York Street, Irish Town, Alexandra Quay Area to live

Hiddden

We've been looking for a flat, caring so much to avoid areas with junkies, social housings, etc. we've ended up in Alexandra Quay, which is a nice, secured complex at the south of the quay opposite the Point. However I've noticed some kiddies around, and not-a-pleasant-looking set of apartments close-by on the way driving from Grand Canal Dock. I've also seen a neighbour from the complex in his 30~40's with light gray baggie trousers and a hoodie, with beer cans a few times! All I knew about the area was the Grand Canal, and I didn't know right a few steps away, the area changes. I'm a little bit worried now, and I would like to know how this area actually is to live? Is it one of the rough areas of the city and are those apartment blocks and terraced houses still a part of social welfare housing?

Cathmandooo

What is it that you're worried about?

Personal safety? It's a pretty safe city, personally I've never had any issues living here, obviously though muggings can happen but they can happen absolutely anywhere. A bit of sense can make it harder for you to be mugged, don't be waving your phone about, have your bag well closed up and close on you. Be aware of your surroundings.

You say you're in a secured complex so it sounds like your property is fine.

You've noticed kiddies around - I don't know of anywhere that doesn't have kiddies around.

Does the hooded gentleman with his beer cans in your complex give you any trouble?

The Hill Billy

Pray tell, what is wrong with social housing? Not wanting to live in an area with junkies hanging around I can understand. But social housing?

Social housing ≠ Anti-social behaviour

Hiddden

I just want to get an opinion on the area. There are areas in the city that don't have much of a good reputation and aren't so safe, examples would be Sherrif Street D3, Inchicore and around St. James's D8, etc. is this area a smiliar one to those? How rough is it?

Cathmandooo

The area is safe. Reputations of places can be unfounded and out of date. Living somewhere new can be daunting and you're right to be cautious, I'm sure once you settle in and build your own confidence there you'll be perfectly happy.

miamee

Dublin is very small and compact - you are unlikely to find anywhere in the city centre that is nowhere near social housing. As The Hill Billy mentioned, social housing does not equal anti-social behaviousr, in fact social housing are often where the real heart of a city centre community lies as the rest of the population are mostly renting and therefore transient.

I am not hugely familiar with that particular area but I would think it to be as safe as anywhere else and not less so.

The Hill Billy

If it is such an issue for you, why not consider some of the more well-to-do areas with little in the way of social-housing such as Dalkey or Killiney.

Ranchu

Ringsend is a very settled area and you will very rarely see any trouble. I have lived here for 10 years without incident.

However if the sight of children and cans is making you nervous you may be better off moving somewhere extremely rural.

TheBandicoot

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Pray tell, what is wrong with social housing? Not wanting to live in an area with junkies hanging around I can understand. But social housing?

For me- feeling unwelcome and unwanted. People in social housing consider that they "own" the area and surrounding streets, and there is an uncomfortable atmosphere between them and the people paying much more to live so close to them, from both sides.

TheBandicoot

Also the attitude among certain posters to downplay real problems annoys me. It also ties into the uncomfortable feeling I described- they are derisory to working professionals attempting to locate to the city and claim the 'salt-of-the-earth working class Dub' to be the only acceptable city inhabitant and are insulting to people who are trying to gentrify the city.

To the OP- in the GCD area, for a professional I would not consider living anywhere east of the Dodder, west of Macken St, or south of Grand Canal Street. The unease, the feral children of all ages and potential for trouble just isn't worth it.

Like everything in Ireland, decades of poor planning since independence has ruined vast swathes of the city.

I am currently unemployed and living with my parents. When I was employed I was never able to find somewhere nice enough and in the right price range to move into, and now it is too late. I made the rough sketch of the areas of the city I would consider appropriate(in green). http://i.imgur.com/vQVRsGc.jpg

When I was a student, I rented in two places in the city- Mount Tallant Avenue in Harold's Cross, which was a perfectly nice, safe area, but the bus ride out to it was annoying; and the old terraced houses off Barrow St/South Lotts Rd, which was a safe area as well, though you would have kids and teenagers banging your ground floor window and stuff. If I could get a properly refurbished house in that area I would love to live there again.

sabat

TheBandicoot wrote: »

I made the rough sketch of the areas of the city I would consider appropriate(in green). http://i.imgur.com/vQVRsGc.jpg

Such a sad worldview. You genuinely believe living like a rat amongst anally retentive European tech workers in soulless identikit apartments in the docklands is a better quality of life than in neighbourhoods like Stoneybatter, Smithfield, Blackpitts, The Liberties, Broadstone etc?

TheBandicoot

sabat wrote: »

Such a sad worldview. You genuinely believe living like a rat amongst anally retentive European tech workers in soulless identikit apartments in the docklands is a better quality of life than in neighbourhoods like Stoneybatter, Smithfield, Blackpitts, The Liberties, Broadstone etc?

This is exactly the insulting and superior(and subtly racist) attitude that bothers me and is what is causing tension between existing residents and new arrivals.

Hiddden

Thank you for your replies guys. The crazy rental market and having a very positive mindset about Dublin 4 in general and needing to rush to rent the flat before the 3 other viewers would, and of course the nice interior design rushed us getting it even without looking at the surrounding area! Though, the price isn't reasonable, either, as the rest of the apartments around here are not! (~1300 for 1 or 2 bedrooms) which was another reason to have high opinions about the area. The lease is however signed, and we're moving in. I've just feeling annoyed and worried and I hope I/you can convince me it's a decent area, not like East Wall, Inchicore, etc.

The worry about muggers is even more annoying, because 'being careful' isn't always helpful, since they sometimes attack with a knife (at least around King's Inn, if not here). And I can't think of a solution to that one!

And I see you've marked this area Red @TheBandicoot that I may agree, but probably too late! The positive thing is that we don't own the place! We'll move on after a while (1, 2 years...).

TheBandicoot

Hiddden wrote: »

I hope I/you can convince me it's a decent area, not like East Wall, Inchicore, etc.

The problem is the regular posters on this forum will tell you that those areas are decent and will pigheadedly refuse to see things from the perspective of an outsider.

Hiddden

TheBandicoot wrote: »

The problem is the regular posters on this forum will tell you that those areas are decent and will pigheadedly refuse to see things from the perspective of an outsider.

Hmm... Would you have a look at your PM inbox please? Thanks.

tricky D

sabat wrote: »

Such a sad worldview. You genuinely believe living like a rat amongst anally retentive European tech workers in soulless identikit apartments in the docklands is a better quality of life than in neighbourhoods like Stoneybatter, Smithfield, Blackpitts, The Liberties, Broadstone etc?

TheBandicoot wrote: »

The problem is the regular posters on this forum will tell you that those areas are decent and will pigheadedly refuse to see things from the perspective of an outsider.

TheBandicoot wrote: »

This is exactly the insulting and superior(and subtly racist) attitude that bothers me and is what is causing tension between existing residents and new arrivals.

Mod note: attacking posters, name calling, sweeping generalisations, etc, however mild or otherwise is not on in this forum, as per the charter. If you can't debate and discuss opinions with civility and without such low quality postings, then posting privileges will have to be amended.

tl,dr behave.

Hiddden

tricky D wrote: »

Mod note: attacking posters, name calling, sweeping generalisations, etc, however mild or otherwise is not on in this forum, as per the charter. If you can't debate and discuss opinions with civility and without such low quality postings, then posting privileges will have to be amended.

tl,dr behave.

What is your honest opinion on the question, apart from the highlights you made?

alastair

TheBandicoot wrote: »

I am currently unemployed and living with my parents. When I was employed I was never able to find somewhere nice enough and in the right price range to move into, and now it is too late. I made the rough sketch of the areas of the city I would consider appropriate(in green). http://i.imgur.com/vQVRsGc.jpg

I hope your parents are within the safe green zone? I've lived in the green area, and subsequently out the wild red zone for near twenty years. My verdict? The map is a nonsense. You appear to be mistake anything other than gated apartments or yuppie-renovated Victorian cottages for ruination. You've also made the rookie error of dismissing pretty much the entire northside - where, if you were to venture, you'd find many additional gated apartments or yuppie-renovated Victorian cottages to feel safe in.

drumswan

This forum is getting ridiculous. 'I saw some kids and a guy drinking a beer wearing sportswear, am I going to be murdered in my bed?' Now Dublin 4 isnt good enough for the bedwetters. Grow up or go live in a rural area.

tricky D

In non-mod mode; my own opinion, having lived in Dublin City Centre for over 20 years in all sorts of areas and having spent a good period visiting and staying with friends living at the bottom of York Rd, is that this area is fine. It wasn't perfect as there was a mild bit of locals vs locals/us and them tension at the time in question (a good while ago), but I and people I know who have lived there have never run into any significant trouble. A small bit of street smarts and you'll be fine in most areas imho. That's just my opinion and I can't speak for anyone else. Fact is there are many different opinions on living in areas in the city centre; some good; some bad; with the truth somewhere in between. No place is perfect, even the leafy suburbs that people might think are trouble-free, aren't always. The leafy suburb I now live in has plenty of problems with thugs, stabbings, murder, addiction, robberies and other anti-social behaviour. Hell, our car and dozens others were broken into just a few months back and we'd riots last year. I reckon your best course of action is to go down, spend some time down there yourself and see what you yourself make of it. However, if you're looking for the perfect area, it'll be a long search.

Ranchu

TheBandicoot wrote: »

The problem is the regular posters on this forum will tell you that those areas are decent and will pigheadedly refuse to see things from the perspective of an outsider.

I am an outsider. The area is absolutely fine. Honestly the worst thing that has happened is kids lobbing snowballs. Myself and my girlfriend have never even had a bit of lip from any kids in the area. I was still a teenager when I first rented here and never had an ounce of trouble.

It's safe and it's daft to suggest otherwise.

Not only that but it's a great place to live. You're within walking distance from town, the odeon, the point, the luas, sandymount strand, Irishtown nature reserve, Shelbourne Park, the Aviva, lots of nice pubs and restaurants. The only reason I'd move is if I couldn't afford it anymore which in all likelihood will happen at some stage unfortunately. Get out and about and enjoy it.

I got punched by a little girl in a tracksuit in Dalkey village, and got spat on by a teenage boy in Terenure. I think these areas should be absolute no goes!

I have a friend who lives on York Street and I have been around there late at night, drunk, and sober, and never experienced any kind of hassle. Obviously common sense prevails, nowhere is totally safe, but I felt just as safe there as most parts of Dublin, including areas marked in red on that awfully informative map from earlier in the thread.

Hiddden

Deleted User wrote: »

I got punched by a little girl in a tracksuit in Dalkey village, and got spat on by a teenage boy in Terenure. I think these areas should be absolute no goes!

I have a friend who lives on York Street and I have been around there late at night, drunk, and sober, and never experienced any kind of hassle. Obviously common sense prevails, nowhere is totally safe, but I felt just as safe there as most parts of Dublin, including areas marked in red on that awfully informative map from earlier in the thread.

I hope that by "York Street" you mean "York Road" which is the question here, since I see another York Street on that map in the green zone.

I just would like to have a mindset of the area, as I say, to know to which area it's the most comparable? E.g. The Coombe?! StoneyBatter? Fairview? Ballsbridge?! ...?

Cathmandooo

Hiddden wrote: »

I hope that by "York Street" you mean "York Road" which is the question here, since I see another York Street on that map in the green zone.

I just would like to have a mindset of the area, as I say, to know to which area it's the most comparable? E.g. The Coombe?! StoneyBatter? Fairview? Ballsbridge?! ...?

The title of your thread says York Street

Have you lived in The Coombe, Stoneybatter, Fairview and Ballsbridge before? Were you held up at knifepoint at Kings Inn?

As you said you've signed the lease so you're moving in. You shouldn't have any issues there, it's a fine area. I'm not really sure what you're looking for here. At this stage I'd say it's up to you to live there and form an opinion yourself.

NyOmnishambles

Hiddden wrote: »

The worry about muggers is even more annoying, because 'being careful' isn't always helpful, since they sometimes attack with a knife (at least around King's Inn, if not here). And I can't think of a solution to that one!

Was there an incident around King's Inn?

I have lived around that area for years and never had any issues at any time of day or night
Granted these things do happen but they could happen anywhere, just see the reports of car jackings in leafy Southside suburbs recently, no area is 100% safe sadly

I have also lived near the area you are concerned about and thought it was very safe and fairly quiet, you should have no worries to be honest and I hope you enjoy your time there

Hiddden

Hiddden wrote: »

I hope that by "York Street" you mean "York Road" which is the question here, since I see another York Street on that map in the green zone.

I just would like to have a mindset of the area, as I say, to know to which area it's the most comparable? E.g. The Coombe?! StoneyBatter? Fairview? Ballsbridge?! ...?

Yeah, I actually went to bed last night berating myself, I meant York Rd. I would honestly put York St int the red area!

Crash

Lived in Ringsend for about two years, and other than the local teenagers being a bit loud and annoying its perfectly safe - they're pretty much harmless. Wandered around there at all hours of night without an issue, as has my girlfriend. In comparison, we went to view an apartment around Smithfield there recently and found it quite a big change - junkies hanging around during the day mostly - which just isn't there in Ringsend and Irishtown.

moxin

Hiddden wrote: »

We've been looking for a flat, caring so much to avoid areas with junkies, social housings, etc. we've ended up in Alexandra Quay, which is a nice, secured complex at the south of the quay opposite the Point....

So lets see, you chose to live in a particular apt complex\area without doing any research first on what the area is like? :rolleyes:

By the way the Alexandra Quay apartments are freezing in the winter, get your woolies prepared. I believe that is why most tenants do not stay there long term.

Hiddden

moxin wrote: »

So lets see, you chose to live in a particular apt complex\area without doing any research first on what the area is like? :rolleyes:

By the way the Alexandra Quay apartments are freezing in the winter, get your woolies prepared. I believe that is why most tenants do not stay there long term.

Well, the default assumption was that everywhere in Dublin 4 is just as nice as Ballsbridge, and there are not social housing in the area!

I agree with the coldness. There are portable electric heaters everywhere in the house which in my opinion isn't a good sign either! However the first night there last night was fine, and not cold at all, with the immersion of course.

The north-facing sitting room however does get quite cold though...

moxin

Hiddden wrote: »

I agree with the coldness. There are portable electric heaters everywhere in the house which in my opinion isn't a good sign either! However the first night there last night was fine, and not cold at all, with the immersion of course.

The north-facing sitting room however does get quite cold though...

I was told funnily that one half of the entire apt building there(the part facing onto York Rd) gets very cold while the other half facing into the car park ain't too bad, like 2 seasons in your apartment on the same day

Sounds like the place was weirdly built, open fires were a disaster as well, hardly heated a room up!

Hiddden

moxin wrote: »

I was told funnily that one half of the entire apt building there(the part facing onto York Rd) gets very cold while the other half facing into the car park ain't too bad, like 2 seasons in your apartment on the same day

Sounds like the place was weirdly built, open fires were a disaster as well, hardly heated a room up!

Do you mean the sitting room facing the road/car park or the bedrooms facing the road/car park?

Obviously the car park side would be warmer because it's south facing and it'll be sunny and warmer all day long (if any sun!).

The fireplace is blocked to avoid using open fire. I wonder if that's the case with all other apartments there.