rarity in Dublin!

Good luck with the housing search OP.

southsiderosie

triene wrote: »

His work is somewhere around Grand Canal Dock station, is that part of IFSC? I don't really know what IFSC is actually.
We booked a hostel for a couple of days (his company didn't offer a relocation package), and were planning to contact agents/landlords before our departure here in order to make some appointments. I don't think it's a good idea to sign a contract before having seen the place.

If that's the case, I would look at places off of the DART line as well - it is quite easy to get in and out of town.

And DEFINITELY don't sign anything until you have seen (and SMELLED) a place!!! :eek:

mvt

A lot of apts in the Grand Canel dock area,not a bad place at all to live.
One thing to consider is maybe to move in to an existing apt/house,with others already living there, to give yourselves time to get a feel of the place and also to keep the cost down.

emilyjmc

Don't listen to all the whingers - I am living in Dublin city centre (Charlemont street area, near Portabello) for about two years now and have never had any bother or trouble on the street. In a city there will always be down and outs and some antisocial behavior but that article in the Indo seems like pure sensationalism to me! I grew up in the "leafy" suburbs and honestly feel safter walking around the city centre after dark than on suburban roads where there is no-one in sight. If there is anything else you want to know feel free to send pm!