moving to belfast! ..... where to live?

sebastianlieken

hi all,

So I've got one more semester of college left, and in the meantime I've managed to snag myself a job at Bombardier aerospace on queens island. ( I'm a lucky pup, I know...)

So ill be moving up north around August at some stage to set myself up there. Now ive only ever been up to belfast once in my life (the interview) so I dont know the place...

I need some recommendations on where abouts to look to live??? what areas?

I'd like something nice enough, also kinda central.

south belfast somewhere?? near the college? my age group n all, clubs, close for taxis to town?

is it a long way from queens island? ill prob have a car for the work commute... traffic?

I dunno, help me out if you could thanking you!

dlofnep

I stayed in South Belfast for a while. It's pretty quiet there and nice to stay. East/West Belfast are political hotbeds.

sebastianlieken

political hotbed.... that's also on my mind.... uhhh, as a guy from the south, im guessing there are certain areas im gonna wanna avoid yes? does that mean that east of the city is a place to avoid?

dlofnep

sebastianlieken wrote: »

political hotbed.... that's also on my mind.... uhhh, as a guy from the south, im guessing there are certain areas im gonna wanna avoid yes? does that mean that east of the city is a place to avoid?

Yeah pretty much. I like West Belfast, but then again I'm a Republican so it appeals to me. You'll be ok there, and the murals are great. East Belfast can get messy for southerners, but only in certain parts.

Belfast is generally safe - there's only a few streets you'll need to avoid, same as any other city.

I think in the inner city, you won't have any problems. You'll learn as you go. I wouldn't be too worried about it

sebastianlieken

sounds fair enough,

so if im livin in south belfast around the college somewhere I guess, is that a stupidly long drive every morning to bombardier on queens island?

whats the public transport like around there?

hopefully its nothing like whats in the republic....

Paul4As

dlofnep wrote: »

Yeah pretty much. I like West Belfast, but then again I'm a Republican so it appeals to me. You'll be ok there, and the murals are great. East Belfast can get messy for southerners, but only in certain parts.

What has being a republican got to do with initial thread???
As for East Belfast being messy for southerners...you got any articles to back you up on that statement? I haven't seen anything on the TV, in the papers on on the net to suggest such a statement!
I had my wedding in the Stormont Hotel last year...which is in East Belfast...half the guests were from the south...they had no problems whatsoever...some even had hairdressing appointments around Connswater (again in East Belfast) and they were fine with their accents and southern reg cars!!!
A lot of the workforce in Bombardier are from East Belfast (Bombardier's main factory is in East Belfast)...hard workers who treat everyone with respect...I should know as I work for them! Any southerners I come across in work are just treated like everyone else!!!
As for West Belfast...part of the Shankill Road (100% protestant area) is incorporated in to that (lower area)...I saw a southerner reg car right in the middle of the estate last week with people getting out to take photos freely!!!
Belfast is fine for southerners...they swamp the city centre here...plenty of southerner reg cars on the roads!! No one bats any eyelid these day!!! Decent people are moving on with their lives...only the odd few from both protestant and catholic sides still have issues!!!
As for working for Bombardier...you will love it...I've been here just over a year!!! You usually start work at 7:30am...which means you probably would be leaving the house (in south Belfast up round Queens if that is were you choose) at 7am...probably wouldn't even be a 30 minute drive!!! Forget about public transport if you have a car...roads are clearish at that time!!!
Fridays are good as you finish at half 11!!!
Depends though what job you have got and whether you get flexi...which means you can start earlier than 7:30am or later up until 9:30am!!!
The Queens area is a good place to live...near to loads of bars and takeaway places!!!
PM me if you need answers to anything work-wise!!!

dlofnep

What has being a republican got to do with initial thread???

Nothing. I was explaining why West Belfast was ok for me.

As for East Belfast being messy for southerners...you got any articles to back you up on that statement?

Personal experience. What would I need an article for? I've had my car attacked in East Belfast because it had a southern Reg. If you actually read what I posted, I didn't say East Belfast was messy - I said it was messy in "some parts" of East Belfast. This is not up for dispute.

I had my wedding in the Stormont Hotel last year...which is in East Belfast...half the guests were from the south...they had no problems whatsoever...some even had hairdressing appointments around Connswater (again in East Belfast) and they were fine with their accents and southern reg cars!!!

You need to learn how to read properly, with all due respect. You seem to be confusing the difference between parts of, and all of.

As for West Belfast...part of the Shankill Road (100% protestant area) is incorporated in to that (lower area)...I saw a southerner reg car right in the middle of the estate last week with people getting out to take photos freely!!!

Yeah, Shankill is full of considerate and understanding people. :rolleyes: I suppose that's why I was nearly attacked by a bunch of guys for wearing a jumper that had Gaeilge written on it.

pow wow

East or South are probably best from a commuting perspective. My house is in East Belfast and I've never had an ounce of hassle from anyone (bar the riot in Short Strand). The usual provisos of living in any city apply, there are nice parts and not so nice parts.

In E. Belfast look around mid/upper newtownards road - a great area for socialising and a straight run into town (and Queen's Island). There are also some nice apartments on the riverside which are a bit more expensive but far more central.

In South Belfast, Stranmillis/Lisburn Rd aren't too bad for commuting, though you're coming at Queen's Island from a different direction so the commute is a bit longer.

The public transport isn't great but it's do-able. Monthly bus pass is about £57 (which is pretty expensive imo) and to get to Queen's Island you'd need to get a bus into town and either walk out or catch another bus.

To dlofnep: I don't know that the reception you got was any better than someone wearing a union jack shirt might have gotten strolling through an overtly Republican area and meeting the 'wrong' crowd?

Finally, on a mod note, if we could try and keep this on topic it would be appreciated.

Paul4As

pow wow wrote: »

Finally, on a mod note, if we could try and keep this on topic it would be appreciated.

Well said..this isn't a political thread!
Or a thread for putting off southerners from coming to Northern Ireland!
Some people on here seem to not want to realise that the north is moving on....and we welcome vistors from down south to work here or enjoy their holidays here!!

dlofnep

pow wow wrote: »

To dlofnep: I don't know that the reception you got was any better than someone wearing a union jack shirt might have gotten strolling through an overtly Republican area and meeting the 'wrong' crowd?

Not sure what the Irish language has to do with a tricolour, or a union jack. I was harassed because those who harassed me were sectarian bigots. You can try and brush it under the table - but there are no-go areas of Belfast for southerners. To deny it is disingenous.

dlofnep

Paul4As wrote: »

Some people on here seem to not want to realise that the north is moving on....and we welcome vistors from down south to work here or enjoy their holidays here!!

Of course it is, that wasn't my intention. My intention was to let the OP be aware that there are still no-go areas in Belfast. My own personal experiences afford me the right to comment on it.

pow wow

In the interests of staying on topic - now that we've covered the usual argument that seems to find its way into every thread about visiting/moving to Belfast, constructive advice about areas to live which would be handy for Queen's Island might help the OP.

Paul4As

sebastian...I always liked the Stranmillis area whenever I was at Queens University...maybe you may pay a wee bit more there than in other Queens areas such as the Holylands, Botanic, Lisburn Road...but it is beside a park called Botanic Gardens...has nice cafes and takeaways...near to all the studenty type bars!!!
To get to Queens Island from it...just a matter of slipping on to the Stranmillis Embankment, then the Ormeau Road, then Victoria Street, then crossing Queen Elizabeth Bridge, left towards the Odyssey, then along Sydenham Road...google map says its about 4 miles...15 minute drive! Ormeau Road can get busy at times...but at 7am in the morning...should be almost clear! Coming home...at 4 o'clock...may be a bit more traffic...but with time and experience you will get to know short-cuts! If you have flexi-time you can usually finish work between 3pm and 6pm!!!

Paul4As

sebastian...also be careful as Bombardier has four sites in Northern Ireland...one at Queens Island...one in Dunmurry...one in Newtownabbey...and one in Hawlmark, Newtownards...chances are you will be based in Queens Island...but be prepared!

aquascrotum

dlofnep wrote: »

Not sure what the Irish language has to do with a tricolour, or a union jack. I was harassed because those who harassed me were sectarian bigots. You can try and brush it under the table - but there are no-go areas of Belfast for southerners. To deny it is disingenous.

To deny that the Irish language has been used as a political tool to the point that its use is a highly emotive political symbol equivalent to a Tricolor or Union Flag would also be disingenuous.

To walk up the Shankill as gaeilge is downright stupid, and whether you like it or not would be be the equivalent of me dandering into the Felons club in a Union Jack hat and a Rangers shirt. You can find offence in any city in the world if you go out to look for it.

Back on topic - most areas of the City are 100% fine. I (and my southern gf, with her southern reg car) live near Rosetta at the top of the Cregagh Road. It would be easily commutable to any of the Bombardier sites, I get down the Cregagh Road to Sydenham in about 10mins every morning, Newtownabbey takes about 20mins, Ards would be handy enough also as you're on the outer ring.

Its a really nice area, close to Forestside, lots of bars and restaurants on the Ormeau Road. I'd recommend it, though it would depend on budget.

Public transport - forget it. The "Metro" is good if you want to get to the city centre, I've not had much experience trying to connect services but tbh traffic here is by and large nothing like as bad as Dublin. Commuting across the city by car is fine outside of say 8.30 - 9.00 and 17.00 - 18.00, and even at it's worst is nothing to write home about.

pow wow

aquascrotum wrote: »

Public transport - forget it. The "Metro" is good if you want to get to the city centre, I've not had much experience trying to connect services but tbh traffic here is by and large nothing like as bad as Dublin. Commuting across the city by car is fine outside of say 8.30 - 9.00 and 17.00 - 18.00, and even at it's worst is nothing to write home about.

Agreed - traffic in Belfast even at rush hour is a million times better than Dublin, and one thing I love about Belfast is you can drive to work and park in the city without spending half your life or salary in the process

The buses are kind of difficult but manageable - connecting is ok if you're going somewhere fairly busy or residential but the buses tend to only stick to those routes and getting to Bombardier might prove a bit complicated. Paul4As might know (if he's a bus catcher )

Once again, can we please stay on topic...the topic being where is cool to live that's handy if you're moving to Belfast to work at Bombardier...

Paul4As

pow wow wrote: »

The buses are kind of difficult but manageable - connecting is ok if you're going somewhere fairly busy or residential but the buses tend to only stick to those routes and getting to Bombardier might prove a bit complicated. Paul4As might know (if he's a bus catcher )

With the money us aerospace workers get we drive to work in our Audis and BMWs!!! What is a bus??? Only messing!!!
I think most people drive to work or get lifts...the car park is bunged with cars...the company are also encouraging cycling and some employees do that!!!
I'm not based at the Queens Island site so I can't comment on public transport to it unfortunately!
I haven't been on a city bus / metro bus for over a year or 2 years...even then it was heading up to collect my car from its service!!!

I dont know

sebastianlieken,

I’ll try my best to help you out here, the others seem to have gone a little off topic.

I assume you’re just going to try and rent a room in a house with people similar to yourself?
The best place for this is in south Belfast as its full of students and ‘Young Professionals’ as we like to call ourselves, it has good bars, and is handy to anywhere you want to go in the city.

If you throw up a map of Belfast there,
• the Area between Queens University and the Ormeau Road, including University St, Fitzroy Ave, University Ave, Rugby Ave, Penrose, Cairo, Damascus, Jerusalem etc is known as the Holylands. Here you’ll find the cheapest student accommodation, mostly 1st & 2nd years. It’s a bit mad and probably not the best place if you’re working full time.
• South of Queens you’ll see stranmillis road. All the streets off it are pretty good. The houses in general are better than the holylands. Its still mostly students, but not as mad, and the main road has shops, cafes, takeaways and a bar. Its also on a bus route into town.
• The streets between the Malone Road and the Lisburn road are all pretty good. The further out you go the more expensive they’ll be, I’d say anywhere between Claremont St and Malone Ave would suit you. They are all big terraced streets with on street parking. Theres a lot of students in this area but id say there might be slightly more graduates.
• If you go to the other side of the lisburn road (North) there are still plenty of students living in those streets, but the houses aren’t as good and you’re on the edge of the ‘The Village’ area around Windsor Park – which isn’t the best ( I don’t want a political debate here)
• If you go on out the Ormeau road, over the river all the streets off it are pretty decent to live on. It’s a fairly mixed area and would have flags etc in the summer but I know plenty of people who have lived up there and think its great. It has a few good bars along the length of it, although you’re a good walk out of the city here.
• I have a mate that works at Bombardier that lives on the Ravenhill road and he thinks its grand. Its not a place I’d know very well, but it’d be handy for you going to work.


I live on Malone avenue, just around the corner from the Botanic Inn & the Egg. It’s real handy to the city centre and has a bus route at either end of the street. Rent would be around £200 –240 p/m and the houses are in good condition.
We’ve a lad from cork living with us. We got him through gumtree, so that might be a place for you to check.
Public transport in Belfast is pretty annoying in my opinion. The reason being, all main routes just go to the city centre, there are no routes from one side to the other. So to get to queens island from south Belfast you’d have to get a bus to the city centre and then another from there to queens island.
I drive from Malone Ave. out to the docks, slightly further than you’d be going, and it takes around 15mins. Although if im going at 9am it’ll take 30mins

Hope this helps

barefoot

We are moving to Belfast in the next couple of weeks. We are looking to rent an apartment around May Street.... want to be able to walk to work. Would this be a good area for two middle aged people.

Angelandie

barefoot wrote: »

We are moving to Belfast in the next couple of weeks. We are looking to rent an apartment around May Street.... want to be able to walk to work. Would this be a good area for two middle aged people.

Hi Barefoot
Myself and my partner moved to Belfast beginning of Feb and its a great city. We live near the Odyssey Arena which is a not far from May Street and we've had no trouble.
My partner walks to work and it takes him about 10 mins. He works on Great Victoria Street. One thing you'll find is the rent is a lot cheaper here. We're paying the equivalent of €700 for a large two bedroom apartment and it takes me 5 minutes to walk to the Victoria square shopping centre.
All the best

Soil Mechanic

^ Did you see what i did there?

This forum never fails to impress me at it's strong google-foo qualities.
You hardly need a search engine for info!


To echo the previous posters, in particular Paul4As and Idontknow, if it is indeed Queens Island where you will be working the bus service is the
no. 26/26A (AKA the "Mumbai Express") which drops you off right outside Shorts/Bombardier.
Not sure about how it mixes with your potential start/finsh times though?
Timetable is here:
http://www.translink.co.uk/present/metro/metro_26%20m-f.pdf

Distance wise, working in the Harbour Estate, nowhere is more than 45 minutes walk from the city Centre/Odyssey Arena if your ever stuck.
(I have done this a few times on nice days in the summer...)

Cycling is also fairly safe as long as you take care to avoid the many
18-wheel bulk carrier/HAZMAT juggernauts that traverse the area & regularly attempt to convert me to a RTA statistic (I'm convinced the HGV drivers collect scalps..... )

Good Luck!