Your Advice: Castleknock vs. Chapelizod?

mcmarkwell

Hi all

Just wondered if I could get some advice on areas. I am going to be moving to Dublin with my wife and new baby to work in Park West, D12. We'll have to rent for a while so I wondered what you thought of Castleknock as compared to Chapelizod? Any pros or cons?

We'd need a decent family area where the drive to Parkwest wouldn't be too unbearable, and probably with decent links to public transport.

And is rent really coming down or is it still pretty pricey?

Any ideas would be really appreciated.

Cheers

Michael

BostonB

I think I'd go somewhere where I could avoid the toll everyday, and the traffic.

mcmarkwell

Cheers for that

I don't really know Dublin that well - would you have any ideas of where might be good to live that would avoid the toll / traffic?

Thanks

Michael

BostonB

Don't know that side of the city well enough to advise. I'd try get near the Luas if was me.

mcmarkwell

Ah ok - me neither really. I'll check out the Luas stops and see where they are close to.

Thanks

Michael

athtrasna

Lucan? Handy drive to Parkwest out the Outer Ring Road, and lots of good family areas.

mcmarkwell

Funny enough Lucan was on the list too, although at the moment my beter half doesn't have her driver's licence. We figured once she gets that Lucan might be good, but for now it might make more sense to be slightly closer to town and the park.

Maybe that's rubbish though! It's kinda overwhelming looking at websites so thanks for the suggestions.

BostonB

Maybe try posting in the communities forums for those areas? Dublin west for lucan etc. Or in the commuting section for Park west. Maybe its doable from D.15 if you leave early I don't know tbh.

DamoKen

Hi Mark, I rented in Chapelizod a couple of years back when I was working in Parkwest and have to say I loved it. Great area, really friendly people and a pub that somehow manages to retain a "country" village feel in the middle of Dublin. Lovely walks by the river not to mention the Phoenix Park on your doorstep.

Only downside I found and admitedly it wasn't a biggie was there was only the Spar & grocery store in walking distance as well as a pharmacy. However, Liffey Valley is just up the road and closer still is a lot of shops including Lidl and Tescos in Ballyfermot.

From where I lived, terraced houses facing onto the southside of the river it was less than a 5 min drive into Parkwest using the one way hill. Took a little longer coming home as you wouldn't have the same option but even so never took me more than 15-20 min max.

mcmarkwell

Hi DamoKen

That's good advice, thanks.

Are there quite different sides to Chapelizod? I've heard different people describe it really differently - some as very family friendly and some as, well, not. I guess it's like anywhere where the area can change quite quickly?

DamoKen

Not sure about different sides, guess that could come down to what type of accommodation you're looking at. We ended up renting a really nice old terraced house on the river itself so got to know all the locals who'd been living there for years, nice neighbourhood feel about it.

I'd guess living in one of the apartment blocks could have quite a different feel about it, maybe younger, less likely to socialise in the area and more transient? Never lived it the apartments though so that is just a guess.

Personally I really liked where we lived. Was less than 5/10 min on the bus to the city centre and cheap as chips in the taxi home but the choice of a really good local in the Village Pub with a warm welcome was also there for nights we couldn't be a*sed going into town.

My advice if you did decide to look there would be look into houses over apartments, especially with a family. Also if possible give a preference to houses on the south of the river. That's purely from a commute point of view (Northsider myself!). The bridge can be a total bottleneck at rush hour, 2 minute walk from the village across the bridge could be a 20 minute drive depending on how far out on the Strawberry beds side you are.

mcmarkwell

That's really great advice, thank you.

I'll definitely have a look at that and good advice re the houses. I'm a bit worried that the walls inthe new build appts are pretty thin and we are going to have a screaming baby... Probably not too good for new neighbourly relations..!

Did you find that parking was ok?

Thanks again for your help,

Mike

athtrasna

City Centre in 5/10 minutes by bus from Chapelizod?? At what time of day or night? I've done my time on the buses over there and it takes longer than that to get down the Quays not to mind getting in that far.

OP if you are looking at houses in Chapelizod, be mindful of the river. A lot of low lying houses can be prone to flooding!

LXFlyer

City Centre is about 15-20 minutes on the bus from Chapelizod (outside peak times), and 25 in peak max.

Justask

There is no difference in the differnet sides of Chapelizod. It is a lovely place to live. They do refer to the old and new parts of Chapeizod but the new part is over 50+ years old. Depending on were you are planing on living. I would steer clear of th steeples.

The village is lovely. there are alot of new families living there now and there is a buzz around the place.

Castleknock would be much more expensive. (i've not lived there but do live in Dublin 15) You can avoid the toll bridge living in Castleknock via the Strawberry beds. Castleknock is a huge area. some lovely palces some not so.

Best of luck with your move

Pride Fighter

I live nearby and would recommend Chapelizod. It is about 10 minutes drive away if you know where you're going.

Go up the hill where the Fas is, turn left, go through the roundabout and go down Kylemore avenue, turn right after the bridge over the canal. You're in Bluebell Industrial estate, take the first right, then left, then right. Drive for 2 minutes then you are in Park West. It is a 10 minute drive and you avoid the M50 toll this way.

Good luck.

BostonB

Justask wrote: »

....you can avoid the toll bridge living in Castleknock via the Strawberry beds....

Isn't that crazy with traffic?

Gaspode

Traffic and floods!

mcmarkwell

Hi all

Thanks for the advice - that's really made a difference. Feel much more confident now!

MM

who_ru

Hi.

i'm living in chapelizod, having lived in castleknock for 3 years.

both areas suffer from heavy traffic, castleknock especially so, but it has the advantage of having a train link to town which is handy, the 37 and 39 bus go into town also. there's a good range of shops, tescos in roselawn, dunnes stores and M&S in the blanch centre. there's also a load of schools in castleknock for the kid.

there aren't actually too many family homes to rent in chapelizod, at least not on daft, one word of advice avoid the steeples area in chapelizod, anti social behaviour is a problem there.

chapelizod has a few pubs but no restaurants, you'll need to go into town for them or to castleknock. the park is close but forget about walking or cycling up knockmaroon hill, way too steep :eek:

if it was me i'd think castleknock would just about edge it for family living, you'll certainly have far greater choice for rentals, and don't pay the asking rent either, knock about 10% off unless it's a place that really fits the bill.

good luck with whatever you choose.

Justask

who_ru wrote: »

Hi.



chapelizod has a few pubs but no restaurants, you'll need to go into town for them or to castleknock. .

There is a chinese upstairs the Mulligar house, The West county Hotel and the Anglers rest?

There is also 2 schools in Chapelizod for the kids. 2 schools is alot for such a small village

Conor30

Pick Chapelizod, in your case. Or what about Kilmainham?