Moving to Dublin and confused about best areas

borderlinemeath

SBWife wrote: »

What's the issue with living in town. There are plenty of rentals in the Christchurch, Francais St, Liberties area, which would be a maximum 15 min walk to Golden Lane. These areas are safe, well serviced, and you don't have to worry about the bus or LUAS nor do you have any commuting costs. Failing that the docklands are turning into a good place to live as well.

If you read the OPs posts, he is looking for a quiet area, city centre may well be too noisy with traffic, late night bars etc, somewhere slightly suburban but with a short commute is what he is looking for. The areas most commonly suggested that are deemed suitable such as Ranelagh/Rathmines don't have the standard of accomodation that the OP wants so there's going to have to be a compromise somewhere.

Diarmuid

I was leaving Rathfarnham out of my recommendations as you will be limited to the Dublin Bus but it is a good place to live. In fact I live there so I would be a bit biased For the Radisson Blu you are right next to the 16 bus route so you'd probably have a 25 minute journey on it and a 2 minute walk from the stop

There are a lot more good quality apartments in Rathfarnham than in places like Ranelagh/Rathmines. The area is very quite and safe but you don't have the same local facilities as you would in Ranelagh/Rathmines. Check Daft.ie for whats available. There always seems to be apartments for rent in loretto abbey

bullpost

Have you looked at Blackrock?

Its quiet, a 15 minute commute to town on the Dart and has reasonable choice of shops/bars/restaurants and the big bonus is of course living on the coast.

Diarmuid

bullpost wrote: »

Have you looked at Blackrock?

Its quiet, a 15 minute commute to town on the Dart

..and a 20minute walk from the Dart station to his work place

SBWife

borderlinemeath wrote: »

If you read the OPs posts, he is looking for a quiet area, city centre may well be too noisy with traffic, late night bars etc, somewhere slightly suburban but with a short commute is what he is looking for. The areas most commonly suggested that are deemed suitable such as Ranelagh/Rathmines don't have the standard of accomodation that the OP wants so there's going to have to be a compromise somewhere.

City centre can be very quite it depends on the building and the street. You'd be surprised, I live about 100 meters always from one of the busiest nightlife areas in Dublin (Camden St, Wexford St) and I hear nighttime noise 4 nights a year, the evenings of both All Ireland's, Leaving Cert, and JR Cert results nights. My sister and father have places near Christchurch and St Patricks and have no noise issues. Quality of life in the city centre is excellent and really shouldn't be dismissed so readily particularly when the transport infrastructure is so dire in this city.

narfsnonsense

I'd go Rathfanham too.

Buses are generally grand.
Nice parks around the place.
Farmers market at the weekend for when you fancy nice food if hungover!
Decent local pubs.
Close enough to a Tesco / Supervalu / Lidl etc no matter where you are really.
Nightlink if you dont want to get taxis home.

http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?id=1260456

Gweedling

I live in Phibsborough/drumcondra, most 1 bed apartments around here go for 700-800pm, it's not the tidiest of areas but I've never had any hassle, loads of shops on your doorstep and millions of buses taking 5 mins into city centre. Taxi from o connel st is about 7 euro.

Edited to add: Me and the missus are looking into buying a house over the coming months, so if you're still looking for somewhere come november/december you're welcome to come check out our place. Cracking apartment, highly reccomended

NicsM

I used to live in Rathfarnham last year and commuted into town on the 16, it's not a bad commute but to be in for 9am I'd be on an 7:50 bus, the 7:35 would have you in for just after half past 8.

Rathfarnham is a bit more spread out so you could have more of a walk to supermarkets etc.

OP am I right in saying you're leaning more towards a suburb/somewhere more settled?

In that case I would recommend Dundrum, the Southmede, Wyckham Point and Rockbrook complexes are quite high spec apartments, they would be well within your budget. Ballinteer is also worth checking out, again it is on the 16 bus route but you are closer to Dundrum Town Centre as well as having Marley park close by.

borderlinemeath

SBWife wrote: »

City centre can be very quite it depends on the building and the street. You'd be surprised, I live about 100 meters always from one of the busiest nightlife areas in Dublin (Camden St, Wexford St) and I hear nighttime noise 4 nights a year, the evenings of both All Ireland's, Leaving Cert, and JR Cert results nights. My sister and father have places near Christchurch and St Patricks and have no noise issues. Quality of life in the city centre is excellent and really shouldn't be dismissed so readily particularly when the transport infrastructure is so dire in this city.

I also lived in the city centre for 3 years, (not far from Camden St either) and it's not just night time noise. It's the constant traffic, the dirty streets/the smell of jeyes fluid on streets after being cleaned. The lack of quality outdoor space close by.... It gets to you after a while.

And in particular if you work in the city centre, living on your working doorstep can have it's drawbacks. I was always first on the list for alarm calls, I'd go in early and work late because I could, while others HAD to leave to make their train/bus. And the older you get the less fun it is, you can reach a point where you just have had enough. I used to enjoy heading out on a tues/wed/thurs night because I could, now I couldn't be bothered, I just want the quiet life;)

If the OP has suggested a quiet neighbourhood where the main requirement nearby is supermarkets rather than pubs, I would imagine he might be in the same frame of mind.

SBWife

borderlinemeath wrote: »

I also lived in the city centre for 3 years, (not far from Camden St either) and it's not just night time noise. It's the constant traffic, the dirty streets/the smell of jeyes fluid on streets after being cleaned. The lack of quality outdoor space close by.... It gets to you after a while.

And in particular if you work in the city centre, living on your working doorstep can have it's drawbacks. I was always first on the list for alarm calls, I'd go in early and work late because I could, while others HAD to leave to make their train/bus. And the older you get the less fun it is, you can reach a point where you just have had enough. I used to enjoy heading out on a tues/wed/thurs night because I could, now I couldn't be bothered, I just want the quiet life;)

If the OP has suggested a quiet neighbourhood where the main requirement nearby is supermarkets rather than pubs, I would imagine he might be in the same frame of mind.

I'll take supermarkets AND pubs AND great parks over an estate green and a commute on Dublin public transport any day, and my guess is that given I'm already viewing the big 40 through a rear view mirror that won't change as I grow older. Different strokes and all that, I just think that completely discounting the centre of a small, safe, quiet city like Dublin is silly. But then an apartment in the suburbs to me would be the worst of both worlds.

borderlinemeath

SBWife wrote: »

But then an apartment in the suburbs to me would be the worst of both worlds.

Mine too. But at the different end of the scale. While I grew up and lived in Dublin, now I live in the country surrounded by farmland and nice scenery with a trek to both shops and pubs.

Some peoples idea of hell but I love it:D

Pkiernan

OP: Your budget would get you a nice apartment in Malahide Marina, with about €100 left over.

Nicest town in Ireland, and a 4 min walk to the Dart station, and 20 mins to city centre.

Plus you won't get assaulted.

Diarmuid

Pkiernan wrote: »

OP: Your budget would get you a nice apartment in Malahide Marina, with about €100 left over.

Nicest town in Ireland, and a 4 min walk to the Dart station, and 20 mins to city centre.

Plus you won't get assaulted.

A DART leaving Malahide now will take 42 minutes to reach Pearse station according to Iarnrod Eireann. So that would make his commute about 70-75 minutes each way.

He could live in most places in Dublin and not get assaulted.

RATM

irisheejit wrote: »

At the moment I'm living in South London and leave at 7.30am and get a 7.44am train into London Bridge (Arrive here around 8am, then 20-25 minute bus ride to office). I get to work for about 8.30am every morning.

Early but I avoid any rush and like to get a head start on my day.

I'm prepared to be several miles out from the city centre if regular transport is available, and on the occasions I'm out after mid-night, taxis home won't be a massive financial drain.

Well if you don't mind the odd taxi home then I would second Ashtown, which a previous poster suggested. It is a lovely little hamlet and if you can get an apartment near the train station then you're only a 15 minute commute from Connolly Station. From Connolly the Radisson would be about a 15 minute walk or you could use Dublin Bikes and get there quicker than that.

Asntown has a couple of bars/restuarnants right below the apartments, they don't seem to be noisy and there is a nice vibe from them, packed with local 20 and 30 somethings at the weekend. The Phonenix Park is a 5 minute walk away so great for jogging / cycling in the summer, also the walks along the canal (which runs through Asntown) are gorgeous too.

As the previous poster said you'd get a nice one bed apartment for about €750-800, the trains are regular and the area it is in is one of the nicest available in Dublin for the price of rent paid.

Another option to cut out the commute altogether and have work and the city center within walking distance might be to look at house shares in areas of the Coombe, Liberties/Thomas Street/ Christchurch or the little area nearby called Pimlico. Parts of those areas have what might be considered a rough element but my impression of them is that they aren't anywhere near as rough as what people think. Though I've never lived there so can't speak from first hand experience. If looking in these areas then look out for quiet streets off the main drags and away from big blocks of corporation housing.

JustAThought

Bus from Malahide 42, 3 ( something 1 or 2 A or , Will get you into town in 35 mins. There is also a nightlink (weekends) & a DART. Agreed; it's cosy, nice atmosphere, by the coast, has a supermarket , nightlife, good pubs & restaurants, shops, supermarket, organic food shop, bookshops, the Marina, castle, new Avoca Tearooms opening next month, tennis, golf, 100 acre park etc

There is IMO no contest at all between that & the sprawl that is Dundrum,the dull of Stillorgan, or the likes of terrenure : but I'm Biased- I live here.

Ashtown - county Meath. No.

Re Phibsborough I worked there for 4 years & it is a nice walk to town - I'd say 25 or 30 minutes depending on where you're going/based; & despite liking some of the old ( cold) houses it is not an area I would call " safe" at night. There is the prison, the day-releasers, & an increasing amount of poverty visible on the streets particularly as you walk past the Harrington into town. There are also 5 drugs or homeless shelters within 5 minutes of the Haddington: not really for me..

My ex had an appartment in the city centre - just ip in the liberties about 5 mins from
Christchurch . Again not a pleasant walk home once you left Dame street - junkies & dopeheads abound, and again not helped by the various shelters for homeless & drug drop in centres in the locality : there are 3 alone within 5 minutes of Christchurch going up clonbrassa Street. Stepping over junkies on your way into the hallway or out over vomit & worse is not a pleasant way to start the day. Nor is racing to shut the door on someone who wants to get into the appartment to sleep in the nice dry hallway corridor cos they've missed the deadline for the hostel, spent the cash on booze from spar, or were rejected cos they were in too much of a state when they got there. 3 years if it- too much & not isolated incidents

But- a taxi from town to Malahide will cost you a. Tidy e35; not something you'd want to be doing often.

I like personally the blackrock suggestion too - there's the view, the bit of a strip of a park, & a Superquinn shopping centre & it's a manageable bus or dart into town ; or cycle if you're up for it. Half the distance or hassle of Dundrum/Stillorgan but still quiet & suburbic enough!
Mind you - if I worked in town again I'd still prefer to walk to work & have no commute - Ballsbridge!!