Most depressing street/area to walk down in the city?

brousuka

I've got to say that while trying to park in Colbert Station today and finding out that the fcuking car park fee had gone up by 1 euro to 4 euro (you have to have the coins ready, which I didn't) I decided to drive up back Edward st. and parked by that soccer pitch by the army barracks, it's just outside the parking disc zone and there was quite a few cars parked there (which I noted earlier as I drove into town) so, as the day being of beautiful weather and in need of a bit of walking excercise i parked up there and proceeded to head for my destination(Patrick st.) by going straight down through Edward St., train station area.. Parnell st., and up to the William St. junction and down to O'Connell St. Well i've got to say it was the most depressing, intimidating experience i've had in a while. Wino's, scumbags, people with drawn pale faces, dirty buildings, cheap shoddy shopfronts, beggars, hoodie types etc. I vote it probably among the most depressing Town/ City areas that I've ever had the misfortune of walking down and BTW I've seen quite a few in the world. Anyone any comments?

talkingclock

oh don't get me started. it might be shorter to tell you what parts i like: cruises st. and thomas st/bedford row.

ninty9er

Mallow Street.

zuroph

upper catherine street.

brousuka

ninty9er wrote: »

Mallow Street.

Yea, forgot to mention, that as walkin back to my car, this was another group 1 $hithole of an area, felt like i was in some sort of a zombie zone. loads of asians with their kids looking like, so depressed, one kid was fighting with another and i had to step aside at one stage to avoif getting stood on!

futura123

the entire city perhaps???

brousuka

zuroph wrote: »

upper catherine street.

Yes, and this place is notorius for crime, and did I see one Garda anywhere here? Nooo,Noooo.

krudler

Pretty much all the area the op mentioned, the train station and surrounding streets are one horrible looking place,terrible first impression of the city if thats your first view of it

brousuka

futura123 wrote: »

the entire city perhaps???

No, you see thats not what I mean at all. Limerick Cityis a fine beautiful city, plenty of faboulous ares that anyone would love to live and work in. It's just that certain ares have been left to neglect and without proper Garda presence. And why is that drunk lady opposite the train station with a cider can in her hand still allowed to harrass people every day???

krudler

brousuka wrote: »

No, you see thats not what I mean at all. Limerick Cityis a fine beautiful city, plenty of faboulous ares that anyone would love to live and work in. It's just that certain ares have been left to neglect and without proper Garda presence.

The entire city has no proper Garda prescence, walking home from Icon Halloween night I didnt see one cop, not one single patrolling guard, now maybe theres plain clothes ones in unmarked cars but there should be a cop or two stood outside every major club in the city on nights like this, saw a fight outside it and it was on the 2 guys fighting mates to step in and end it, I live right in the city centre on a main street and literally see fights every weekend from my bedroom window and never have i seen someone arrested

brousuka

krudler wrote: »

The entire city has no proper Garda prescence, walking home from Icon Halloween night I didnt see one cop, not one single patrolling guard, now maybe theres plain clothes ones in unmarked cars but there should be a cop or two stood outside every major club in the city on nights like this, saw a fight outside it and it was on the 2 guys fighting mates to step in and end it, I live right in the city centre on a main street and literally see fights every weekend from my bedroom window and never have i seen someone arrested

Fair comment. It's a disgrace that in a so called major Irish city that there is no strong foot patrol Garda presence, especially at weekends. I go to town quite a bit and I've got to agree i don't hardly see any police anywhere on the streets.

RINO87

nicholas street.

tourist attraction?? HA!

topper75

Most of the city looks quite well nowadays thank God, but take your pick amongst these for the next most needed facelift:

Davis St.
Parnell St.
Nicholas St.
Mungret St.
Wickham St.

That route the OP took is a pretty bad impression of the town. Unfortunately it is a key route and includes Colbert station, the portal for so many visitors to the city. Council don't take any cognisance of this.

BarryCreed

yeah, around the station is not the best impression of town at all. lots of shams and winos around...
another place, is down behind the roundhouse, there's a few small backstreets there. kips.
I always thought upper william street had the craziest folk gathered there, between townies and culchies and oddballs...

I must say, that when I was abroad and came back, and happened to be in upper william street, it initially made me think, "what the heck am I doing back here", but that's another story, Limerick ain't the problem , lol...
On a side note, I've noted, maybe it's just me, that going out here isn't half as good as it was...or am I just getting old....:eek:

BarryCreed

There was a strong Garda presence last Friday night in the Sin Bin. They were at the bar though...

Stab*City

brousuka wrote: »

Well i've got to say it was the most depressing, intimidating experience i've had in a while. Wino's, scumbags, people with drawn pale faces, dirty buildings, cheap shoddy shopfronts, beggars, hoodie types etc. I vote it probably among the most depressing Town/ City areas that I've ever had the misfortune of walking down and BTW I've seen quite a few in the world. Anyone any comments?

Welcome to Limerick! Please dont feed the animals.

You should take a walk through Glenagross take the scenic route..

I guess you have never been to New York, London, Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, L.A., Rio, Mexico City I could go on!! These are real cities with real BAD areas..

Next time if your gonna whinge so much about walking through Limerick pay the extra ****ing € for the carpark cheapskate!

Amazotheamazing

Quite a bit of the city centre is drab and depressing, imo. At least Catherine st. is being done up and there's plans to knock the 3 storey houses beside the station. Streets in need of a big revamp are, imo:

Nicholas Street
Broad St./John St.
Mungret St (?, near the market going towards John's Street)
Gerald Griffen St, Parnell St.
William St.
Cecil St.
Mallow St.

All of those streets are in dire condition and add nothing but gloom to the city.

talkingclock

Stab*City wrote: »

I guess you have never been to New York, London, Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, L.A., Rio, Mexico City I could go on!! These are real cities with real BAD areas..

Does e.g. London have an equivalents in it's city centre (!) like Upper
William St or Catherine St or Patrick St.. I'm not talking about comparing suburbs!

krudler

Stab*City wrote: »

Welcome to Limerick! Please dont feed the animals.

You should take a walk through Glenagross take the scenic route..

I guess you have never been to New York, London, Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, L.A., Rio, Mexico City I could go on!! These are real cities with real BAD areas..

Next time if your gonna whinge so much about walking through Limerick pay the extra ****ing € for the carpark cheapskate!

Typical Limerick attitude tbh, theres plenty wrong with this city, especially the first impression you get coming out of the train station, if your not avoiding stepping on winos have you have Annie screaming abuse at you walking down Parnell St, are people not allowed give an honest opinion of the city anymore? I've lived here my whole life and the place is a dump in parts for a supposed major city, plenty of new refurbishments that are making the place nicer to walk around but that whole area the OP described is a disgrace

topper75

talkingclock wrote: »

Does e.g. London have an equivalents in it's city centre (!) like Upper
William St or Catherine St or Patrick St.. I'm not talking about comparing suburbs!

London? Oh for sure!

Hoxton - Brick Lane - Bethnal Green - Elephant and Castle. etc etc.

Sunnyside, Queens over in NY. Harlem in NY - now there is a dump.

All the same though -no excuse for us. We are smaller and therefore should be more managable. Who owns those rundown properties, for instance the carpet place on Mungret St.?

sparkman

I think the real problem is no-one feels particularly safe walking anywhere around the inner city at night. Not that we're going around in packs looking over our shoulders, but you know what I mean. Definitely think that increasing the visible presence of garda foot patrols would make everyone a lot happier and basically eliminate the intimidating "corner-boys" type of situation.
I cycle round town a fair bit in the evenings and I have to say it's a really nice way to get around. There's obviously nice spots like Pery Square but even the darker streets like Parnell and William St. are actually OK. Then again I remember them from 30 years ago so I don't think I'd like them to change TOO much.

As far as the look of the city goes, thankfully we're in a recession so we might actually start considering improving rather than replacing.

puntosporting

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Quite a bit of the city centre is drab and depressing, imo. At least Catherine st. is being done up and there's plans to knock the 3 storey houses beside the station. Streets in need of a big revamp are, imo:

Nicholas Street
Broad St./John St.
Mungret St (?, near the market going towards John's Street)
Gerald Griffen St, Parnell St.
William St.
Cecil St.
Mallow St.

All of those streets are in dire condition and add nothing but gloom to the city.

Realy sorry it does not meet your standard i happened to grow up beside the railway and its a very hospitable area!
My parents still live in an own one of those 3 story houses and we will see if they are being knocked any time soon!
Ye seem to take for granted the people that live in these areas who are happy with there surroundings even if they dont meet a few blow ins approval!

zuroph

its not anything personal with the people living there punto, its the whole anti-social aspect of the area; bars on windows, winos, litter, discarded bonfires on the green, the whole place just needs a facelift to inject a bit of pride into the area.

brousuka

Stab*City wrote: »

Next time if your gonna whinge so much about walking through Limerick pay the extra ****ing € for the carpark cheapskate!

O.K. a$$hole.....I didn't have the extra 1 euro coin handy on my person or in my car to put in the fcucking machine (which you have to do as you enter) which is another fcuck up about that place.

Aidric

William st is a commercial thoroughfare and yet it's the biggest dump, IMO. It's run a close second by Upper Catherine St. There are quite a few buildings on this street that have sold signs up on them over a year, yet they are just left there decaying.
Patrick St was once a pleasant street but that now also is a complete eyesore. Of course that's to facilitate the opera centre, whenever it eventually starts.

Amazotheamazing

puntosporting wrote: »

Realy sorry it does not meet your standard i happened to grow up beside the railway and its a very hospitable area!
My parents still live in an own one of those 3 story houses and we will see if they are being knocked any time soon!
Ye seem to take for granted the people that live in these areas who are happy with there surroundings even if they dont meet a few blow ins approval!

Where did I say I felt it was the fault of the residents? I've no issue with any of the residents of the above streets, but those houses are ugly and drab and are a bad introduction to the city.

Afaik, the houses have to be knocked due to concerns over fire hazards, perhaps I'm mistaken. feel free to clarify.

My own family are originally from Catherine street, doesn't prevent me from accurately seeing that improvements are badly needed to the area.

rstans

Walk up William Street from O'Connell Street (afternoon is best for this, especilly on a Saturday). As you walk the lower part up to the bus stops look at the people around you. Walk past the bus stops and have another look. It's like you walked through a skanger warp.
Lower half of street, mostly decent people going about their business.
Upper half, knackersville.
Anybody else notice this?

Aidric

rstans wrote: »

Walk up William Street from O'Connell Street (afternoon is best for this, especilly on a Saturday). As you walk the lower part up to the bus stops look at the people around you. Walk past the bus stops and hane another look. It's like you walked through a skanger warp.
Lower half of street, mostly decent people going about their business.
Upper half, knackersville.
Anybody else notice this?

There's always a load of skanks hanging round the bus stop.

bazz26

The scobes do like their chips and battered sausages from the Golden Grill though.

source

bazz26 wrote: »

The scobes do like their chips and battered sausages from the Golden Grill though.

it's the bus stop for south hill, that's why.

RonMexico

puntosporting wrote: »

Realy sorry it does not meet your standard i happened to grow up beside the railway and its a very hospitable area!
My parents still live in an own one of those 3 story houses and we will see if they are being knocked any time soon!
Ye seem to take for granted the people that live in these areas who are happy with there surroundings even if they dont meet a few blow ins approval!

Hospitable area? Maybe if you are a begging wino perhaps.

puntosporting

RonMexico wrote: »

Hospitable area? Maybe if you are a begging wino perhaps.

Here is some advice ,if you dont like an area stay away from it!
Or maybe wear a nappy when you must pass through for fear of ****ting yourself!
Seriously its not afganastan(spelling)?
Im hearing such negative vibes all based on peoples perception!
Has anyone been mugged in these areas on this thread or assaulted or anything?
Or is it just gut wrenching to look at those dastardly buildings how could anyone live like that?!!!

Limerick Dude

Yeah there are a few ugly and unpleasant streets in Limerick but not as bad as some in Dublin.

I cant stand walking down abbey st. in Dublin, luas stop is there so im always walking on it.

Heroin Junkies EVERYWHERE, bums sleeping in the middle of the footpaths, way worse than Limerick tbh.

brousuka

bazz26 wrote: »

The scobes do like their chips and battered sausages from the Golden Grill though.

I would personally prefer to be tied to a cows tail and scuttered to death, or, go to Afghanistan with Ross Kemp before i would ever venture anywhere near that $hithole area again. Limerick Civic Trust please note.

brousuka

puntosporting wrote: »

Has anyone been mugged in these areas on this thread or assaulted or anything?
Or is it just gut wrenching to look at those dastardly buildings how could anyone live like that?!!!

It's like this: I havent actually been mugged or assaulted in this area but I have felt intimitated and have been verbally abused among the backdrop of dastardadly buildings in a city where I have lived, paid taxes and worked and tried to improve for the past 30 years. My original post still stands... the most depressing area in Limerick (inner) City

brousuka

puntosporting wrote: »

Here is some advice ,if you dont like an area stay away from it!
Or maybe wear a nappy when you must pass through for fear of ****ting yourself!


Thats typical, fcucking charming!

vkid

Area all around train station is a disgrace
William Street is awful,
Patrick St and lower O'Connell Street
Denmark Street
the bit between the Market and Instore
Upper Catherine Street
Nicholas Street

Someone made the point that shop fronts etc are very dirty and run down and I would certainly agree. A few retailers should be shot for the state of their premises. A lick of paint isnt that expensive and it surely can't be that hard to keep the area outside your shop clean. Especially on O'Connel Street and William Street. two main streets..The bus stops on those streets don't help the perceived anti social element either imo...especially on William Street.

Like the way Henry Street looks though at the moment and Bedford Row/Thomas Street is some bit of improvement. I think its only when you go away from Limerick and come back that you realise how run down the place actually is.

talkingclock

vkid wrote: »

I think its only when you go away from Limerick and come back that you realise how run down the place actually is.

i totally and absolutely agree! those who glorify that place as ireland's most beautyful spot probably never left the city's boudaries...

BarryCreed

Luigis do the best chips in town though!!
I would say it's more the heads who are hanging around by the station (off licence) than the people living around there, if that makes sense....

vkid

talkingclock wrote: »

i totally and absolutely agree! those who glorify that place as ireland's most beautyful spot probably never left the city's boudaries...

Dont get me wrong..

I've great time for the city and try not to be negative about the place but people need to open their eyes a bit to the state of the city centre. Its still for the most part...a dump..that needs a LOT of work to restore it to what it should be like..and the retilers and business people have a lot to answer for in that regard imo

Raiser

Colbert Station and the subsequent journey in any direction into Limerick City is enough to make most visitors who have been unlucky enough to arrive by train or bus run back to the ticket desk to escape........

RonMexico

I had the unfortunate experience of meeting a friend from the states off a train recently and as we walked out of the station the first thing he notices is two guys beating the **** out of each other in the middle of the street outside Charlie St. Georges. The area and the scum that hang around there are a disgrace.

Karmafaerie

It's amazing how some people can be so ill informed, and yet have such massive oppinions.

Parnell St is part of the orbital route to be completed once the pedestrianisation of O'Connel St starts.
No work can be done there untill this is completed, but will be as soon as it is.
Also the new bus station has to be taken into acc, as it will have a massive impact.

William St is about to be completely changed, starting in the next few months.
New wider paths (like on Catherine St), underground cabling, no onstreet parking, new facades on a lot of buildings, trees along the whole north side, flagposts on the souh side.

The Corner of Mallow St/Catherine St, is about to be knocked with a new building going up, incorporating what was once the High Stool.

A lot of the buildings you mentioned are listed.
Which means that the owners would have to spend a fortune to do even the basic repairwork, due to all of the specialist equipment etc...


What it comes down to is this.
We all know that there are areas of Limerick that don't look great.
But incase you haven't noticed, There are massive, massive areas of work currently being done.

Backers Place
Clancy Strand
O'Callaghan Strand
Bedford Row
Catherine St
Thomas St
William St (starting soon)
O'Connell St (after William St)
Patrick St (same as O'Connell St)

Not to mention the private money that will be invested in the Opera Center (eventually), the boat house, and the proposed plan to knock all of Arthurs Quay, Pennys, Debenhams, and the old Dunnes, and build a whole new city quarter!!!

This isn't Sim city.
How can you expect them to work on the whole city at once.

Ye have to look at the long term people, and when all the major work is completed, and we have an almost fully pedestrianised and modern city center and riverbank, with a working orbital traffic system, then (and only then) would it be okay to get on the citys back.

They're doing a good job with what they have.
Bedford Row and the strands look amazing.
Thomas St adn cAtherine St are getting there, and the plans for William St and O'Connell St are simple a class apart from what we have.

Patience people.;)

zuroph

Karmafaerie wrote: »

The Corner of Mallow St/Catherine St, is about to be knocked with a new building going up, incorporating what was once the High Stool.

talkingclock

Karmafaerie, we are talking about the Limerick of now and today.

We do not talk about how it will look in 20 years time.

If if Parnell St is in 20 years time something glamourous like the Broadway - now and today it is a kip. The same goes for William St and the corner of Mallow St/Catherine St. It is uninteresting now and today how they will be transformed in 5, 10 or 20 years. We have to walk through those areas now. 2008.

Someone who leaves the train is hardly saying "Oh what a beautyful impression i have of that city in 10 years time."...

1huge1

Considering the importance of these 2 streets in tersm of traffic and shopping I think parnell st and william st are a disgrace.

But luckily william st is going to be done soon enough and hopefully parnell st will be upgraded after colbert station.

krudler

Karmafaerie wrote: »

It's amazing how some people can be so ill informed, and yet have such massive oppinions.

Parnell St is part of the orbital route to be completed once the pedestrianisation of O'Connel St starts.
No work can be done there untill this is completed, but will be as soon as it is.
Also the new bus station has to be taken into acc, as it will have a massive impact.

William St is about to be completely changed, starting in the next few months.
New wider paths (like on Catherine St), underground cabling, no onstreet parking, new facades on a lot of buildings, trees along the whole north side, flagposts on the souh side.

The Corner of Mallow St/Catherine St, is about to be knocked with a new building going up, incorporating what was once the High Stool.

A lot of the buildings you mentioned are listed.
Which means that the owners would have to spend a fortune to do even the basic repairwork, due to all of the specialist equipment etc...


What it comes down to is this.
We all know that there are areas of Limerick that don't look great.
But incase you haven't noticed, There are massive, massive areas of work currently being done.

Backers Place
Clancy Strand
O'Callaghan Strand
Bedford Row
Catherine St
Thomas St
William St (starting soon)
O'Connell St (after William St)
Patrick St (same as O'Connell St)

Not to mention the private money that will be invested in the Opera Center (eventually), the boat house, and the proposed plan to knock all of Arthurs Quay, Pennys, Debenhams, and the old Dunnes, and build a whole new city quarter!!!

This isn't Sim city.
How can you expect them to work on the whole city at once.

Ye have to look at the long term people, and when all the major work is completed, and we have an almost fully pedestrianised and modern city center and riverbank, with a working orbital traffic system, then (and only then) would it be okay to get on the citys back.

They're doing a good job with what they have.
Bedford Row and the strands look amazing.
Thomas St adn cAtherine St are getting there, and the plans for William St and O'Connell St are simple a class apart from what we have.

Patience people.;)

Ill informed? of what you can see with your own two eyes? there may be plans to bring those parts of the city up to scratch but at the moment they're a dump, doesnt matter what they're going to look like in 5 10 or 20 years, that isnt what this topic is about

sparkman

Think I'm with Karmafaerie on this one...things take time. Mind you, I always get nervous about ANY old building being replaced (like the corner of Catherine and Mallow street). I also think that some kind of grant from the city should be available to premises owners who are prepared to do some improvements (partly paid by themselves).

I definitely think we should spend a little extra on improving what we have rather than replacing it when it's a decent old building (doesn't have to be georgian, just pre-60s, 70s maybe). If it takes a bit more time, then so what?

Aidric

Karmafaerie wrote: »

The Corner of Mallow St/Catherine St, is about to be knocked with a new building going up, incorporating what was once the High Stool.

That's great news, it's a complete kip as it stands.

talkingclock

another empty office building?

G&T

Think the city look's very cheap,
all the chain store's with their big plastic
shop front's, our city now look's like the inside of the crescent s.c.

The city planner's should only allow tasteful shop front's in
the O'Connell St.,William St.,cruises St,.Bedford Row area's.