Would you live in Finglas?

Shelga · 20-09-2017 08:52AM #1

I'm 30, female, single, no kids.

Could be in a position to buy a 2 bedroom apartment early next year, will have about a €35k deposit. Faced with tough choices like a lot of people in regards to affordable areas (especially single people), I don't want to rule anything out. Seems like decent apartments are on sale for €190-210k in Finglas, whereas a comparable apartment in an area like Raheny is easily €100k more at this stage.

I feel like at this stage I'm willing to live almost anywhere inside the M50! However I really don't know much about Finglas- hear stuff about anti-social behaviour, dangerous areas etc, but is it really that bad?

Also, I'm not actually working in Dublin at the moment, am about an hour away- but it's where all my family and friends live and it's where I see myself settling down. There are also options to work in Dublin in my current job.

Or, should I just abandon buying somewhere altogether for now, save my pennies for another ~3 years, hope for another mini crash?

I know no one can tell me what to do but it's good to hear opinions.

MayoSalmon · 20-09-2017 09:03AM

Not half as bad as it used to be, but with that being said it really depends on what area of Finglas your talking about?

Dublinflyer · 20-09-2017 09:04AM

It depends on where in Finglas, I grew up and have lived there most of my life. Like most areas it's not perfect but it really depends on where you are looking at. We have never experienced any issues ourselves as we are on the quiet side of the village. There are certainly parts where I would think twice about living, the west is not great, but overall it's fine. I know a few people who live in the apartments above charlstown Shopping Center and they have never had a problem.

Xterminator · 20-09-2017 09:46AM

I'd move there alright.

there are a few estates where anti social behaviour does occur, hence the nickname the 'wild west'. and bad reputation does stick, warranted or not.

But i can tell you raheny has similar issues. As do most estates.

sabrewolfe · 20-09-2017 10:06AM

I used to live in Hampton Wood up near Charlestown, was in my ground floor apartment for 4 years and never had an ounce of trouble. Nice neighbours and a decent estate. I've been renting out the apartment for the past 5 years and never had a complaint about anti-social behaviour from any of my tenants. A lot of very nice apartments in the estate still and dead handy for getting into town as the 140 bus actually terminates / starts from Hampton Wood Road

20-09-2017 12:19PM

A bit out side your price range but much better than an apartment near to good transport links an established area and near Glasnevin.

http://www.daft.ie/dublin/houses-for-sale/glasnevin/60-griffith-parade-glasnevin-dublin-1497296/ or if Rahney is out side your price range why not look at Donaghmead.

LirW · 20-09-2017 12:42PM

The East of Finglas in my opinion is really nice and if I'd have had the money I would have bought there. It's settled and quiet enough. I'd stay clear from the Southern part in the West, and by that I mean everything behind the Tesco in Clearwater. In my early days of the househunt we were looking there and stayed clear of it soon enough. I know a guy living close to the Garda station though and that's okay there.

The Eastern part got quite expensive though and they are usually exceeding the asking price quite a bit. But lovely Ex corpo houses there.

stargazer 68 · 20-09-2017 12:48PM

mariaalice wrote: »

A bit out side your price range but much better than an apartment near to good transport links an established area and near Glasnevin.

http://www.daft.ie/dublin/houses-for-sale/glasnevin/60-griffith-parade-glasnevin-dublin-1497296/ or if Rahney is out side your price range why not look at Donaghmead.

Yep. Go onto myhome.ie and put in Dublin 5 and 13 and your budget. I put in 200,000 and got 12 results.

__..__ · 20-09-2017 12:57PM

I lived there while in college.
It was just ok, but I definitely wouldn't want to buy a house there to live with my children.

Dublinflyer · 20-09-2017 01:13PM

__..__ wrote: »

I lived there while in college.
It was just ok, but I definitely wouldn't want to buy a house there to live with my children.

Just curious, where about in Finglas where you living and how long ago. There are some areas that are a bit rough alright.

__..__ · 20-09-2017 01:23PM

Lived nearer poppintree, also right in the middle of finglas and across the road from Tesco.
Most of the areas were fine. Night time, no matter where you are in finglas can bring trouble. But I wasn't too bad because I was left alone mostly. A couple of friends though had major trouble on occasion.
I would worry more for my children if I lived there than about myself though. I wouldn't give it a second thought if it we're just me buying there but it wouldn't be.

Dublinflyer · 20-09-2017 01:36PM

Yeah up around Tesco can get interesting alright but I don't think it as bad as it used to be. You can get trouble anywhere in a city at night and I don't think Finglas is any better or worse than most of the city. I think the area between the village and Glasnevin direction is fine and the crime stats tend to show this, but I am not sure if we should be taking crime stats into account anymore but that's a whole other thread ;-)

To get back to the OP I think you just have to do some research into an area, I know we did when looking. Visit an area at various times of the day and night to see what is going on. Halloween is coming up fast and they is kind on an insight into a lot of areas. I can remember years ago that Finglas where I am was filled with fireworks going off and lots of groups roaming around. Last year apart form the council display we hardly heard any fireworks and it was generally a quiet night. That's just my own opinion and I am sure there are very different views on the area.

Hope this helps.

LirW · 20-09-2017 01:37PM

In fairness, the areas around Tesco are rough, especially behind it to the west.

20-09-2017 02:07PM

There are new one bed apartment for 170k in Donaghmead and secondhand two beds for 210k, you could walk to Rahney from there

SmartinMartin · 20-09-2017 02:17PM

Stay east of the Finglas/North rd and you'll be ok, except for maybe Glenhill.

Gumbo · 20-09-2017 02:22PM

LirW wrote: »

In fairness, the areas around Tesco are rough, especially behind it to the west.

Behind Tesco is Finglas South ( The Far South). That would have been the roughest part of Finglas for many years.

MayoSalmon · 20-09-2017 02:28PM

kceire wrote: »

Behind Tesco is Finglas South ( The Far South). That would have been the roughest part of Finglas for many years.

A quick drive around and you will see horses in fields etc in South & West Finglas....make of that what you will.

dizzyn · 20-09-2017 02:30PM

Anywhere to the east of the village is grand, up nearer to Glasnevin avenue.
All around Charlestown up as far as ikea is grand. Not many issues. Stay clear of
the west and a lot of the south.

It can be a lovely area though, and extremely handy for getting into town.

dont bother · 20-09-2017 02:40PM

OP, if you do choose to buy there, just remember it will be extremely difficult to sell on the apartment WHEN you decide you dont want to live there anymore.
you will NEVER sell it again for more than you paid in an area like that, and you would be better to look into places like Kilbarrack or donaghmede which are way better in terms of antisocial stuff, and are both on the DART so are even handier than finglas. and i say that with ALL my family from finglas. they wouldnt buy any property there either.

__..__ · 20-09-2017 02:43PM

MayoSalmon wrote: »

A quick drive around and you will see horses in fields etc in South & West Finglas....make of that what you will.

You'll see horses in fields and on greens and in transit in every part of finglas.

20-09-2017 02:51PM

dont bother wrote: »

OP, if you do choose to buy there, just remember it will be extremely difficult to sell on the apartment WHEN you decide you dont want to live there anymore.
you will NEVER sell it again for more than you paid in an area like that, and you would be better to look into places like Kilbarrack or donaghmede which are way better in terms of antisocial stuff, and are both on the DART so are even handier than finglas. and i say that with ALL my family from finglas. they wouldnt buy any property there either.

How to explain this then it would take you a max of ten minuets from there to walk in to Finglas village.

.https://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/75-willow-park-avenue-glasnevin-dublin-11/4094607

Galadriel · 20-09-2017 02:52PM

__..__ wrote: »

You'll see horses in fields and on greens and in transit in every part of finglas.

Em, no not every field or green, that's a bit of an exaggeration.

dont bother · 20-09-2017 02:57PM

mariaalice wrote: »

How to explain this then it would take you a max of ten minuets from there to walk in to Finglas village from here.

.https://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/75-willow-park-avenue-glasnevin-dublin-11/4094607

i wouldnt buy that either. if it takes you ten minutes to walk to the village, then it also takes the same amount of time for the gangs of roving teenage troublemakers to get to your house.

plus, i know finglas, and that area of "glasnevin" like the back of my hand, and believe me, they go on the rob in the bigger/nicer houses.

nice house though, but i wouldnt live in it.

the main thing is Location when it comes to buying a property.
you should NEVER buy the nice house if it's in a sh!t location
buy the smaller house in a nice area cos you can actually sell it on then.

purplemonkey79 · 20-09-2017 03:52PM

I'm from Finglas and grew up there , don't live there now but i do live across the way in Ashtown ,it's right along the canal and train line ,you might want to check it out

fg1406 · 20-09-2017 04:00PM

Lived in finglas for a few years. In the rough part up near the hospital. It was every bit the Wild West. A horrible horrible place. Mostly very nice neighbours but huge anti social issues. East finglas however is quite nice, over by the village into glasnevin and towards DCU.

LirW · 20-09-2017 04:09PM

kceire wrote: »

Behind Tesco is Finglas South ( The Far South). That would have been the roughest part of Finglas for many years.

That I mean, like "West (from the Tesco)" Basically everything that's North of the Tolka Valley Park.

TheBlock · 20-09-2017 04:10PM

Swords. Excellent Transport Links. Good Nightlife. Will Always attract tenant you move out. Perfect for a Single.

https://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/62-carnegie-court-swords-co-dublin/4031407

Bandana boy · 20-09-2017 04:14PM

dont bother wrote: »

OP, if you do choose to buy there, just remember it will be extremely difficult to sell on the apartment WHEN you decide you dont want to live there anymore.
you will NEVER sell it again for more than you paid in an area like that, and you would be better to look into places like Kilbarrack or donaghmede which are way better in terms of antisocial stuff, and are both on the DART so are even handier than finglas. and i say that with ALL my family from finglas. they wouldnt buy any property there either.

That is just not true
Like every neighborhood in Dublin there are affluent and distressed parts.
While Finglas has areas I would be nervous living in , there are plenty of really nice parts of Finglas and plenty that recovered from the last dip faster than most parts of Dublin.

__..__ · 20-09-2017 04:32PM

Galadriel wrote: »

Em, no not every field or green, that's a bit of an exaggeration.

Don't even try to tell me that you lived in finglas and didn't see horses over that time outside the areas mentioned in the lost I replied to.
I for.one do not believe you one bit.

kev22185 · 20-09-2017 05:15PM

Grew up in Finglas South in what would be considered an ok area. Lived in what would be considered a rough area in my early 20's - there wasn't much difference between the two. My advice would be to avoid it if possible. I've family still living there, including my elderly parents and there just always seems to be something or other going on. west, south, east. My sister bought an apartment at the height beside the what was then the deputy mayor pub (no idea what it's called now). she gets harassed on a daily basis by people renting the apartment below her and never feels safe walking around the area.

Dublinflyer · 20-09-2017 09:09PM

__..__ wrote: »

You'll see horses in fields and on greens and in transit in every part of finglas.

That's just not the case.

Would you live in Finglas?

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