What areas to live in in County Dublin and areas to avoid?

Cuddlesworth

miss no stars wrote: »

Judoman, which part of the Dublin Institute of Technology? It's quite relevant. There are different buildings and they're quite far apart across the city centre.

You really need to find this out. DIT is a bunch of small colleges spread out across Dublin city. For instance, the Skerries train terminates at Pearse Station. Its a 30 minute walk to Kevin Street DIT with no viable transport links between. Thats at the very least a 90 minute commute if you're lucky and trains arrive on time.

riclad

1000 S OF foreigners ,live in dublin ,Most people are friendly ,
every country has racists ,even ireland.

Dublin has a problem, with junkies ,pickpockets hanging around the city centre.
I know 2 irish people who got their iphones robbed in the city centre.
SOME kid runs up grabs your phone ,runs off.
MY friend was waiting at a bus stop last week,
a romanian person asked directions, distracted her,
HIS friend pushed her slightly ,took the phone out of her pocket.
SHE realised her phone was gone ,when her bus arrived.
SHE went to garda station,an app find my phone,showed the phone in buiding x,
the police said, we cant go there ,
100 people live in that building.

Sometimes tourists are mugged in the city centre.
BE VERY careful of carrying handbags,expensive phones anywhere near the city centre , especially temple bar.

strandroad

Judoman27 wrote: »

Alright thanks mhge! I will look into the areas you recommended, i think you kinda get what we're looking for. She will be going to school there so she will have irregular hours so at times she will need easy access to Public Transport to get there and other times, the auto. And reasonable access and travel time to South Dublin for some shopping and dining every now and then would be nice to have. Hahaha no worries, they will be walked with a leash just to be safe! they are quite mischievous.

I will look into County Wicklow, however is it a realistic commute to DIT from there?

Driving is not bad at all outside of the rush hour but for public transport check out these sites:
buseireann.ie
irishrail.ie
dublinbus.ie

These two are travel planners:
a-b.ie
hittheroad.ie

Personally I think Wicklow can't be beaten in the "value for lovely vibe with multiple pets" category because you *will* need a garden, but you'd have to work out your wife's commute and cost it. Buses from Wicklow have stops around St Stephen's Green which is 5min walk from DIT Business in Aungier St so that's good.

Hollister11

My parents have always aloud animals for the 15 Years they have been landlords, only 1 tenant has had a pet in that time.

strandroad

Judoman27 wrote: »

Huh! thanks macnug! Will look into it. Just a question though, coz I've never been to Ireland so I'm very ignorant of the attitude and mentality of the Irish to foreigners. Staying so far away from Dublin like that, are people pretty open to foreigners (specifically non-European)... ofcourse discounting the few nuts which u get everywhere.

I'm foreign and never had any issues at all, but then I'm white so it might be different for your wife. Some areas breed ignorance more than others though so I think that looking for a vibe you like is a good strategy. I would be wary of inner city youths more than of small town/rural dwellers.

athtrasna

riclad wrote: »

1000 S OF foreigners ,live in dublin ,Most people are friendly ,
every country has racists ,even ireland.

Dublin has a problem, with junkies ,pickpockets hanging around the city centre.
I know 2 irish people who got their iphones robbed in the city centre.
SOME kid runs up grabs your phone ,runs off.
MY friend was waiting at a bus stop last week,
a romanian person asked directions, distracted her,
HIS friend pushed her slightly ,took the phone out of her pocket.
SHE realised her phone was gone ,when her bus arrived.
SHE went to garda station,an app find my phone,showed the phone in buiding x,
the police said, we cant go there ,
100 people live in that building.

Sometimes tourists are mugged in the city centre.
BE VERY careful of carrying handbags,expensive phones anywhere near the city centre , especially temple bar.

None of this is unique to Dublin, or applies to almost every city in the world. Common sense goes a long way

riclad

Well maybe other citys have a larger police force ,or more patrols in tourist area,s .
I think theres people that go to city centre area ,just to rob phones.

athtrasna

riclad wrote: »

Well maybe other citys have a larger police force ,or more patrols in tourist area,s .
I think theres people that go to city centre area ,just to rob phones.

That happens everywhere and I've rarely seen police on the street in any of probably 50+ major international cities I've visited unless there's a major event. Dublin is no less safe than most other big cities.

The_Conductor

riclad wrote: »

Well maybe other citys have a larger police force ,or more patrols in tourist area,s .
I think theres people that go to city centre area ,just to rob phones.

That really does happen everywhere- I've been pickpocketed in Amsterdam- and had a little hole cut in my closed coat pocket and my mobile phone robbed from it in Paris. Its part of every day life- and regardless of how careful you are- there is always going to be someone equally as determined to rob you.

If you look at the crime statistics- Dublin is a relatively safe city- when you compare it to other EU capital cities. We do have a background level of crime- but people's perception of there being a crime wave is not what the figures show- we are a safe city.

OP- the two main websites used to let property in the Dublin area are www.daft.ie (a sister site of this website), and www.myhome.ie (which is owned and run by the Irish Times Newspaper). There are some lettings in some of the daily papers- such as the Evening Herald- however, they're not as popular as they used be for advertising.

Most villages and towns will have a few estate agencies in them- normally branches of the main agencies. If you tell us where you're interested in- we can give you contact details of some local offices. Note- a house with a garden is the type of property in highest demand- and most likely to go for asking or above asking price, in a very short time span. There is a massive shortage of property to let in the Dublin region- if you see something you're interested in- you can't hang around- it certainly won't.

Cuddlesworth

Rent.ie has become pretty popular too.

zef

Also I would explain how well your pets are behaved with a landlord reference(s) to back that up. The offer of a double deposit on account of the pets would help your case too,
Please beware of adverts on daft.ie that look too good to be true. There was a thread about these a few months back but I still see them appearing. If you email about a place that seems amazingly decorated and allows pets I'd be wary. Some kind of western union scam where the landlord claims to live in the UK and can't come to Ireland.

Good luck in your search.

handlemaster

Dublin 15 is big and varied you will get house s from 1000 plus so garden for the dogs etc. Not far from dublin city centre also train line and good bus coverage.

WildRosie

If you're working on the southside and your wife is studying in Aungier Street, I think you'd be mad to look at Drogheda. I would suggest Bray, Greystones and Shankill. Easy access to the areas you need and close to the Wicklow/Dublin mountains. I do think you will have a problem with your budget and the three dogs though unless you're prepared to look at more rural areas.

zef

http://www.daft.ie/lettings/the-bungalow-bohernabreena-road-tallaght-dublin/1425680/
Something like this would be ideal, I know it's above your budget but you'd be lucky to get a house in Dublin 15 for that.
There are some nice 1 beds/ studios in the dublin 2/4 areas that allow pets, but i'd say they'd be thinking more a small dog or a cat as they are quite compact.

WildRosie

^ that'd be ideal. The 49 bus is nearby and would drop very close to Aungier Street and near the M50. Nice location and close to the mountains and the reservoir for walking the dogs.

arse..biscuits

zef wrote: »

http://www.daft.ie/lettings/the-bungalow-bohernabreena-road-tallaght-dublin/1425680/
Something like this would be ideal, I know it's above your budget but you'd be lucky to get a house in Dublin 15 for that.
There are some nice 1 beds/ studios in the dublin 2/4 areas that allow pets, but i'd say they'd be thinking more a small dog or a cat as they are quite compact.

I live close to there and work in DIT Kevin street, cycling would be an option too Bohernabreena is nice

Judoman27

riclad wrote: »

1000 S OF foreigners ,live in dublin ,Most people are friendly ,
every country has racists ,even ireland.

Dublin has a problem, with junkies ,pickpockets hanging around the city centre.
I know 2 irish people who got their iphones robbed in the city centre.
SOME kid runs up grabs your phone ,runs off.
MY friend was waiting at a bus stop last week,
a romanian person asked directions, distracted her,
HIS friend pushed her slightly ,took the phone out of her pocket.
SHE realised her phone was gone ,when her bus arrived.
SHE went to garda station,an app find my phone,showed the phone in buiding x,
the police said, we cant go there ,
100 people live in that building.

Sometimes tourists are mugged in the city centre.
BE VERY careful of carrying handbags,expensive phones anywhere near the city centre , especially temple bar.

Thanks for the info rickad, i guess its the same as Amsterdam with pickpocketers and junkies however from ur post i get the impression that the police, Garda, are a bit slow or hesitant to respond? Correct me if im wrong tho.

Judoman27

Hollister11 wrote: »

My parents have always aloud animals for the 15 Years they have been landlords, only 1 tenant has had a pet in that time.

Wow! Where is your parents rental property and is it for rent? Haha. My dogs are well behaved as im quite active taking them out for jogs and other sporting avtivities so i drain them so when their home they just sleep! Lol

Judoman27

mhge wrote: »

I'm foreign and never had any issues at all, but then I'm white so it might be different for your wife. Some areas breed ignorance more than others though so I think that looking for a vibe you like is a good strategy. I would be wary of inner city youths more than of small town/rural dwellers.

Thats what im mostly concerned of as my wife is non white and i myself am not ur stereotypical blond Dutch, of Greek & Italian descent, so we wouldnt want to end up in an area that would attract us the wrong attention from ignorance or troublemakers. Do you recommend any areas to avoid other than inner city?

Knob Longman

Judoman27 wrote: »

Thanks for the info rickad, i guess its the same as Amsterdam with pickpocketers and junkies however from ur post i get the impression that the police, Garda, are a bit slow or hesitant to respond? Correct me if im wrong tho.

Amsterdam is actually much safer than Dublin in my opinion. Heroin is very prevalent in Dublin and the addicts pretty much have free reign of the city centre.

Judoman27

The_Conductor wrote: »

That really does happen everywhere- I've been pickpocketed in Amsterdam- and had a little hole cut in my closed coat pocket and my mobile phone robbed from it in Paris. Its part of every day life- and regardless of how careful you are- there is always going to be someone equally as determined to rob you.

If you look at the crime statistics- Dublin is a relatively safe city- when you compare it to other EU capital cities. We do have a background level of crime- but people's perception of there being a crime wave is not what the figures show- we are a safe city.

OP- the two main websites used to let property in the Dublin area are www.daft.ie (a sister site of this website), and www.myhome.ie (which is owned and run by the Irish Times Newspaper). There are some lettings in some of the daily papers- such as the Evening Herald- however, they're not as popular as they used be for advertising.

Most villages and towns will have a few estate agencies in them- normally branches of the main agencies. If you tell us where you're interested in- we can give you contact details of some local offices. Note- a house with a garden is the type of property in highest demand- and most likely to go for asking or above asking price, in a very short time span. There is a massive shortage of property to let in the Dublin region- if you see something you're interested in- you can't hang around- it certainly won't.

Thanks! Well after looking into it more, i think i will focus my search more on the southern towns and country wicklow area as it seems that it would be the easiest places to commute north to south Dublin. I still need to research more into the areas recommended from everyone, much appreciated guys!
As far as the level of violent crime and troubled youths harassing people on public transport, is that known to happen there? I lived for some time in London and i know its a problem there, but never really hear that in the news r see it on the net. Just want to know opinions because what we saw in the news here, it feels a bit violent, physical attacks on foreigners etc on the streets (w/the St.Patrick's day beating of a 30yr old Brazilian man and some youtube videos) although it also seems like it may be blown out of proportion by the media or am i wrong?

Judoman27

zef wrote: »

Also I would explain how well your pets are behaved with a landlord reference(s) to back that up. The offer of a double deposit on account of the pets would help your case too,
Please beware of adverts on daft.ie that look too good to be true. There was a thread about these a few months back but I still see them appearing. If you email about a place that seems amazingly decorated and allows pets I'd be wary. Some kind of western union scam where the landlord claims to live in the UK and can't come to Ireland.

Good luck in your search.

Hey thanks alot Zef! I will keep my eye out for that! ;-)

Judoman27

arse..biscuits wrote: »

I live close to there and work in DIT Kevin street, cycling would be an option too Bohernabreena is nice

Haha that sounds great, would be able to continue to commute by cycling. Is Dublin a relatively cycle friendly city?

Judoman27

Knob Longman wrote: »

Amsterdam is actually much safer than Dublin in my opinion. Heroin is very prevalent in Dublin and the addicts pretty much have free reign of the city centre.

Thats my main concern as my wife will be most of the time using public transport, traveling sometimes in the evenings at night and i hear stories from friends how they have been mugged at needle point! :-P supposedly laced with deceases from junkies. Amsterdam is bad, but not that bad in terms of violence and that type of mugging. Cops are everywhere, visibly and all are armed so they have that level of authority and respect from criminals, plus their new zero tolerance program. I mean its very common here for women to cycle back home alone after finishing their night shifts at the restaurant & pubs from the city centre out. Its really normal & common to see couples and lone women cycling in the streets at 3am. I know when we lived in London, we couldnt do this.

The_Conductor

Knob Longman wrote: »

Amsterdam is actually much safer than Dublin in my opinion. Heroin is very prevalent in Dublin and the addicts pretty much have free reign of the city centre.

There are a few notorious areas that you avoid- and suggesting addicts have free reign of the city centre- is akin to painting a picture of some sort of apocalyptic film.

Judoman- the city centre is quite safe. I walked around with my 2 and 3 year old yesterday- the only issue we encountered was a few homeless folk- which is most probably the most visible sign of poverty you will encounter.

Don't worry about not looking like an archetypal Dutchman- us Irish are a very mixed race- if you were to explore our history- there is probably more Spanish blood in the country than anything else- though we were invaded by the Vikings, the Celts and many others (the Romans avoided us as not being worth invading). Historically we've had more Italians here- and vice versa- lots of Irish in Italy- running fast food joints and the like. You'll be hardpressed to find many people with red hair and freckles- which is what most people expect to find here- we have some- but not very many........ As for your girlfriend- she'll probably have more people admiring her, than having racist thoughts- it may only be in the past 25 years that the country has become multi-racial- but it certainly is now.

A lot of the opinions you're getting here about Dublin being awash in crime- simply aren't bourne out by people's everyday experiences. If you walk through certain areas in the dark- you take care- this goes for any city though.

Public transport here is safe- and generally reliable. Exercise normal precautions. Don't show off your wallet. Don't carry large sums of cash. Don't leave your luggage elsewhere and expect it to still be there when you come back. These are normal precautions anywhere. If you do loose something in a taxi or elsewhere- there is a good chance it'll be handed in (our taxi drivers have a remarkably good reputation for returning lost items).

Dublin is not a cesspool of crime. It is not a racist hellhole. It is safe to walk around the city centre- with young children (in my case) or as a tourist. Providing you're sensible and exercise normal care and precautions- you'll have a brilliant time.

As an aside- it is a remarkable city- with a wealth of things to see and do. You will have a wonderful time- no matter what you're interests or pasttimes may be.

strandroad

Judoman27 wrote: »

Thats what im mostly concerned of as my wife is non white and i myself am not ur stereotypical blond Dutch, of Greek & Italian descent, so we wouldnt want to end up in an area that would attract us the wrong attention from ignorance or troublemakers. Do you recommend any areas to avoid other than inner city?

As you narrow down your search report here and we can help with more info on your selected areas, there are simply too many to discuss!

Dublin is a safe city in terms of numbers, but the media play it up a lot. Remember that Ireland is a small country which still needs to fill its media with content so what gets widely reported wouldn't even get a mention elsewhere. A failed shop robbery, where no one got hurt, might get first page treatment if it's a quiet day. St. Patrick's Day attacks shouldn't have happened but when you have hundreds of thousands in town again it's the numbers game. Public transport is safe in that there don't seem to be (m)any reported assaults, some routes are associated with potential antisocial behaviour but this normally applies to the ends of bus routes going to some dodgy estates you don't seem to be interested in. Green Luas and Dart feel very safe to me, I'm a regular user of both. Pickpocketing, purse/phone snatching is a threat, like everywhere else, I don't know anyone who was mugged though. Drug dealing is much less visible than in Amsterdam IMO (you won't be offered anything but you may spot them if you know which corner they're at) and there are no red light districts. Addicts do come into city centre for their methadone so again you'll see them if you know them, O'Connell St area is their magnet but there has been more policing recently. I wasn't even aware of them until I started reading boards and had them pointed out. I still fail to see how the Liffey boardwalk is "infested with junkies", sure you'll see some if you're looking for them, but it's hardly a no go zone. South city centre is a better place to frequent in terms of avoiding any dodge and availing of quality cafes, shopping, parks etc. while north city centre is more gritty, with big but more generic shopping centres.

I love Amsterdam BTW, been there many times and I don't find Dublin that much different in general vibe - city centre is smaller, but then you have more breathing space. Public transport is not that clever, but then the scenery is superb and you have some excellent day trips around. Etc etc.

City centre is decent for cyclists, not up to the standards in the Netherlands, mind, but there is a public bike scheme and plenty of cyclists in general, cycling has really skyrocketed in recent years. You'll witness some crazy cycling though, and jaywalking, so be warned. Outside of the city centre it may be quite hilly so commutes are more of endurance thing than a leisurely flatland cycle. You'll see more sporty bikes and lycra because of that.

I would feel safe cycling at 3am in most areas and I'm a woman, not to mention as a couple.

riclad

TO be on budget ,look for a 2bed unit, house , or apartment,
though i don,t think an apartment is practical for 3 dogs to live in.
rents are cheaper outside dublin city .

Judoman27

The_Conductor wrote: »

There are a few notorious areas that you avoid- and suggesting addicts have free reign of the city centre- is akin to painting a picture of some sort of apocalyptic film.

Judoman- the city centre is quite safe. I walked around with my 2 and 3 year old yesterday- the only issue we encountered was a few homeless folk- which is most probably the most visible sign of poverty you will encounter.

Don't worry about not looking like an archetypal Dutchman- us Irish are a very mixed race- if you were to explore our history- there is probably more Spanish blood in the country than anything else- though we were invaded by the Vikings, the Celts and many others (the Romans avoided us as not being worth invading). Historically we've had more Italians here- and vice versa- lots of Irish in Italy- running fast food joints and the like. You'll be hardpressed to find many people with red hair and freckles- which is what most people expect to find here- we have some- but not very many........ As for your girlfriend- she'll probably have more people admiring her, than having racist thoughts- it may only be in the past 25 years that the country has become multi-racial- but it certainly is now.

A lot of the opinions you're getting here about Dublin being awash in crime- simply aren't bourne out by people's everyday experiences. If you walk through certain areas in the dark- you take care- this goes for any city though.

Public transport here is safe- and generally reliable. Exercise normal precautions. Don't show off your wallet. Don't carry large sums of cash. Don't leave your luggage elsewhere and expect it to still be there when you come back. These are normal precautions anywhere. If you do loose something in a taxi or elsewhere- there is a good chance it'll be handed in (our taxi drivers have a remarkably good reputation for returning lost items).

Dublin is not a cesspool of crime. It is not a racist hellhole. It is safe to walk around the city centre- with young children (in my case) or as a tourist. Providing you're sensible and exercise normal care and precautions- you'll have a brilliant time.

As an aside- it is a remarkable city- with a wealth of things to see and do. You will have a wonderful time- no matter what you're interests or pasttimes may be.

Conductor, thank you very much! That was very reassuring! Well I appreciate your message, as in my experiences here in The Netherlands and The UK, Irish people are very friendly and outgoing. So i guess the media has blown it out of proportion with the racists attacks by hoodies and the sort. Thanks that was a very big help.

Haha funny you said that, our Irish friends here just moved to The Netherlands from Italy.

Appreciate all your guys's input, I have emailed alot of agents on Daft.ie concerning properties we were interested in and now am planning to have a whole week and weekend getaway in Ireland, so we'll be sight seeing Dublin and prospective properties in the mentioned areas south of the city and may have to register with some local estate agents so they can find us a landlord willing to rent with our 3 dogs. Can't wait!!!

Just one more thing, any recommendations for nice, lively and tourist friendly PUBS in the city? :-D ..... My wife and I are fanatics of good wine and beer!

Judoman27

mhge wrote: »

As you narrow down your search report here and we can help with more info on your selected areas, there are simply too many to discuss!

Dublin is a safe city in terms of numbers, but the media play it up a lot. Remember that Ireland is a small country which still needs to fill its media with content so what gets widely reported wouldn't even get a mention elsewhere. A failed shop robbery, where no one got hurt, might get first page treatment if it's a quiet day. St. Patrick's Day attacks shouldn't have happened but when you have hundreds of thousands in town again it's the numbers game. Public transport is safe in that there don't seem to be (m)any reported assaults, some routes are associated with potential antisocial behaviour but this normally applies to the ends of bus routes going to some dodgy estates you don't seem to be interested in. Green Luas and Dart feel very safe to me, I'm a regular user of both. Pickpocketing, purse/phone snatching is a threat, like everywhere else, I don't know anyone who was mugged though. Drug dealing is much less visible than in Amsterdam IMO (you won't be offered anything but you may spot them if you know which corner they're at) and there are no red light districts. Addicts do come into city centre for their methadone so again you'll see them if you know them, O'Connell St area is their magnet but there has been more policing recently. I wasn't even aware of them until I started reading boards and had them pointed out. I still fail to see how the Liffey boardwalk is "infested with junkies", sure you'll see some if you're looking for them, but it's hardly a no go zone. South city centre is a better place to frequent in terms of avoiding any dodge and availing of quality cafes, shopping, parks etc. while north city centre is more gritty, with big but more generic shopping centres.

I love Amsterdam BTW, been there many times and I don't find Dublin that much different in general vibe - city centre is smaller, but then you have more breathing space. Public transport is not that clever, but then the scenery is superb and you have some excellent day trips around. Etc etc.

City centre is decent for cyclists, not up to the standards in the Netherlands, mind, but there is a public bike scheme and plenty of cyclists in general, cycling has really skyrocketed in recent years. You'll witness some crazy cycling though, and jaywalking, so be warned. Outside of the city centre it may be quite hilly so commutes are more of endurance thing than a leisurely flatland cycle. You'll see more sporty bikes and lycra because of that.

I would feel safe cycling at 3am in most areas and I'm a woman, not to mention as a couple.

Wow! Great! Thanks a bunch mhge. Your message was very informative, well i believe we have pinpointed the area we want to live and dwell now, since you say all the good shops, restaurant and cafes are south of city, thats what we're after for weekend day trips to the city, we will most likely end up looking for property south of Dublin. But have not narrowed down to any specific city or town as i believe our dogs will be an issue so we will have to be flexible in terms of location even after increasing our budget to 800-1000 now.

But thanks a bunch! Looking forward to cycling on some hills and mountains now, unlike the flat pancake type of terrain here.

sopretty

I'd definitely suggest somewhere like Shankill, or else somewhere along the N11 (it sort of runs parallel to the dart-line, but is a road). Somewhere like Cornellscourt.