North Strand

Piriz

Hi,

I am hoping to get some info on North Strand as I'm considering buying a house in the area. I searched Boards on similar topics but they are so old i think the area has changed since 2006 etc.

I get the impression the area is generally good with decent amenities.

I'd be moving there with my partner and would aim to raise a child or two there in the future..

I'd love to hear all points of view on the area about positives and negatives, friendliness of locals, schools, parking, crime, flooding risk etc... also my girlfriend is Italian and I think she'd like if there is other foreigners in the community...is this the case?

Many thanks..

Econoline Van

Piriz wrote: »

also my girlfriend is Italian ..

You will have Da Mimmo on your doorstep. Your girlfriend should be very very happy for ever more. It's all Italian staff in there too, on a serious note, so they should be able to make her feel at home.

I'm just over the road. LOVE the area. Odd drunken lout if walking around late at night but only the very odd time. Handy location, good transport links, near the airport for the flights back to Italy (or holidays in my case), and Aldi is on East Wall Road.

cson

I'd be familiar enough with the area; its fine, rough around the edges though. I wouldn't be raising a family there but if you're just looking to put down roots for a while it'll be grand.

+1 on Da Mimmo. It's class!

spurious

Parking is the issue causes most problems - and even then, not such big problems. Only certain parts would have had flooding in the last 50 years - it's not really an issue.

Good bus service to the city and beyond. Da Mimmo is lovely and Irina's fruit and veg shop has good quality produce. The small cul de sacs off the North Strand are great places to live, grand and quiet, not so much the through roads.

Econoline Van

As regards being rough around the edges, this is the only place in Dublin I've lived where strangers will say "good morning" or "good evening" to you when you walk past them. It's usually older people, granted, but it's still nice. And actually, I remember walking down Clonmore Road around Christmas time late at night with my missus and a black dude getting out of his car wished us a happy Christmas. It was something small but it was a really lovely moment to turn around, see he was sincere, and wish him the same in return.
It's not a bad oul area at all.

NoCrackHaving

I'm going to go against the grain here a bit and say it's a fine area for a single person or a young couple but you'll find it a very different place when it comes to raising the family. I'm not sure what it's like now but a few years back the standard of schools in the area was frankly pretty appalling.

Stargrrl

I've been living in the area (one of the cul-de-sacs of North Strand Road, D3), since 2007 and absolutely love it! I disagree that it's not suitable for having families/children. In fact most of my neighbours and people I've met in the past few years have kids of primary or secondary school age (my daughter is away in college now but was in secondary when we moved here.) who get on just fine. The local primary school, St Columba's seems to be great, most of the younger kids go there and Mount Temple secondary school is just up the road. There's also an 'Educate Together' primary school planned for the NS/Marino area in the near future. Great food amenities (Da Mimmo, Irena's Fruit and Veg, the best Japanese in Dublin Okayu and a good Centra and Aldi very close by.) Being so close to town is a Godsend and the place has a real 'community' feel generally. Two good pubs in Cusack's and The Annesley House also. The Annesley has a great monthly (first Friday) event called 'The House Presents' upstairs which features music and performance, great to have on the doorstep. There's even a community garden (Mudisland community garden). Sorry for long post but I can't say enough good things about the area. Do you have a street/location in mind? Feel free to PM me if you want any further info.

Piriz

Hi Stargrrl,

Thank you for the long post, yea i'm looking at Northbrook Avenue at the moment but who knows...the area in general interests me... I'm from Beaumont originally and want to buy close to town on the Northside...Dublin 3 or 7. we'll see what the bank gives us... thanks again..

I guess North Strand has had its social problems through out the years but in my view it has much improved in the last 10 years...any insights into this?

Stargrrl

Hi Piriz, I know Northbrook Ave well and live close to it myself, I would say just check if the house is on the right hand side looking up the street that the back wall/garden is ‘secure’! Yes like a lot of areas of Dublin there is a bit of a ‘social mix’ in North Strand and has been for a long time but the area seems to have got a bit more (for want of a better word) ‘middle class’ in the last then to fifteen years with a lot of people moving to or buying in the area. There are certainly streets/locations that would have the reputation for more ‘anti-social’ behaviour and in fact I live very close to one of them but my day-today experience has been grand. I’m here 7 years now and never even had so much as an attempted burglary, no issues with cars on the street either that I’ve heard (don’t have one myself at the moment – the benefits of living so close to town!). You occasionally get kids ‘messing’ but most of it is pretty harmless and I’ve never had hassle walking home late at night on my own either. My preference is for the D3 bits of NS (from the canal bridge up to Annesley/Fairview bridge) over the D1 bit ( around the Five Lamps ..).
If you wanted to meet with other locals and get a sense of the ‘community feel’ I mentioned, it might be an idea to call into the Community Garden some Saturday between 2pm and 5pm. You’ll meet some of the people with kids there who mainly live around the Newcomen /Charleville/Bayview avenues. Entrance is through the archway into Clinch’s Court, the second left after the canal bridge, just opposite the lovely Da Mimmo’s. You mentioned you partner being Italian and I know a few of the couples/families I know in the area seem to have one partner who is not from Ireland (France, German among others) so there are definitely opportunities for meeting ‘non Irish’ too. Happy to answer more questions if/when you have them.

Replicate

I've lived in East Wall since 2008, am a foreign national and have two young boys. There are a lot of mixed families around and I have absolutely no problem with the area. There's also a new Italian restaurant on Church Road. Haven't tried it yet but it's always busy.
My only peeve hate it the littering and dog poo.

indecisive2018

Hi All, I have recently had an offer accepted in the North Strand and wanted to ask if perceptions of the area have changed at all since the last thread? As a single woman who will be walking to and from work every day i'm slightly nervous about the stretch between Newcomen Bridge and Connolly Station, any thoughts on safety in the area? Also, Da Mimmo and Cloud Café are great amenities in the area, and there does appear to be a community feel, but are there any signs of more developing? Have been scaremongered into thinking the area may not be 'recession proof' and was recently advised to look elsewhere by an estate agent so am now doubting my decision!

spurious

indecisive2018 wrote: »

Hi All, I have recently had an offer accepted in the North Strand and wanted to ask if perceptions of the area have changed at all since the last thread? As a single woman who will be walking to and from work every day i'm slightly nervous about the stretch between Newcomen Bridge and Connolly Station, any thoughts on safety in the area? Also, Da Mimmo and Cloud Café are great amenities in the area, and there does appear to be a community feel, but are there any signs of more developing? Have been scaremongered into thinking the area may not be 'recession proof' and was recently advised to look elsewhere by an estate agent so am now doubting my decision!

It's fine. Your estate agent is a fool.
It's 20 mins maximum walk from town. Moved here from Raheny in 1990, never regretted it. Three out of the four streets parallel to ours had streetfeasts last month. Lovely community.

Cul de sacs off the North Strand perfect. Through roads less so, and the right hand side as you go out of town would be preferable to the left hand side.

Main issue is parking, especially weekends in the summer when we get overrun with GAA 'sports' fans who bring cars in, presumably since fine athletic types cannot walk to public transport.

odyssey06

I recall some some bad flooding on Bayview Avenue in last couple years.
Have any remedial works been carried out?

spurious

odyssey06 wrote: »

I recall some some bad flooding on Bayview Avenue in last couple years.
Have any remedial works been carried out?

I don't recall that. Are you sure it was Bayview? I'm trying to work out where it would have flooded from.

I know they have flood defences in the small rows of cottages behind James Larkin flats, but they are clearly down in quite a dip.

Billgirlylegs

spurious wrote: »

I don't recall that. Are you sure it was Bayview? I'm trying to work out where it would have flooded from.

I know they have flood defences in the small rows of cottages behind James Larkin flats, but they are clearly down in quite a dip.

Was that flooding in East Wall and canal related rather than Tolka/sea related??

I walk through there most "working days".
Biggest danger I encounter is getting a whack off people cycling on the pavement.
North Strand / Fairview is busy traffic wise - unfortunately that is always going to be the case, day or night
Either you have large volume moving slowly, or muppets speeding when traffic is lighter so always be careful.

As someone said before, prepare for major disruption when there is something in Croker. It's something you won't appreciate until you are there for a 60 000+ attendance. Your fellow citizens don't understand what the fuss is with the locals about these events.

odyssey06

spurious wrote: »

I don't recall that. Are you sure it was Bayview? I'm trying to work out where it would have flooded from.
I know they have flood defences in the small rows of cottages behind James Larkin flats, but they are clearly down in quite a dip.

it was back in 2014:
https://www.herald.ie/news/residents-in-plea-for-helpas-city-homes-flood-again-30499797.html

indecisive2018

spurious wrote: »

It's fine. Your estate agent is a fool.
It's 20 mins maximum walk from town. Moved here from Raheny in 1990, never regretted it. Three out of the four streets parallel to ours had streetfeasts last month. Lovely community.

Cul de sacs off the North Strand perfect. Through roads less so, and the right hand side as you go out of town would be preferable to the left hand side.

Main issue is parking, especially weekends in the summer when we get overrun with GAA 'sports' fans who bring cars in, presumably since fine athletic types cannot walk to public transport.

Thanks Spurious, it's actually on Bayview Avenue, had a walk around at about 10.30 last night and North Strand Road felt fine, as did Bayview, moving onto Ballybough Road it felt a bit hairier. Like the sound of Street Feasts!

indecisive2018

odyssey06 wrote: »

it was back in 2014:

That might put an end to the purchase so - might be v.difficult to insure, I had heard it was only one side of road that tends to flood but must investigate

Rowley Birkin QC

I've been living here for 3 years and had the same concerns moving in. It's a great area. I was out cleaning my car yesterday (inside, no hosepipes!!) and all of my neighbours stopped for a chat, main topic being what day should we organise the next street BBQ. Fairview Park is also a great amenity, there's a few miscreants knocking around but you'll get that everywhere. Da Mimmo is excellent, Cusack's does a great pint and Okayu for sushi.

I live on one of the "hidden streets" off the main drag so the main problem is explaining to taxi drivers where to go!

If the numbers add up for you, go for it. Feel free to PM if you have any questions :-)

spurious

odyssey06 wrote: »

it was back in 2014:
https://www.herald.ie/news/residents-in-plea-for-helpas-city-homes-flood-again-30499797.html

Eww. Leaking from sewers doesn't sound too nice, but fixable, I would imagine, should somebody authorise the repairs.

i would be the other side of the road. Flooded in 52 (or was it 53?) when the train bridge fell into the Tolka. Nothing since.

Rowley Birkin QC

indecisive2018 wrote: »

That might put an end to the purchase so - might be v.difficult to insure, I had heard it was only one side of road that tends to flood but must investigate

On insurance, I had the same issue initially but actually knocked on the door next to the house I bought and had a chat with them about it. AA insurance have no issues with the place, my policy has actually come down over the 3 years.

arybvtcw0eolkf

I was born on Summerhill, lived in Sheriff St and East Wall for a number of years but moved out when we decided to start a family.

The German's would do us a favor and bomb it again lol.

Serious reply now.

Brilliant for a starter home but honestly I refused point blank to raise my children there, and it was the best decision I ever made.

I still have family in the area, all good people but older and the younger generations moved out to raise families.

A big positive to living in the area is easy access to the city center. I loved being able to walk in and out of town, and never needed a car while we lived there.

If I'm to be honest its the anti social problems in the area which made us decide to move out to start a family.

There are some great young well balanced families being raised in the area, but we weren't taking the chance.

RasTa

I used to live directly across from Da Mimmos. That walk isn't safe all the time into Connolly imo. I seen a few female Spanish or Brazilan students getting jumped on for their phones whilst walking down the street texting away. Had a knife pulled on my when I tried to stop it and also had a knife pulled on me when walking into town as I don't take any ****.

Now I was there and lived down the road beside the beside Brady's butchers for 3 years and only seen three or 4 incidents like above so I dunno. The continual dumping of rubbish beside me in Da Mimmos used to piss me off no end.

indecisive2018

indecisive2018 wrote: »

That might put an end to the purchase so - might be v.difficult to insure, I had heard it was only one side of road that tends to flood but must investigate

I'll investigate that next so, thank you!

indecisive2018

RasTa wrote: »

I used to live directly across from Da Mimmos. That walk isn't safe all the time into Connolly imo. I seen a few female Spanish or Brazilan students getting jumped on for their phones whilst walking down the street texting away. Had a knife pulled on my when I tried to stop it and also had a knife pulled on me when walking into town as I don't take any ****.

Now I was there and lived down the road beside the beside Brady's butchers for 3 years and only seen three or 4 incidents like above so I dunno. The continual dumping of rubbish beside me in Da Mimmos used to piss me off no end.

Thanks Rasta, were these incidents late at night or daytime too?

indecisive2018

Sylvia Damp Mutant wrote: »

I was born on Summerhill, lived in Sheriff St and East Wall for a number of years but moved out when we decided to start a family.

The German's would do us a favor and bomb it again lol.

Serious reply now.

Brilliant for a starter home but honestly I refused point blank to raise my children there, and it was the best decision I ever made.

I still have family in the area, all good people but older and the younger generations moved out to raise families.

A big positive to living in the area is easy access to the city center. I loved being able to walk in and out of town, and never needed a car while we lived there.

If I'm to be honest its the anti social problems in the area which made us decide to move out to start a family.

There are some great young well balanced families being raised in the area, but we weren't taking the chance.

Thanks Sylvia Damp Mutant, being close to town is definitely one of the big reasons I wanted to go for it - but am now just a bit worried about what happens on that 10 minute walk!

RasTa

Daytime