just a question about independent accommodation...

myfatherrsson

Hey im jus wondering if anyone going to TCD has had any experience with Student accommodation services...more specifically the Gateway complex thats on the ballymun road?

Its by far the cheapest complex iv found with what it offers its only downside is that its a bit out of the way (like a good 3 miles) and iv heard ballymun aint the friendliest o neighbourhoods:rolleyes:

So basically is the distance really that big a deal considering the price? And what would be great is if someone who has stayed there before could just let me know what it was like for them staying there! Cheers!!

Hrm, seems a good bit out to be commuting everyday for college. Why not try the regular student haunts in the centre of Dublin or for places within/near the canal cordon?

myfatherrsson

would you know of any places off the top of your head?:o I believe iv looked everywhere but i suppose theres always one place that gets overlooked...

also forgot to mention that rent in the Gateway is €120 a week which includes bills, internet, elec, etc....

Lots of students end up in Rathmines/Ranelagh/Rathgar/Portobello direction. It's under a half an hour walk in from Rathmines, and around a 5-10 minute cycle.

€480 a week month incl. bills is ok, but it wouldn't include the cost of the bus, and definitely not the cost of being stuck in traffic on a bus! Plus rents have come down a lot...

Mac Masters

Well I live in Santry which is right next to Ballymun. If the place is where I think it only takes between 15 and 30 minutes by bus depending on traffic and you can get loads of buses such as the 4,4a,11,11a,11b,13,13a,19a, so you won't be waiting too long and it's about an hour's walk from Trinity should you choose to walk in. If anything you'd be closer and can get more buses than me! The area where you are isn't that bad either, trust me there are worse parts of Ballymun.

But as Donal said most students stay in Rathmines/Ranelagh/Rathgar/Portobello so what I have to say is Ballymun isn't that far or bad as everybody says but if you want all the fun of student accomodation that you get with all the other students and messing, I'd suggest one of the ones mentioned by Donal, alot of people in my course stay in Rathmines and have loads of great stories to tell about it!

devinejay

Also might be worth checking out The Forge, run by the same people as do The Gateway but it's within walking distance of TCD. I'm sorta considering it myself, as far as I can gather it's only about 20 mins walk from the college and the rent is only 105 per week.

Boston

devinejay wrote: »

Also might be worth checking out The Forge, run by the same people as do The Gateway but it's within walking distance of TCD. I'm sorta considering it myself, as far as I can gather it's only about 20 mins walk from the college and the rent is only 105 per week.

High levels of Junkies and general Scum. Would not like walking home late at night in that area. The enter area used to be an open air drug market in the day and a lot of business is still conducted in the area. Go check it out before you sign anything.

devinejay

Thanks for the heads up!

Hamiltonion

I had friends in both the Forge and Ballymun last yr, owned by the same company. Nice apartments but awful awful areas. Female friend assaulted and mugged in the forge, also threatened on a daily basis. Been up there a few tmes and the area is crawling with Junkies and the complex is down a v dark, quiet street.
Ballymun, takes anywhere from 50mins to an hour and 20 to get in depending on traffic, again a rough area but at least its fenced with private security. Still rough on the streets though, again friends had problems with local thugs, actually had to bribe one scumbag with cigarettes every week so he wouldnt break her windows from the road!!

myfatherrsson

mmm....pretty mixed reviews so. See im very inclined to go there because my only friend from school is gonna lodge there too. Lik i know thats bein a bit silly but were both new to the city and hav never lived away from home so starting college would come with peace of mind there. I had checked out the forge as well but the rooms are shared and im not havin that!XD
Distance wise i looked up google maps and it turns out im no further from UCC where i live now so i think i can deal with that.

So really lads is the area that bad? wouldnt make sense to dump a loada students into scum-infested waters imo....
thanks for yer replies lads!

myfatherrsson

devinejay wrote: »

Also might be worth checking out The Forge, run by the same people as do The Gateway but it's within walking distance of TCD. I'm sorta considering it myself, as far as I can gather it's only about 20 mins walk from the college and the rent is only 105 per week.

that doesnt include deposit though,I put the deposit into account for my 120. Its only 100 p/w without it.

Hamiltonion

myfatherrsson wrote: »

So really lads is the area that bad? wouldnt make sense to dump a loada students into scum-infested waters imo....
thanks for yer replies lads!

In short, yes. Sherrif st and Ballymun are in the top 5 scum areas in Dublin, its good value acommadation cause its in the cheapest possible area! Wouldnt walk through them in the day if i could avoid it, let alone at night. And don't think I live somewhere sheltered, its bad just not that bad!

Mac Masters

myfatherrsson wrote: »

So really lads is the area that bad? wouldnt make sense to dump a loada students into scum-infested waters imo....
thanks for yer replies lads!

No it is not that bad anymore people still go on about Ballymun as being terrible and it's not, plus the Ballymun Road is real safe you'll have nothing to worry about trust me. My friend comes that way everyday into Trinity and has never had any trouble! I walk home from town that way and nothing ever happened to me! The handy thing is with Ballymun that there is a library just 5 minutes down the road, lots of buses which despite what everybody says are real quick and take only 15 to 30 minutes trust me I often go down and get them (15 mins after the morning rush and 20 mins during the morning rush and 30 mins if it's raining in the morning), plus you have a real nice park down the road to play football or whatever (Albert College Park which is right next to DCU), there is also an Astro Pitch (which is owned by DCU but is not in there and it's free to use and really good ), you also have a tesco across the road, plenty of off-liscences around, a couple of pubs (called the Towers and the Slipper), loads of shops (such as Spar, Supervalue, plenty of fast food outlets and what not), plus a church and all that is just on the Ballymun Road itself. Around the corner about 15-20 minutes walk is Omni shopping centre where there is everything from Argos to Zao, it even has a cinema, arcade, pizza hut, subway, burger king, mcdonalds, kfc, penneys, gamestop and aload more I'm forgetting! So you'll have plenty to do! You'll also have Northwood Gym up the road as well and all the shops around there such as Currys and I can't remember all the others! So don't be discouraged by all these "scum" allegations because the Ballymun Road is a real busy road and nobody would do anything on that road trust me you'll be fine there!

P.S. Oh yeah also if you like gaelic or hurling, Na Fianna is just down at the bottom of the road, and for football Saint Kevin's is near (but it might be hard to get into the team!).

Boston

myfatherrsson wrote: »

So really lads is the area that bad? wouldnt make sense to dump a loada students into scum-infested waters imo....
thanks for yer replies lads!

Lol, welcome to Dublin. So check the area out before you sign a lease. Ballymun is a hole of place regardless of what Mac Masters says, but then again much of Dublin is a hole.

El Siglo

I'm starting a postgrad in October this year and I've been looking for places to stay, would somewhere along the dart line in the North Side be decent for getting into college? I've been looking at Clontarf, Raheny, Killester etc and I'm not too familiar with this end of the city and I'm kind of on a budget (300-350/month). Any advice?

Boston

El Siglo wrote: »

I'm starting a postgrad in October this year and I've been looking for places to stay, would somewhere along the dart line in the North Side be decent for getting into college? I've been looking at Clontarf, Raheny, Killester etc and I'm not too familiar with this end of the city and I'm kind of on a budget (300-350/month). Any advice?

Daft.ie is your friend. Single room in Drumcondra, Fairview, Killester, Raheny should go for about 350 a month at a push. If you want a double room expect to pay at least 450.

JumAPond

El Siglo,

What program? I will be starting my MSc this fall as well and am looking at places beyond what Trinity has offered. I have had luck finding decent priced accommadations near Trinity (City Center) but only if you get a 2/3 room place. Let me know if you'd be interested, I have to accept/decline my offer in TH by the 24th.

kavanaa1

I stayed in Gatewyay in 1st year (2006). Experienced some trouble associated with the aree, mainly on the Bus but it wasnt a regular thing. The accomadation is decent itself. the main thing is the commute in to Trinity. I left at 8 every morning and was rarely in for 9. Maybe its improved since then though. Its also a pain on nights out to get back to.

TedB

Pfft. Shop around and you'll get a single room for around 400 a month. Or less. Drumcondra and Phibsboro are flooded with student houses.

Juxta Dublin

Did my undergrad in DCU and I wouldn't have touched off Gateway while there, never mind when you add in the commute to TCD.

You'll get decent accommodation way nearer to town for 120 a week.

R.D. aka MR.D

kavanaa1 wrote: »

I stayed in Gatewyay in 1st year (2006). Experienced some trouble associated with the aree, mainly on the Bus but it wasnt a regular thing. The accomadation is decent itself. the main thing is the commute in to Trinity. I left at 8 every morning and was rarely in for 9. Maybe its improved since then though. Its also a pain on nights out to get back to.

I agree with the night time problems.

I lived on the northside in first year and you always have to consider the amount you will in spend in taxis every night you want to get home.
Lived in Portobello for 2 years and didn't get one taxi in that time.

The nightlinks are not that safe and there is no nightlinks anymore during the week.

myfatherrsson

Well after a day in Dublin to see the gaff it subsequently turned out the open day had been cancelled! And by the looks of it im glad i went to see it before i committed to anything it was a good bit out alright, manageable but still ya wouldnt walk there at night.

So now the plan is to get a place in Dublin 2....pearse st and thereabouts....ive found some places alright but theyre vacant far too early so im gonna keep looking!

Thanks for the replies people!

snappieT

Just remember, Ballymun may not be great, but anywhere in the inner city for low rent won't either. Pearse street itself may be ok, but some adjoining streets (Shaw Street, for example), always have homeless sleeping rough. You don't want that on your doorstep.

There will no doubt be something on daft for Sheriff Street. Don't even think about it.

karlr42

Is there anywhere in Dublin 1 or 2 that's actually a nice enough area?

wittsend90

I lived in Rathmines this year. Can't say a bad word about it. Aldi, Tesco, Dunnes, all the bad food places you could want! Loads of buses I could take, 15s, 128, 14s, 65b, 83, 74a..It was a really nice atmosphere, spesh when I stayed up at the weekend. My friend got a place this year for 85euro a week.and I always walked into college too!