Help! Cork or Galway? Better place to live...

Aerodynamic

Hello guys, I really need some help here...

I got a job offer from an organisation in Ireland that has vacancies all across the country. They have two opened spots for me, one in Cork one in Galway.

What would be your advice?

Take into consideration that I am a 25 year old Greek lad. Which city is more vibrant, active, busy and youthful? What about the prices, scenery and party scene?

Heard Galway has a big student community, a great nightlife and that it's the most popular tourist destination, yet again seems small. Would it be a good place to stay for 6 months at least? Cork seems bigger and busier, but is it really?

Also which city has the most foreigners and the most active young foreign community?

Lastly, bare in mind that I'm Gay, which is the best place to socialise and meet people?

Thanx a lot in advance fellas X

mossy2390

where is the company located in cork?

i live in cork and love it, it has a good mix, its a city but everything is close together and convenient. good night life all nights off the week.
however there are some rough spots and its not the nicest of citys.

galway is really nice, excellent location and loads to do, really good night life with all the students,

i would probably pick galway if i had the choice its a very nice spot.

in terms of meeting people, i know there is a gay bar called chambers in cork thats pretty popular and there would be clubs and society's too

minidazzler

I'd go Galway because of proximity to the beach in Salthill (which is a great place on an even Semi-decent day), the Night life is top notch with a lot of pubs, clubs and cheap deals, It's laid back. Almost all of this stuff is very very central.

But you could say that about both cities in general, except for proximity to the beach, which is a big deal to me!

ShamoBuc

If you have time and can afford it, spend a night or two in each.

Galway is a great spot, but I would prefer it as a place for a weekend on the lash rather than to live in.

Cork is certainly bigger and probably has a bigger student population.

Where are you from? Would it be easier for you to go home from one than the other. Do you have any friends in either city?



There are alot of things to consider really - the best of luck.

I'm from Cork and live here, I worked in Galway for a year and really liked the place. I'd say Galway really but not being Gay I wouldn't know anything about the Gay scene in Cork or Galway.

starch4ser

OP, is it true that Greece invented Gayness?

minidazzler

starch4ser wrote: »

OP, is it true that Greece invented Gayness?

Invented? No. Embraced it and didn't judge it, yes.

Hogzy

You will, no doubt, get biased answers considering this is the Cork City forum.

mossy2390

mossy2390 wrote: »

..................

i would probably pick galway if i had the choice its a very nice spot..................

minidazzler wrote: »

I'd go Galway.............

RoverJames wrote: »

............. I'd say Galway really .................

Hogzy wrote: »

You will, no doubt, get biased answers considering this is the Cork City forum.

Not so far

Milly33

Who is this company you have got work from I want to meet them...I would so go to Galway, it is such a fantastic spot, beautiful, great craic and I would think a lot better night life or more gay friendly than Cork is anywho.. Cork is crap, sorry to all those who like the place but in fairness people arent as friendly as they were before, the place is riddled in litter, town is so overrated aslo there is no craic left in there..

MOVE TO GALWAY youll will be happy with the Choice defo best of luck up there..oh and again who is this company

Hogzy

RoverJames wrote: »

Not so far

Check out the poll

True, the actual replies in the thread would be more informative though

pwurple

Do you travel?
Easier to get flights from Cork.

bullpost

I'm from neither place but would say Cork - hands down. Why - the people.

Balmed Out

Neither is better then the other, both are very good and any choice of one over the other is personal taste / grass is always greener on the other side / what i have is better then you style of thinking.

Both have great nightlife. Cork being a bigger city would have more pubs etc but Galway has better festivals.

Both have very scenic areas near by.

Both would be friendly.

Galway is more tourist friendly as it is smaller.

If I was a Greek person in my 30's I would probably choose Galway as I like that its smaller, however if I was your age id probably choose Cork as its bigger. Depends what you like.


Id ask in the LGBT forum for their views on what either city is like as to gay pubs etc. I know of few in Cork but wouldnt have a clue about Galway.

Either way you go have a great time.

Ludo

Galway and cork. IBM? Cork office in crappy location if it is.

I was thinking Boston Scientific.

Aerodynamic

Thanx guys for your replies, means a lot, I already have a great impression for the Irish people, whenever I have asked for some help or sthin you are always so kind and helpful...

How far is the beach from Cork? As a Greek, yes, beach is important but on the other hand Cork seems to be preety close to the seaside... isn't it?

Also, what I have heard is that some parts of the city aren't nice (?). Is that true? Seems like a small and safe city.

Also, how far is from Galway or Dublin? They look like they are pretty close. Let's say I want to go there for a day trip, would that be possible?

What about the nightlife and the young population.... the foreigners in Cork come mostly from which countries? Will I find some fellow Mediterraneans there?

P.S I posted it at the Cork board on purpose. I am always leaning towards the bigger city and most of the times people that come from bigger places hate them and prefer smaller ones... so I was hoping that I will get more objective opinions here.

Anyways, thanx again for all the help.

Balmed Out

There are plenty of beaches within a 30 min drive but the nicer ones would be a little further.
It is a small and safe city (more spread out then continental cities of a comparable size) but like anywhere else there are dodgy areas too. If you have specific areas in mind then ask away.

about 2 and 3 quarter hours to both if driving. Better to go for a weekend.

You wont come accross many Greeks but there are lots of foreigners. Plenty of Spanish and French as well of course Polish and other eastern Europeans. In the foreign student scene they tend to go to the same places and you would come across people from a variety of European countries as well as Asian and Americans.

Dont think of Cork as a "big" city but for its size it would have more nightlife and things going on then similar sized continental cities. Same is true for Galway but again the central business area of Cork would be much bigger then that of Galway.

Again I know of a few gay bars in Cork but not being gay I wouldnt know a whole load about them, tagged along with friends gay brother a few times years ago when he would be in town. Theres a forum http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=255 that would be better for specific gay pub/club questions on either city.
Best of luck.

grenache

Galway is too much "party central" for me. All the hippies and tourists and constant sing-songs get annoying after a while. During the summer it's grand but you want a normal city to live in during the off season. Galway is not that. It's fine to visit for a few days, but i wouldn't choose to live there again.

It's what i love about Cork. It can be touristy but also a working man's city. It has the right balance of good night life, shops, events,but not annoyingly party central like Galway.

For me, Cork wins this contest

cornbb

I lived in Galway and Cork for 2.5 years each. I miss Galway's compactness and its proximity to the sea and Connemara. The nearest "nice" beach from Cork is probably about 45 minutes drive, in Galway its much closer. On the other hand I think Cork has got the edge in terms of nightlife, music venues, retail outlets, infrastructure etc. Both cities are vibrant and friendly.

Its six of one and half dozen of the other. Your experiences of a place depend on who you meet and what you get up to. I think you wouldn't regret living in either city.

ABajaninCork

OP - if you need to go home to Greece, then I would think Cork would be the best bet. It's very compact, easy to get around, and you're never too far from anything.

Where I live is so convenient. 'City' living, but am 15 minutes from the airport which is a pretty good short-haul hub that can get you to most places in Europe quickly. I'm from London, so this would be very important to me.

Galway's pretty nice too. It was the city that was my first experience of Ireland , and absolutely fell in love with the country. Little did I know that seven years later I would actually live here!

Solair

The lack of a viable airport within easy reach is the main thing that would put me off Galway.

Knock and Shannon are just too far away to make short weekend trips easy where as you can be in Cork Airport in about 15 minutes and usually from your house to a seat on a 737 or Airbus in about 30 minutes, if you're lucky.

Cork also has direct ferry links to France which is nice if you want to go abroad with the car.

It's significantly bigger than Galway and has much more diverse and alternative nightlife.

ABajaninCork

Solair wrote: »

The lack of a viable airport within easy reach is the main thing that would put me off Galway.

Knock and Shannon are just too far away to make short weekend trips easy where as you can be in Cork Airport in about 15 minutes and usually from your house to a seat on a 737 or Airbus in about 30 minutes, if you're lucky.

Cork also has direct ferry links to France which is nice if you want to go abroad with the car.

It's significantly bigger than Galway and has much more diverse and alternative nightlife.

Would totally agree with this. I've been to Galway twice. Flew to both Knock and Shannon. From memory, it's about an hour to Knock, 90mins drive to Shannon. Cork is much more convenient. For me anyway!

daisyscience

As someone who has lived in both cities, currently living in Cork, I have to say that Galway is my preferred city.

Although Galway is smaller you dont really notice as many new people are always passing through and there is always so much happening there. The same can be said for Cork maybe but I have had so much more fun in Galway than in Cork, met much more friendly, open minded people and love it so much I hope to move back there. That is just my personal opinion though and I havn't spent as much time in Cork yet.

I have had a lot of fun during Gay pride week and met many people who came from all around the country for this week specifically. Ireland is a pretty small country so I think that you will find the gay scene is small but vibrant whichever city you choose.

Best of luck with your choice and the move. If you are testing out the cities before you move there I would recommend that you check out couchsurfing.com as when I lived in Galway I found it was an excellent way to find like minded people, even if you are not staying on their couch.

Oh, with regards to travel to the airport, Galway has an airport which is very small but check out the flights anyway before ruling it out. Shannon airport is just over an hours drive from Galway, I know because I am originally from Shannon s made the journey many times.

kart

Voting for Cork. For all the reasons that were already mentioned. More diversity:)

darkman2

100% Galway OP

vrobot

Cork all the way. There are plenty of reasons why it was named among the top 10 in the best cities to visit in the Lonely Planet guide's 'Best in Travel 2010'!!