college area

ruskin

Hi,
I have been offered a place in Ballyfermot College of Further Education this September. I am from Tipp, and that means that I would have to find some accommodation near the college in the autumn. I don't know Ballyfermot at all, but everyone I have managed to talk to and everything I have read about the place is not good to say the least. Does anyone have any thoughts or advice on what a safe bet might be regarding accommodation for going to Ballyfermot? I'm heading up there effectively on my own and would like to be sure Im making the right decision!

Fergality

Hi Ruskin, do you drive? Would you consider living in digs or would you prefer to live in a house/apartment with other students? It's true that Ballyer and Cherry Orchard aren't the greatest of areas..Inchicore nearby is pretty rough too, I lived near there for the two years I was in Ballyfermot though, and I was fine. The only problem was I was a thirty - forty minute walk from college. The 78a and 79/a serve Ballyfermot from town which are all handy busses.

Chapelizod is directly behind Ballyfermot and is a lovely area - quiet, gorgeous and sound people. My class mate lived there and his gaff was literally a five minute walk from the Art's Block.

mrDerek

palmerstown is here as well thats a nice area

blueboy123

Lived in Chapelizod for my second year in Ballyfermot and it was really good. Nice little village, with buses, shops, pubs and just a small walk to the college.

Fergality

Chapelizod really is lovely and Derek is right too, Palmerstown even sounds nice!

guitarzero

I would say Chapelizod, lovely spot and 2 1/2 mins walk down the road or maybe something cheap in town if that possible - 15/20min bus journey. Hope all works out for ya man.

starviewadams

When I was a student there a few years ago most of the country people in my year rented rooms in houses in and around Clondalkin Village,about a 20 minute bus journey away on the 76 route,nice quiet area with every amenity you could wish for,average they paid was around €400/450 pm.

Loanshark Blues

Lucan is good too. A friend of mine traveled from there to Ballyfermot for the 3 years we were in college. The 25a will leave you about 5 minutes from the college.

rallye150flyer

i live in ballyfermot and its not the best place for student accommodation. my advice is dont get on a 78/78a i live in ballyfermot all my life and hate the bus with a passion if you have to get on it stay downstairs or up the front upstairs.. and if you want close accommodation try the apartments down the end of sarsfield road dont know what the prices or availability is like but there quite and close to college and bus stop outside if your feeling lazy. or contact the bcfe they should have a list of approved or recommended places to stay. in all ballyfermot is an alri place it has got wino's who hang around but there no harm. you will be grand !

_Chaos

Heya Ruskin,
I'm from Roscommon myself, and completed my first year in BCFE just this year. I lived in Knockmaree, a small estate in Chapelizod. It was perfect!
I have to say, I had an opinion made of Ballyer before I moved up, but TBH I expected alot worse! You learn to stay out of the place at night, and don't walk alone, all the normal stuff for living in Dublin :P
I am hoping to get another place in Knockmaree this year, it was just SO handy for bringing down all my art work and heavy equipment, and I didn't have to buy a bus ticket for the week!
Only thing is, last year I rented a room with a family (it worked out at €300 a month, but that didn't include ESB, NTL or Gas, so it was about €400 or so a month), but this year, I can't seem to find any rooms to rent, it seems just to be the whole apartment for rent (I may be a bit early for all this jazz, but I like to have it all planned :P)
Soo, at the risk of sounding like a needy farmer girl, if you, or any of your friends were considering living in Knockmaree, I would happily share a house with you (and show you around ).
Here's an example of the rent/place ;]
http://www.rent.ie/houses-to-let/123-Knockmaree-St-Laurences-Road-Chapelizod-Dublin-20/1074910/
http://www.rent.ie/houses-to-let/Knockmaree-St-Lawrences-Road-Chapelizod-Dublin-20/1063501/
http://www.rent.ie/houses-to-let/Knockmaree-St-Lawrences-Rd-Chapelizod-Chapelizod-Dublin-20/1070070/

ALSO, I have to share my past experience in Chapo, as I presume it is your first year in college (?). I viewed the house the week before I received my Leaving Cert results (I did ADS, a portfolio course, so was offered my place sometime in May last year). I had viewed a few places in both Chapo and Parmerstown before the one in Knockmaree. The ad was displayed on Rent.ie, saying viewing was anytime, so being in the area, I rang them. They said they were in town, and would be home in half an hour. That was grand, myself and my sister waited around, and sussed out the area. It was perfect, the house was beautifully furnished-red leather couches and a nice big dining table....my room was upstairs, it was small enough, but it was such a nice location and house, I accepted.
I moved in the night before I started college (I was reluctant to move, I knew no one, and wanted to save every last penny at the time). This is where it got weird. My mother and sister came to the house that day (around 2pm) to have a bit of lunch before they drove back down to Roscommon that evening. The woman who lived there was there during the day (she had told us she was in college), and had all this baby stuff scattered over the living room/kitchen. I brushed it off, convincing myself she must do a bit of babysitting.
My sister and I brought my mother upstairs to show her my room, and finish moving my bags in. We went back into the kitchen to have a cup of tea after a while, to discover the woman sitting there breastfeeding a baby. Stunned, my sister asked, 'who's is the baby'. The woman exclaimed 'It's MY baby!' in a tone that suggested I should have copped.
There was nothing I could do, I had paid my deposit, and months rent, so was stuck there for the first month anyway. It was a newborn, so you can imagine the fun it was- awake early and kept up late at night.
I got over it, but after the second month, the ESB bill arrived. I had not expected to be paying €80 of a bill, being there only 4pm on during the week days, and not at all during the weekend! (bearing in mind there was 4 people living there, that was €80 each...)
It was all grand, I got used to it, and gradually made the best out of a bad situation.
After December, around Feb I think, the couple and the baby disappeared. I learned from the other housemate that they went to Brazil for 8 weeks for a holiday.
It was brilliant when they were gone. It was just so quiet and peaceful all the time! The bills were much lower too, as my other housemate was in work 7.30am - 5pm each day, and I was in college.
Anyway, when they came back, they brought a 14 year old boy with them.
WTF??!?!
He was sleeping on the couch until I moved out, which meant you couldn't use the kitchen/sitting room after 9pm (They went to bed early each night), and he wasn't in school etc, so was watching telly during the day (ESB bill skyrocketed!!)

As if that wasn't a bad enough experience for my first year in college, I had a job getting my deposit back. (The couple cancelled on me 3 times, and living in Roscommon, it was June before I got it back.

Needless to say, I am going to be more careful this year, and try to suss everything out before I move in.

ruskin

i sent you pm chaos

RacoonQueen

There is nothing wrong with Ballyfermot - the area is fine. There is hardly any trouble and even when there is, if you don't go looking for it, you're unlikely to find it.

I moved from a much 'nicer' part of Dublin 7 years ago. Nothing wrong with Ballyfermot. The village looks like crap but its fine.

guitarzero

Its the kids, they always have this look in their eyes that makes you prepared for anything.