More artistic/nature area maybe?

yoforyo

Hello everybody,
we moved in Dublin few months ago and by the recommendations we rented a flat in Ballinteer (D16).
The area is nice, lots of space and the Marlay Park is quite amazing, seems also good and safe for families.
The only thing is that I started to get a feeling that people who are living here are more "shopping in Dundrum on weekends" oriented and most of them are working in banks or some kind of finance sectors.
So usually not so many people on the streets during the day (or only pensioners). Also you need to drive a car mostly all the time because are only huge shopping centres to go to even if you need to buy a bottle of milk only ...
Which parts of Dublin are more for families with interests in nature, arts, handmade, maybe young families who rather go to the forest, ocean or a gallery than in a shopping centre?
Thank you and please don't consider my post an arrogant! Seems like the Irish society is very classified, so we just what to find our kind of community.
Thank you in advance!

odyssey06

Sounds like Clontarf or Raheny would be a good fit for you... St Annes Park and Dollymount Beach on your doorstep. Best bet for you would be somewhere between Vernon Avenue and the Wooden Bridge - that way you are in walking distance of the park, beach, the shops (e.g. local supermarket Nolans) and restaurants of Vernon Avenue, and even the Viking Theatre running above Connolly Sheds pub.

I think that area would tick most of your boxes apart from "not many people on the streets during the day except pensioners" ... think you are going to find it hard outside of the city centre to find a place like that with natural amenities.

JuliusCaesar

Some areas of Dublin run festivals : Phizzfest in Phibsborough, Ranelagh Arts Week in Ranelagh, the Kilmainham Arts Club is very well established.

Most areas of Dublin have access easily enough to large parks, the mountains, the sea by walking or public transport.

Inside the canals or not-too-far from the canals tend to have small village areas, where you shop locally and bump into people.

But I think mostly people make their own community from knowing people with the same interests. There are a lot of organisations which are family-friendly - for example orienteering. Check out Sports -Outdoor Pursuits for example. There's also MeetUp.com for meeting groups of people who go for hikes or walks, or exhibitions, or whatever and some will be suitable for bringing children. I often see people having community picnics in Phoenix Park and I expect they are groups of friends with their children (or maybe they're just very large families!).

But given the price of public transport for an entire family, GoCar might make sense.

ezra_pound

odyssey06 wrote: »

Sounds like Clontarf or Raheny would be a good fit for you... St Annes Park and Dollymount Beach on your doorstep. Best bet for you would be somewhere between Vernon Avenue and the Wooden Bridge - that way you are in walking distance of the park, beach, the shops (e.g. local supermarket Nolans) and restaurants of Vernon Avenue, and even the Viking Theatre running above Connolly Sheds pub.

I think that area would tick most of your boxes apart from "not many people on the streets during the day except pensioners" ... think you are going to find it hard outside of the city centre to find a place like that with natural amenities.

Spot on suggestion : Clontarf Raheny.

RebelButtMunch

yoforyo wrote: »

Hello everybody,
we moved in Dublin few months ago and by the recommendations we rented a flat in Ballinteer (D16).
The area is nice, lots of space and the Marlay Park is quite amazing, seems also good and safe for families.
The only thing is that I started to get a feeling that people who are living here are more "shopping in Dundrum on weekends" oriented and most of them are working in banks or some kind of finance sectors.
So usually not so many people on the streets during the day (or only pensioners). Also you need to drive a car mostly all the time because are only huge shopping centres to go to even if you need to buy a bottle of milk only ...
Which parts of Dublin are more for families with interests in nature, arts, handmade, maybe young families who rather go to the forest, ocean or a gallery than in a shopping centre?
Thank you and please don't consider my post an arrogant! Seems like the Irish society is very classified, so we just what to find our kind of community.
Thank you in advance!

Welcome to surburbia. There's a centra outside marlay park, a supervalu two news agents, and an artisian food store on Ballinteer Avenue.

Gran Hermano

Ballinter is right beside the foothills of the Dublin/Wicklow hills. A few minutes drive south and you have as much forests and nature as you could need.

Birneybau

Yeah, I'd suggest Ballinteer as a place to live

As said, you have Marlay Park, which on weekends sometimes has craft fair, definitely has a very nice food market.

The mountains close.

Handy enough to get to Dun Laoighre by car, or get the 75 bus.

Luas Green Line into City Centre for all your museum needs.

whiskeyman

yoforyo wrote: »

Which parts of Dublin are more for families with interests in nature, arts, handmade, maybe young families who rather go to the forest, ocean or a gallery than in a shopping centre?

I think the problem is not the area, but moreso the people you're socialising with.
Try and join groups or get involved in organisations that do these things you like, and you'll probably find out there are a lot of them living locally.

As has been mentioned, Ballinteer is very close to the lovely Marley Park and Wicklow Mountains, so there's lots of nature activities on your doorstep.

No matter where you go, you'll always get folk who's interest just seems to be shopping and other hum drum activities you dont care for.

yoforyo

Thank you guys for nice answers!
As I sad before Ballinteer is a definitely nice area, park, mountain and so on, but I have never lived in a suburbia before so that's why it is so strange to me.
I was checking on Ranelagh in Dublin 6 in general, seems very nice areas as well and there are more of "local community feel" but this is actually difficult to say while just passing the streets and walking in the park
I should research more on the North, I have been only in Phoenix and St. Anne's Parks, both are spectacular!
Thank you all again for the answers

Aard

Kilmainham might suit. Several parks in the area, including the Phoenix Park. Seems to be lots of young families around. There's cultural and touristy things nearby so it's always fairly busy. Close to the city centre too.

OldGoat

Stoneybatter. Gentrified and popular with media types. Close to city centre and to Phoenix park.

yoforyo

Thank you

hmmm

I don't see how you're going to get a small village feel anywhere in a city. You could move out of the city into a village in Wicklow and be very close to the mountains, but that obviously has a lot of downsides also.

There are some "grittier" areas of Dublin that perhaps have a better community spirit, but they are not areas I'd want my kids growing up in.