Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

East Wall, Dublin 3

  • 26-11-2004 6:47pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 160 ✭✭john05


    Thinking about buying an apartment down in East wall. They wont be built for another year but the usual carry on of deposits are being taken now. I dont know a terrible amount about the area so I need to do some homework but i dive in. Anyone got some pros/cons or tips/advice on the area.

    Cheers
    Tagged:


«13456734

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 78,218 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    The area used to have a very bad reputation, but is gradually being "gentrified", given it's proximity to the IFSC, East Point and now Spencer Dock.

    Be aware of train and traffic (port tunnel opening in 12-15 months) noise. Transport links are generally very good, although the bus service east of the North Strand is quite mediocre. Route 53 serves the East Wall, whereas 127 | 129 | 130 | 20B | 27 | 27B | 27C | 27X | 29A | 29N | 31 | 31A | 31B | 31N | 32 | 32A | 32B | 32X | 42A | 42N | all serve Fairview and 90/a, 747/748 & Luas serve Connolly / Busaras.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 160 ✭✭john05


    Thanks Victor. Some good points made.
    Any other thoughts from people on the area? past present and future? what is the general opinion of the area today? rough? no go area? grand n handy? all thoughts appreciated...

    J


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14 Bastun


    I grew up in North Strand, the next area long, and I still have friends in the area. East Wall used to have a 'tough' reputation, but I think that's mostly gone now. There was a big drugs problem in the early/mid 90s, now largely cleared up due to an active community. I'd say it's now no better or worse than any other area. Personally I'd be happy to live there now, as long as I wasn't on the 'border' near the high traffic areas from Dublin Port, East Link tollbridge, etc.

    Anton


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 38 Always in black


    I lived there for 6 weeks and it was the WORST 6 weeks i ever spent anywhere. the bus service is in the form of 1 bus every half hour ....if it decides to show up or doesnt get caught in the huge volume of traffic that chunders through every day. the 1 shop that there is does not take laser and there are no cash points around so everyone seemed to use the off-licence of the pub for cashback. Some of the locals are vile but the majority are fine.
    The fact that i lived in a kippy house in Merchants square did not help matters. The landlady was charging top dollar for a kip that was falling apart. I suppose having lived in the house that I did would not endear the place to me at all. Never again....ever


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,217 ✭✭✭FX Meister


    It was a rough area but is getting better now. There is still quite a lot of scum though. As well as the Dart traffic you also have the nearby northwall and eastwll depots that can have traffic and shunting at any time of the night. Where about are the apartments? And how much are they, just curious.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 2,502 ✭✭✭irlirishkev


    john05 wrote:
    Thinking about buying an apartment down in East wall. They wont be built for another year but the usual carry on of deposits are being taken now. I dont know a terrible amount about the area so I need to do some homework but i dive in. Anyone got some pros/cons or tips/advice on the area.

    Cheers

    I know the apartments you're talking about, and I considered it briefly. Only briefly though.
    I lived in East Wall for a few months last year. In that time, I was egged by one of the little nackar kids for walking down the street, and my car was crashed into by joyriders as I slept in my bed. Most of the adults seemed quite nice, but the local kids.. :rolleyes:

    As Always in Black pointed out, the local conveniences are few. The local pub, formerly Fisherman's Wharf, is nice, but you might get a few funny looks when you go in.

    Maybe I just had a few bad experiences, but I wouldn't recommend living there to anyone.

    Kevin.


  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭risteardo


    This is of real interest to me. Me and my girlfriend are getting very close to buying a house on Caledon Road, about half way between Church Road and East Road (I think that's what it's called). I guess we're part of the supposedly ongoing gentrification! Seems like a quiet road, but again, any other opinions would be gratefully received. I'm trying to balance the negatives, lack of shops/pubs, bad traffic etc against the positives of it being 20 mins walk from town and a really nice house for a good price. Probably 40-60k less than for same kind of property across the river. Hopefully a good investment too, eventually. Preferably only positive opinions required please to assuage any anxiety I'm feeling... :o


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,502 ✭✭✭irlirishkev


    Slutboy wrote:
    . I'm trying to balance the negatives, lack of shops/pubs, bad traffic etc against the positives of it being 20 mins walk from town and a really nice house for a good price.:o

    You're right about the good price.
    The 20mins walk from town you're also correct on.. however, it's not the most pleasant walk, and if it's late at night you have to walk through some not-so-nice areas..
    I convinced myself when I was looking for a place to rent, that it was close to town and that I'd settle with it as a nice comprimise. I wouldn't live there again. I just took a serious dislike to the place. I also found the area very grey and depressing.. :(

    On the positive side, you will have the new apartments just off East Wall Road, and also the new Crosbie's Yard apartments.. so maybe it'll be nice someday..

    Kevin.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,217 ✭✭✭FX Meister


    Well I presume it will be enclosed anyway so there whouldnt be a problem with knackers access. And with the area getting better the price can only go up. So it's 60K cheaper than over the river, how much are they? Just curious as I'm thinking of buying and apartment with my GF next year. She doesnt want to leave the city and would prefer an apartment to a house.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,502 ✭✭✭irlirishkev




  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 1,186 ✭✭✭Wolff


    I was born and bred in East Wall Allways in Black account is skewered as Merchants arch wouldnt be even considered to be in East Wall more the North Wall and doesnt have any real amenities

    East Wall and Church road is better with plenty of shops and a twenty four hour Garage

    Caledon road is grand or used to be the houses are very close ot each other if it s the red brick ones you are looking at and the traffic would be a problem but there are plenty of one way streets there now to control it

    On the down side it is a fairly gloomey area on that side of east wall the other side is older and has more character

    The buses are crap but you are only a 15 min walk from the city centre

    hope this helps


  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭risteardo


    House with extended kitchen, really well decorated and good sized yard at the back, we'll probably end up paying around 310k. A similar sized townhouse in Ringsend is going for about 370k. A nicer area but we can't afford that right now. We decided to go for a house rather than apartment. We've checked out a few other places in East Wall that are 20-40k cheaper, but they need sh1t loads of work done, the place for 310k need nada done to it. It's not the red brick ones, it's the terraced ones with a small front garden closer to Church road. Yeah, it's a bit gloomy and depressing alright, but the road has been pretty quiet anytime I've been there and I figure with it being close to town, I'll probably do most of my shopping/socialising there. On me bike I'll probably be in town in 10 minutes....,not bad .


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 160 ✭✭john05


    Lads great responses to this so far, much appreciated, both the good and the bad points. I take the points that East Wall is a bit gloomy and dull in appearance and general feeling of the place as you walk down say church road is not too hot right now. Its worth noting that the dublin docklands authority have ear marked Church Road as becoming the centre of "East Wall village" and as such have set out improvements for the street/area. you can check them out here. this documentation was put together in 2004 and the timeframe is 1-2 years on it so by 2006/7 maybe we should see something. still i would treat this as a nice to have or a promise, certainly not a guarantee. so anybody (like myself) thinking of buying down here must ask themselves if nothing changed in this area would u be happy to live there?

    irlkev - its the lighthouse apts im looking at and yes they will be set behind security gates. being built in the old "wiggins teape" site for those that may know the area. the problem of knackers etc becomes slightly diluted when big complexs start to invade an area. take ringsend for example, only 5-7 years ago, nobody in their right mind would have bought in ringsend. now look at it. im not saying east wall will go the same way but heres hoping!

    the proximity to town is a big + in this day n age when mates are moving as far as kildare/balbriggan just to buy a gaf. point taken that i will probably never walk home from town to east wall, just means a cheaper taxi.

    slutboy - investigate whether ur potential gaf has ever been flooded. am not certain of this but i think the area flooded badly a few years back hence the stack of "brand new" interiors in some of them. apparently (now dont quote me on this) some of them find it hard to get house insurance as a result.

    i also heard from an estate agent recently (he didnt know my vested interest in east wall) that every sale down in east wall today is a record sale.

    if anyone knows anything about those crosbie yard apts i'd be very interested also. apols for the long post....


  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭risteardo


    Thanks for that, will deffo check out the flooding situation. Someone had mentioned that to me but I forgot to pursue it, so cheers for the reminder. Just found out we got mortgage approval so assuming the structural check is clean, we'll probably buy the house. :eek:

    That's interesting about Church road too, because the lack of a village centre really mitigates against the area in comparison to areas like Stonybatter. It's heartening to know it 'might' improve... :rolleyes:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 73 ✭✭captainplanet


    never let your girlfriend walk through east wall alone, especially at night. that place is terrible. i'm always petrified when im coming from there.the area may be improving but its still pretty bad for the random people beating you up, robbing you etc.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,502 ✭✭✭irlirishkev


    I've just remembered.. Anytime I was coming back from the gym, I'd be driving down Church Road, and the nacks hanging around the closed shops would be constantly eyeballing me as I slowed down for the speed bumps.. God.. I did *not* like living there..


  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭risteardo


    So if I drive home with tunnel vision, jump blindfolded from the house into a cab when I'm heading to town and pretend the house is in Ballsbridge when I'm sitting outside in the back garden drinking my wine on a hot summers day, I should be fine.. :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,502 ✭✭✭irlirishkev


    Slutboy wrote:
    So if I drive home with tunnel vision, jump blindfolded from the house into a cab when I'm heading to town and pretend the house is in Ballsbridge when I'm sitting outside in the back garden drinking my wine on a hot summers day, I should be fine.. :D

    Unless you get egged between your car and your house :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭risteardo


    I'll just make sure my girlfriend is covering me... :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 7 tony99


    John! I grew up in East Wall but moved away years ago. I still have family there and used to visit several times a year (from the U.S.), However, now it's getting harder with the kids. The last time home (Jan 04), I remember the residents on Seaview Ave. having to man a roadblock every night at 5pm to prevent through-traffic from Church Rd. I don't know if this will get worse when Church Rd links up with Sheriff St. Something to consider!


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,101 ✭✭✭Kingsize


    i lived there for about a year about 5 yrs ago & had nary a problem.
    the old wharf tavern pub was okay but i was always petrified that someone would come up & say "thats whackers seat he'll be in in 5 minutes"
    it has its fair share of scum but then so does club anabel..........


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 160 ✭✭john05


    tony99 - when is church road supposed to link up with sheriff street? hadnt heard any plans like that myself...am familiar with traffic taking short cuts from the road (cant rem. name) that runs up the side of the seabank house pub, thru the housing estates and out onto east wall road. am guilty of this many times myself. is this the kinda thing the residents were protesting about?

    has anyone else recently bought down in east wall or plan to buy/sell etcl. slutboy - hows the sale going?

    does anyone reckon east wall will go the same route as ringsend with an abundance of flash new apts all over it in a few years? maybe buying now could net u a few quid down the line....it is part of the docklands area also.

    all thoughts appreciated?


  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭risteardo


    Should be able to give you some first hand info in a couple of months John. Haven't signed any contracts yet but it's Sale Agreed now. All going well, should be moving in Feb/March. Still have some concerns about the area but the house is great so looking forward to having a nice place to live. I shall report every 'egging' and 'car keying' I experience... ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 16 Peadarj


    I bought a house in East Wall - Love it. Close to town and the sea and the Dart. I would rather live here than walk all over puke & drunken assholes in the centre of town, everytime I went to the shops. As regards the locals, they are very friendly. There are some dodgy young lads but you have to learn to stand your ground, but that applies to anywhere in your life.

    I think if you are a 'well to do' kind of person and that you are better than the people around you, then its not the place to be. Respect works both ways and doesnt require diving from a taxi into your house and barring up the doors. Never experienced eggs myself but I wouldnt tolerate it either. Blessed are the meek does not apply to any city centre dwellers

    Kids see weakness much quicker than adults and will pick up on the fear very quickly. I think Abraham Lincoln (or one of the presidents) said "Walk tall but carry a big stick". You dont need a stick but you do have to know your ground and carry yourself that way.

    East Wall is not different from anywhere else close to the city. You can get mugged walking home to D4.

    As regards dull. It is part of the docks and that has to be appreciated. At the moment I'd rather live here than Dalkey where I lived before, or Dunlaoghaire where I would never live again - Kipp.

    Peadar


  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭risteardo


    Cheers Peadar, thanks for those encouraging words. I grew up in an area not unlike East Wall, so I'm not expecting too much that I can't handle. Can't wait now.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4 thaleus


    Rented in East Wall 1998-2000 and subsequently bought in Caledon Rd area in 2002. have been there 2 years without incident. The locals can be a little eccentric but if you keep to yourself and do your own thing it's grand. I feel safer where I live now than Ringsend and Inchicore where I had rented.

    I Walk/stumble home at night along north wall quay and left onto New Wapping Street and enter East Wall from the Sth East. This is the safest route at night.

    To answer one of the threads Church Road and West Road originally joined Sherriff Street and Seville Place respectively.

    One issue to note: FLOODING: You need to do some research here because some areas were hit during 2002 and you may have difficulty in getting insurance. East wall is constructed on reclaimed land.


  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭risteardo


    that's the exact route I plan to use when stumbling home too.....!


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,502 ✭✭✭irlirishkev


    thaleus wrote:
    I Walk/stumble home at night along north wall quay and left onto New Wapping Street and enter East Wall from the Sth East. This is the safest route at night.

    That's the route I used to take aswell. Definitely the quickest and safest way. You also get to enjoy a stroll by the liffey on the way into town :)

    K.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 160 ✭✭john05


    was driving around East Wall the other day....surveillence ya know :D noticed another big development down very near to the Point, practically behind it really. there was no signs up saying what it was..apt, offices or what. just wondering if anyone knows anything about it.

    also any idea when the docklands authority are gonna start improvements on church road. if anyone hears anything sure post it up here....

    also anyone bought in crosbies yard/lighthouse apts at all?


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭risteardo


    We contacted the Docklands Authority a couple of months ago with the same question about Church road and they said the plan would be actioned in 2005. No more specifics would they provide....


Advertisement