What is bray like to live in?

topmanamillion · 06-03-2015 3:51am #1

Im thinking about moving to Bray as I have gotten a permanent job in Stillorgan and its quiet close to there and the rent is marginally cheaper than Dublin. I am a single man in my early 20s. Would you recommend it? Where would be nice to live in?
I realise this question has been asked here numerous times but those are old posts.

Kevin McCloud · 06-03-2015 3:52am

There is excellent broadband and fast food outlets.

zoobizoo · 06-03-2015 10:44am

Great place.

Close to the capital and ten minute drive from the country. Short commute to Stillorgan too. If you're planning to head out in Dublin city a lot the last DART is at 11.35 so that's a negative. A taxi will cost about €40.

Lots of sports clubs and organisations.

Some great coffee shops.

Summer festival, Comedy Clubs, Theatre, Jazz Fest, Trad fest etc etc.

Some good pubs.

murpho999 · 06-03-2015 11:22am

zoobizoo wrote: »

Great place.

Close to the capital and ten minute drive from the country. Short commute to Stillorgan too. If you're planning to head out in Dublin city a lot the last DART is at 11.35 so that's a negative. A taxi will cost about €40.

Lots of sports clubs and organisations.

Some great coffee shops.

Summer festival, Comedy Clubs, Theatre, Jazz Fest, Trad fest etc etc.

Some good pubs.

Not the only option.
Finnegan's Night Bus Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 1 am & 3 am from O'Connell St & Trinity College for €6
Also Dublin Bus Nightlink 84n at midnight, 2am and 4am Friday and Saturday for €5.70 or €5 with leap.
Can't go wrong with either (apart from falling asleep and waking up in Greystones, but we won't talk about that!:D)

SMJSF · 06-03-2015 11:31am

I lived there for two years.
The 145 is great for getting between town and Bray. I don't know if you'll be needing to use the 184 or 84, but they are ghost buses at night!

The area is quite and safe enough (nearer the seafront). I lived up near the Boghall Road.
the nightlife down along the seafront on Friday and Saturday is good, and it has events on during the summer.
the main street has gone down hill since 2010.

murpho999 · 06-03-2015 11:58am

In answer to original question.

Lived most of my life in Bray and here's what I would say.

The Good

Proximity to City Centre
Proximity to Wicklow Mountains and County.
Access to Motorways
Good transport links with bus and train.
The seafront and Bray Head are beautiful
Beautiful areas like Herbert Road, Quiinsboro Rd, Florenece Road, WyndhamPark etc
Thriving pub and social scene
Great improvement in choice of restaurants.
Good selection of all main supermarkets (Tesco (Large and express), Supervalu,Aldi, Lidl and a crappy Dunnes!)
Summer festival, airshow and food fair.

The Bad

Main Street dying with a poor selection of shops. A man would struggle to buy clothes there.
Too many €2 Shops and hairdressers
Sweeping statement alert: skanger minority often appear to be the dominant group and has given the town a bad name in the past.
A few rough estates around Fassaroe and Lower Boghall Road area.
No cinema
Traffic is horrendous
Recession hit: Lots of closed shops particularly on Main Street.
Tacky and ugly amusement arcades/casinos on the seafront.

A lot of generalisations but for me the good far outweigh the bad and I would recommend Bray as a great place to live.
If you speak to outsiders about it who only experience Bray on a daytrip in the summer they may be quite negative but they are basing their opinion on observing non Bray people in the town.
I'm surprised how some people think Bray is rough, don't know why it has this rep as my experience is the complete opposite.

loyatemu · 06-03-2015 3:31pm

murpho999 wrote: »

Tacky and ugly amusement arcades/casinos on the seafront.

there's only one of those left I think.

The seafront is much improved in recent years and (as in Dun Laoghaire) the focus of the town seems to be gradually moving away from the main street and towards the sea.

murpho999 · 06-03-2015 4:19pm

loyatemu wrote: »

there's only one of those left I think.

The seafront is much improved in recent years and (as in Dun Laoghaire) the focus of the town seems to be gradually moving away from the main street and towards the sea.

The Star and what used to The Fun Palace still there.

Fun Palace is an awful looking building that adds nothing to the sea front.

Creamy Goodness · 06-03-2015 4:33pm

The Star looks ok as a building though, The Fun Palace looks awful and it's even worse with it's recent facelift.

anncoates · 06-03-2015 4:37pm

Worked there before and have spent a fair bit of time there with friends also. Always liked it as a town and would have no problem living there.

Dr Strange · 06-03-2015 4:37pm

Fun Palace is now called the Silver Strand I think. God knows what they'll doo with the other buildings beside it now that Campo moved back into their original building and the ice cream shop is gone out as well.

Del.Monte · 06-03-2015 4:42pm

Bray seafront is the poorer for the disappearance of the amusement arcades in my opinion - especially the 'original' Dawsons.

murpho999 · 06-03-2015 5:06pm

Preusse wrote: »

Fun Palace is now called the Silver Strand I think. God knows what they'll doo with the other buildings beside it now that Campo moved back into their original building and the ice cream shop is gone out as well.

Campo have not moved back as they always had the 2 places open. They have closed the main restaurant as they are moving it to a city centre location.

Dr Strange · 06-03-2015 5:13pm

murpho999 wrote: »

Campo have not moved back as they always had the 2 places open. They have closed the main restaurant as they are moving it to a city centre location.

Well,the moved back where they had their original restaurant before they opened the second one. This is just splitting hairs though.

topmanamillion · 06-03-2015 5:17pm

Thanks to everyone that posted. There was some excellent tips there.
On the topic of rough estates "A few rough estates around Fassaroe and Lower Boghall Road area".
Is there any I shouldn't go near?
Also im considering driving to work as I will start around 7.30/8 am time and finish at about 8 in the evening.
Standing around waiting for a bus wouldn't be my idea of fun after a 12hr shift.
Would traffic be very bad around these times? With light traffic id be expecting to be in work in 20mins.

Dr Strange · 06-03-2015 5:25pm

topmanamillion wrote: »

Also im considering driving to work as I will start around 7.30/8 am time and finish at about 8 in the evening.
Standing around waiting for a bus wouldn't be my idea of fun after a 12hr shift.
Would traffic be very bad around these times? With light traffic id be expecting to be in work in 20mins.

You wouldn't have any problems at these times.

g0g · 06-03-2015 5:30pm

I would have thought 20 mins to Stillorgan for 07:30/08:00 in a car might be a bit tricky (?) but the evening return time sounds fine.

SMJSF · 06-03-2015 6:50pm

topmanamillion wrote:

Thanks to everyone that posted. There was some excellent tips there. On the topic of rough estates "A few rough estates around Fassaroe and Lower Boghall Road area". Is there any I shouldn't go near? Also im considering driving to work as I will start around 7.30/8 am time and finish at about 8 in the evening. Standing around waiting for a bus wouldn't be my idea of fun after a 12hr shift. Would traffic be very bad around these times? With light traffic id be expecting to be in work in 20mins.

Newcourt Rd is mostly elderly or middle aged couples, so a quite road, but it is used as a shortcut from the seafront to Vevay rd, so a few cars use it.
but the mornings are awful since there's a primary and secondary school on the road. so from 8.15-9.30am is a nightmare!

zoobizoo · 06-03-2015 6:53pm

It takes me 20 mins to get to Stillorgan at non rush hour times from just up from the McDonalds.

If you're commuting OP - the 145 will take you directly to Stillorgan. Might be easier to stroll down or cylce to the end of the Main St (northern end) / Castle St and hop on it there.

What is bray like to live in?

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