Moving to the East Wall area of the city

new2here

Hi Guys, I am moving up to Dublin in September with some friends and by the looks of things the only place we can afford to live will be in the East Wall area of the City Centre.

I had no reservations about this but once I mentioned that I would was looking at living near Sheriff Street to my uncle (who used to live in Dublin) he seized up and said that "its not safe" and suggested I look into living somewhere like Phibsborough or Stoneybatter.

Is this just a hang up that he has over the area or should we be worried?

I am sorry if this comes across as offence to anyone that lives in the area; it is unfortunate that sometimes a small minority or the rumour mill can make a bad name for somewhere.

the world wonders

Lengthy thread here

Bandara

East wall is changing rapidly, there's the brand new Aldi, a brand new petrol station, planning permission in for a Lidl, with a Ben dunne gym etc

It's very much on the up

NoCrackHaving

OP, I'll be honest I find it hard to believe the only place in the whole of Dublin within your budget is East Wall but Phibsborough/Cabra/Portobello etc. aren't.

Anyway, as to how 'safe' it is, it's very mixed. It's very much an area in the middle of a lot of change, I'd say the vast majority of Sheriff Street has actually been knocked down since the 70s/80s/even 90s. There's definately a lot of development going on there with the new Aldi and Ben Dunne.

However, your experience as an 'outsider' to the area is going to be very different to people from the area who grew up there, hence why you seem to get a lot of mixed reports on the place. Locals who grew up with the local kids won't have any trouble off them since they knew the parents etc. I think this is why a lot of locals get very defensive. However if you're new to these sort of places life can be absolutely hell from the local gurriers-throwing rocks at house, throwing bottles as you walking down the street, kicking footballs against your door at 2 and 3 in the morning, the sort of ****e that just makes life ****ty. I knew 2 girls and a lad (two were Spanish and he was English) who got this crap for the 6 months they lived there from nearly the week they moved in. I know other people who were brought up there and still live in the same area as the three others who have never had anything like this happen to them.

I wouldn't recommend it at all OP, it might be fine but it might also be awful. I'd try Stoneybatter/Portobello/Drumcondra-even places further out with 'rough' names like Inchicore or Cabra are better options.

alphamule

Dont do it OP, places like you do not move into .

You have to grow up there!

The other places he recommended arent great either. Why not look at south side suburbs!

Phoebas

alphamule wrote: »

Why not look at south side suburbs!

'cos of the prices.

alphamule

Phoebas wrote: »

'cos of the prices.

Price around, are you working or college?

John_Rambo

alphamule wrote: »

Dont do it OP, places like you do not move into .

You have to grow up there!

Is that from personal experience? I moved there and stayed for twelve years, I have since moved out, but I'm still good friends and in contact with my old neighbours. I reckon if you go in with a bad attitude, you might get a bad time, the same could be said for any area in the world. I went in with an open mind and was made very very welcome.

alphamule

John_Rambo wrote: »

Is that from personal experience? I moved there and stayed for twelve years, I have since moved out, but I'm still good friends and in contact with my old neighbours. I reckon if you go in with a bad attitude, you might get a bad time, the same could be said for any area in the world. I went in with an open mind and was made very very welcome.

My family are inner city so im not just presuming. Why take a chance? He clearly doesnt have the money.

The place is a ****hole! It is probably bottom of the property ladder.

John_Rambo

alphamule wrote: »

My family are inner city so im not just presuming. Why take a chance? He clearly doesnt have the money.

The place is a ****hole! It is probably bottom of the property ladder.

Fair enough, I'm inner city myself (not my family) but presume yourself away about the property ladder, I'm no expert about that, I had every know-all tell me I was nuts to buy there in the early 90s and every know-all tell me I was nuts to sell it when I did!

alphamule

John_Rambo wrote: »

Fair enough, I'm inner city myself (not my family) but presume yourself away about the property ladder, I'm no expert about that, I had every know-all tell me I was nuts to buy there in the early 90s and every know-all tell me I was nuts to sell it when I did!

Im just saying you could probably find somewhere bit better for the same price.

I could be wrong ya know but has it not a high crime rate/ drug problem?

They probably just thought you were a mad oddball

John_Rambo

alphamule wrote: »

Im just saying you could probably find somewhere bit better for the same price.

I don't know, there's a lot going for the area for younger outgoing people, the river, the city at your feet, the coast, the watersports club etc...

alphamule wrote: »

I could be wrong ya know but has it not a high crime rate/ drug problem?

Not really. There are social issues alright, but not too bad, far worse places to be in Dublin.

alphamule wrote: »

They probably just thought you were a mad oddball

You're probably right, but I got on well, I was respected and could go about my business all hours of the day and night, I was young, single and I got to know my neighbours and the community, I was probably a bit naive but it worked out for me, cracking place to live for a young single bloke who wondered in to town every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Not a dull moment.

alphamule

I do like around there, had dinner on the Cill Airne last night.

Its a lively spot. Changed big time from when I was brought on walks down there.

Them apartments at bolands mill are the business. Id happily live there!

ProudDUB

alphamule wrote: »

Them apartments at bolands mill are the business. Id happily live there!

Bolands Mill apts are located at Grand Canal Dock, on the other side of the river from East Wall. They benefit from being on the border of 2 of the poshiest suburbs in the entire city (Ballsbridge and Sandymount) and having so many large companies such as Google around. Living there is night and day compared to living in East Wall imo.

alphamule

ProudDUB wrote: »

Bolands Mill apts are located at Grand Canal Dock, on the other side of the river from East Wall. They benefit from being on the border of 2 of the poshiest suburbs in the entire city (Ballsbridge and Sandymount) and having so many large companies such as Google around. Living there is night and day compared to living in East Wall.

Was I comparing it to East Wall?

I said East Wall is a hole and that Id happily live in Bolands Mill.

RATM

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

OP, I'll be honest I find it hard to believe the only place in the whole of Dublin within your budget is East Wall but Phibsborough/Cabra/Portobello etc. aren't.

Anyway, as to how 'safe' it is, it's very mixed. It's very much an area in the middle of a lot of change, I'd say the vast majority of Sheriff Street has actually been knocked down since the 70s/80s/even 90s. There's definately a lot of development going on there with the new Aldi and Ben Dunne.

However, your experience as an 'outsider' to the area is going to be very different to people from the area who grew up there, hence why you seem to get a lot of mixed reports on the place. Locals who grew up with the local kids won't have any trouble off them since they knew the parents etc. I think this is why a lot of locals get very defensive. However if you're new to these sort of places life can be absolutely hell from the local gurriers-throwing rocks at house, throwing bottles as you walking down the street, kicking footballs against your door at 2 and 3 in the morning, the sort of ****e that just makes life ****ty. I knew 2 girls and a lad (two were Spanish and he was English) who got this crap for the 6 months they lived there from nearly the week they moved in. I know other people who were brought up there and still live in the same area as the three others who have never had anything like this happen to them.

I wouldn't recommend it at all OP, it might be fine but it might also be awful. I'd try Stoneybatter/Portobello/Drumcondra-even places further out with 'rough' names like Inchicore or Cabra are better options.

I couldn't agree more with this. Especially the point about your perspective of East Wall being largely dependent on wether or not you grew up there. For outsiders who move there can end up having their life made hell. A good mate of mine is a solicitor and through a colleague he was telling me about a case in East Wall where the next door neighbours terrorised a family for over two years. The people causing the hassle were local so all the other locals took their side and wouldn't help put a stop to it. I'm not going to go into details but I'm not easily shocked and what was going on down there for so long shocked me. The Gardai did sweet f. all about it, TD's just kept talking and waffling.

Some working class areas of Dublin are great to live in. But some have this chip on their shoulders about 'blow-ins' coming into 'their area', you just can't deal with people whose brains are that small and if you try it'll cause no end of stress.

It's a pity as if it weren't for the above problems I'd consider East Wall as a place to buy myself but from what I've read on here and heard first hand there isn't a chance in hell I'd ever consider living there, life is just too short for that crap.

John_Rambo

RATM wrote: »

A good mate of mine is a solicitor and through a colleague he was telling me about a case in East Wall...

Sounds a bit like pub talk. As I said before, I moved there, I was warmly welcomed and treated with respect. That's from personal experience, not what a mate told me about someone they met through a colleague about a case.

NoCrackHaving

John_Rambo wrote: »

Sounds a bit like pub talk. As I said before, I moved there, I was warmly welcomed and treated with respect. That's from personal experience, not what a mate told me about someone they met through a colleague about a case.

To be fair in my above post I described the experiences of a few people I know who lived there for 6 months and had a hellish time with balls kicked against the wall of the house all day to banging on the windows at 2 and 3 in the morning to having abuse roared at the two girls by the local kids. This did happen. As I said I know people who lived there like yourself who had a great experience but I also know bad stories so it does seem to be a mixed bag.

Basically I would recommend other areas where I only hear good stories as opposed to mixed to any new comers.

John_Rambo

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

Basically I would recommend other areas where I only hear good stories

Fair enough, but I reckon you're going to pay through the nose to live in those areas!

NoCrackHaving

John_Rambo wrote: »

Fair enough, but I reckon you're going to pay through the nose to live in those areas!

Like where? Drumcondra, Fairview, Phibsborough, Portobello, Kilmainham, Irishtown/Ringsend, Inchicore are the areas I was referring to, inner city areas that can be compared to East Wall rather than somewhere like Clontarf or Dalkey. I'd recommend all those areas ahead of East Wall to a new comer to Dublin on that sort of budget.

John_Rambo

I have heard nightmare isolated stories about some of those areas. Doesn't make them terrible places to live!

lilblackdress

Ive recently moved into East wall, renting. So far I am delighted with the area. Lovely neighbours, lots of young families. Absolutely love it so far. I'm sure it depends on the area/street in east wall but any of my friends that live down here also have had no issues. If you go for a viewing then you should have a good idea of what that particular area is like.

from_atozinc

Get yourself some VHI platinum ; )

bombidol

I live on Ossory Road. Its grand. LOADS of dirtbags up and down the road and ive had my car wing mirrors smashed and my tires let down. But all in all. I like it.

Aard

For a lot of people, getting your mirrors smashed and tires let down wouldn't qualify as "grand"!

I think the main problem with East Wall is that it's kind of tucked away from the city by the railway yards; depending on where you live you'll usually have to do a dog-leg to get to town. Handy for the Docklands though.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I lived in East Wall for seven years and as a 'blow in' I hated the place, and I had married into an old East Wall family!.

That said the area has gone through a lot of change in recent years and I understand that this has changed the dynamics of some parts of East Wall so outsiders are fitting in easier.

It does have some pluses, easy walk into town over Ossary Road or Johnny Cullens hill.. Fairview Park (but due to noise the East Wall road isn't a pleasant walk).

I'd get a good survey on any house I'd be buying in East Wall, the Corpo houses date back to the mid 1930's and suffer a lot of problems with damp and wiring.. Some of the roads down around the credit union are almost impossible to insure due to suffering regular flooding.

Although I never liked East Wall too much and was glad to move out I still wouldn't be too harsh on the place, just beware that East Wall has got its problems but buy on the right road and you'll get some of the best neighbours you'll find anywhere.

NoCrackHaving

Micah Repulsive Squid wrote: »

I lived in East Wall for seven years and as a 'blow in' I hated the place, and I had married into an old East Wall family!.

That said the area has gone through a lot of change in recent years and I understand that this has changed the dynamics of some parts of East Wall so outsiders are fitting in easier.

It does have some pluses, easy walk into town over Ossary Road or Johnny Cullens hill.. Fairview Park (but due to noise the East Wall road isn't a pleasant walk).

I'd get a good survey on any house I'd be buying in East Wall, the Corpo houses date back to the mid 1930's and suffer a lot of problems with damp and wiring.. Some of the roads down around the credit union are almost impossible to insure due to suffering regular flooding.

Although I never liked East Wall too much and was glad to move out I still wouldn't be too harsh on the place, just beware that East Wall has got its problems but buy on the right road and you'll get some of the best neighbours you'll find anywhere.

It's sad how much of Fairview Park has been destroyed by the Westwood complex/Dart expansion etc. Nowhere near as good for kids as it used to be (traffic school for example, loved that as a little fellah!).

Muahahaha

John_Rambo wrote: »

Sounds a bit like pub talk. As I said before, I moved there, I was warmly welcomed and treated with respect. That's from personal experience, not what a mate told me about someone they met through a colleague about a case.

John_Rambo wrote: »

I have heard nightmare isolated stories about some of those areas. Doesn't make them terrible places to live!

...a posters point is dismissed as pub talk when its said that East Wall can be dodgy, but then you also use hearsay to say other areas are dodgy ?

John_Rambo

Muahahaha wrote: »

...a posters point is dismissed as pub talk when its said that East Wall can be dodgy, but then you also use hearsay to say other areas are dodgy ?

Read it again.

Muahahaha

I did, things are pub talk when it doesn't suit your point of view, but not pub talk when it does. You live in East Wall so obviously have a bias towards it as you're not going to talk the price of your own property down. Anyway I'm not going to get into a war of words, the quotes are there for all to see. I have no doubt there are wonderful salt of the earth types in East Wall who are welcoming but it is important to strike some balance here - the area does have its fair share of troubles, many of which are well documented on the accomodation forum and neighbours.ie

I've had my own fair share of troubles in East Wall with a moped of mine being stolen down there not once but twice by local kids for a joyride. It cost me a fortune and broke my heart twice. I ended up having to go back to selling it and buying a car as I just couldn't leave a bike there when I was working in the area- the teenagers would have it for themselves. East Wall may not be the worst place in Dublin but it's defintely in the top 10

John_Rambo

Muahahaha wrote: »

I did, things are pub talk when it doesn't suit your point of view, but not pub talk when it does.

I said I have heard nightmare stories about the areas and that it DOESN'T make them terrible places! Read the posts.

Muahahaha wrote: »

You live in East Wall

I don't. Read the posts.

Muahahaha wrote: »

you're not going to talk the price of your own property down.

Sold it.

Muahahaha wrote: »

Anyway I'm not going to get into a war of words

Fair enough, you're right...

I'd advise anyone looking to buy or rent to scope the place out properly, park up or knock around all parts of the day and night to get a good idea of what the road and neighbours are like. East Wall is an inner city area, along with all the cons its got its pros. All I can say is I liked it and I got on very well there for a long time. It suited me at the age I was and the position in life I was in.