Best areas to live if you work in Apple, Cork?

Grustel25

Hi all

I'd like to thank everyone in advance for replying! It is a very important question for me. I am moving to Cork at the end of July and was wondering what would be the best places to rent if you work for Apple. I don't know the city at all and am moving from London. I guess there is a huge difference and it will take some time to adapt. I have never been to Cork and, although,I had a look on daft.ie for properties to rent, it is not much of use for someone like me, who has no idea about the areas of the city! I know that probably it s better to rent a property in the city, but I would like to save some money while i am on probational period. Ay help would be really appreciated. Thank you, guys!!!

Pro Hoc Vice

Lots if Apple people living in the Elysian in city centre may be a tad expensive. But thre may be others willing to share 2 or 3 bed.

Apple has two offices in Cork one in Hollyhill well serviced from city centre via number 2 bus. The second office is on Half Moon Street in city centre.

According to some people Douglas is good area as is ballinlough and Blackrock but prices will be around city centre prices. Expect good 1 bed in city centre if you can find it to be 600-700 fair 2 beds from 650-1000 and good quality 2 beds (very few in city) around 1200-1600 a month.

I personally would not stay up in Hollyhill it would not be best area but main problem is is a bit away from city centre and main pub and entertainment areas.

Grustel25

infosys wrote: »

Lots if Apple people living in the Elysian in city centre may be a tad expensive. But thre may be others willing to share 2 or 3 bed.

Apple has two offices in Cork one in Hollyhill well serviced from city centre via number 2 bus. The second office is on Half Moon Street in city centre.

According to some people Douglas is good area as is ballinlough and Blackrock but prices will be around city centre prices. Expect good 1 bed in city centre if you can find it to be 600-700 fair 2 beds from 650-1000 and good quality 2 beds (very few in city) around 1200-1600 a month.

I personally would not stay up in Hollyhill it would not be best area but main problem is is a bit away from city centre and main pub and entertainment areas.

Thank you for your reply. What about any bus services from Douglas, Ballinlough and Blackrock?

Pro Hoc Vice

Grustel25 wrote: »

Thank you for your reply. What about any bus services from Douglas, Ballinlough and Blackrock?

Blackrock is the same service to Hollyhill, ballinlough has the 10 bus to city centre and Douglas has 6 and 7 to city, I think there are new numbers for the buses I think 202 is the number 2 210 is the 10 and 207 and 206 are the 7 and 6.

Depending on lots of facts the city centre could be a good bet as long as you stay at good end of market. Douglas etc. very good if you have family re schools etc.

Grustel25

infosys wrote: »

Blackrock is the same service to Hollyhill, ballinlough has the 10 bus to city centre and Douglas has 6 and 7 to city, I think there are new numbers for the buses I think 202 is the number 2 210 is the 10 and 207 and 206 are the 7 and 6.

Depending on lots of facts the city centre could be a good bet as long as you stay at good end of market. Douglas etc. very good if you have family re schools etc.

Excellent! That's very helpful. Thanks a bunch!

minidazzler

infosys wrote: »

Blackrock is the same service to Hollyhill, ballinlough has the 10 bus to city centre and Douglas has 6 and 7 to city, I think there are new numbers for the buses I think 202 is the number 2 210 is the 10 and 207 and 206 are the 7 and 6.

Depending on lots of facts the city centre could be a good bet as long as you stay at good end of market. Douglas etc. very good if you have family re schools etc.

The 210 no longer exists, It's now the 215 and goes from Mahon Point to Blarney Via South Mall.

OP, your best bet would be a house share near town, (southside) Mahon would do you well given the bus goes directly up, but I'd stick closer to the city center if I was you, it's easier to get a house share there.

becost

Mahon is the complete opposite side of the city. That's the last place you want to live if working in Hollyhill. You'd be looking at 60-90 minutes travel each way depending on traffic. You have lots of choice along the 202 bus route but I'd advise to stay away from the areas at each end of the timetable destinations (Mahon, Hollyhill/Knocknaheeny) unless you are a fast runner and own a flak jacket. :pac:

Grustel25

[QUOTE=becost;85610148 unless you are a fast runner and own a flak jacket. :pac:[/QUOTE]

Why is that?

ABajaninCork

Because those areas are as rough as sandpaper. Think Brixton, Stockwell, Elephant, Brick Lane and Tottenham...:pac:

Avoid Blackpool too. Not only is it a bit rough, but is also very prone to flood...

Grustel25

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Because those areas are as rough as sandpaper. Think Brixton, Stockwell, Elephant, Brick Lane and Tottenham...:pac:

Avoid Blackpool too. Not only is it a bit rough, but is also very prone to flood...

Oh, Lord, :eek::pac::(:(......I see now, though elephant and castle is not that bad, but I do have an idea of what Brixton can be like. Thanks so much! It was really helpful!

ABajaninCork

The Elephant isn't that bad? Are you nuts or spending too much time at the Ministry of Sound???

Look, even the dogs walk round in pairs - one front and one back!!!

Faith

I'd absolutely not recommend Mahon! A friend of mine works in Apple and was looking at moving to Blackrock. It took him 60 minutes to get from Church Road to Apple in the middle of the afternoon with no traffic on the 202.

A lot of areas directly adjacent to Apple are not very nice areas. Sunday's Well is nice, and Shanakiel isn't too bad. You could look at Atkin's Hall - lovely places with cheap rent, but expensive to heat, it seems. The city centre would also be fine. The 202 is the only bus that goes to Apple, I believe, so if you need public transport and don't want to travel for ages, I wouldn't go any further into the suburbs than Victoria Road or the beginning of the Blackrock Road on the 202 line.

If you've a car and aren't bothered about traffic, then Blackrock, Douglas, Turner's Cross, Ballintemple and Ballinlough are all nice areas.

It'd help if you gave us an idea of your budget and requirements - whether you've a family, a car, whether you're looking to live alone or in a house share...

becost

Grustel25 wrote: »

Why is that?

They don't call it "Viet Mahon" for nothing.

Grustel25

ABajaninCork wrote: »

The Elephant isn't that bad? Are you nuts or spending too much time at the Ministry of Sound???

Look, even the dogs walk round in pairs - one front and one back!!!

Hmmm....everything must have changed there then since last time I was there. It is a mostly Chinese area, and they are usually very quiet and nice people. But I didn't live there, just worked not far-London Bridge.

Grustel25

becost wrote: »

They don't call it "Viet Mahon" for nothing.

Lol....you, guys, are confusing the poor Londoner hehe. What is a Viet Mahon?

minidazzler

becost wrote: »

They don't call it "Viet Mahon" for nothing.

Because they just don't call it that.... not for a long time at least.

becost

Grustel25 wrote: »

Lol....you, guys, are confusing the poor Londoner hehe. What is a Viet Mahon?

Sorry, it's a Cork thing. Bottom line is most Cork people wouldn't live in Mahon in a fit.

ABajaninCork

Grustel25 wrote: »

Hmmm....everything must have changed there then since last time I was there. It is a mostly Chinese area, and they are usually very quiet and nice people. But I didn't live there, just worked not far-London Bridge.

That's the part going towards Borough. That's OK. I'm talking about the Elephant proper - by the pink palace going towards Camberwell and Kennington. THAT'S rough!! Makes Knocka look like a teddy bear's picnic!

ABajaninCork

OP. Feel free to PM me if you need help. I too am from London, and worked at Apple in Hollyhill on a short-term contract. I'm married to a Corkman and live here.

Grustel25

ABajaninCork wrote: »

OP. Feel free to PM me if you need help. I too am from London, and worked at Apple in Hollyhill on a short-term contract. I'm married to a Corkman and live here.

Oh really? What a coincidence! How do you find Cork in comparison to London? Did it take you a while to adapt?

ABajaninCork

I'm from Wandsworth.

Cork is very much far from the madding crowd. Life here is much quieter, and the pace slower. People here are friendly, and always willing to help. This is a great little city with a lot to see and do. Try to explore out of the city too if you can. Cork is FULL of stunning scenery, especially if you head out to West Cork and Kerry. Bus Eireann run services to outlying areas from Parnell Place. If you're not driving, grab a timetable and see what takes your fancy. Bus Eireann is a bit like the National Bus Service at home

Prices are very expensive compared to London. But - you get FAR better:

Bread. Mind you - ask for a sliced pan. Never a loaf of bread!
Meat
Fish
Fruit & veg
Butter (although VERY expensive compared to home). The main supermarkets here are Tesco, Dunnes and Supervalu (Expensive). There's also Aldi and Lidl branches here. Centra and Spar are the 'corner shop' stores, and they do have very good special offers from time to time.

I think we've already told you about the internet and other charges to expect. Post is only delivered Mon-Fri. Sat deliveries are only at Christmas time.

Grustel25

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I'm from Wandsworth.

Cork is very much far from the madding crowd. Life here is much quieter, and the pace slower. People here are friendly, and always willing to help. This is a great little city with a lot to see and do. Try to explore out of the city too if you can. Cork is FULL of stunning scenery, especially if you head out to West Cork and Kerry. Bus Eireann run services to outlying areas from Parnell Place. If you're not driving, grab a timetable and see what takes your fancy. Bus Eireann is a bit like the National Bus Service at home

Prices are very expensive compared to London. But - you get FAR better:

Bread. Mind you - ask for a sliced pan. Never a loaf of bread!
Meat
Fish
Fruit & veg
Butter (although VERY expensive compared to home). The main supermarkets here are Tesco, Dunnes and Supervalu (Expensive). There's also Aldi and Lidl branches here. Centra and Spar are the 'corner shop' stores, and they do have very good special offers from time to time.

I think we've already told you about the internet and other charges to expect. Post is only delivered Mon-Fri. Sat deliveries are only at Christmas time.

Oh thank you so much for the info! It is invaluable. I was a bit apprehensive whether to accept the offer, but then decided to do so. You never know what's round the corner!

becost

ABajaninCork wrote: »

OP. Feel free to PM me if you need help. I too am from London, and worked at Apple in Hollyhill on a short-term contract. I'm married to a Corkman and live here.

Just so the OP doesn't get the wrong idea.

livemusic4life

why has no one recommended Gurranbraher for you to rent. Lots of people in Apple are renting in Gurran. Great views and generally very quiet as there are a lot of older people. a 10 minute walk into the city centre to the nightlife. and you can certainly walk to or from apple from there. Well maybe from. Walking to requires a little up hill walk.

I'd recommend Gurranabraher anyway.

ABajaninCork

There have been a lot of recent threads asking about the best places to live when working at Apple. My in-laws live in Gurranbraher. In all but this one (I think), I've recommended Gurranabraher as a good place, as it's right on the 202 route and it'll take about 10-15 minutes on the bus to get to Hollyhill. The bus stops right outside.

But it wasn't clear from the OP's threads which Apple office they would be working at. I now understand it's Hollyhill, so yes, you're quite right!

the beer revolu

I'd recommend the city centre - property isn't any more expensive than in the suburbs - often cheaper.

Grustel25

livemusic4life wrote: »

why has no one recommended Gurranbraher for you to rent. Lots of people in Apple are renting in Gurran. Great views and generally very quiet as there are a lot of older people. a 10 minute walk into the city centre to the nightlife. and you can certainly walk to or from apple from there. Well maybe from. Walking to requires a little up hill walk.

I'd recommend Gurranabraher anyway.

Thank you very much for replying! I just had a look but, unfortunately, nothing is available for rent in that area I will keep on trying!

Grustel25

ABajaninCork wrote: »

There have been a lot of recent threads asking about the best places to live when working at Apple. My in-laws live in Gurranbraher. In all but this one (I think), I've recommended Gurranabraher as a good place, as it's right on the 202 route and it'll take about 10-15 minutes on the bus to get to Hollyhill. The bus stops right outside.

But it wasn't clear from the OP's threads which Apple office they would be working at. I now understand it's Hollyhill, so yes, you're quite right!

Yes, you are right about similar threads being posted. I think Apple created 500 positions within their headquarters! Had a look at the area, nothing is available for rent though

Grustel25

the beer revolu wrote: »

I'd recommend the city centre - property isn't any more expensive than in the suburbs - often cheaper.

You are absolutely right! The rent prices look similar!

ninty9er

If we had an idea of your budget and sharing/living preferences it would be helpful. Do you intend to use public transport or buy a car?

Grustel25

ninty9er wrote: »

If we had an idea of your budget and sharing/living preferences it would be helpful. Do you intend to use public transport or buy a car?

Ideally I am looking for an on suite room up to 500 a month. Will use public transport for the time being. There doesn't seem to be much out there for rent in the above-mentioned areas, for the exception of Cork City.

SpaceTime

If you need decent broadband, make sure you've got the option of actual cable TV in the house/apartment. Loads of places list 'cable tv' and then turn out to have satellite or something weird. Actually look for a cable socket when viewing and ask.

If you've access to UPC Cable you've up to 150mbit/s available.

Most of the city has access to e-fibre, which is similar to BT Infinity. However, it varies from about 30 to 70 mbit/s depending on how far you are from the local cabinet, but it's available to most areas of the city. On cable, you get the speed quoted in most cases without any issue.

With the e-fibre service, it's available from multiple different companies i.e. : Eircom, Vodafone At Home, Magnet, Digiweb and possibly a few others too.

ninty9er

these are a few options that would keep you close enough to the city centre and give good access to transport to Apple.

Nice looking building, if you don't mind the "it's haunted" rumours
http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=727353

http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=723311

http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=727430


It may be an idea to call a hotel to see if you can get a good deal for 2 weeks and see if there are any other new-hires looking for accommodation. You'll have a much, much, MUCH better chance of getting a nicer place if you can look at lettings rather than shares.

shawki

ninty9er wrote: »

these are a few options that would keep you close enough to the city centre and give good access to transport to Apple.

Nice looking building, if you don't mind the "it's haunted" rumours
http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=727353

http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=723311

http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=727430


It may be an idea to call a hotel to see if you can get a good deal for 2 weeks and see if there are any other new-hires looking for accommodation. You'll have a much, much, MUCH better chance of getting a nicer place if you can look at lettings rather than shares.

I'd avoid white street

I lived there for a year in 2010. Had to call the guards twice during the year because of fights on the street. A lot of undesirables passing through and hanging around the car park at night aswell.

Grustel25

ninty9er wrote: »

these are a few options that would keep you close enough to the city centre and give good access to transport to Apple.

Nice looking building, if you don't mind the "it's haunted" rumours
http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=727353

http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=723311

http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=727430


It may be an idea to call a hotel to see if you can get a good deal for 2 weeks and see if there are any other new-hires looking for accommodation. You'll have a much, much, MUCH better chance of getting a nicer place if you can look at lettings rather than shares.

Wow! Thanks so much! These places look great and I really like your idea of the hotel deals. Will definitely check it out! Thanks.

AlwaysInjured

Just saw this thread now.
I work in Apple Hollyhill also and live in Atkins Hall, I can confirm that it is not haunted!!
It is very convenient location for work, but as I drive and there is a big steep hill I wouldn t rely on walking because of the weather. I would definitely recommend getting a short term lease in the city centre, a week to week or 3 month lease. This will give you time to see what you area you see yourself staying in the long term. If you want a quieter area but within walking distance from work try Monastery Hill, off Blarney St. Walking distance to both work and town.

Good luck with your new job, i hope it works out for you!!

Grustel25

AlwaysInjured wrote: »

Just saw this thread now.
I work in Apple Hollyhill also and live in Atkins Hall, I can confirm that it is not haunted!!
It is very convenient location for work, but as I drive and there is a big steep hill I wouldn t rely on walking because of the weather. I would definitely recommend getting a short term lease in the city centre, a week to week or 3 month lease. This will give you time to see what you area you see yourself staying in the long term. If you want a quieter area but within walking distance from work try Monastery Hill, off Blarney St. Walking distance to both work and town.

Good luck with your new job, i hope it works out for you!!

Oh, thanks a lot for the information and your wishes. It is only a few days left now and I am really starting to feel excited:) as you said, I decided to get a 2 weeks short term lease before I commit myself to a year of lease. Another problem I found in Cork is that there are very few properties available.

ABajaninCork

As someone already said, you may be able to get a house share once you get in. People are always looking for housemates and will often advertise on the intranet or the notice boards.

The very best of luck to you! Enjoy Cork.

Grustel25

ABajaninCork wrote: »

As someone already said, you may be able to get a house share once you get in. People are always looking for housemates and will often advertise on the intranet or the notice boards.

The very best of luck to you! Enjoy Cork.

Thank you very much, that's another great idea! Should have thought about it myself. Of course, there are a few people who relocate to Cork to work in Apple, so some of them might be on the lookout for people to share accommodation with. Thanks for the wishes!

sensormatic

there's lots of houses for rent on blarney street always is,,,,flats for rent in the high house bar on blarney street as well only 10 to 15 walk from apple

evilivor

sensormatic wrote: »

there's lots of houses for rent on blarney street always is,,,,flats for rent in the high house bar on blarney street as well only 10 to 15 walk from apple

Some variable quality of locations and properties on Blarney Street - not at all bad around High House - some other parts I wouldn't live in.