Moving to Galway. Areas to avoid/Primer for the uninitiated

todd10k

Hello all. I shall soon be heading to galway after securing a job. I'm a young single professional non smoker, what area's should i look for/avoid? What's galway like as a city? I know it has some good night life, but what is it like for clubs/associations? is there everything a young man could want? What's the dating scene like? I hear galway's the place to go for men looking to find a wife. Dunno about the whole wife part but i'm definatly looking for something

Any and all info about galway is appreciated. Treat this as a primer for the discerning gentleman moving to galway for the first time.

annnnd....go

El_Dangeroso

Galway doesn't really have 'no-go' areas in my experience, I might be wrong but since I moved here 3 years ago I haven't experienced any sort of area like you'd get in Limerick for example (where I'm from).

When I first moved here I lived in Doughiska, it was grand but the area had no life and taxis in and out of the city centre were very expensive.

A year later I moved close to the city centre an I'm sorry I didn't do that sooner.

I'd recommend living walking distance to the city centre as Galway is a great walking city being so compact (a good brolly just in case and you're all set!).

I would recommend being a outside the CBD if you have a car as any apartments with parking that I saw within the city limits were very expensive.

biko

Just make sure to look in areas close to work.
Cross-town traffic is mad.

dan hibiki

castlepark. certain areas in ballybane and westside. in general ****ty areas in galway look ****ty. if you see an abundance of trackie bottoms and shaven headed children best avoid.

the untitled user

biko wrote: »

Just make sure to look in areas close to work.
Cross-town traffic is mad.

Or ya know you could just bike it and cut your journey time by half during the peak hours. The roads aren't too bad, just be sure to have some high viz gear on and plan your route to minimise the number of roundabouts you encounter.

Numbers111

dan hibiki wrote: »

castlepark. certain areas in ballybane and westside. in general ****ty areas in galway look ****ty. if you see an abundance of trackie bottoms and shaven headed children best avoid.

Your obviously a blow in who doesnt understand the places you mention above are majority occupied by Galwegians. Good decent Galwegians who originated from the old galway suburbs of Bohermore, Claddagh, the west, Shantalla & Mervue & county regions of Connemara , and North Galway which long before you probably arrived made up 80% of the town and thats where the decency in this town comes from not prejudiced Fools like you.

todd10k

Now now lads, i'll not have my thread derailed. Thank's to all, and please keep it coming.

Mrs OBumble

Numbers111 wrote: »

Your obviously a blow in who doesnt understand the places you mention above are majority occupied by Galwegians. Good decent Galwegians who originated from the old galway suburbs of Bohermore, Claddagh, the west, Shantalla & Mervue & county regions of Connemara , and North Galway which long before you probably arrived made up 80% of the town and thats where the decency in this town comes from not prejudiced Fools like you.

Yawn. We've heard it all before. Yes the majority of folks in any area of Galway are decent, whether or not they're descendants of old sthock.

However we all know that there are some areas where the proportion who are decent is smaller than other areas. Or where the proportion of folks who don't like blow-ins (from the next estate, suburb, city or country) is high.

OP, most the advice you've had so far sound spot on to me. The only bit that made me laugh was the lack of life in Doughiska: it's true if you're a 20-something looking to drink/party, but for any other age group there stuff to do and the excellent public transport to town makes up for it.

If you can tell us where you'll be working, how you'll be travelling there, and what your interests are, we might be able to offer some more specific suggestions.

Sponge Bob

Numbers111 wrote: »

Your obviously a blow in who doesnt understand the places you mention above are majority occupied by Galwegians. Good decent Galwegians who originated from the old galway suburbs of Bohermore, Claddagh, the west, Shantalla & Mervue

And some of those ould dacency Bohermore types are well known for living in westside nowadays and enlivening the court reports in the Galway media. Finding out the family names would be a doddle

Dan Hibiki posted the admittedly short list of places to avoid in Galway. I see no need to add to it...bar maybe adding Bohermore. Shantalla and Claddagh are great areas to live in. There has been a noticeable influx of Limerick skangerati in recent years as they decanted the scumpits of Limerick but I dunno where they tend to live even though I heard where they tend to drink in town.

JONJO THE MISER

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Dan Hibiki posted the admittedly short list of places to avoid in Galway. I see no need to add to it...bar maybe adding Bohermore.

Are you serious, you think you should avoid Bohermore?

dan hibiki

Numbers111 wrote: »

Your obviously a blow in who doesnt understand the places you mention above are majority occupied by Galwegians. Good decent Galwegians who originated from the old galway suburbs of Bohermore, Claddagh, the west, Shantalla & Mervue & county regions of Connemara , and North Galway which long before you probably arrived made up 80% of the town and thats where the decency in this town comes from not prejudiced Fools like you.

you are right, i am a blow in, but i have been here a long time and some close family have lived here sixty years. i dont see how im being pejudiced, just answering the kids Q. its not a matter of me saying these areas are no go areas, we all know that decent folk make up these communities, but there is something undesirable about living in an estate where you wake up, walk out the door and see a horse grazing in your garden. jesus, when i moved here tirellan was a no go area, but its cleaned up its act a lot.

mikemac

When I was in GMIT and living in Ballybrit I'd walk through Castlepark every evening at all hours on my own.
Never once a bit of trouble, the boyos at Hillside knew me to see and would salute me. But I knew plently who would not dream of walking through there at night

Then when I lived in Renmore I was a hotel night porter in town and walked by the railway line every night.
Where you'd hear someone coming before you'd see them! The odd night I'd get hassled by kids knacker drinking on the Radisson helipad but that was it.

Of course it takes just one situation to be unlucky but I never found this dangerous.

If there was one aspect of Galway I didn't like it was kids hanging around the Ku-Market/Supervalu/Londis then Supervalu again hassling me to buy drink.
Same in the shop in Mervue.
But this happens all over Ireland and Galway, just ignore them


Realy OP, just figure out where your work is and try to avoid going across the city. But if you are then cycle it.

kippy

mikemac wrote: »

When I was in GMIT and living in Ballybrit I'd walk through Castlepark every evening at all hours on my own.
Never once a bit of trouble, the boyos at Hillside knew me to see and would salute me. But I knew plently who would not dream of walking through there at night

Then when I lived in Renmore I was a hotel night porter in town and walked by the railway line every night.
Where you'd hear someone coming before you'd see them! The odd night I'd get hassled by kids knacker drinking on the Radisson helipad but that was it.

Of course it takes just one situation to be unlucky but I never found this dangerous.

If there was one aspect of Galway I didn't like it was kids hanging around the Ku-Market/Supervalu/Londis then Supervalu again hassling me to buy drink.
Same in the shop in Mervue.
But this happens all over Ireland and Galway, just ignore them


Realy OP, just figure out where your work is and try to avoid going across the city. But if you are then cycle it.

Lived in Galway now about 6-7 years.
Have lived in Dublin and Limerick before that - just for some perspective.
The "bad" areas of Galway are a hell of a lot better than any of the "bad" areas of the other two cities I have lived in.
I live close enough to castlepark and run/walk the main road through it regularly and like yourself, without issue. There are parts (off the main road) where if you went into, you'd realise, yep, there are a lot of not so normal families/characters living here but then again they don't really cause you any harm trouble. The same can be said for most of the areas with "dodgy" reps around town. I've lived very close to some other "dodgy" areas in the past on the opposite side of town as well and I've got to say that while the streets may be untidy, the people louder than normal, they are generally just a bit different - there's no real malice in most of them. Ballybane has a bad name in general but 99.9% of all those living there are sound. If there are any issues they tend to be between families - which can happen anywhere.

To be honest, when it comes to living somewhere, you can decide to live in the most upmarket part of town or the place with the best reputation however if you get the bad luck to live beside a noisy, inconsiderate cnut of a neighbour, your life will be hell - and that can happen any where..
As stated above, decide what is important to you, do you want to be close to work, can you walk/cycle, how close do you want to be to town/what is your price range.
I'd agree with other comments as well about making sure you dont have to commute across town - that's add a minor bit of stress to your day.

Galway is a great place to live and work *although you'll find those who disagree* so welcome to the city and keep us informed about where you're looking at and how you are getting on.

biko

Whereabouts will you work OP?

www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=moving+to+galway+site%3Aboards.ie

johngalway

Ballinfoyle, resembles a cross between a third world slum and Bosnia in the mid 90's, depending on whether ya get a good or bad day passing through it. Rubbish can be simply thrown outside of someones house, for the magic corpo rubbish fairy to clean up, and adults/kids and cars can be stoned for simply passing through. House torched there not so long ago, car outside torched a few days later. Wouldn't live there for all the tea in China.

kippy

johngalway wrote: »

Ballinfoyle, resembles a cross between a third world slum and Bosnia in the mid 90's, depending on whether ya get a good or bad day passing through it. Rubbish can be simply thrown outside of someones house, for the magic corpo rubbish fairy to clean up, and adults/kids and cars can be stoned for simply passing through. House torched there not so long ago, car outside torched a few days later. Wouldn't live there for all the tea in China.

I've passed through Ballinafoyle on numerous occasions (walking and in a car). I've never seen a car being stoned. People maybe.

El_Dangeroso

JustMary wrote: »

it's true if you're a 20-something looking to drink/party

You've got my number.

click_here!!!

johngalway wrote: »

Ballinfoyle, resembles a cross between a third world slum and Bosnia in the mid 90's, depending on whether ya get a good or bad day passing through it. Rubbish can be simply thrown outside of someones house, for the magic corpo rubbish fairy to clean up, and adults/kids and cars can be stoned for simply passing through. House torched there not so long ago, car outside torched a few days later. Wouldn't live there for all the tea in China.

I saw the house that was torched, that was terrible! I heard it was torched by kids who had nothing better to do.

Most of the people in Ballinafoyle are friendly. It's just a very small minority who are anti-social. Those people still put me off living there. As well as that, it's a bit far out from the city.

Most parts of Bohermore are fine. You're right beside the city centre there. There is actually a really convenient shortcut to the Galway Shopping Centre too. The path on the left is better lit and safer than the one on the right. It's completely safe and hassle-free to use during daylight.

johngalway

kippy wrote: »

I've passed through Ballinafoyle on numerous occasions (walking and in a car). I've never seen a car being stoned. People maybe.

I know of two people (both known to me, rather than second/third hand info) who've been stoned in their cars and others walking through the place.

scabo33

Whats Gort na Coirbhe like to live do ye know? Im doing a postgrad in Galway in sept?

the untitled user

scabo33 wrote: »

Whats Gort na Coirbhe like to live do ye know? Im doing a postgrad in Galway in sept?

Bog-standard student accommodation with issues of security. Full of undergrads too so not sure it's a great place for a post grad student (pending on how intensive the course is). Could do worse mind...

El_Dangeroso

scabo33 wrote: »

Whats Gort na Coirbhe like to live do ye know? Im doing a postgrad in Galway in sept?

Great location for NUIG. Nice sturdily built apartments with a good degree of sound proofing, unlike some of the crap that was thrown up in the boom (doughiska I'm looking in your direction).

Short walk to town, adjacent to Lidl, tesco, dunnes, aldi, fruit and veg wholesalers, butchers etc.

Can get slightly noisy round rag week but if you're a student you won't mind.

Only thing I will say is do not rent a ground floor apartment, they are damp for some reason.

fergpie

the untitled user wrote: »

Bog-standard student accommodation with issues of security. Full of undergrads too so not sure it's a great place for a post grad student (pending on how intensive the course is). Could do worse mind...

Its not all students mind. Half of the estate is student accommodation and half is for private residence. And I wouldn't call the "bog standard" either. Well the one i lived in was pretty good.

scotty_irish

nobody's warned the poor OP about the rain. you know it rains in Galway?

scabo33

I literally just applied today. I know i left it late..

But im hoping the recession and the fact im older might give me an advantage.:D

El_Dangeroso

the untitled user wrote: »

Bog-standard student accommodation with issues of security. Full of undergrads too so not sure it's a great place for a post grad student (pending on how intensive the course is). Could do worse mind...

I think it depends on whether you live in the blocks at the front or the back. The block near the road has very little students living in it.

Very few apartments come up for rent there, even when the students are gone home for the summer.

What are the security issues you speak of?

the untitled user

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

What are the security issues you speak of?

Mainly in relation to students thieving when the money got tight mid way trough the year. Common sense should prevail, but there were (at least a couple of years back) significant blind spots in the security cameras leaving many balconies/access points hidden from view so a bit of extra care is needed.

El_Dangeroso

the untitled user wrote: »

Mainly in relation to students thieving when the money got tight mid way trough the year. Common sense should prevail, but there were (at least a couple of years back) significant blind spots in the security cameras leaving many balconies/access points hidden from view so a bit of extra care is needed.

That's only on the ground floor though surely?

the untitled user

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

That's only on the ground floor though surely?

1st floor is the worst I think, not sure about upper levels but they are reachable in one or two spots iirc. The smaller complexes at the back are the most vulnerable from what I've heard. It's not for lack of effort on the part of security, just design flaws meant the cameras didn't reach some spots making them an easy target. Could have been fixed by now but might be no harm asking about if you're considering there.

El_Dangeroso

the untitled user wrote: »

1st floor is the worst I think, not sure about upper levels but they are reachable iirc. The smaller complexes at the back are the most vulnerable from what I've heard. It's not for lack of effort on the part of security, just design flaws meant the cameras didn't reach some spots making them an easy target. Could have been fixed by now but might be no harm asking about if you're considering there.

How would the first floor be worse? Unless you didn't lock your door. You can't climb up the balcony too easy.

the untitled user

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

How would the first floor be worse? Unless you didn't lock your door. You can't climb up the balcony too easy.

No, the problem as I was told was people going in from other balconies. They could track who goes in and out of the estate but once inside you could evade security in some areas down the back.