Northside or Southside, where to live?

number19

I come from Haroldscross, have lived there most of my life. My girlfriend is from Santry(North Dublin) and wants us to buy and settle down on the Northside(Whitehall, Beaumont area). I've tried to convince her that the Southside would be better(Haroldscross, Kimmage, Crumlin area) whereas she thinks the Northside is better. My reasons for committing our future to the D6/D6w area are:

• Its more central, closer to the city centre while also handy to the M50
• Close to the south side of the city centre, which is the better side, has more tourist attractions, shops, green spaces etc
• More jobs on the southside(Google, Facebook, Linkedin etc) so less likely to have to rely on packed public transport to get to and from work every day. Anybody I know that lives on the northside has to commute to the southside for their jobs
• I think that the southside has more amenities such as cafes, supermarkets, cinemas, pubs etc per square mile than on the northside(okay I haven’t studied this in detail and can’t say its fact but it certainly seems like that to me). This combined with less commuting makes for a better quality of life.
• Part of her argument is that its cheaper to buy a house on the northside but having looked at the market, even that’s not true. Whitehall and Beaumont are no cheaper(or better) than Crumlin or Kimmage, and parts of Terenure would be similar price to Drumcondra.

So what do people think? North or South, D9 or D6?

delta_bravo

I think this is an issue personal to you that will not be helped in any way by this discussion. Using terms like Southside/Northside for jobs and amenities are so broad they are essentially redundant.

Those companies you mention aren't exactly around the corner from Crumlin/Kimmage and if you don't plan on working for them whats the point in using that a consideration?

You both need to outline what you regard as important in deciding where you live and use that to make your decision

Lux23

I would prefer to be on the Northside myself - I live close to Crumlin myself, and I just think Whitehall or Santry would be a far nicer neighbourhood if you were to have children.

odyssey06

delta_bravo wrote: »

I think this is an issue personal to you that will not be helped in any way by this discussion. Using terms like Southside/Northside for jobs and amenities are so broad they are essentially redundant.

Exactly, you can compare Whitehall v Crumlin.

But comparing Northside v Southside when you are talking about a small subset of areas doesn't seem like good analysis to me!

miamee

number19 wrote: »

I come from Haroldscross, have lived there most of my life. My girlfriend is from Santry(North Dublin) and wants us to buy and settle down on the Northside(Whitehall, Beaumont area). I've tried to convince her that the Southside would be better(Haroldscross, Kimmage, Crumlin area) whereas she thinks the Northside is better. My reasons for committing our future to the D6/D6w area are:

• Its more central, closer to the city centre while also handy to the M50 Both are prximate to the M50, you can't use that as a pro for the southside
• Close to the south side of the city centre, which is the better side, has more tourist attractions, shops, green spaces etc How often do you and your girlfriend go into town to visit tourist attractions, green spaces or even shops for that matter?
• More jobs on the southside(Google, Facebook, Linkedin etc) so less likely to have to rely on packed public transport to get to and from work every day. Anybody I know that lives on the northside has to commute to the southside for their jobs I presume if you are discussing buying a home you both have jobs - how accessible are your jobs from either location?
• I think that the southside has more amenities such as cafes, supermarkets, cinemas, pubs etc per square mile than on the northside(okay I haven’t studied this in detail and can’t say its fact but it certainly seems like that to me). This combined with less commuting makes for a better quality of life. There possibly are more cafes and pubs, I don't think there are more supermarkets and certainly not more cinemas on southside
• Part of her argument is that its cheaper to buy a house on the northside but having looked at the market, even that’s not true. Whitehall and Beaumont are no cheaper(or better) than Crumlin or Kimmage, and parts of Terenure would be similar price to Drumcondra.

So what do people think? North or South, D9 or D6?

It all depends on your needs. Do you plan to have children? If so, would it make more sense to live near your family for support or hers? Which area gives the easier commute to work for the two of you? What hobbies do you have/sports do you play and can they be facilitated in either or both areas?

spurious

Which can you afford?

jon1981

Far more value on the Northside if you know where to look

Killester , Artane, Raheny would be closer to the m50, m1. Many transport options (shed loads of buses with decent lanes), Dart... or walk to coast.


The companies you listed aren't on the Southside per-se, they are in the city centre locations, equally as accessible from the northside as the southside.

SozBbz

I'm from the northside, my OH from the southside, and we live in South County Dublin. Few reasons for this, but namely the fact that my work (at the time) was on the southside and the commute across the city was killing me.

Its not any better per se, I really think you have to create lists of areas that you want to focus on and decide what you want to spend. That will likely rule out certain things.

I'll admit Artane/Beaumont wouldnt be my choice, but theres more to the northside that just that small area. If proximity to town matters, why not look at phibsborough, chapelizard or cabra. I would see a lot of potential in those areas.
The best northside areas Clontarf, Drumcondra etc, that have good transport and proximity to the city center are going to be very expensive, but IMO far preferable to Kimage/Crumlin etc.

I'd agree that the north city center is pretty bad - i think this is a national embarrassment and we collectively ought to be ashamed that half of our capital city has been neglected so badly. I don't think this is any reflection on the northern suburbs however. I don't know what you mean about a lack of supermarkets (people on the northside buy groceries just the same as everyone else) and many of my favorite food options are on the northside. Many great neighbourhood restaurants to choose from. I'd say there are just as many cineamas - our favorite cinema is the Lighthouse in Smithfield which even my southsider boyfriend admits is worth the treck.

I must say i think a lot of your assertions about the northside are pretty ignorant and if I was your girlfriend I'd be pretty unimpressed that you still hold those views despite being in a serious relationship with someone who in your view is from a lesser place.

jon1981

I'll admit Artane/Beaumont wouldnt be my choice, but theres more to the northside that just that small area. If proximity to town matters, why not look at phibsborough, chapelizard or cabra. I would see a lot of potential in those areas.
The best northside areas Clontarf, Drumcondra etc, that have good transport and proximity to the city center are going to be very expensive, but IMO far preferable to Kimage/Crumlin etc.

Just to counter this point. There are parts of Artane/Killester would border Clontarf and arguably have better transport to the city as it has better access to the dart and closer to the Malahide road with 6 different bus options. No disagreeing that Clontarf is probably one of the most expensive parts of the city (north or south).

SozBbz

jon1981 wrote: »

Just to counter this point. There are parts of Artane/Killester would border Clontarf and arguably have better transport to the city as it has better access to the dart and closer to the Malahide road with 6 different bus options. No disagreeing that Clontarf is probably one of the most expensive parts of the city (north or south).

Yeah I know, I didn't say Killester for that exact reason. Theres almost certainly some value there and walkable to Clontarf, Raheney and their amenities without the prices. I read in the irish times recently that clontarf is only behind doneybrook from prices/demand in Dublin - its extremely desireable.

Killester would probably be a great shout, especially if you could get anywhere near the dart. You'd be on a great commute to Google, Facebook, LinkedIn etc, much better than coming across the city from Crumlin IMO.

I do think beaumont and artane are just a bit too residential and lacking in character (plenty of equally nondiscript parts of the southside to be fair) but thats just my personal taste.

Also - one thing that my OH and I now agree on (he never spent any time on the northside before he met me) is that the Northside has far superior beaches. There are small stretches on the southside, but they've nothing on Dollymount/Bull Island. Southside has the mountains but Northside has a much nicer coastline.

wakka12

I think both north and south of dublin have some nice suburbs, south inner city is much nicer than north inner city, but thats it. I don't see how catsleknock howth clontarf blessinton marino or phibs aren't as nice places to live as terenure ranelagh kimmage crumlin harolds cross etc

Anyway, I would focus more on finding a place close to transport that would be useful to you, close as possible for both of your jobs, close to schools for your kids, objective measures rather than settling one area just because its subjectively nicer or one of you prefer it, Dublin is a small city so I dont think being close to the main concentration of retail/restaurants and leisure facilties is that big a deal, even if you're on the northside you'll still be relatively close to them

ixoy

I'm in Killester and would also recommend it. I can be on the DART platform in a few minutes and in Tara Street ten minutes later. I'm close to the Howth Road, served by the 29A, 31 and 32 routes and there's access to a good Supervalu as well as a few small places to eat. Malahide Road is of course nearby too.

Clontarf, nice as it is (I rented there for years), isn't as handy and it's only got the 130 bus route which isn't going to fare particularly well under Bus Connect current plans.

Samuel T. Cogley

Northside all the way, less people with 'notions' :pac:

Grawns

My cousin had the same issue. He's from Blackrock area, she's from Santry. She wouldn't entertain living so far from her family. They're now happily settled in Drumcondra. Happy wife happy life:)

jon1981

Grawns wrote: »

My cousin had the same issue. He's from Blackrock area, she's from Santry. She wouldn't entertain living so far from her family. They're now happily settled in Drumcondra. Happy wife happy life:)

Nothing to do with the "Yah Yah like i know yah yah..." you hear all over Blackrock

Grawns

jon1981 wrote: »

Nothing to do with the "Yah Yah like i know yah yah..." you hear all over Blackrock

Yah:D

Cyrus

He must love his missis that’s some compromise to make !

Marcusm

Cyrus wrote: »

He must love his missis that’s some compromise to make !

Depending on the budget, some fabulous roads in Drumcondra and a lot of meh areas in “Blackrock”.

Cyrus

Marcusm wrote: »

Depending on the budget, some fabulous roads in Drumcondra and a lot of meh areas in “Blackrock”.

And vice versa Blackrock wins overall though pretty easily

Grawns

Cyrus wrote: »

And vice versa Blackrock wins overall though pretty easily

Well when I say Blackrock I mean kilmacud and when I say drumcondra I mean courtlands. I know which one I would prefer.

Cyrus

Grawns wrote: »

Well when I say Blackrock I mean kilmacud and when I say drumcondra I mean courtlands. I know which one I would prefer.

Why would you say Blackrock when you mean kilmacud?

Grawns

That's the postal address and eircode. Kilmacud, Blackrock.

ted1

odyssey06 wrote: »

Exactly, you can compare Whitehall v Crumlin.

But comparing Northside v Southside when you are talking about a small subset of areas doesn't seem like good analysis to me!

Agree.
If I was to leave the south side it’d be for some where close to Dollymount like clontarf, killiester.

stevek93

I hear Finglas is a lovely place OP, you get to see the horses.

Interested Observer

I live on the Northside. I commute to the Southside for work. It takes 20 mins on my bike and there are lots and lots of places on the Southside that would leave me further away. Crossing the river is pretty irrelevant.

OP basically everything you've listed in the first post falls in favour of the Southside (in your view, and that's fine) so it looks to me that your mind is fairly made up.

Cyrus

Grawns wrote: »

That's the postal address and eircode. Kilmacud, Blackrock.

fair enough, its not what anyone would think when you say blackrock to be fair.

wakka12

Grawns wrote: »

That's the postal address and eircode. Kilmacud, Blackrock.

But they're two distinctly different areas why would you deliberately refer to blackrock as kilmacud just because they're grouped in a postal address
Kilmacud is meh blackrock is really nice

Westwood

Unless you're on the 33x bus route or dart from the Northside to the south city forget it, done it for 10 years and wouldn't recommend it. Harold cross is beautiful if you can afford to live there do so, it's walking distance to the companies you mentioned as apposed to an hour even on the best links I've mentioned....

markpb

Westwood wrote: »

Unless you're on the 33x bus route or dart from the Northside to the south city forget it, done it for 10 years and wouldn't recommend it. Harold cross is beautiful if you can afford to live there do so, it's walking distance to the companies you mentioned as apposed to an hour even on the best links I've mentioned....

What a bizarre comparison! The last stop on the 33x before it goes into DPT is over 20km from the city centre. Harold's Cross is a mere 4km. You can't compare the two. There are plenty of places on the northside which are the same or shorter commute than Harold's Cross. Your commute was probably from north county Dublin, not the northside.

ted1

Westwood wrote: »

Unless you're on the 33x bus route or dart from the Northside to the south city forget it, done it for 10 years and wouldn't recommend it. Harold cross is beautiful if you can afford to live there do so, it's walking distance to the companies you mentioned as apposed to an hour even on the best links I've mentioned....

I cycle from Killiney to the airport daily. South to north and vice versus isn’t that hard

spurious

Anywhere in or near Raheny wins in my book.