What's missing from Limerick City Centre

Cookiemunster

John_Mc wrote: »

The OP of this post was from someone letting premises to businesses which consistently and repeatedly closing down. People aren't spending money no matter what is offered - despite the disposable income.

Call it whatever you want and convince yourself that the crescent is some jewel of a shopping centre but the underlying problem is still there.

I'm not going through this again with you.

What on earth are you talking about? If Limerick people were tight as you seem to think then the Crescent wouldn't be the biggest and busiest shopping center in Munster and none of the other centers would be trading successfully either. That's a fact and whether or not you like the selection of stores located there is irrelevant.

There is no footfall in the city center because not enough people live or work there. That's why a lot of businesses don't survive in there while they continue to trade successfully in the out of town centers.

It's up to yourself whether or not you want to debate the point with me or not, but the fact is that you're talking out of your rear end because you refuse to see the bigger picture when it comes to historical planning decisions that have led to the situation that the city center is now in.

Cookiemunster

osarusan wrote: »

I went for a walk in the city centre the other night, and was on the Strand Hotel side of the river, walking along the 'three bridges walk'.

What struck me was just how many 1 or 2-storey houses there are so close to the city centre. Along O'Callaghan strand you have those 2-storey buildings, and behind them is just a housing estate. Along Clancy's strand it's even worse I think - near the Curragower there is an estate of bungalows ( I think).

A series of 5-6 storey office buildings or apartment buildings in those areas would make so much sense, but I suppose the fact that the 1-storey or 2-storey houses are still there so close to the city centre shows that the demand for those buildings just isn't there - if there was the demand for them, and enough money to be made from them, they'd already be built.

I'm open to correction, but I think a few of those buildings along Clancy's Strand are protected, so it would be difficult to redevelop them.

On O'Callaghan Strand the Strand development is of decent density and hopefully well see some mid to high rise residential going into the Cleeves site.

John_Mc

Cookiemunster wrote: »

What on earth are you talking about? If Limerick people were tight as you seem to think then the Crescent wouldn't be the biggest and busiest shopping center in Munster and none of the other centers would be trading successfully either. That's a fact and whether or not you like the selection of stores located there is irrelevant.

There is no footfall in the city center because not enough people live or work there. That's why a lot of businesses don't survive in there while they continue to trade successfully in the out of town centers.

It's up to yourself whether or not you want to debate the point with me or not, but the fact is that you're talking out of your rear end because you refuse to see the bigger picture when it comes to historical planning decisions that have led to the situation that the city center is now in.

I'm not debating the point, again, with you for a week and boring everyone on here to tears. There's more than shopping when it comes to disposable income and people spending money. Restaurants, cafes, bars - you don't go to the crescent for them do you.

Friday night is a ghost town in Limerick no matter what venue owners do- I know this for a fact because I worked in nightclubs and bars for years. That's a good indication of people spending money, or not as is the case.

That's my last post on the matter.

geotrig

The demand isn't there as house prices for the most part are "reasonable" throughout the city and any apartment that are being built if any really dont offer an attractive alternative and doesn't incentivise developers or buyers to setup at the moment , I also quiet like that the side of the river is mainly low level dwellings and is quiet nice and i would guess some are also pretected ?

Some of the shops suggested above have been and mostly failed and will keep doing so unless some key issues are resolved.

Rates /rents are always one of the main issues, the city has shrunk over the years but rates and rents the are somewhat unrealistic and killing business.
I know its laughed at (outside of a sign I'm not sure anything was ever really put in place )but grouping business and setting rates to benefit said buisness types in certain streets blocks .i.e fashion quarter might be a way forward.

Georgian houses and apt , needs to be looked at. there is a lot of good stock and without huge investment could transform the city but it just takes a few with the means to invest in it.Take upper glenworth street for example, row of crappily maintained apts one side and abandoned Athenaeum the other side a bit of investment and convert all thous back to houses or even 2 story apartments with again a long standing projects with the Athenaeum /teatre royal would transform the area
Obvious more business to locate in the centre.

1-2 more central plaza's type areas to just have nice places in the city along with better paths or proper paths !! and some proper street scaping.
The suggested plaza in the opera centre seems off to me at present, they should also look at the tourist building entering arthurs quay park it a bit of an eyesore

geotrig

John_Mc wrote: »

I'm not debating the point, again, with you for a week and boring everyone on here to tears. There's more than shopping when it comes to disposable income and people spending money. Restaurants, cafes, bars - you don't go to the crescent for them do you.

Friday night is a ghost town in Limerick no matter what venue owners do- I know this for a fact because I worked in nightclubs and bars for years. That's a good indication of people spending money, or not as is the case.

That's my last post on the matter.

Nightlife has changed since late bars where introduced if you ask me and when changes in our "culture" bars for the most part hadn't adapted, students drive alot of nightlife and most are kept outside the city.

geotrig

John_Mc wrote: »

The OP of this post was from someone letting premises to businesses which consistently and repeatedly closing down. People aren't spending money no matter what is offered - despite the disposable income.

Call it whatever you want and convince yourself that the crescent is some jewel of a shopping centre but the underlying problem is still there.

I'm not going through this again with you.

well outside of whatever is spent in the city ,there is also jetland ,cresent ,coonagh, parkway,parkway retail ,limerick one ,city east ,castletroy as well as few other small retail parks areas that are all supported by the none spenders :rolleyes:

The city needs to be developed to have more people living in it that is all.

osarusan

Cookiemunster wrote: »

I'm open to correction, but I think a few of those buildings along Clancy's Strand are protected, so it would be difficult to redevelop them.

It wasn't so much the buildings on Clancy's strand itself I was talking about, rather the estates in behind. The estates in behind the Curragower for example, and the Priory Park estate in particular is the one I was thinking of - an estate of bungalows so close to the city centre.

callaway92

kilburn wrote: »

Course it does

I literally said it's on Cecil St. and gave a screenshot for it.

martyc5674

John_Mc wrote: »

I'm not debating the point, again, with you for a week and boring everyone on here to tears. There's more than shopping when it comes to disposable income and people spending money. Restaurants, cafes, bars - you don't go to the crescent for them do you.

Friday night is a ghost town in Limerick no matter what venue owners do- I know this for a fact because I worked in nightclubs and bars for years. That's a good indication of people spending money, or not as is the case.

That's my last post on the matter.

All it indicates is a lack of residents, the lack of residents means there’s little demand for evening cafes etc. and therefore little incentive for investment in such. We need to get more people living in the city and slowly the wheels of change will begin to turn.

Twoman Fullbackline

JupiterKid wrote: »

Galway, Cork and even Waterford have thriving Central Business Districts in comparison to Limerick.

Good ole fashioned Limerick catastrophism at its best. Waterford does not have a thriving CBD compared to Limerick.

Twoman Fullbackline

The one thing I often find myself missing is a decent IT/Tech supply store. It's hard to compete with the Harvey Normans and Currys of this world I guess, and I usually find myself out at those picking up bits and pieces. Maybe there's somewhere obvious I'm missing? Currys used to be on William St but are gone a good few years.

Mc Love

Twoman Fullbackline wrote: »

The one thing I often find myself missing is a decent IT/Tech supply store. It's hard to compete with the Harvey Normans and Currys of this world I guess, and I usually find myself out at those picking up bits and pieces. Maybe there's somewhere obvious I'm missing? Currys used to be on William St but are gone a good few years.

There's one on Henry St and there's FSV on Upper William St.

OfTheMarsWongs

Twoman Fullbackline wrote: »

The one thing I often find myself missing is a decent IT/Tech supply store. It's hard to compete with the Harvey Normans and Currys of this world I guess, and I usually find myself out at those picking up bits and pieces. Maybe there's somewhere obvious I'm missing? Currys used to be on William St but are gone a good few years.

Argos in Cruises St have a good range of electronics, SD cards, peripherals etc

Mango Joe

Was in Cork recently and it just feels pleasant to be around the City Centre.

You'd be more inclined to slow down and browse, maybe buy a coffee or sandwich and go home that bit later.

In Limerick there has always been too many Skanky Knackers menacingly hanging around, poor choice in the shops and it's just not as nice
a place to be as it should.

I've avoided the City Centre for decades unless absolutely necessary - I'll take any other option first.

Granadino

Mango Joe wrote: »

Was in Cork recently and it just feels pleasant to be around the City Centre.

You'd be more inclined to slow down and browse, maybe buy a coffee or sandwich and go home that bit later.

In Limerick there has always been too many Skanky Knackers menacingly hanging around, poor choice in the shops and it's just not as nice
a place to be as it should.

I've avoided the City Centre for decades unless absolutely necessary - I'll take any other option first.

I agree, but Cork seems a bit more run down in the centre as well compared to what it used to be like. More small shops closed etc. But it is pleasant to walk around there.
I just think the layout of Limerick, the grid system is horrible. The fact a wide river separates two sides of the city doesn't help either.

what_traffic

Granadino wrote: »

I just think the layout of Limerick, the grid system is horrible. The fact a wide river separates two sides of the city doesn't help either.

That is what sets Limerick apart from all other Irish regional Citys (live in Galway City).
Issue is what is done with the grid and the space, all the street space is used for Cars, vast on street car parking and one-way road system. Change that - change the City.
River is great, brilliant views along it. Compared to Euro Citys - we don't value the water on this little Island, maybe because so much of it falls from the sky so regularly.

godfrey

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Is there anywhere in town to play pool or snooker? I can't think of anything since The Vic closed.

The snooker hall in the St. Michael's building, above Sodalicious, and there's pool on the 2nd floor.

g

Louche Lad

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Is there anywhere in town to play pool or snooker? I can't think of anything since The Vic closed.

The Launch bar in John Street has a pool table.