Relocating advice needed

pav

Hi all

I need some practical advice and suggestions from you. I've been offered a job in city centre. Hubby also works in city. We have been living in the midlands for past 10 years. We want to rent and own our house. We are looking to move to the maynooth/celbridge/Lucan/lexlip area. We have a 6 yr old and another under. We have been used to a quiet town life & become accustomed to this. Can you advise me

1. An area with good safe area with good community spirit
2. Estates that you would suggest
3. Child minding costs.
4. School is that area
5. Approximate commute time.

Thanks
Pav

knucklehead6

you'll get people from each of those towns suggesting their own, and slating the others.

I'll try and give a quick overview of the 4 of them for you.

Lucan. Very built up over the last few years, still a green belt between Lucan and leixlip but i was 4 years old when i left there so can't really comment.

Leixlip. Have been living here for over 25 years, bought my own house here i like it so much. Far enough outside Dublin to not be concrete jungle, yet close enough that a trip into town is not a logistical nightmare. Plenty bus routes, and 2 train stations. There are a number of schools, one of which is a gaelscoil. 2 decent secondary schools as well, but which one you get into can be determined by where you live. I was not allowed into the one at the other end of the town when it came to be my turn to go into secondary.
Night life is decent enough, most types are catered for.

CONS:
There is a tribal aspect to the hill and far-end rivalry. It can degenerate into fights, but boys will be boys.
There is no major retailer. There is a Super Value up the hill and an Aldi/Lidl at the outskirts of the town. I rarely shop there so can never remember which one it is.
You have to go to Lucan (Superquinn and Tesco's grocery, Dunnes Drapery), Celbridge (Tesco) Maynooth (Tesco and Dunnes) for your big weekly shop.


Maynooth.
College town, so there are students everywhere during the year.
Has a train station, and a well serviced bus service. never lived there so can't really comment on it. You do have a sizeable Tesco's there.

Celbridge
rented there for 2 years, nice sleepy little town, but I don't have kids so don't really know what amenities there are there for them. Big tesco's there, but you might find getting house insurance difficult, as there has been problems with flooding in some estates in the recent past.
For nights out we rarely stayed in Celbridge, normally went to Mayooth or leixlip or town.

Snoopy1

I wouldnt bother with Lucan. Its very built up now.
Move over the border which is 5 minutes away, and its cheaper.
Maynooth, is not a quiet town, and if you ever have the misfortune to be stuck in it for the school run, then you can be stuck for ages. It does have all the shops though.
Leixlip is ok. very small town mentality though, only a tiny supermarket.
Celbridge has Aldi, Lidl and Tesco

Moonbeam

We choose Maynooth.
We both commuted to the Ifsc and had 1 child with another on the way and wanted to live somewhere friendly with a community.
We now have 2 kids,a 3rd on the way and I no longer commute but am a Childminder.
It is quite for us,we live within walking distance of the town but not in it,walking distance of the schools and are away from students mostly .
Everything is on your door step and the train and motorway are a 2 minute drive and 7 minute walk. There are loads of coffee shops,pubs and restaurants for when you do get a chance to go out too:-)

pav

Hi

Thanks for that info everyone, it's great to get some advice from others as we have NO idea about life there.

Moonbeam can you give me an idea about the cost of childcare. I've a 9 month and 6 year old who will be going into 2nd class.

Thanks
Pav