Opinions (hyberbole free!) please on Cabra :)

howtolive

Hi All,

Myself and the better half would be looking to get on the property ladder (both mid 20s) in the next couple years. After receiving some advice on the financial end of things we'd be looking at a budget of (hopefully) 180-200k for a house between a deposit and mortgage. We'd like to be fairly central for work and visiting family.

One area that keeps cropping up is Cabra, and would suit us both in terms of proximity to places. However, I've heard very mixed things on the area. I've read to avoid the West part, the East part, roads north of a particular place etc. I've heard roads right by the dreaded Broombridge station are apparently fine, and that roads to the East are fine (despite YouTube vids of organised fights between teens on one green, and reports of shootings etc here and there). I've heard it's cliquey and not welcoming to newcomers, yet I've also heard people are lovely. As you can imagine, it's hard to know what to believe!

Unfortunately one expects a low level of crime in most areas of Dublin, but can anyone set me straight on whether this is an area to consider?

Cheers!

jossnjuice

Lived there all my life......

Its no better / no worse than anywhere else to be honest. Never had any trouble.........sure, theres a few dodgy heads around the place, but thats the way with everywhere.......

the way id look at it is , if you dont look for trouble you wont find it!

transport wise, your covered by numerous buses........the dart at broombridge (in fairness, the stop is a hole, and needs something done to it fairly sharpish), and eventually, youll be able to get the luas when its built.

Cabra road area is dead handy for shops etc..........Im from the east, so id be more inclined to give that the thumbs up rather than the west, but thats a subjective opinion, im sure people from the west would say the opposite!

colm_c

I don't know Cabra at all , but if you're thinking about buying a place in any location you don't know that well, your best bet is to rent for 6 months/1 year. It will give you a really good feel for the area rather than spending 200k to find out you don't like it.

Koptain Liverpool

I've lived close by in Phibsboro for years. I've never had much trouble when walking through the Cabra area but almost everyone I talk to reckons that there is a vast difference between certain parts of the area. I can't speak for the whole area but the parts around the Cabra road all seem perefectly nice neighbourhoods to me. I've encountered a lot of groups of less than pleasant teenagers around broombridge however. I personally wouldn't live in that end of Cabra. The new luas line is going to finish there however so that might be a point to consider.

homemadecider

My partner's father lives in Cabra and I really hate going to visit him in his home. Boy racers, knackers hanging around outside the local shop all the time, I've even seen burned out cars. Don't even get me started on the Tesco being full of women in pajamas shouting at each other. Up to you but I would never live there in a million years.

Ed Winchester

homemadecider wrote: »

My partner's father lives in Cabra and I really hate going to visit him in his home. Boy racers, knackers hanging around outside the local shop all the time, I've even seen burned out cars. Don't even get me started on the Tesco being full of women in pajamas shouting at each other. Up to you but I would never live there in a million years.

I've been in that Tesco dozens of times and i've never seen women in pyjamas shouting at each other once, never mind it being full of them.

drumswan

Just rent there first.

homemadecider

Ed Winchester wrote: »

I've been in that Tesco dozens of times and i've never seen women in pyjamas shouting at each other once, never mind it being full of them.

That's great, I'm delighted for you. I was giving my own opinion (and experience), as requested by the OP.

chopper6

I've never seen women in pajamas shouting at each other in any Tesco.

Ed Winchester

The Tesco in Cabra is one of the nicest Tescos you'll find. Has everything in it. Loads of parking and ultra modern. Its one of the plus points of the area IMO.

howtolive

Hi All,

Thanks so much for the replies!

@jossnjuice: That is true, there's the odd bad egg anywhere. Is the community very close knit, or are there room for outsiders/blow-ins like we'd be to integrate nicely? (I'm from the South Inner City myself, with my better half from Castleknock). Am I right is assuming the East/West divide is split by the old trainline on a map? Any north/south divide?

@Koptain Liverpool: Phibsborough would be another area of interest, what's your general opinion of there? Heard of a few less than pleasant things around the Shopping Centre there recently (both in the news and anecdotally) ... Up by Broombridge in Cabra would be a no go indeed.

@colm_c / drumswan: I do get where you're coming from, it's just money spent renting is gone, when trying to save desperately for a house etc every cent really does count!

@homemadecider/Chopper 6/Ed Winchester: That sounds pretty intense! By the Tesco and general issues you've seen do you mean the Tesco on Prussia and Drumalee estate on the other side of the road near to the start of Cabra, rather than the Tesco by the McDonalds up the way a bit? Maybe you mean one area and Chopper 6 and Ed Winchester mean another?

Cheers!

Noise Annoys

I live in East Cabra, very near Cabra Road and what is called the '17 shops'. I've been there three years, and have previously lived in Inchicore and Kilmainham and am originally from Dun Laoghaire.

Overall, I've had a very good experience living there. You're very close to Phibsboro, the Phoenix Park and Stoneybatter. Bus routes into the city are plentiful and the journey time is quick. People are as friendly as anywhere else, and I've never had any trouble.

There are three Tescos in the general area and the new(ish) Inspire Fitness pool and gym at Deaf Village is really good. I'd recommend it.

Gumbo

Noise Annoys wrote: »

I live in East Cabra, very near Cabra Road and what is called the '17 shops'. I've been there three years, and have previously lived in Inchicore and Kilmainham and am originally from Dun Laoghaire.

Overall, I've had a very good experience living there. You're very close to Phibsboro, the Phoenix Park and Stoneybatter. Bus routes into the city are plentiful and the journey time is quick. People are as friendly as anywhere else, and I've never had any trouble.

There are three Tescos in the general area and the new(ish) Inspire Fitness pool and gym at Deaf Village is really good. I'd recommend it.

This is one of the best places IMO. My grand parents lived on annally road all their lives and while I personally am not mad on cobra in general (I'm Finglas through and through ) it's location cannot be put down.

Depending on work location, the city centre is very very walkable etc

The 17 shops has most of what you need. Tesco up at the naval road junction.

Billy Mays

homemadecider wrote: »

My partner's father lives in Cabra and I really hate going to visit him in his home. Boy racers, knackers hanging around outside the local shop all the time, I've even seen burned out cars. Don't even get me started on the Tesco being full of women in pajamas shouting at each other. Up to you but I would never live there in a million years.

Out of interest how many times have you been in Tesco when it was "full of women in pyjamas shouting at each other"? Was it the Tesco on the Navan Road? Which local shop are you talking about? There's quite a few local shops in Cabra. When you say knackers, in what way are they knackers? Were they harassing people going by or were they just teenagers hanging around outside a shop, something that is pretty commonplace in most areas?

howtolive

Hey all, thanks again for the replies. Workwise i work just off Thomas st and live maybe a 15-20 min walk southwards from there and never feel unsafe - indeed, I've been happy to walk down Thomas st at 2am and have never had a problem. In other words, i don't mind an area looking a little edgy once its safe, so walking past certain places wouldn't bother me. Generally, is Cabra pretty comparable to Crumlin/Sundrive on the Southside? I'm familiar with those areas.

Koptain Liverpool

howtolive wrote: »

@Koptain Liverpool: Phibsborough would be another area of interest, what's your general opinion of there? Heard of a few less than pleasant things around the Shopping Centre there recently (both in the news and anecdotally) ... Up by Broombridge in Cabra would be a no go indeed.

Phibsboro is a nice area. Never had one ounce of trouble in 4 years and generally you don't get gangs of teenagers hanging about causing trouble. It's a great location and there is all you need in terms of shops, pubs etc.
There are some lovely streets near to Mount Bernard park. Shandon park in particular is lovely.

amdublin

Your oh prob knows cabra considering they're from castleknock?

Disclosure:
I think cabra is "grand". I lived near there and went to school near there. Some parts definitely better/worse than each other.

It's all relative I think. Sorry some people might not like what I am going to say but this is the truth.
For example if you've lived south side all your life say somewhere like Ranelagh I think you won't like Cabra. If you've lived south side somewhere like I don't know Inchicore you probably will like cabra.

If your oh lives in "real" castleknock e.g. Park avenue they won't like cabra. If they live somewhere and just call it castleknock (like a lot of people in d15 do :rolleyes:) she might like it. (Side note Castleknock must be the biggest suburb in Ireland the amount of people who claim to live there :cool:)


Why don't you drive through it and feel the vibe? It's pretty evident...

Stench Blossoms

My parents live near there. I would second renting in the area as different parts are very different.

Oh and there is defo hoards of women in their PJ's in the Tesco there. I know because I've done it myself because I know I wouldn't look out of place. I'm real classy