Balbriggan v Ballsbridge

Kellys67

Ok so my boyfriend currently works on Harcourt street and I have gotten a job in balbriggan. We were hoping to move in together but need to find somewhere that suits us both. Has anyone any ideas where the best place is to live? He currently lives in ballsbridge but I'm not sure if that's too far away for me . I will be driving to work whereas he will be relying on public transport.

d1234

Kellys67 wrote: »

Ok so my boyfriend currently works on Harcourt street and I have gotten a job in balbriggan. We were hoping to move in together but need to find somewhere that suits us both. Has anyone any ideas where the best place is to live? He currently lives in ballsbridge but I'm not sure if that's too far away for me . I will be driving to work whereas he will be relying on public transport.

Would be quite a journey if driving in the mornings and then back in the evening, especially if driving. How about somewhere like Mahahide, Portmarnock or Clongriffin? Easy to reach the M1 but also on the DART line??

NoCrackHaving

Wow, they're both pretty removed from each other. Is it neccessary that you drive to work? It might be easier if you could take the mainline train to Balbriggan just for your sanity, that's a big drive every day.

As to where you could live, I'd recommend somewhere on the DART/train line, probably on the northside. Somewhere like Clontarf/Raheny or even further out towards Portmarnock, Malahide.

It would also be possible to live nearer to Pearse Station/Tara Street and he could walk/cycle to work and you could take the train to Balbriggan. Ballsbridge would be a very bad choice for you to live in if you're working out in north county Dublin.

Kellys67

Thanks a million guys, great help I'll def check them out. Yea they're fairly separated ! Somewhere along the train or Dart line is probably the best idea alright.

schemingbohemia

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

Wow, they're both pretty removed from each other. Is it neccessary that you drive to work? It might be easier if you could take the mainline train to Balbriggan just for your sanity, that's a big drive every day.

As to where you could live, I'd recommend somewhere on the DART/train line, probably on the northside. Somewhere like Clontarf/Raheny or even further out towards Portmarnock, Malahide.

It would also be possible to live nearer to Pearse Station/Tara Street and he could walk/cycle to work and you could take the train to Balbriggan. Ballsbridge would be a very bad choice for you to live in if you're working out in north county Dublin.

Not if s/he decides to use the train, simple stroll to Lansdowne Road Station, depends how far from Balbriggan station they're working.

Muahahaha

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Not if s/he decides to use the train, simple stroll to Lansdowne Road Station, depends how far from Balbriggan station they're working.

But wouldn't they have to change train to a commuter service to Drogheda in order to get off at Balbriggan ? A change of train can often mean an extra 15-20 minutes on top of an already long commute....

OP I'd agree with others and say along the DART line is a good option. Price wise you can expect to pay more for rent in Malahide and Portmarnock. Cheaper options would be Donabate, Rush and Lusk, both of which have a train station that connects to Balbriggan and the city centre.

NoCrackHaving

Muahahaha wrote: »

But wouldn't they have to change train to a commuter service to Drogheda in order to get off at Balbriggan ? A change of train can often mean an extra 15-20 minutes on top of an already long commute....

OP I'd agree with others and say along the DART line is a good option. Price wise you can expect to pay more for rent in Malahide and Portmarnock. Cheaper options would be Donabate, Rush and Lusk, both of which have a train station that connects to Balbriggan and the city centre.

However these places are further out than Malahide and Portmarnock so while it's closer to Balbriggan, it becomes a pretty long commute to Harcourt Street.

schemingbohemia

Muahahaha wrote: »

But wouldn't they have to change train to a commuter service to Drogheda in order to get off at Balbriggan ? A change of train can often mean an extra 15-20 minutes on top of an already long commute....

OP I'd agree with others and say along the DART line is a good option. Price wise you can expect to pay more for rent in Malahide and Portmarnock. Cheaper options would be Donabate, Rush and Lusk, both of which have a train station that connects to Balbriggan and the city centre.

Depends on what time they're leaving at really. There are fewer trains than I initially thought but from looking on www.irishrail.ie the 0744 involves only a 5 minute wait at Pearse for the Balbriggan train whilst the 0834 is direct with no change.

Wishbone Ash

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

Wow, they're both pretty removed from each other......

.....and not just geographically!

Muahahaha

NoCrackHaving wrote: »

However these places are further out than Malahide and Portmarnock so while it's closer to Balbriggan, it becomes a pretty long commute to Harcourt Street.

True. One person in this couple is going to be closer to their workplace than the other. I suppose as the OP is going to be driving to work and going against the general flow of rush hour traffic then it makes more sense for them to live closer to Harcourt Street than to Balbriggan. Places like Clontarf, Raheny could be good options if the OP can afford rent in those areas, they are premium northside locations.

Of course the commute shouldn't be the only consideration. Personally I would suck up a longer commute if it meant I was living within a 5 minute walk of a fine beach like the one at Portmarnock or the two at Skeriies. That's just me though, the OP has their own preferences but things like access to shops, facilities, gyms, etc should also be part of their consideration. I call it the pint of milk factor- I ask myself can I leave my front door and have a pint of milk in my hands in under 5 minutes. If I can't then I'll look somewhere else.

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Depends on what time they're leaving at really. There are fewer trains than I initially thought but from looking on www.irishrail.ie the 0744 involves only a 5 minute wait at Pearse for the Balbriggan train whilst the 0834 is direct with no change.

Well 5 minutes is pretty good. If the OP's work times line up with the train schedules then they should defintely consider that option.

Kellys67

That's so much help, thank you all so much . I will discus these with my boyfriend and take them into consideration. I'm definitely more sussed than I was this morning

Kellys67

Yes easy access to shops etc would be a plus. Would the raheny area be safe to live in?

Kellys67

I also had the castleknock/ashtown/coolmine area suggested.....how would that compare to the areas in raheny/clontarf/malahide? Sorry for all the questions it's just neither me or my boyfriend are familiar with Dublin.

d1234

Kellys67 wrote: »

I also had the castleknock/ashtown/coolmine area suggested.....how would that compare to the areas in raheny/clontarf/malahide? Sorry for all the questions it's just neither me or my boyfriend are familiar with Dublin.

Castleknock is a nice area to live in - some parts are very exclusive. I have often heard that there is a high rate of house robberies but that's everywhere I suppose. It can be busy in the mornings esp. the Navan Rd. Good variety of shops and close to Blanch Centre.

Ashtown/Coolmine are fine aswell - probably much cheaper rents than Castleknock.

Raheny is also fine - some parts are better than others. Generally the coastal areas are a safer bet. Clontarf is a lovely area, well serviced with good amenities. Cycling distance to the city aswell. Rent will probably be more expensive than Raheny. Nice coastal walks.

Malahide is very affluent but has a good range of apts. Lots of lovely restaurants and different shops. I recently noticed the number of florists - so there's no excuse for you not to be spoiled!

NoCrackHaving

Kellys67 wrote: »

I also had the castleknock/ashtown/coolmine area suggested.....how would that compare to the areas in raheny/clontarf/malahide? Sorry for all the questions it's just neither me or my boyfriend are familiar with Dublin.

Raheny/Clontarf/Malahide would be much more 'affulent'/middle class/whatever you want to call it than Ashtown or Coolmine, on the whole the closer you are to the sea in Dublin the 'nicer' the area with a few exceptions like Castleknock actually. Parts of Castleknock would be very wealthy but other parts would be a lot cheaper for rents.

To be honest if I could afford it I'd pick Raheny/Clontarf over Ashtown/Coolmine anyday because I love being beside the sea but everyone has different considerations.

Muahahaha

Ashtown & Coolmine/Castleknock aren't a bad pick as they're on the Maynooth train line to Connolly from where your partner could hop on a Dublin Bike and cycle to Harcourt St in less than 10 minutes. Eventually the two Luas lines will be linkedup sometime in 2017 and the journey will be possible by tram but for now it is cycling or walking between Connolly and Harcourt St.
From Ashtown it only takes 20 minutes on the train to get to Connolly so its a pretty quick commute. The other advantage of that area is that you have easy enough access to the M50 so driving to Balbriggan should be pretty easy from that part of the city. There are also no tolls on the M50 if you are heading east from Dublin 15/Blanch exit of the M50.
Rents are typically cheaper in Dublin 15 than most places that are on the coast and close to the city.