Foley Street

glen.girl

Does anyone have any experience of Foley Street, Dublin 1? I am considering renting an apartment there, and am wondering how safe the area is.

MysticalSoul

I have never lived there, but go to dance classes there. The only thing I would say is that if you have a car be careful, as numerous people from the dance class I attended there, on various weeks, have had their windows smashed etc.

dublinrose

I've never lived on Foley street but I did live in the area of lower Talbot st..it depends what you are comfortable with...there are often people drinking and maybe off their heads in the park there in that area...Talbot street is okish but probably not the best late at night...there can be kids hanging around too who can bother you on occasion....I suppose I am painting a bad picture- you might never encounter any trouble there at all- but I probably wouldn't recommend it because it is one of those places where on occasion you might feel uncomfortable or threatened because of the people hanging round-take a walk round there of an eve and you'll see what I mean....

meglome

A similar question came up a few weeks back about the Steelworks on Foley Street. Personally as a Dub I wouldn't. Apartments can be found in better places for the same money. I have a cool two bedroom place in the quiet end of Temple Bar for 1100.

tantalum

I lived in the apartments at the Talbot St. end of Foley St. for about 2 years; looking down the length of it from the balcony. Used the rehearsal space halfway down Foley St for about 3 years too so spent a fair bit of time on it late at night.

I never had any trouble personally but there was enough going on to deter me from staying there ever again. It sounds bad but remember this is over 2 years and many of the following things can be experienced in just about any part of the city centre.

• Drunk/drugged-out people looking for change, the time, God, spaceships, a ride, etc.
• Drunk people arguing on the street waking us up. A saucepan of water was about the only cure for that.
• A lot of pyjama-clad pedestrian traffic from the flats further down the street; shouting stuff to each other. Maybe they got mobile phones since then.
• Kids buzzing the door
• At this time of the year, the kids are like ants bringing stuff back for a bonfire.
• Homeless people trying to get into the lobby area to sleep
• Having to step over various bodily fluids in doorway in the morning.
• A car was set alight across the road - wow, those tires went off like bangers.
• Despite being almost within sight, the Store St. gardai were slow to respond to calls unless it was really serious.
• Waking up to broken car window glass & wing mirrors on the ground.

A friend lives on the other end of Foley St. (Buckingham St. end). The gardai are regular visitors to that area.

bugler

If safety is your primary concern then you need to look away from the city centre. Increased likelihood of anti-social behaviour etc is the price you pay for living central. Of course within the city center itself there are differences, Dublin 2 would generally be safer than Dublin 1, but certain parts of 2 certainly have their issues also.

If you want to be right in the middle of it then these are the risks you take. If safety (or perhaps moreso peace of mind) is important to you, and you are willing to compromise, then I'd recommend Portobello or Ranelagh on the southside or Drumcondra on the northside. They're close enough to the city centre to be convenient, but without the social issues that effect much of the inner city.

If you're dead set on living right in the city then you'll just have to accept some of the downsides that inevitably come with that.