Grafton St not what it used to be

spiderbeast

Remember when Grafton street used to be uniquely Irish? Now it could be any high street in a any city in the UK with stores such as Boots, M&S, Vodaphone, O2, River Island etc etc. And Henry St isn't much better.

If you had the power to change Graton St or Henry St what would you do?

estebancambias

I love the street on a busy summers day.

BendiBus

I'd put down new paving and eliminate the god-awful smell from outside McDonalds.

Gavin "shels"

You miss the buskers who used to be there, and Dave McSavage.:D

irlrobins

BendiBus wrote: »

I'd put down new paving

Yea, the old cobble lock is starting to breakup a bit.

Creamy Goodness

yeh that bin is ****ing awful, it's the reason i don't walk down/up grafton street if i can manage it, that bin can be smelt for miles.

i would out two railings up in the middle and have that as an express lane so to speak. anyone who stops inside is given a fine.

Tipsy Mac

Grafton St not a whole heap historical on it worth keeping, personally I would level it and build a nice shopping centre, would be great for when it's raining.

Corruptedmorals

Dave McSavage outside Stephens Green every weekend always with the same crappy jokes/songs sums up what's wrong with Grafton Street.

Also, it was in the Sunday Tribune last week that mobile phone shops, newsagents and fast food outlets will no longer be able to open on Grafton Street. It won't affect the ones that are already there though.
The reason why it looks like any UK high street is because the rent is ridiculously high..it's not THAT great of a street. Pia Bang and Miss Selfridge were forced to close in the last 2 years.

And people are not able to walk properly on it! It seems to be affected way more than other busy streets by people who walk realllllly slowly at points where it's nearly impossible to get around them, people who walk 5/6 people abreast, usually very slowly, people who just STOP DEAD, people who cut across the street without looking..the list goes on.

So yeah, I'd have the rent lower, but that's impossible, fix the paving, as mentioned...and eh shoot people who can't walk properly up it without obstructing loads of people..

Gran Hermano

Grafton St is nothing but a collection of mobile phone shops, chuggers, Roma beggars and fast food joints.

Dundrum SC is much better for shopping and much nicer.

Dord

I try avoid it as much as possible. Its ridiculous trying to walk thru it, with people stopping constantly. I know all the back streets and shortcuts around there so I use those if I need to go thru that way.

MadsL

Grafton St not a whole heap historical on it worth keeping, personally I would level it and build a nice shopping centre, would be great for when it's raining.

Are you trolling?

Twenty-four buildings in the street are listed for protection on the Record of Protected Structures, including the old Brown Thomas building at
Nos.15-17 (now M&S), the old Arnotts building at No.103-104 (now River Island) and the old Bank building at No. 65, Grafton St (now Monsoon).
The majority of the buildings on the northern section of the street, facing the Provost’s House, are included in the list.

A significant number of additional buildings are of architectural interest by reason of their design detail and contribution to the character of the streetscape and would merit consideration for addition to the Record of Protected Structures. These include No 42, (currently occupied by Jigsaw) a four storey two-bay yellow brick building with prominent red brick quoin and stringcourse detailing. It's most distinctive detail is the tripartite gothic style window arches at first floor level, which are mounted on decorative carved sandstone piers.

Nos. 5 and 6 (occupied by Jack Jones and Bus Stop respectively) are a pair of richly detailed four storey three bay red brick buildings with distinctively detailed oriel windows to first and second floor level. No 5 retains an early 20th century timber shopfront surround, comprising a panelled frieze with carved foliage, and flat panelled pilasters.

Grafton Street and Environs
Architectural Conservation Area
Written Statement 2006

arybvtcw0eolkf

spiderbeast wrote: »

Remember when Grafton street used to be uniquely Irish? Now it could be any high street in a any city in the UK with stores such as Boots, M&S, Vodaphone, O2, River Island etc etc. And Henry St isn't much better.

If you had the power to change Graton St or Henry St what would you do?

I could care less about Grafton St.

As a northsider I mourne the loss of Moore St.

What was once a uniquely Dublin street, with two very typical Dublin bar's and trader's selling everything from Fish (depending on the day) to 'fruit & veg' to school shoes, to flowers & second hand clothes is now a street full of shady 'mobile phone unlocking shops' & 'net cafes to crack dealers and Afro hairdressers selling cheap Guinness 'export' under the counter.

Doctor DooM

Mairt wrote: »

I could care less about Grafton St.

As a northsider I mourne the loss of Moore St.

What was once a uniquely Dublin street, with two very typical Dublin bar's and trader's selling everything from Fish (depending on the day) to 'fruit & veg' to school shoes, to flowers & second hand clothes is now a street full of shady 'mobile phone unlocking shops' & 'net cafes to crack dealers and Afro hairdressers selling cheap Guinness 'export' under the counter.

A big dirty Northside +1 from me on this one. I used to get all my school shes off of peg there on the corner of Moore St and Parnell St. I dont think you get those shops anymore...

spiderbeast

Gavin shels wrote: »

You miss the buskers who used to be there, and Dave McSavage.:D

Dave McSavage was actually there today doing his stuff. HE can be funny sometimes but you'de be a brave person to walk behind him, he makes a comment about anyone and everyone.

Dyr

I cant think of any shop on grafton street id need to buy stuff off, but then im a nortsoider

+1 for the colonisation of moore street.

dubtom

SDooM wrote: »

A big dirty Northside +1 from me on this one. I used to get all my school shes off of peg there on the corner of Moore St and Parnell St. I dont think you get those shops anymore...

Ah yes,I bought my first pair off doc martins from peg many moons ago,christ I was cool.

Xavi6

I'd make it illegal for the stereotype D4 oompa loompas to use the street. They were the bain of my life when I worked there. Head melters the lot of them.

arybvtcw0eolkf

dubtom wrote: »

Ah yes,I bought my first pair off doc martins from peg many moons ago,christ I was cool.

Now thats mad!..

I had a dream last night about the same thing. My first pair of Doc's were bought from her too.

John Mason

dubtom wrote: »

Ah yes,I bought my first pair off doc martins from peg many moons ago,christ I was cool.

Mine too and i am not even from Dublin.

If you didnt get your docs from there you were so uncool

dubtom

We rock!

_blank_

irishbird wrote: »

Mine too and i am not even from Dublin.

If you didnt get your docs from there you were so uncool

I'm cool then.

But then, you already knew that

Can't believe you owned docs:eek:

Big eighteen holers I had. Oh yeah.

Anyway, back On Topic.

I effing hate Grafton Street.

Mid- to small-sized women with umbrellas when it's raining should be outlawed.

Stopping dead for no reason should be a shootable offence. Bleedin' oul wans.

Walking diagonally should be a kneecapping.

Any gathering of more than 5 people at the Stephen's Green end between 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm should be put to the firing squad.

Beggars at the ATMs should be bled slowly.

And most of all, at Xmas time, I'd love to see a proper Switzer's Window, bastarding Brown Thomas ruined Xmas for me. We used to be brought over to see Switzer's Window on a Sunday close to Xmas, then around to the Bad-Ass Café for a Pizza and a Knickerbocker Glory.

BendiBus

DesF wrote: »

And most of all, at Xmas time, I'd love to see a proper Switzer's Window, bastarding Brown Thomas ruined Xmas for me.

That gets a big +1 from me! I remember going to see Santa there every year when I was a kid.

Tha Gopher

Mairt wrote: »

I could care less about Grafton St.

As a northsider I mourne the loss of Moore St.

What was once a uniquely Dublin street, with two very typical Dublin bar's and trader's selling everything from Fish (depending on the day) to 'fruit & veg' to school shoes, to flowers & second hand clothes is now a street full of shady 'mobile phone unlocking shops' & 'net cafes to crack dealers and Afro hairdressers selling cheap Guinness 'export' under the counter.

Am I the only person who has never been offered drugs on Moore Street by Nigerians?

And believe me, during the odd drought Ive walked up there trying to get offered

Water Sprite

I think Grafton's become somewhat generic as well. I'd say...get rid of the big chain type shops and replace them with one-off kind of places. Allow only Irish-owned businesses like local artists or craftspeople showcases, coffee shops, small, locally owned bookstores, places that cater more specifically to the needs of the locals...and more pubs for sure.

Also, it seems like there are a lot of cars/trucks there that didn't used to be.

*sigh* You can only dream....

BraziliaNZ

Grafton st is nice, it's got to be our nicest street, I mean it's our only pedestrianised st that is anything like a real euro city. I don't really care what shops are on it now, every high st in the world has the same shops these days, that's globalisation for you, who cares. If you want to see tacky and nasty look at henry st.
Coming from a northsider, southside is lucky to have gratfon st and it's adjoining streets like wicklow st, the one with bruxelles on it, chatham st etc.
I've always thought Moore st is a total kip. Horrible markets, counterfeit goods, and disgusting old women cackling and yelling with their barely understandable accents. I'd much prefer a black/chinese area than aulones selling fireworks and toblerones...

Xavi6

DesF wrote: »

Mid- to small-sized women with umbrellas when it's raining should be outlawed.

:mad: Most definitely. Nearly lost an eye on more than one occassion. Not a problem just confined to Grafton Street though.

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

I've always thought Moore st is a total kip. Horrible markets, counterfeit goods, and disgusting old women cackling and yelling with their barely understandable accents. I'd much prefer a black/chinese area than aulones selling fireworks and toblerones...

I kinda have to agree. That place used to scare the shite outta me when I was four or five.

Dyr

Mairt wrote: »

Now thats mad!..

I had a dream last night about the same thing. My first pair of Doc's were bought from her too.

my first pair of docs were from her or some similar oul wan there, cut the bleedin ankles offa me they did

arybvtcw0eolkf

Tha Gopher wrote: »

Am I the only person who has never been offered drugs on Moore Street by Nigerians?

And believe me, during the odd drought Ive walked up there trying to get offered

Maybe you hide your addiction to drugs well.

df1985

have to agree with the ban on small women and umbrellas-there lethal! also 2-3 women with buggies walking at 2mph blocking have the street!

on a more serious note dublin city council brought in planning legislation last yr about shop uses on grafton st.it doesnt affect the ones already there but from now on no more fastfoos outlets, mobile phone shops, convenience stores and other uses like pharmacies and helath food shops have to get special permission to open.when mcdonalds and burger kings leases are up, theyll be forced to move.its already worked-carrolls wanted to open a gift shop in foot lockers store but couldnt and had to open on suffolk st. the council are tryin to attract higher end retailers. tommy hilfiger is opening soon, as is M&S's newly renovated store and cartier and tiffany are going into brown thomas where the menswear is on the ground floor.

Dyr

tommy hilfiger and M&S...such an improvement, thank christ for for DCC *insert roll eyes smiley*

free2fly

Have to agree about Grafton Street. I'm in Dublin quite often and I avoid it like the plague! The only shop I visit is a card shop occassionally. I hate the fact that it is so difficult to get down the street. I now use the backstreets to avoid the area completely.

I hate to say this, but I actually like Moore St. Of course I don't have any idea what it was like before 2001. But I always go there to buy my fresh fruit and veg.

df1985

Bambi wrote: »

tommy hilfiger and M&S...such an improvement, thank christ for for DCC *insert roll eyes smiley*

its better than another centra/spar or vodafone shop!

BraziliaNZ

I used to avoid Grafton st like the plague to avoid those little street urchin inner city kids that used to sing the fields of athenry. So embarassing for all, their voices used to scratch at my brain. Does this still go on?

Linku

Isn't there a Tommy Hilfiger already just off Grafton St?

After this ban, they should try limit the mobile phone stores and fast food places to 1 per street, there's already 2 Vodafone, O2 and Londis stores and Burger Kings. It's not long enough a street to justify that sort of saturation. Baggot St has a lot of repeated business, but at distinctly different ends of a long street, with maybe one exception.

I'm another one who sticks to the side streets due to the human traffic jam at all times of day...

arybvtcw0eolkf

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

little street urchin inner city kids that used to sing the fields of athenry. So embarassing for all, their voices used to scratch at my brain. Does this still go on?

Mostly they were members of the travelling community and not "inner city - urchins", and no you won't see them anymore.

They've largely been replaced by Roma mother's with baby wrapped in a shawl selling 'The Big Issue', or being accosted at the ATM's by other visitors to Ireland :rolleyes:

kowloon

Tommy Hilfiger, Gap etc. are the symbols of what Ireland is fast becoming or perhaps has already become.
Idiots with too much money spending it on mass produced crap with an artificially high value placed on it by the power of marketing.
[/rant]

The food on the other hand is starting to improve, Good Indian, Sushi etc.
Wasn't common in ye olde times.

Nolanger

There should have been someone in power with vision to see the future effect of these shops on the street. Bit late now banning these kind of shops from the area when the street's reputation is damaged.

dubtig

the other day some girl was walking drown Grafton and put her fag in the bin and smoke started coming out of it!!!! then this mad old bloke ran up and poured his coffee into it, but it turned out it wasnt all coffee:eek::eek::eek: and the bin almost exploded:pac:. it was funny at the time

Irish Halo

kowloon wrote: »

The food on the other hand is starting to improve, Good Indian, Sushi etc.
Wasn't common in ye olde times.

Too true I seem to spend a lot of my time when I'm back in Dublin stuffing my face Selection of decent beers is getting better too.

Grafton St is mainstreet UK but that isn't a surprise this is happening everywhere not just Ireland, also I remember that the rents on Grafton St were meant to be shooting up at some stage and apparently has actually the highest rent in the world (http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2003/11/23/story482179715.asp) OK that is just one shop but beating out 5th avenue? Is it any surprise that the shops are going to be aimed at the mass market and high ticket items?

I am pie

it might not be great, but (regardless of your fondness or otherwise!) at least grafton street has a large Irish dept store (Brown Thomas) , not one Starbucks - instead it's Bewleys, and a selection of good pubs on either side of the road the way up. For all it's commercialisation i'd say it's better than most UK "main shopping streets" in comparison. I like the buskers and find the atmosphere much more appealing that O'Connell street.

AnonoBoy

spiderbeast wrote: »

Dave McSavage was actually there today doing his stuff. HE can be funny sometimes

That sir is a lie. It has been scientifically proven that McSavage is genetically incapable of being funny.

AnonoBoy

I am pie wrote: »

not one Starbucks.

You haven't been on the street in a while obviously. :rolleyes:

AnonoBoy

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

I used to avoid Grafton st like the plague to avoid those little street urchin inner city kids that used to sing the fields of athenry. So embarassing for all, their voices used to scratch at my brain. Does this still go on?

The lads with the sunglasses on. They were great.

And as somebody pointed out above - they were members of the travelling community. However I fail to see how they can't too be classed as 'inner city urchins'.

Shine yer shoes guvnor??

lostexpectation

arn't they building a news malls on the dorset street side?

what about the new wax museum that was supposed to be opening too.

too many mobile shops!

Dord

I am pie wrote: »

it might not be great, but (regardless of your fondness or otherwise!) at least grafton street has a large Irish dept store (Brown Thomas) , not one Starbucks - instead it's Bewleys, and a selection of good pubs on either side of the road the way up. For all it's commercialisation i'd say it's better than most UK "main shopping streets" in comparison. I like the buskers and find the atmosphere much more appealing that O'Connell street.

Actually there is a Starbucks on Grafton street, its above BT2.