Monkstown Farm???

ImBoredDotIe

Hi,

I'm thinking of moving to the Monkstown Farm area and would like to know what it's like. How safe is it, issues with anti-social behavior etc? Is it just the usual stuff or are there issues which would be of concern to a young couple planning to start a family there???

The area is at the bottom of Kill Avenue, just off Oliver Plunkett Avenue.

Areas of particular concern to me are Dunedin and the social housing at Fitzgerald Park.


I really like the general area but as I'm not originally from here I would like people's opinions on this.

Thanks!

athtrasna

The area has a bad reputation but I have friends who live there who say it's fine. Parking can be a bit of a problem though, any time I've visited I've had to park miles away, or so it felt.

helimachoptor

ImBoredDotIe wrote: »

Hi,

I'm thinking of moving to the Monkstown Farm area and would like to know what it's like. How safe is it, issues with anti-social behavior etc? Is it just the usual stuff or are there issues which would be of concern to a young couple planning to start a family there???

The area is at the bottom of Kill Avenue, just off Oliver Plunkett Avenue.

Areas of particular concern to me are Dunedin and the social housing at Fitzgerald Park.


I really like the general area but as I'm not originally from here I would like people's opinions on this.

Thanks!

Where exactly OP?

I grew up on Oliver Plunkett Road, i like to think i've turned out ok

I live near Monkstown farm, but on the other side of Monkstown Avenue.
Here's my assessment:

1. Mixed bag for sure, but settled area
2. leisure centre with swimming pool, great pharmacy (very helpful), chipper, pizza place etc
3. walking distance to the sea, piers etc
4. walking distance to dart and dun laoire and 46A bus
5. great crèche right up the street (Wee care, my sons went there)
6. On schools, you have the Monkstown Educate together right on Kill Avenue so walking distance. Also Kill of the grange school very good. The local Monkstown Farm school honestly I know nothing about as no one on my road went there. It has a very local catchment area .
7. Secondary schools, loads of choice, St Andrews, Newpark, Blackrock, Sion Hill
8. Lots of sports clubs, soccer, GAA etc. Carriglea is the local one, my guys not members there, but we have played with Cabinteely, Dalkey and Park Celtic, all very local too.

I have lived on and off in the area for 18 years . I would say during the Celtic Tiger more of a mix of people bought into the Monkstown Farm area. But it is still a diverse area. But very settled IMO

I am not from this part of Dublin at all but I have to say I love Monkstown and think it has a lot to offer all ages.

Good luck with your decision

ImBoredDotIe

Thanks for all comments, the area itself is St Patricks Crescent.

Took a walk around there over the weekend and I suppose what I'd be worried about are signs of anti-social behavior which I spotted on the field behind the leisure centre - graffiti, empty beer cans on the field, signs of fires etc.

I realize that there are plenty of amenities in the local area and good schools etc but I just don't want to move there and not feel safe walking around in the evening... Or more importantly that my wife feels safe!

Any more info would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

bullvine

Its grand these days, one of the nicest Working class/Council areas in Dun Laoghaire. Many of my friends own houses in the area still and have no complaints. It was mental in the 90's when the mountown flats were there and the nightclub was open in ziggys but its really grand now. Like anywhere, if you're buying I'd check out the Neighbours first because you never know who you might be beside.

I would have no problem walking around after dark there, its reputation comes from the 90's and deserved it at the time but its completely different now.

Best of luck!

RedXIV

I'd live close to here and my partner's aunt actually lives in it. It seems like a grand spot, lots of facilities and transport options near it. Its probably a good example of a "working class" area and as a result it has a good sense of community in it.

helimachoptor

ImBoredDotIe wrote: »

Thanks for all comments, the area itself is St Patricks Crescent.

Took a walk around there over the weekend and I suppose what I'd be worried about are signs of anti-social behavior which I spotted on the field behind the leisure centre - graffiti, empty beer cans on the field, signs of fires etc.

I realize that there are plenty of amenities in the local area and good schools etc but I just don't want to move there and not feel safe walking around in the evening... Or more importantly that my wife feels safe!

Any more info would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

OP, I think i know the house.

Parking on that particular road is a complete nightmare so its likely you come home from work and are parking a couple of mins away.
You're only real option is building a drive way if you want to park at your house.

You will have a few kids/teenages from the flats/fitzgerald park, they tend to hang around at the shop on oliver plunkett road.

Like in all areas, youths will congregate in places like the swimming pool etc you get the normal stuff that comes with that, but unless you're walking through there at night there'll be no issue.


Chances are the neighbours will be old, or will have teenage kids at least.

Would agree with bullvine, it had a mad rep back in the 90s, i live in the flats for a bit and let me tell you, it was an education :P

PM me if you want any specifics

Dearg81

ImBoredDotIe wrote: »

Thanks for all comments, the area itself is St Patricks Crescent.

Took a walk around there over the weekend and I suppose what I'd be worried about are signs of anti-social behavior which I spotted on the field behind the leisure centre - graffiti, empty beer cans on the field, signs of fires etc.

I realize that there are plenty of amenities in the local area and good schools etc but I just don't want to move there and not feel safe walking around in the evening... Or more importantly that my wife feels safe!

Any more info would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

I lived around the corner on Monkstown Avenue for 3 years and I'd agree with all of the above comments. I never had any trouble while I was living there and as a whole it's a really nice area but personally I wouldn't buy a house on St Patricks Crescent for the same reasons you outlined. I also know someone who is having a lot of trouble selling around there so I'd be worried about the resale value too.

dave29ken

I'm also looking into purchasing a house in this area on St.Patricks Crescent. Like the OP, I think the area is in generally a very good location which would have a lot to offer, but am a bit concerned walking through Dunedin, with litter, graffiti etc very much evident on this street which is just behind St Patricks Crescent. I gather that the area had a reputation years ago but that things have changed a bit now?
Can anyone offer a view on the overall area as an option for a young family to purchase a home in? Is there much left in terms of social housing in the area or is it mostly privately owned houses now?

doylester

Viewing a place on Dunedine tomorrow.

Is it a kip?

webirina

Similar question - we are a young couple, looking to start a family. We viewed a house on the Oliver Plunkett Road. The house was nice, but checking the selling of the houses in the area sold in the last year, seems overpriced now...

Opinion on whether it's a good place to have a family with small kids would be much appreciated.

Also, quiet put off by the comment about 'fine as long as you don't walk at night', as wouldn't want to spend life's savings on a house on a street I wouldn't feel safe walking if I was working late.

Many thanks in advance!

L1011

The pub there, if its still open, has a hideous reputation.

Dearg81

webirina wrote:

Opinion on whether it's a good place to have a family with small kids would be much appreciated.

webirina wrote:

Also, quiet put off by the comment about 'fine as long as you don't walk at night', as wouldn't want to spend life's savings on a house on a street I wouldn't feel safe walking if I was working late.

I'd agree with previous poster. I lived around the corner from this road and wouldn't be a big fan of it. I had a friend living there who regularly got his tyres slashed by groups of annoying kids. Personally I'd look elsewhere. Monkstown is a nice area though so don't rule the area out.

aine_ni_l

Did any of those thinking of buying here go ahead? We're in the same situation, looking for somewhere suitable for a young family. I'm​totally sold on the area, just wondering about the specific estates like Fitzgerald Park or Dunedin. We'd love a diverse area, not looking to surround ourselves with loaded neighbours, but I would be concerned about not being able to walk home after dark or about tyres being slashed!!! Any opinions or advice would be great.

jamesthepeach

Diverse in the case of Monkstown farm means high chance your kids will end up junkies.
Take a walk around at night and see what you think. I have an aunt who lives there. Of all.of the kids I knew from staying there as a kid, I'd say 75% are junkies now.
Experiences may vary, but I wouldn't play those odds.

jamesthepeach

webirina wrote: »

Similar question - we are a young couple, looking to start a family. We viewed a house on the Oliver Plunkett Road. The house was nice, but checking the selling of the houses in the area sold in the last year, seems overpriced now...

Opinion on whether it's a good place to have a family with small kids would be much appreciated.

Also, quiet put off by the comment about 'fine as long as you don't walk at night', as wouldn't want to spend life's savings on a house on a street I wouldn't feel safe walking if I was working late.

Many thanks in advance!

Be more worried about what your kids will be up to at night when they are in their formative years. Plenty of others to lead them down the wrong path there.

frash

jamesthepeach wrote: »

Diverse in the case of Monkstown farm means high chance your kids will end up junkies.
Take a walk around at night and see what you think. I have an aunt who lives there. Of all.of the kids I knew from staying there as a kid, I'd say 75% are junkies now.
Experiences may vary, but I wouldn't play those odds.

^^ :rolleyes:

I'm assuming the above is based on the 70s

I live nearby & know plenty of families living in the area with young kids.

Yeah there's still the odd dodge families around the place but mainly it's young families.

jamesthepeach

frash wrote: »

^^ :rolleyes:

I'm assuming the above is based on the 70s

I live nearby & know plenty of families living in the area with young kids.

Yeah there's still the odd dodge families around the place but mainly it's young families.

That's when I used to stay there for the summer.
80s .
They still live there now and I visit often.
The place is still the same.

aine_ni_l

Haha, see this is what I'm finding! People with completely different opinions!

Frash can I ask how close by you are? I know the vast majority of Monkstown Farm is a great area, with lots of young families, and there are some new super expensive developments close by as well. However it's specifically Fitzgerald Park or Dunedin I'm interested in, as that's where the house is and it's also where I think there have been issues in the past. My mother is from D?n Laoghaire and she says Monkstown Farm and Sallynoggin are both completely different to how they were when she was younger, but I'm just wondering if there are still isolated problematic streets, and if so which ones, as I'd rather not end up living in the middle of one.

James thanks for the input too. Is it the general area you're talking about or those specific streets/estates?

Pivot Eoin

Some of the above is absolute nonsense.

Whilst it is not the easiest area on the eye, and yes I wouldnt drink in the Farmhouse Inn, it is completely safe to walk around. Despite the odd trackie going around, the locals are all very friendly and its a close community.

I'm 30 and have lived in the area my whole life, and the place is nothing like what it was when the flats in Fitzgerald park were still around, but even then, I wouldnt have considered it dangerous to walk around.

I'm from the Area, went to CBC Monkstown (Yeah a Private School, living near MOnkstown farm - shocker!!) and I would snap up a bargain in the farm If I saw one.

Honestly even the lads I knew from younger who were "Farm Boys Crew" are actually all now just genuine decent late 20s to mid 30s guys now, working away with families. This wasnt an area where it was like the Westies going around or anything!

Everywhere has their past (Raonaid Murray murdered in Silchester in Glenageary, your one in Killiney 2 years ago) but I wouldnt just put it down to the area.

If you have any specific questions please PM me, be happy to help.

frash

Pivot Eoin wrote: »

I wouldnt drink in the Farmhouse Inn,

Isn't that being turned into snazzy apartments now?

frash

aine_ni_l wrote: »

Frash can I ask how close by you are?

PM me if you like although tbh I'm not familiar with FitzGerald park and am only ever down by Dunedin to go to vote in the school.

jamesthepeach

aine_ni_l wrote: »

Haha, see this is what I'm finding! People with completely different opinions!

Frash can I ask how close by you are? I know the vast majority of Monkstown Farm is a great area, with lots of young families, and there are some new super expensive developments close by as well. However it's specifically Fitzgerald Park or Dunedin I'm interested in, as that's where the house is and it's also where I think there have been issues in the past. My mother is from D?n Laoghaire and she says Monkstown Farm and Sallynoggin are both completely different to how they were when she was younger, but I'm just wondering if there are still isolated problematic streets, and if so which ones, as I'd rather not end up living in the middle of one.

James thanks for the input too. Is it the general area you're talking about or those specific streets/estates?

Take a walk around the general area yourself some night. Remember your kids won't always be hanging out on your area only in their formative years. Think of what you got up to when that age.

But mainly, nothing like a walk around an area on a summer night about 10pm to tell you what it's like. And walk around a good radius from where you intend to live.

Obviously people living there or from there will think.its great anyway. Just go and experience the area before buying. It's a big commitment and you want to get it right.

bullvine

Theres far worse places in Dun Laoghaire than Monkstown, have a stroll around Tesco Ballybrack late in the evening and compare it to the Farm, a big difference.

jamesthepeach

bullvine wrote: »

Theres far worse places in Dun Laoghaire than Monkstown, have a stroll around Tesco Ballybrack late in the evening and compare it to the Farm, a big difference.

Monkstown is lovely.
Monkstown farm isn't.
Tesco Ballybrack at night is similar to Monkstown farm at night alright. Maybe Ballybrack slightly worse to be fair.

Cyrus

jamesthepeach wrote: »

Monkstown is lovely.
Monkstown farm isn't.
Tesco Ballybrack at night is similar to Monkstown farm at night alright. Maybe Ballybrack slightly worse to be fair.

agreed

i love monkstown but it would want to be very close to the village or ideally the sea side of the village, anywhere near monkstown farm forget it, you are paying a monkstown premium to live in a very rough area,

a bit like all these places called killiney that are in ballybrack village

billybonkers

Lived in the area for over 20 years. Used to hang out down there a bit when younger.

Used to be a bit rough, when Mountown flats were still about. There was a fair bit of anti social behaviour but nothing crazy, kids hanging around, bonfires, drinking in the park by the leisure centre etc

I was mugged and assaulted quite badly walking through the farm about 13 years ago at about 11pm on a summer night though, I don't think the people responsible were from there. The guards came round with pictures of the local lads they knew were up to no good and it wasn't any of them.

Since then it has cleared up no end. New developments, fresh young professionals who at the end of the bust could afford out here.

can only get better in my opinion.

Recent Honey park development with Tesco etc up the road and the great transport links make it really desirable if you ask me.

Cyrus

billybonkers wrote: »

Lived in the area for over 20 years. Used to hang out down there a bit when younger.

Used to be a bit rough, when Mountown flats were still about. There was a fair bit of anti social behaviour but nothing crazy, kids hanging around, bonfires, drinking in the park by the leisure centre etc

I was mugged and assaulted quite badly walking through the farm about 13 years ago at about 11pm on a summer night though, I don't think the people responsible were from there. The guards came round with pictures of the local lads they knew were up to no good and it wasn't any of them.

Since then it has cleared up no end. New developments, fresh young professionals who at the end of the bust could afford out here.

can only get better in my opinion.

Recent Honey park development with Tesco etc up the road and the great transport links make it really desirable if you ask me.

i know honey park is shiney and new, but does anyone else think its a bit of a shambles? its absolutely massive, theres social housing going in there, there are for rent only apartment blocks.

we had a brief look at it, but theres no way id pay 800k for a house in there

bullvine

Its completely different these days since the flats went, it use to be mental back in the 90s but now its much better, like someone already mentioned, take a stroll on a saturday evening to see what its like and then go up to Ballybrack and do a comparison.

jamesthepeach

bullvine wrote: »

Its completely different these days since the flats went, it use to be mental back in the 90s but now its much better, like someone already mentioned, take a stroll on a saturday evening to see what its like and then go up to Ballybrack and do a comparison.

No need for a comparison. If you feel safe, or more importantly will be happy to let your family walk around there at night in the future than that should be enough.

I would walk around for a couple of hours on a nice warm summers evening about 10pm. Cover everywhere you think your kids will end up hanging out and any trips you might have to take home late, check out that route.

Maybe do that a few different nights too.

seablue

Hii,

I just came across this thread. I started looking at Monkstown Farm as an option at the suggestion of someone who lives there, a single woman like myself. She is very happy there, but they prices are mad (in my opinion).

They are going for 80-100k above asking price!

dave29ken

Yes I believe anything listed around the 320k mark is only done to allow people to make bids. There is one for sale at the moment (2 bed), looks nice but when i inquired last on the current offers they said it was at 390k.
I would say the area is pretty good for the most part, although looks a bit run down along the very back of it. I would consider buying there but only in certain parts, which now seem to be attracting mad money again.

Houseunting

Hi all,

Would love to hear some reviews about area birch grove, kill avenue,Dun Laoghaire as we are thinking to buy house there. Want to know how the area is like, any rough patches. I have a small daughter 3 years old so any good schools near by.

Any leads will be appreciated.

frash

Houseunting wrote: »

Hi all,

Would love to hear some reviews about area birch grove, kill avenue,Dun Laoghaire as we are thinking to buy house there. Want to know how the area is like, any rough patches. I have a small daughter 3 years old so any good schools near by.

Any leads will be appreciated.

Lovely little estate that isn't part of Monkstown Farm. In fact it's never been council. Ash Grove separates it from the farm.

Birch Grove has a nice (very recently done up) green that kids are regularly playing nicely on from what I've seen cycling through.

You can't drive through it as there's bollards at the Rory O'Connor end.

Presume you'd get the odd "messers" cutting through from Abbey Road out onto Kill Ave but you'd get that anywhere.

Take a drive around it at different times of the day and judge for yourself

Edit - missed the schools bit
Monkstown Educate together is at the top of the road but doubt you'll get in there if name isn't down already.
Other than that there's St Josephs, The Harold, Kill of the Grange, etc
Steer clear of the Holy Family in Monkstown Farm if you can (personal opinion)

Mixerq

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057429171/monkstown-farm

Hi, Well just wondering did you move into the area as we're in the same boat now? cheers

DownByTheGarden

That area has come up a lot in the last 20 years. Used to be terrible but its fine now.

Would I pay the prices houses are now? No? I dont think they are worth that for the area, but the area is not nearly as bad as its old reputation suggests.

The big thing for me is always, how hard will it be to keep your kids away from the bad influences. And to me, in Monkstown farm you are surrounded by more good families than bad by a long way. So at least there is that.

C3PO

I’d happily move into Monkstown Farm now - wouldn’t have 20 years ago!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120978154#Comment_120978154

I used to pass there on my commute well over 20 years ago and even then the glass box extension was happening a sure sign the architects were buying or involved in the design.

Bluefoam

I looked at two properties there 6 years ago... One listed at €325,000 and the other around €385,000... both were in a depserate state, kitchens unusable, one had a lean-to falling in. Light switches running on the surface of walls in copper conduit (not in a hipster way), bathrooms floors etc. all neeeded complete replacement.

Leaving the second house I asked about bidding and the estate agent (DNG) told me that the second house was accepting sealed bids and the current offer was at €590,000... I couldn't for the life of me understand that. I did end up buying in the wider area for much much much less... But there seems to be some sort of hysteria about some of those houses.

frash

There is still the odd pocket in there that has "gentrified" although there's less of them

No harm in sitting in your car up the road from the house you're considering at various times of the day / night to observe the comings & goings.

By & large though it's grand now as others have said.