Do you feel safe walking around the city anymore

John_Rambo

I see them too, but, I also see the architecture, the sculpture, the art, the good citizens of the city, the museums, the pubs, cafe's and galleries, I hear the music, the noises. I'm not blinkered to only see one side of things. Not everyone I see is a littering, druggie scumbag.

BraziliaNZ

John_Rambo wrote: »

I see them too, but, I also see the architecture, the sculpture, the art, the good citizens of the city, the museums, the pubs, cafe's and galleries, I hear the music, the noises. I'm not blinkered to only see one side of things. Not everyone I see is a littering, druggie scumbag.

I don't know of one nice cafe in the north inner city. Are there any?? I used to have to settle for horrible Insomnia's etc. Puke coffee!

John_Rambo

3FE on Abbey ST and a few in the Italian quarter... There are a few more, but the coffee is really really good in 3FE.

Jay D

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I think you're being quite unfair there. The situations described would scare the bejaysus out of most women (and a lot of men) no matter how well they are trained in self defence.

I really don't see how it would scare the bejaysus out of most women. i'm sorry, bar being grabbed like that but I always feel there's someone around town. Junkies talking crap on Luas's etc is in no way scary. Maybe my mind just thinks differently. See things for what they are.

Gumbo

I felt less safe at a nightclub in Boyle recently, thought i was gona get jumped on for being a Dub!

Kintarō Hattori

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

I don't know of one nice cafe in the north inner city. Are there any?? I used to have to settle for horrible Insomnia's etc. Puke coffee!

Party cake or whatever they are called now on Capel Street do amazing cakes.

paddyandy

Between 8-9 menacing a bystander .Guards came along from across the road.One of them had been fiddling with a bicycle lock chained in front of the metal man.A lot of badly lit areas around that cinema.

BraziliaNZ

John_Rambo wrote: »

3FE on Abbey ST and a few in the Italian quarter... There are a few more, but the coffee is really really good in 3FE.

It is nice coffee alright, but the interior is terrible, no windows, and they don't do food. I can't think of one good cafe on the northside, sorry. Party cake is a cake shop not a cafe.

John_Rambo

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

It is nice coffee alright, but the interior is terrible, no windows, and they don't do food. I can't think of one good cafe on the northside, sorry. Party cake is a cake shop not a cafe.

So, you forced horrible Insomnia coffee into you because you didn't like the decor of the place that does really really good coffee? You say 3FE doesn't do food, when they actually do? You can't think of one good cafe even though I just told you there are some in the Italian quarter?

BraziliaNZ, you seem to be happy with your move, don't be bitter about Dublin.

John_Rambo

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

It is nice coffee alright, but the interior is terrible, no windows, and they don't do food. I can't think of one good cafe on the northside, sorry. Party cake is a cake shop not a cafe.

So, you forced horrible Insomnia coffee into you because you didn't like the decor of the place that does really really good coffee? You say 3FE doesn't do food, when they actually do? You can't think of one good cafe even though I just told you there are some in the Italian quarter? There are plenty more around too.

Come on BraziliaNZ, You're just being pedantic here, you seem to be happy with your move, don't be bitter.

youcrazyjesus!

John_Rambo wrote: »

That's a bit of a big "apart" BraziliaNZ!! I think not visiting over xmas might have more to do with your personal life in Dublin, not druggies, but congrats on the move, you were not a happy man and it sounds like you are now. Delighted for you, just don't look back in anger too much!



You said you have never been to a city that has worse harrassment than Dublin? I have. I got a Ryanair flights to them. I put up the Ryanair website as a little gag... you know, you can get flights to loads of cities with Ryanair quiet cheaply, wander off the tourist trail and get harrassed or worse to your hearts content! Where you live is irrelevant to the gag, but bully for you!

Clever. Don't bother with examples.

BraziliaNZ

John_Rambo wrote: »

So, you forced horrible Insomnia coffee into you because you didn't like the decor of the place that does really really good coffee? You say 3FE doesn't do food, when they actually do? You can't think of one good cafe even though I just told you there are some in the Italian quarter? There are plenty more around too.

Come on BraziliaNZ, You're just being pedantic here, you seem to be happy with your move, don't be bitter.

No I forced horrible Insomnia coffee into me because 3FE was too far to walk to on my coffee break. It didn't do food when I was there. I think they have potential they just need a nicer place. I guess my idea of good cafes are the Oz/Kiwi style ones that are popular here in London now and I lived down there for 3 years. If you knew the type you'd know what good cafes are like. I am not bitter I just think north inner city is a f*cking SH*THOLE and I don't know why you're bothering to defend it.

Camac Hibs

Having moved to Dublin from Edinburgh some time ago, I do think some people here get a little excited about the whole "scumbag" thing, harrasment by junkies etc, more often than not from people who do not actually live in areas impacted by problems like heroin addiction and anti-social behaviour.

One of the things I like about Dublin (including the north inner city) compared to urban Scotland is the relative lack of random aggression and unprovoked violence on the streets. One of the reasons for this, as far as I can see, is the relative ability of most irish males (not all) to drink large amounts of alcohol without feeling the urge to stab someone in the face. This is something Dublin should be thankful for.

These problems in other cities are just better concealed. Dublin, unlike many cities in Scotland and England, did not undertake a wholesale resettlement of poorer communities in the inner city to grim satellite estates during the last century (and all credit to Dublin too). Therefore you have some of the more troubled areas in the state a stones throw from major commercial and tourist thoroughfares, so it is not as easy for people to ignore some of society's problems they would rather not be confronted with everyday. In cities like Edinburgh, these problems were largely banished to suburban council estates, along with the communities blighted by them, out of sight and probably out of mind for many.

There is also an almost comical, hysterical snobbery among elements of the dublin middle class, where the wilful ignorance of whole sections of their home city is astounding. This is exacerbated by the enthusiastic adoption of the british "devil in sports casual" attitude where people are wholly dismissed as scum based on their appearance and accent. For me, the north inner city is easily the most interesting, diverse, enjoyable and genuinely handy place to live in the city. Sure it has its problems, but I genuinely feel sorry for people who cannot see the good things. But they are probably not looking, of course.

paddyandy

There's a very distinct note of complacency runs all through your post"Ah sure it's not that bad" possibly the reason things have got so bad in urban Scotland.

Camac Hibs

paddyandy wrote: »

There's a very distinct note of complacency runs all through your post"Ah sure it's not that bad" possibly the reason things have got so bad in urban Scotland.

I agree, constructively addressing these problems is important, the lazy stereotyping of an entire neighbourhood does not help. The fact that these problems are not as hidden away in Dublin provides us with an opportunity to frame them as a common problem, playing free and easy with words like scumbag and knacker or whatever to dismiss the problem as "them", and hysterical characterisations of the north inner city as some sort of dangerous no-go area is counterproductive.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Camac Hibs wrote: »

Having moved to Dublin from Edinburgh some time ago, I do think some people here get a little excited about the whole "scumbag" thing, harrasment by junkies etc, more often than not from people who do not actually live in areas impacted by problems like heroin addiction and anti-social behaviour.

One of the things I like about Dublin (including the north inner city) compared to urban Scotland is the relative lack of random aggression and unprovoked violence on the streets. One of the reasons for this, as far as I can see, is the relative ability of most irish males (not all) to drink large amounts of alcohol without feeling the urge to stab someone in the face. This is something Dublin should be thankful for.

These problems in other cities are just better concealed. Dublin, unlike many cities in Scotland and England, did not undertake a wholesale resettlement of poorer communities in the inner city to grim satellite estates during the last century (and all credit to Dublin too). Therefore you have some of the more troubled areas in the state a stones throw from major commercial and tourist thoroughfares, so it is not as easy for people to ignore some of society's problems they would rather not be confronted with everyday. In cities like Edinburgh, these problems were largely banished to suburban council estates, along with the communities blighted by them, out of sight and probably out of mind for many.

There is also an almost comical, hysterical snobbery among elements of the dublin middle class, where the wilful ignorance of whole sections of their home city is astounding. This is exacerbated by the enthusiastic adoption of the british "devil in sports casual" attitude where people are wholly dismissed as scum based on their appearance and accent. For me, the north inner city is easily the most interesting, diverse, enjoyable and genuinely handy place to live in the city. Sure it has its problems, but I genuinely feel sorry for people who cannot see the good things. But they are probably not looking, of course.

You have got to be joking!.

I was born on Summerhill, we were moved out to Ballymun (1969'ish), during the same period Dublin expanded into (off the top of my head) places like Ballymun, Finglas, Coolock then a little later into Blanchardstown, Tallaght, Condalkin, parts of Rathfarnham (whitechaple), Darndale - and slowly the city center was almost emptied.

As for your comments on the northside - and I'm a northsider through'n'through, the north inner city is a kip and IMO has little redeeming features.

Here's the laugh, I was made think about this thread last night.

Talking to a guy in work (I work the door of a busy bar in Templebar), he's from Amsterdam and arrived in Dublin yesterday morning and he asked me "why are there so many junkies around, and everone keeps asking me for money" - and this guy, from the 'Dam is shocked at junkies lol.

OP as has been said, we're a capital city. No better or worse than most other's, keep your wits about you - be a little smart smart and you'll be grand mostly.

Camac Hibs

Kellan Silly Spaceship wrote: »

You have got to be joking!.

I was born on Summerhill, we were moved out to Ballymun (1969'ish), during the same period Dublin expanded into (off the top of my head) places like Ballymun, Finglas, Coolock then a little later into Blanchardstown, Tallaght, Condalkin, parts of Rathfarnham (whitechaple), Darndale - and slowly the city center was almost emptied.

As for your comments on the northside - and I'm a northsider through'n'through, the north inner city is a kip and IMO has little redeeming features.

Here's the laugh, I was made think about this thread last night.

Talking to a guy in work (I work the door of a busy bar in Templebar), he's from Amsterdam and arrived in Dublin yesterday morning and he asked me "why are there so many junkies around, and everone keeps asking me for money" - and this guy, from the 'Dam is shocked at junkies lol.

OP as has been said, we're a capital city. No better or worse than most other's, keep your wits about you - be a little smart smart and you'll be grand mostly.

Im aware of this, but the process did not happen anywhere near to the same extent as other cities. There is a lot of social housing that was constructed in place of the old slums in the inner city, minutes from the likes of O'Connel St and Temple Bar - this is unusual compared to most cities in western europe.
Thats why tourists from the likes of Amsterdam are surprised at how many junkies there are in the city centre. It looks like the problem is far worse in Dublin (and it is a very serious problem, dont get me wrong) because the social geography of the city is rather different from most others in this regard.

John_Rambo

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

I am not bitter I just think north inner city is a f*cking SH*THOLE

Really?

paddyandy

One the great surprises is Very expensive commercial properties next to Inner city Council Flats and Council Houses in Dublin.As far as i know that did't ever occur in London when i lived there years ago.The sight of The ABN Bank next to The Salvation Army Hostel (York House) 20 years ago i thought could only happen in Dublin.Both have moved from york street off Stephens Green.Never seen anything like that in London.

Straight Talker

I feel safe enough on the south side Thomas Street included but i don't feel so sake on places like Eden Quay,O'Connel Street,Abbey Street and Talbot Street.

Straight Talker

xoxyx wrote: »

Let me start off by saying that I am a Dublin city girl through, and for the last four years or so, I've been living smack bang in the middle of the city centre and loved almost every minute of it.

However, recently, I've been noticing a change in the people that hang around the city, to the point where I'm not sure I feel comfortable walking around town on my own at nighttime.

These days, when I'm coming home from a late train or bus, 99% of the time I have people coming right up to me and asking for money, change, whatever. Yesterday, I was coming off a 10pm train and, when I told a guy that I didn't have any change on me, he put his hands on my shoulders and his face right in mine and shouted that he didn't believe me. Scared the crap out of me, but some Luas security people were around and intervened.

The time before last, I was waiting on the Luas and a girl came over. She was off her face. Talking about how somebody had stabbed her in the stomach and showed me a (very old - think it was a cesarean) scar as proof. Her eyes were pointing in different directions and she was sweating from head to toe. She asked me for money and I said I didn't have any on me and just hopped across the Luas line to where other people were because I was a bit worried / scared.

Was outside a coffee shop recently, and a guy came over and asked us three girls for change. We all said no and he moved behind us and punched my friend in the back.

Earlier on tonight, I went out to Spar and, on my way back, I passed by a guy having a great conversation with a street light. Walked by him, noticed a short while later that he was walking in the same direction as I was. Thought nothing of it, until I got into my apartment complex and shut the gate after me and he came running up to the closed gate and started shouting at me to "beware" "my time will come".

I love where I live, but I'm really starting to dread being out at night. I don't think it has always been this bad, but I'm wondering are desperate times leading to desperate situations.

Does anybody else think that Dublin city is getting worse? I'm really thinking of moving at this stage because I feel nervous around my home anymore.

Sadlly that sort thing is starting to happen in Cork now.A friend of mine was queuing up to get into a night club when he was asked for a fag.He said no and he got a punch in the face.Cork and Dublin are such lovely and scenic cities but junkies and scumbags are ruining it for the decent law abiding citizens.Will the boy's in blue just do the job that we pay them to do and clamp down on the amount of lowlifes causing trouble instead of looking for some car that is not parked correctly.The best thing to do when approached for money or cigarettes is to ignore the scummer and keep walking.If you slow down or engage in verbals it gives the scummer the chance to start something.

Straight Talker

Goldfingers wrote: »

Well I'm of the same opinion as this lad.It doesn't appear to be too popular but here goes,I've worked on various doors on nights and its only worse because the volume has increased.Its quite simple;more people + more vice = more unsocial behaviour.The crux of the problem is that the level of tolerance in society as a whole has been raised to phenomenal proportions.Was this experience commonplace 20 years ago?! Walk with me on this 600 metre stroll in Dublin. You walk up O'Connell St past a place infamous for foreign men hitting on teen girls.Cross the road where counterfeit items are sold in the middle of the day.Stroll along & see junkies shoot up in broad daylight.Cross the bridge & pass the club where girls in their mid teens are standing in uber high heels with their ass hanging out of micro minis showing their bits while drink vodka mixed in with cola in a plastic bottle at about 6 or 7pm.You walk past a couple of junkies looking for money for "coffee" or a "bus" and get to a train station where groups are playing around swapping this & that for some kind of "better high" . That was daytime in Dublin June 2011 - I could name ALL those locations & every one of them is infamous or common knowledge.If you can't see this in Dublin & see how our "PC blind" society has shunned responsibility for any of this by attempting to be "tolerant" you deserve what you get.Dublin is a kip at night time.Its full of ticks & weasels during the day but the rats and scum come out at night.Dublin city is a kip.I'm 100% a Dub but I've still got my senses intact.We let anything go now.

Fair play for having the bravery to call a spade a spade.Sadly Cork is heading in the same direction as well.

The Scientician

Kellan Silly Spaceship wrote: »

As for your comments on the northside - and I'm a northsider through'n'through, the north inner city is a kip and IMO has little redeeming features.

The Blessington Basin and???

Liisa

The worst thing which happend to me was a homeless man saying: "I would like to have a prostitute. Would you fund me, please?"
I took it with humor, smiled and said with a friendly voice: "No, sorry!"
It's my third week in Dublin so I have no experience... but the storries I hear get worse every day: should I be scared?

dfx-

Goldfingers wrote: »

Well I'm of the same opinion as this lad.It doesn't appear to be too popular but here goes,I've worked on various doors on nights and its only worse because the volume has increased.Its quite simple;more people + more vice = more unsocial behaviour.The crux of the problem is that the level of tolerance in society as a whole has been raised to phenomenal proportions.Was this experience commonplace 20 years ago?! Walk with me on this 600 metre stroll in Dublin. You walk up O'Connell St past a place infamous for foreign men hitting on teen girls.Cross the road where counterfeit items are sold in the middle of the day.Stroll along & see junkies shoot up in broad daylight.Cross the bridge & pass the club where girls in their mid teens are standing in uber high heels with their ass hanging out of micro minis showing their bits while drink vodka mixed in with cola in a plastic bottle at about 6 or 7pm.You walk past a couple of junkies looking for money for "coffee" or a "bus" and get to a train station where groups are playing around swapping this & that for some kind of "better high" . That was daytime in Dublin June 2011 - I could name ALL those locations & every one of them is infamous or common knowledge.If you can't see this in Dublin & see how our "PC blind" society has shunned responsibility for any of this by attempting to be "tolerant" you deserve what you get.Dublin is a kip at night time.Its full of ticks & weasels during the day but the rats and scum come out at night.Dublin city is a kip.I'm 100% a Dub but I've still got my senses intact.We let anything go now.

So at what point in that 600m walk did you feel unsafe? Did passing by mid-teens in uber high heels make you feel unsafe in any way? Did you feel unsafe at someone asking and looking for money? Did you feel unsafe passing by counterfeit items? Because you probably won't feel safe anywhere.

I walked down Marlborough St., Talbot St., Abbey St (from the Luas stop to under the Dart bridge) and Eden Quay last Friday night at 9.30pm and there was nobody around. It wasn't a place infested with vice or scum or junkies (I dunno about rats :pac: )

gurramok

Does the north docklands count as north inner city for an asset? You know the revitalised 'gentrified' part?

On a serious note, move the drug clinics out to where the addicts live in the burbs and watch the corresponding level of crime and anti-social behaviour go down in the city centre. Or just move the clinics beside Brown Thomas & the Westbury, the other side of Irish society would get a fright :P

latenia

dfx- wrote: »

I walked down Marlborough St., Talbot St., Abbey St (from the Luas stop to under the Dart bridge) and Eden Quay last Friday night at 9.30pm and there was nobody around. It wasn't a place infested with vice or scum or junkies

That's the ironic thing about these streets that people view as no-go areas from seeing them in the daytime-by night they're very quiet and far less dangerous than somewhere like Westmoreland St or O'Connell St at 3AM. The section of Marlborough St between Parnell St and Talbot St is actually a very pleasant walk.
The presence of junkies around the city is entirely due to incompetence in the council, health board and various homeless charities by first attracting them into the central commercial district for free drugs and acommodation and then turning them out on the streets for the whole day.

discus

gurramok wrote: »

Does the north docklands count as north inner city for an asset? You know the revitalised 'gentrified' part?

On a serious note, move the drug clinics out to where the addicts live in the burbs and watch the corresponding level of crime and anti-social behaviour go down in the city centre. Or just move the clinics beside Brown Thomas & the Westbury, the other side of Irish society would get a fright :P

Too right mate. I'm sick of watching ****ing scumbags hopping off the 27, 27B etc on their daily free commute into Amiens St.

Better yet, organise for new clinics to be miles out in the middle of no where. 1 Bus there in the morning, with the bus back around 7pm. Tire the ****ers out, keep them out of our city, away from people who earn their crust... You know, people who are sick of them leeching the **** out of medical cards, bus passes, free social housing etc.

paddyandy

I live in the Inner City and i agree with you especially regarding the increased level of tolerence and p. c. etc. We get the city we deserve and i want to add that there is an almost a total lack of individual and collective responsibility among the people themselves.There is not enough support for the Guards and they lose interest if they see no support among the people.This is where the Shinners do absolutely NOTHING when it comes to supporting our protectors.The Guard is your only man if you are getting a hiding while every body is making a video .I'VE SEEN IT.Complacency is very real out there and it begins in the home with older people poisoning the minds of their children with anti authority rhetoric.The Gardai need support from the people i feel.