What areas to live in in County Dublin and areas to avoid?

Judoman27

Dear all,

Hello and how are you guys, I'm new to this so please bear with me.

I am moving to Ireland from The Netherlands this summer for a couple of years and basically looking for an apartment (1-2 bed) to rent in County Dublin preferably in a middle-class to upper middle-class area thats quite green, but not country lonely, close enough (5 min drive or less) to public transport links to the city centre of Dublin and preferably not more than an hours car drive away from Dublin City Centre, specifically Dublin Institute of Technology.

Also a small back garden would be a bonus. I will be sharing the rental with my wife and our 3 dogs!! Yes 3 dogs! :-O. My price range is Euro700-900/month.

Safety and a decent environment surrounding is important, neighbors, low crime rate etc. My wife is of Asian/Surinamese origin and her safety and peace of mind is everything to me. So I naturally want to avoid areas that might subject her to random racial verbal abuse. Ofcourse we expect this can happen in the city, but when we're home in our community we would like this not to happen. So we want to avoid areas that's crime ridden and has a reputation of being problematic with nuisances such as troubled youths etc.

ANy suggestions? Any advice would really be helpful as we have never been to Ireland before.

MayoSalmon

Donabate & Skerries would be a good start.

Might be hard to find something at that price though...rents are through the roof at the moment.

Judoman27

Thank you MayoSalmon. Really? Wow! What a decent price range to find something in those areas? Ofcourse finding a place to rent to us when we have 3 dogs i figured might be a little harder.

MayoSalmon

Judoman27 wrote: »

Thank you MayoSalmon. Really? Wow! What a decent price range to find something in those areas? Ofcourse finding a place to rent to us when we have 3 dogs i figured might be a little harder.

You will be doing well if you find something that suits for 900.

Landlords will not like the 3 dogs situation...in the house they will think they will ruin the furniture etc...outside they will ruin the garden

strandroad

What size are your dogs? You're not likely to find an apartment that will allow dogs, many management companies ban large pets, it's not a done thing to keep many pets in apartments. A cottage might suit better but your price range will take you out of "above average" areas..
Look at surrounding counties along the railway lines then. You will drive in in one hour.

jameshayes

Judoman27 wrote: »

Ofcourse we expect this can happen in the city, but when we're home in our community we would like this not to happen.

Thats a really upsetting statement, its a pity this happens anywhere.

Good luck with your move. Just a quick point, 1 hour outside the city is a long way away (i presume you mean 1 hour off peak traffic) Dublin is so small a lot of Dub's would consider that the countryside! (I know in most other major cities 1 hour is nothing, just Dublin is a little different!)

I presume you have been looking at Daft? its the one stop shop for lettings in Ireland: http://www.daft.ie/

athtrasna

jameshayes wrote: »

Just a quick point, 1 hour outside the city is a long way away (i presume you mean 1 hour off peak traffic) Dublin is so small a lot of Dub's would consider that the countryside! (I know in most other major cities 1 hour is nothing, just Dublin is a little different

1 hour commute in rush hour wouldn't be very far out. I live in Dublin 15 and my daily commute is that or more, and that's just 8 miles. You wouldn't get a house (forget apartments with 3 dogs OP, not allowed most places, not very considerate in a high density development anyway) in a nice part of D15 within your budget. I'm afraid. Drogheda might be your best hope.

The_Conductor

Judoman27- there are massive lack of availability problems in the Dublin area at the moment- especially houses with gardens (apartments do not normally have gardens). Its a unfortunate but pretty accurate assessment above- you are not going to get a property in the Dublin area on your budget- much less a property with a garden suitable for a few dogs.

If you look in Dublin 15 or Lucan areas- you may find a house with a garden- and if you're willing to pay a larger deposit, a landlord may be happy to let to you- however- that said- your budget simply is unrealistic- 1000-1200 is more like what you're going to need.

Judoman27

Wow! Thanks for all the info guys!.. It definitely made my search more specific.

I'm not specific on staying in Dublin considering our dogs, so I will consider country or small town living, SKERRIES looks like a good enough distance from Dublin. My wife will have to commute to the Dublin Institute of Technology so being able to get their within an hour, give or take 10min, in public transport would be great.

I have been checking Daft.ie as it seems to be the easiest place to find rental properties, but no clue on what location is recommended or not. As far as the racist verbal abuse, well it doesn't really happen here in The Netherlands considering we live on the outskirts of a major city, but u get the random youth (not to sound racist, but usually NOT a local dutch youth) everywhere in the world so no big bother, but just an openminded and friendly neighborhood would be nice.
But consulting with our Irish friends and my ex lol who is from Donegal, when we tell them we're planning to move to Ireland just to try something new, they tell us WHY???
And I did some research on crime (drugs, racism etc etc) on the net about the Republic and it was kinda shocking and scary so we're kind of skeptical?

I will look into Drogheda :-)

miss no stars

Judoman, which part of the Dublin Institute of Technology? It's quite relevant. There are different buildings and they're quite far apart across the city centre. Depending on where you live, the commute to one could be quick and the other a nightmare. Even if you don't know, can you say which sort of department and we can figure out where she'll be based? Engineering? Hospitality? Business?

Realistically, though, your budget is way too low if you want to live in Dublin.

John Mason

Personally I would stay well away from Drogheda. What about greystones or enniskerry?

strandroad

Is your wife's day in DIT a 9 to 5 thing, or will she have irregular hours? For "something new" you could get a nice bungalow or cottage in Co Wicklow for your money, with some change even. N11 is the road to Dublin, your wife could take a bus into town, there are bus lanes to help with rush hour traffic. Easy access to South Dublin for your shopping. Landlords more open to the idea of pets (keep your dogs away from sheep though) and the scenery is second to none. It's not urban but it has the nice vibe you seem to be looking for. Check out Powerscourt or Killruddery estates for your weekend walks/lunches to see what I mean!

miss no stars

places like Maynooth might also suit, train direct into the City Centre.

riclad

Look on rent.ie dublin,
rents are going up.
i think very few people in apartments ,have dogs, probably against the rules,
plus not practical ,of humane.
MAYBE look for a 2 bed house for rent .google dublin luas ,dart routes.
dart is the dublin local train network.
drogheda is way too far from dublin for you.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

John Mason wrote: »

Personally I would stay well away from Drogheda. What about greystones or enniskerry?

Why? There's no one particular area of Drogheda to avoid, and the transport links to the city centre are both cheap and frequent.

Moonbeam

miss no stars wrote: »

places like Maynooth might also suit, train direct into the City Centre.

In Maynooth demand way exceeds supply and rents are high.


Have a look at taxsaver.ie and a Dublin area ticket. I would personally limit myself to within those areas and it gives you a good idea of the cost of commuting.

900 is not a lot for friend in the Dublin area but I know that you could get a 2 bed in Balbriggan for between 8 and 900. It is a bit of a mixed area and very multicultural with a lot of eastern europeans and africans there.

Dunboyne might be worth a look too,there is not a lot there but it is a lovely town and has a train station.

macnug

What about Newbridge, kildare? Less crime than Dublin, you can get a 3 bed house for 900 and takes about 40-50 min on the train to city center Dublin. Great places to walk the dogs too like along the river and the curragh.

miss no stars

Moonbeam wrote: »

In Maynooth demand way exceeds supply and rents are high.


Have a look at taxsaver.ie and a Dublin area ticket. I would personally limit myself to within those areas and it gives you a good idea of the cost of commuting.

900 is not a lot for friend in the Dublin area but I know that you could get a 2 bed in Balbriggan for between 8 and 900. It is a bit of a mixed area and very multicultural with a lot of eastern europeans and africans there.

Dunboyne might be worth a look too,there is not a lot there but it is a lovely town and has a train station.

Had a look on daft and it seems like there's a good bit in Maynooth within their budget but if you live locally and know something that's not obvious fair enough.

Again I'm gonna say, he needs to be specific about which DIT (and where he's working??). Getting to the city centre in an hour is fine from most places, getting to the correct place in the city centre can add an extra half hour onto the commute. Someone mentioned Newbridge, which is fine, but the train only goes to Heuston and that's a long way from say, Kevin Street.

macnug

miss no stars wrote: »

Had a look on daft and it seems like there's a good bit in Maynooth within their budget but if you live locally and know something that's not obvious fair enough.

Again I'm gonna say, he needs to be specific about which DIT (and where he's working??). Getting to the city centre in an hour is fine from most places, getting to the correct place in the city centre can add an extra half hour onto the commute. Someone mentioned Newbridge, which is fine, but the train only goes to Heuston and that's a long way from say, Kevin Street.

Could get the 145 bus (leaves every 10 min). Personally I would pick the train/bus (with a good book) any day over sitting in traffic, in a car. Have done both for years.

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/All-Timetables/14511/

Santa Cruz

miss no stars wrote: »

Judoman, which part of the Dublin Institute of Technology? It's quite relevant. There are different buildings and they're quite far apart across the city centre. Depending on where you live, the commute to one could be quick and the other a nightmare. Even if you don't know, can you say which sort of department and we can figure out where she'll be based? Engineering? Hospitality? Business?

Realistically, though, your budget is way too low if you want to live in Dublin.

Exactly correct as regards location of DIT. There's a big difference between commuting to Aungier St. and commuting to Cathal Brugha St. It will influence whether you go Northside or Southside. I think he is being too optimistic with a budget of 900 in the present climate

miss no stars

macnug wrote: »

Could get the 145 bus (leaves every 10 min). Personally I would pick the train/bus (with a good book) any day over sitting in traffic, in a car. Have done both for years.

http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/All-Timetables/14511/

Yeah, and the commute time keeps going up and up (train, then bus, then walk) especially during rush hour. Nobody is suggesting sitting in traffic in a car, I'm just saying that Heuston is hardly the most convenient terminus going. It's not badly connected, but depending on where the OP's wife is going to be based they might be much better off somewhere the comes in from the Maynooth or Northern line than one leading into Heuston.

Judoman27

miss no stars wrote: »

Judoman, which part of the Dublin Institute of Technology? It's quite relevant. There are different buildings and they're quite far apart across the city centre. Depending on where you live, the commute to one could be quick and the other a nightmare. Even if you don't know, can you say which sort of department and we can figure out where she'll be based? Engineering? Hospitality? Business?

Realistically, though, your budget is way too low if you want to live in Dublin.

She will be going to the College of Business. Yea i realize that now. lol. It's like Amsterdam prices over there!

Judoman27

John Mason wrote: »

Personally I would stay well away from Drogheda. What about greystones or enniskerry?

Why is that? Is there something I should know about Drogheda? Greystones and Enniskerry looks like a fair distance away from Dublin. Can I expect much cheaper rentals there?

Judoman27

mhge wrote: »

Is your wife's day in DIT a 9 to 5 thing, or will she have irregular hours? For "something new" you could get a nice bungalow or cottage in Co Wicklow for your money, with some change even. N11 is the road to Dublin, your wife could take a bus into town, there are bus lanes to help with rush hour traffic. Easy access to South Dublin for your shopping. Landlords more open to the idea of pets (keep your dogs away from sheep though) and the scenery is second to none. It's not urban but it has the nice vibe you seem to be looking for. Check out Powerscourt or Killruddery estates for your weekend walks/lunches to see what I mean!

Alright thanks mhge! I will look into the areas you recommended, i think you kinda get what we're looking for. She will be going to school there so she will have irregular hours so at times she will need easy access to Public Transport to get there and other times, the auto. And reasonable access and travel time to South Dublin for some shopping and dining every now and then would be nice to have. Hahaha no worries, they will be walked with a leash just to be safe! they are quite mischievous.

I will look into County Wicklow, however is it a realistic commute to DIT from there?

The_Conductor

Judoman27 wrote: »

Why is that? Is there something I should know about Drogheda? Greystones and Enniskerry looks like a fair distance away from Dublin. Can I expect much cheaper rentals there?

Prices may be a little lower- but when you're looking for a house with a garden- you're going to pay extra, regardless of where it is. Currently supply in Greystones and Enniskerry- is limited. Having 3 dogs is going to be an issue- even if you are prepared to pay extra- very few landlords will look kindly on someone with 3 dogs- regardless of the situation. On the bright side- as you'll be a private tenant, not in receipt of social welfare- landlords may be prepared to work with you on this.

Judoman27

riclad wrote: »

Look on rent.ie dublin,
rents are going up.
i think very few people in apartments ,have dogs, probably against the rules,
plus not practical ,of humane.
MAYBE look for a 2 bed house for rent .google dublin luas ,dart routes.
dart is the dublin local train network.
drogheda is way too far from dublin for you.

Hey thanks riclad, I will try to based my search from the dublin luas and dart route maps...

Judoman27

Moonbeam wrote: »

In Maynooth demand way exceeds supply and rents are high.


Have a look at taxsaver.ie and a Dublin area ticket. I would personally limit myself to within those areas and it gives you a good idea of the cost of commuting.

900 is not a lot for friend in the Dublin area but I know that you could get a 2 bed in Balbriggan for between 8 and 900. It is a bit of a mixed area and very multicultural with a lot of eastern europeans and africans there.

Dunboyne might be worth a look too,there is not a lot there but it is a lovely town and has a train station.

Ok thanks Moonbeam, will look into it. What is an approximate cost of public transport from outside Dublin to city centre per month? Just a rough figure

Judoman27

macnug wrote: »

What about Newbridge, kildare? Less crime than Dublin, you can get a 3 bed house for 900 and takes about 40-50 min on the train to city center Dublin. Great places to walk the dogs too like along the river and the curragh.

Huh! thanks macnug! Will look into it. Just a question though, coz I've never been to Ireland so I'm very ignorant of the attitude and mentality of the Irish to foreigners. Staying so far away from Dublin like that, are people pretty open to foreigners (specifically non-European)... ofcourse discounting the few nuts which u get everywhere.

Roselm

Judoman27 wrote: »

Ok thanks Moonbeam, will look into it. What is an approximate cost of public transport from outside Dublin to city centre per month? Just a rough figure

Hi
If you look up irishrail.ie you can find out ticket prices for the train line routes.
Buseireann.ie for buses into the city.

Judoman27

miss no stars wrote: »

Had a look on daft and it seems like there's a good bit in Maynooth within their budget but if you live locally and know something that's not obvious fair enough.

Again I'm gonna say, he needs to be specific about which DIT (and where he's working??). Getting to the city centre in an hour is fine from most places, getting to the correct place in the city centre can add an extra half hour onto the commute. Someone mentioned Newbridge, which is fine, but the train only goes to Heuston and that's a long way from say, Kevin Street.

I will really look into Maynooth as I will be working in South Dublin, i think most of our activities will probably occur in south Dublin.

Judoman27

The_Conductor wrote: »

Prices may be a little lower- but when you're looking for a house with a garden- you're going to pay extra, regardless of where it is. Currently supply in Greystones and Enniskerry- is limited. Having 3 dogs is going to be an issue- even if you are prepared to pay extra- very few landlords will look kindly on someone with 3 dogs- regardless of the situation. On the bright side- as you'll be a private tenant, not in receipt of social welfare- landlords may be prepared to work with you on this.

Thanks for the advice Conductor. ANy recommendations for letting agents companies?

Cuddlesworth

miss no stars wrote: »

Judoman, which part of the Dublin Institute of Technology? It's quite relevant. There are different buildings and they're quite far apart across the city centre.

You really need to find this out. DIT is a bunch of small colleges spread out across Dublin city. For instance, the Skerries train terminates at Pearse Station. Its a 30 minute walk to Kevin Street DIT with no viable transport links between. Thats at the very least a 90 minute commute if you're lucky and trains arrive on time.

riclad

1000 S OF foreigners ,live in dublin ,Most people are friendly ,
every country has racists ,even ireland.

Dublin has a problem, with junkies ,pickpockets hanging around the city centre.
I know 2 irish people who got their iphones robbed in the city centre.
SOME kid runs up grabs your phone ,runs off.
MY friend was waiting at a bus stop last week,
a romanian person asked directions, distracted her,
HIS friend pushed her slightly ,took the phone out of her pocket.
SHE realised her phone was gone ,when her bus arrived.
SHE went to garda station,an app find my phone,showed the phone in buiding x,
the police said, we cant go there ,
100 people live in that building.

Sometimes tourists are mugged in the city centre.
BE VERY careful of carrying handbags,expensive phones anywhere near the city centre , especially temple bar.

strandroad

Judoman27 wrote: »

Alright thanks mhge! I will look into the areas you recommended, i think you kinda get what we're looking for. She will be going to school there so she will have irregular hours so at times she will need easy access to Public Transport to get there and other times, the auto. And reasonable access and travel time to South Dublin for some shopping and dining every now and then would be nice to have. Hahaha no worries, they will be walked with a leash just to be safe! they are quite mischievous.

I will look into County Wicklow, however is it a realistic commute to DIT from there?

Driving is not bad at all outside of the rush hour but for public transport check out these sites:
buseireann.ie
irishrail.ie
dublinbus.ie

These two are travel planners:
a-b.ie
hittheroad.ie

Personally I think Wicklow can't be beaten in the "value for lovely vibe with multiple pets" category because you *will* need a garden, but you'd have to work out your wife's commute and cost it. Buses from Wicklow have stops around St Stephen's Green which is 5min walk from DIT Business in Aungier St so that's good.

Hollister11

My parents have always aloud animals for the 15 Years they have been landlords, only 1 tenant has had a pet in that time.

strandroad

Judoman27 wrote: »

Huh! thanks macnug! Will look into it. Just a question though, coz I've never been to Ireland so I'm very ignorant of the attitude and mentality of the Irish to foreigners. Staying so far away from Dublin like that, are people pretty open to foreigners (specifically non-European)... ofcourse discounting the few nuts which u get everywhere.

I'm foreign and never had any issues at all, but then I'm white so it might be different for your wife. Some areas breed ignorance more than others though so I think that looking for a vibe you like is a good strategy. I would be wary of inner city youths more than of small town/rural dwellers.

athtrasna

riclad wrote: »

1000 S OF foreigners ,live in dublin ,Most people are friendly ,
every country has racists ,even ireland.

Dublin has a problem, with junkies ,pickpockets hanging around the city centre.
I know 2 irish people who got their iphones robbed in the city centre.
SOME kid runs up grabs your phone ,runs off.
MY friend was waiting at a bus stop last week,
a romanian person asked directions, distracted her,
HIS friend pushed her slightly ,took the phone out of her pocket.
SHE realised her phone was gone ,when her bus arrived.
SHE went to garda station,an app find my phone,showed the phone in buiding x,
the police said, we cant go there ,
100 people live in that building.

Sometimes tourists are mugged in the city centre.
BE VERY careful of carrying handbags,expensive phones anywhere near the city centre , especially temple bar.

None of this is unique to Dublin, or applies to almost every city in the world. Common sense goes a long way

riclad

Well maybe other citys have a larger police force ,or more patrols in tourist area,s .
I think theres people that go to city centre area ,just to rob phones.

athtrasna

riclad wrote: »

Well maybe other citys have a larger police force ,or more patrols in tourist area,s .
I think theres people that go to city centre area ,just to rob phones.

That happens everywhere and I've rarely seen police on the street in any of probably 50+ major international cities I've visited unless there's a major event. Dublin is no less safe than most other big cities.

The_Conductor

riclad wrote: »

Well maybe other citys have a larger police force ,or more patrols in tourist area,s .
I think theres people that go to city centre area ,just to rob phones.

That really does happen everywhere- I've been pickpocketed in Amsterdam- and had a little hole cut in my closed coat pocket and my mobile phone robbed from it in Paris. Its part of every day life- and regardless of how careful you are- there is always going to be someone equally as determined to rob you.

If you look at the crime statistics- Dublin is a relatively safe city- when you compare it to other EU capital cities. We do have a background level of crime- but people's perception of there being a crime wave is not what the figures show- we are a safe city.

OP- the two main websites used to let property in the Dublin area are www.daft.ie (a sister site of this website), and www.myhome.ie (which is owned and run by the Irish Times Newspaper). There are some lettings in some of the daily papers- such as the Evening Herald- however, they're not as popular as they used be for advertising.

Most villages and towns will have a few estate agencies in them- normally branches of the main agencies. If you tell us where you're interested in- we can give you contact details of some local offices. Note- a house with a garden is the type of property in highest demand- and most likely to go for asking or above asking price, in a very short time span. There is a massive shortage of property to let in the Dublin region- if you see something you're interested in- you can't hang around- it certainly won't.

Cuddlesworth

Rent.ie has become pretty popular too.

zef

Also I would explain how well your pets are behaved with a landlord reference(s) to back that up. The offer of a double deposit on account of the pets would help your case too,
Please beware of adverts on daft.ie that look too good to be true. There was a thread about these a few months back but I still see them appearing. If you email about a place that seems amazingly decorated and allows pets I'd be wary. Some kind of western union scam where the landlord claims to live in the UK and can't come to Ireland.

Good luck in your search.

handlemaster

Dublin 15 is big and varied you will get house s from 1000 plus so garden for the dogs etc. Not far from dublin city centre also train line and good bus coverage.

WildRosie

If you're working on the southside and your wife is studying in Aungier Street, I think you'd be mad to look at Drogheda. I would suggest Bray, Greystones and Shankill. Easy access to the areas you need and close to the Wicklow/Dublin mountains. I do think you will have a problem with your budget and the three dogs though unless you're prepared to look at more rural areas.

zef

http://www.daft.ie/lettings/the-bungalow-bohernabreena-road-tallaght-dublin/1425680/
Something like this would be ideal, I know it's above your budget but you'd be lucky to get a house in Dublin 15 for that.
There are some nice 1 beds/ studios in the dublin 2/4 areas that allow pets, but i'd say they'd be thinking more a small dog or a cat as they are quite compact.

WildRosie

^ that'd be ideal. The 49 bus is nearby and would drop very close to Aungier Street and near the M50. Nice location and close to the mountains and the reservoir for walking the dogs.

arse..biscuits

zef wrote: »

http://www.daft.ie/lettings/the-bungalow-bohernabreena-road-tallaght-dublin/1425680/
Something like this would be ideal, I know it's above your budget but you'd be lucky to get a house in Dublin 15 for that.
There are some nice 1 beds/ studios in the dublin 2/4 areas that allow pets, but i'd say they'd be thinking more a small dog or a cat as they are quite compact.

I live close to there and work in DIT Kevin street, cycling would be an option too Bohernabreena is nice

Judoman27

riclad wrote: »

1000 S OF foreigners ,live in dublin ,Most people are friendly ,
every country has racists ,even ireland.

Dublin has a problem, with junkies ,pickpockets hanging around the city centre.
I know 2 irish people who got their iphones robbed in the city centre.
SOME kid runs up grabs your phone ,runs off.
MY friend was waiting at a bus stop last week,
a romanian person asked directions, distracted her,
HIS friend pushed her slightly ,took the phone out of her pocket.
SHE realised her phone was gone ,when her bus arrived.
SHE went to garda station,an app find my phone,showed the phone in buiding x,
the police said, we cant go there ,
100 people live in that building.

Sometimes tourists are mugged in the city centre.
BE VERY careful of carrying handbags,expensive phones anywhere near the city centre , especially temple bar.

Thanks for the info rickad, i guess its the same as Amsterdam with pickpocketers and junkies however from ur post i get the impression that the police, Garda, are a bit slow or hesitant to respond? Correct me if im wrong tho.

Judoman27

Hollister11 wrote: »

My parents have always aloud animals for the 15 Years they have been landlords, only 1 tenant has had a pet in that time.

Wow! Where is your parents rental property and is it for rent? Haha. My dogs are well behaved as im quite active taking them out for jogs and other sporting avtivities so i drain them so when their home they just sleep! Lol

Judoman27

mhge wrote: »

I'm foreign and never had any issues at all, but then I'm white so it might be different for your wife. Some areas breed ignorance more than others though so I think that looking for a vibe you like is a good strategy. I would be wary of inner city youths more than of small town/rural dwellers.

Thats what im mostly concerned of as my wife is non white and i myself am not ur stereotypical blond Dutch, of Greek & Italian descent, so we wouldnt want to end up in an area that would attract us the wrong attention from ignorance or troublemakers. Do you recommend any areas to avoid other than inner city?

Knob Longman

Judoman27 wrote: »

Thanks for the info rickad, i guess its the same as Amsterdam with pickpocketers and junkies however from ur post i get the impression that the police, Garda, are a bit slow or hesitant to respond? Correct me if im wrong tho.

Amsterdam is actually much safer than Dublin in my opinion. Heroin is very prevalent in Dublin and the addicts pretty much have free reign of the city centre.