Moving to Portarlington

Catuohy

Hey all,

Myself and my boyfriend and his two year old are currently looking at renting a house in Portarlington in Castlelea. I'm originally from Dublin and going to college there so I love the fact there's a number of trains going regularly. We're currently in Athy and it's awful We love the house and think the area seems really nice. Not being from around here just looking for a bit of advice? Is the area as nice as it seems? Would you recommend living here?

Thanks :-)

westies4ever

castlelea is only half finished; have you visited in person or just looked online?

sydthebeat

The best houses build in portarlington in "the boom times" is white fields. If you can rent in there, then id look at that first.

a bit of advice if renting or buying a house built after 2000, knock on the walls... if it sounds hollow, walk away...

connundrum

I notice that approx 15 of the 23 houses which pop up in a daft search were actually in Castlelea.. that'd be a sign there.

I lived in Whitefields for 2 years, grand houses, nice area, close to railway station.

Catuohy

Yeah we went to view it. I liked the house was more wondering about the area is it rough or ok? Can't seem to find any houses for rent in whitefields. I just assumed the houses couldn't sell recession and all thats why they were being rented out. Any recommendations on somewhere else to rent?

sydthebeat

Catuohy wrote: »

Yeah we went to view it. I liked the house was more wondering about the area is it rough or ok? Can't seem to find any houses for rent in whitefields. I just assumed the houses couldn't sell recession and all thats why they were being rented out. Any recommendations on somewhere else to rent?

Castlea is fine family wise, kilnacourt its another matter all together. unfortunately its reputation its in tatters due to a few rough elements.

Anywhere along station road is good to rent.

westies4ever

Just had a quick look at daft there and whats on offer - theres a house in Pine Villas - its really nice and well established estate although you'd need a car to get to the train station in the mornings. Also Station Court or Railway Mews. As previous, I'd avoid Kilnacourt.

westies4ever

sydthebeat wrote: »

Castlea is fine family wise, kilnacourt its another matter all together. unfortunately its reputation its in tatters due to a few rough elements.

Anywhere along station road is good to rent.

I think castlelea is going to end up the same as Kilnacourt - very few owner occupiers, almost all renters.

Bob Bob

sydthebeat wrote: »

a bit of advice if renting or buying a house built after 2000, knock on the walls... if it sounds hollow, walk away...

Or its just a stud wall is is supposed to sound hollow

sydthebeat

Bob Bob wrote: »

Or its just a stud wall is is supposed to sound hollow

sorry, i should clarify, i was referring to the external walls.

generalmental

Catuohy wrote: »

Hey all,

Myself and my boyfriend and his two year old are currently looking at renting a house in Portarlington in Castlelea. I'm originally from Dublin and going to college there so I love the fact there's a number of trains going regularly. We're currently in Athy and it's awful We love the house and think the area seems really nice. Not being from around here just looking for a bit of advice? Is the area as nice as it seems? Would you recommend living here?

Thanks :-)

Hi myself and my wife are from jobstown in dublin and we moved down to portarlingon just before christmas and to be honest i think its a grand place from what i can make out so far.
most of the people i have met so far have been nice and friendly, i cannot comment on castlelea but i can comment on kilnacourt.

we were old not to move to kilnacourt that it had a reputation that it was as rough as fcuk but to be honest i really find it to be a nice estate have not heard a bit of trouble since we moved in, its a hell of alot better than coneyboro let me put it that way.

The only 2 issue`s i have with port is the lack of work but thats a nationwide problem. and the water its very hard in portarlington but we are getting used to that

take the plunge you wont regret it

Bigtoe107

Port is a great place to live, the people are generally nice and friendly, and the area is close to everything you could need.

On estates I have lived in Kilnacourt for the past seven years it's a nice place to live and there is very rarely any trouble. In fact apart from the couple of incidents a few months ago I can't think of any trouble ever happening in the estate. Plus most of the estate is finished so it doesn't have the untidy look of some other estates

Whitefields is another good shout, but to be honest most estates are grand.

stan1979

im living in lansdowne rd beside castlea and im guessing its the 3 bed semi houses you were looking at. as far as i know the builders kingscroft are renting the houses out directly. overall the estate is a lovely place to live,and well maintained in my view anyway.

Catuohy

Thanks everyone for your comments. We still haven't decided think we're going to make the move to port but to a different estate

elvis jones

Catuohy wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your comments. We still haven't decided think we're going to make the move to port but to a different estate

Which one ?

lastsplash

I wonder how many people answering about these estates actually live in these estates ? Only people who inhabit the estates can comment on what they are like . Lots of people pass comments on what they don't know or have experience of which is unhelpful to these people asking a question.
I live in castlelea / lansdowne and its quiet , friendly and I've had no problems . Similarily I have family in kilnacourt who have had no problems . The problems it's had we're localised to a minority . It's a big estate .
Any estate you move to will welcome you . Take your advice from actual residents imo

artful_codger

I lived in Kilnacourt for four years and it was the quietest place i've ever lived. There was a problem with outsiders using the apartment bin area. One bollocks came from as far as Geashill to dump, Another dumper came from Lough Gate, but either way the issue of dumping effects all parts of Port. A gangster was shot dead last year but in such a small town as Port you really can't get away from the trouble that a few scumbags bring wherever they go. Anyone who thinks Kilnacourt is in any way a 'rough' estate has led a very sheltered life...the sort that see some teenagers sitting on a wall and assume they're dealing crack cocaine. I'll be happy to live there again if the chance arises.

jimmynippy

I too dont understand the people having a pop at Kilnacourt,I have lived in the Glen since the start and apart from the one incident we all know about,I have really enjoyed living here.The people are friendly and the area is quiet.As with a previous poster,I think people making comments do not know Kilnacourt that well!

J.e.n.k

Kilnacourt woods is a nice place to live coming from a resident very well maintained , finished and has some lovely houses and people in it .

sydthebeat

Petrol bombing in kilnacourt last night. Children having to be pulled through Windows.

<modsnip>

elvis jones

sydthebeat wrote: »

Petrol bombing in kilnacourt last night. Children having to be pulled through Windows.

<modsnip>

Not everyone in those apts are of "that class" good friends of mine have their apt for sale for almost 3 yrs to get out of it. They were lucky to get out alive last night:mad:

J.e.n.k

Unfortunately In any large built up area there is sometimes going to be trouble from a small minority . People quick to judge kilnacourt in all good place . People don't know area talk and get excited .

elsy

I live in The Glen in Kilnacourt Wood and have young children I never hear and see any trouble and feel very safe there. The residents committe is fabulous Santa visits organised for Christmas, Easter egg hunts at Easter and big family fun day in the summer to name but a few events I have family that live in other estates in Portarlington and they never have events like we do. So I feel the need to defend Kilnacourt apart from a few unfortunate things which are happening all over the country it is a great place to live and I wouldn't move from there my kids have a great childhood living there with fantastic neighbours and lovely community spirit

elvis jones

Bigtoe107 wrote: »

Port is a great place to live, the people are generally nice and friendly, and the area is close to everything you could need.

On estates I have lived in Kilnacourt for the past seven years it's a nice place to live and there is very rarely any trouble. In fact apart from the couple of incidents a few months ago I can't think of any trouble ever happening in the estate. Plus most of the estate is finished so it doesn't have the untidy look of some other estates

Whitefields is another good shout, but to be honest most estates are grand.

As much as I agree I think a murder, drug/gun find and the petrol bombing of a set of apts are
"A couple of incidents".

But I feel its the rental market where landlords will rent to anyone or anything to keep a house/apt full and warming.

I seen it at the end of my own estate with a block of flats that ended up housing nothing but scum.

artful_codger

elvis jones wrote: »

As much as I agree I think a murder, drug/gun find and the petrol bombing of a set of apts are
"A couple of incidents".

The thing that all these incidents seem to have in common is that they're unsold units which are rented out by the developer, rather than private landlords. The Glen (where Englington was shot) and the Oaks (where last nights petrol bombing happened) were some of the last units built in Kilnacourt before work stopped completely.

Thank f*ck the fire brigade are only two minutes away, or that family could have been killed. It infuriates me that a town as nice as Port is getting a bad rep because of a few dangerous animals. Last nights incident and the previous gun find are probably related to the same one person.
http://www.midlands103.com/news/drugs-local-copy-rcpk-3

J.e.n.k

It is a shame that a few undesirables do give a place a bad rep also a shame people letting property to these people don't care . But kilnacourt woods and the glen is a very large area with a lot of respectable normal people getting on with life also which should not be forgotten . These forms of crime are nationwide at moment and not just singled to one area of laois .there is issues in other estates quite similar but don't seem to be noted on as they jump on kilnacourt area to take attention away .

Dellers

Hi
I just wanted to post a reply to this, I am an owner occupier in the Oaks the last 8 years, in the block where the fire was on Thur nite. The information above is incorrect, all the apartments in the Oaks where finished and sold,the developer has no involvement in them or of the renting of them out, that is down to private landlords. all of the incidents are a minority of people who have now been removed from the oaks, and who were renting from private landlords.

elvis jones

Dellers wrote: »

Hi
I just wanted to post a reply to this, I am an owner occupier in the Oaks the last 8 years, in the block where the fire was on Thur nite. The information above is incorrect, all the apartments in the Oaks where finished and sold,the developer has no involvement in them or of the renting of them out, that is down to private landlords. all of the incidents are a minority of people who have now been removed from the oaks, and who were renting from private landlords.

As i said

jimmynippy

sydthebeat wrote: »

Petrol bombing in kilnacourt last night. Children having to be pulled through Windows.

<modsnip>

So this suggests that the hundreds of other people that live there are of the same type???Very simplistic narrow minded attitude!Like another poster said,there is a great community spirit and interaction amongst the residents in what is in my opinion normally a lovely place to live.

sydthebeat

jimmynippy wrote: »

So this suggests that the hundreds of other people that live there are of the same type???Very simplistic narrow minded attitude!Like another poster said,there is a great community spirit and interaction amongst the residents in what is in my opinion normally a lovely place to live.

no it doesnt, it suggests that in portarlington the estate where this is type of activity happens most, and thus most likely to happen, is Kilnacourt.

You can dress it up all you want but you cannot hide from the facts.

I have never at any stage questions Kilnacourts community spirit or the people there.

but if someone is asking for advise on where to move to in portarlington i will not dance around any elephant in the room. Read the thread before you come on here claiming i have a narrow mind!!!!

J.e.n.k

Wow this is still going on isn't helpful at this stage plenty of stuff happening all over people need to move on . Let kilnacourt woods be plenty people happy in it and plenty positive attributes going for it. Few bad one's won't overrule that .