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Moving to greystones from Rathfarnham

Hans solo

Hi,
My husband and I with our two sons are thinking seriously of moving to greystones and would appreciate any views on this big decision.
I'm excited but anxious.... Love the idea of living by the sea and we are reasonably out doorsy...
If anyone would like to offer advice good or bad it would be a great help.
Thanks
T

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d2ww

Depends where you commuting to, but getting out of Greystones in the mornings looks like a pain. Those who have to go through it can enlighten you more.

loyatemu

Greystones is a great place to live and to raise kids, but you'll have to ask some more specific questions to determine if it's right for you.

grudgehugger

d2ww wrote: »

Depends where you commuting to, but getting out of Greystones in the mornings looks like a pain.

Thousands of us do this nonetheless and find it a great place to live.

Similar to what a previous poster said, if you're comfortable providing more specifics on your situation like where you'd commuting to - if anywhere!, what you're expecting to get from a move to Greystones, what worries you about making the move etc. then the thread will be more useful to you.

FirstIn

It's good. Was much much better.

A victim of bad planning , such a shame. Building schools at the wrong end of town has led to chronic congestion in the mornings as the masses from the south of the town on school runs try to make it to the north of the town mix it with people trying to get out of the town for work.

Lots of green field sites at the south of the town served by dual carriageway where most with kids of school going age live but they had to build at the other end. Daft.

Has lost its old lovely local feel. It's all coffee shops and "look at me" types.
Harbour is another mess as far as I'm concerned. Ruined.

If you like coffee, enjoy been seen liking your coffee and enjoy time sitting in your car then it's probably the place for you.

Lots of sport activities too.

Blingy

Lovely place to live but the commute to Dublin is awful unless you're leaving Greystones by 7am and returning by 4pm.

cocker5

Blingy wrote: »

Lovely place to live but the commute to Dublin is awful unless you're leaving Greystones by 7am and returning by 4pm.

Not true at all depends on where you work.

I work in Dublin 2, leave house at 7.20am, get to luas at 7.40am in st Stephens green for 8.15am. Coming home on luas at 5.10pm, get home by 6.15pm which is reasonable IMO . I don't go the n11 for the entire trip.. I use other roads yes there busy but def doable.

Unless there's a crash of course ;(

grudgehugger

Blingy wrote: »

Lovely place to live but the commute to Dublin is awful unless you're leaving Greystones by 7am and returning by 4pm.

I work in Park West (Dublin 12) so have to drive.

My standard commute has me leaving the house (near Tesco) @ 8.45 getting around 9.30, then leaving work at 6 getting home between 6.45 and 7. Perfectly doable - and on the bright side it's lots of time to listen to music and/or podcasts.

Also leaving around 7.15 generally isn't too bad however I haven't been doing that too much lately and I know it's busier than it used to be - I'd still expect to be at work around 8. Much after that and I'd say you'd be sitting in traffic a lot. Also at that time of the morning I find it's important to hit the N11 at Bray not Delgany.

As far as I can tell, traffic is much much worse if leaving Greystones between 7.30 and 8.30.

Also much worse if I leave work between 4.30 and 6. Leaving early never seems to work out very well for me unless i leave around 4pm as Blingy said. By around 6pm traffic is still bad but I generally get home in 45-50 minutes or so.

2011

+1 to this ^^^

I pass through Greystones at 7am so I don't have to deal with any traffic issues.

A great place to live, but overpriced IMHO.

crummymummy

Might not be a problem for you but I used to live in Killincarrig (right beside Greystones ) & there is an awful lot of dog poop in both areas. Not a big deal for a lot of people but just giving you a heads up! Our buggy wheels had to be washed before going into the car quite often.

The seafront is beautiful and the library is great for kids. Lots of activities going on for little ones all the time. The pool is a great amenity too. I found the people to be friendly in general but not as nosy as rural folk as it's a biggish town which was a bonus for us. Quite near to Glendalough and other places for weekend entertainment too. The Dart is not great as a way of commuting (imo) but it's nice to have on the doorstep for trips to Dublin, Bray Air show etc.

alexnapier101

Hello There,

We recently moved to Charlesland just over year ago, and absolutely feel we made a great choice.

We very much wanted to live somewhere close to the sea.

Charlesland was a perfect fit in terms of what we could afford for our mortgage and what got in return when compared to other locations.

I work in Dundrum and leave the house at @ 7:20 and am in for about 8:20ish. If I leave at 6:55am I am in for 7:40am, if need to start before 8am. The real traffic starts when i exit the M50 at Sandyford. Traffic coming home is hit and miss, depending on the M50 / N11 merge.

My fiancee travels on either the Dart or 84x which takes in range from 50 - 80 minutes.

The commute is a pain but in my view it was not that much different when living in Dublin, it is actually an easier drive now as it is more motorway driving.

I am sure you will love Greystones and everything it has to offer.

ted1

Blingy wrote: »

Lovely place to live but the commute to Dublin is awful unless you're leaving Greystones by 7am and returning by 4pm.

DART?

yesap

As others have said, commute depends on where you need to get to...

For 5 months of the year when schools off for summer, mid term, Christmas etc the car commute is very quick, I would be leaving Charlesland for Ballsbridge after 8am driving and be there easily for 9am.

The other 7 months the commute is under an hour to D2 if you leave at 7am driving, for 8am departure and under 1 hr commute you need to be able to get dart or drive to Luas.

Living here 10 years now and love it. The harbour area is really coming together now also and great community feel down there at weekends.

loyatemu

FirstIn wrote: »

It's good. Was much much better.

A victim of bad planning , such a shame. Building schools at the wrong end of town has led to chronic congestion in the mornings as the masses from the south of the town on school runs try to make it to the north of the town mix it with people trying to get out of the town for work.

Lots of green field sites at the south of the town served by dual carriageway where most with kids of school going age live but they had to build at the other end. Daft.

Has lost its old lovely local feel. It's all coffee shops and "look at me" types.
Harbour is another mess as far as I'm concerned. Ruined.

If you like coffee, enjoy been seen liking your coffee and enjoy time sitting in your car then it's probably the place for you.

Lots of sport activities too.

Unless she has a time machine, she can't go back to the old harbour and the days when the only place you could buy a coffee was the Copper Kettle. The town has changed but it has a buzz about it now that it didn't have 20 years ago, and the harbour will be fine once it's finished. The town is not getting bigger because its a horrible place to live.

You're right about the traffic and planning, but that's a problem all over, good luck finding somewhere to live near Dublin that doesn't have a traffic problem.

FirstIn

Re the traffic. The unfortunate thing is they had the chance to get it right. They failed miserably.

Of course lots of other places have traffic congestion. Does that automatically mean Greystones should too? No.

Though perhaps it was felt necessary to give us some congestion seeing as all the other places close to Dublin suffer it!

By no stretch is it a horrible place to live. I don't think anyone said that. It's good but should be better.

2011

I think the chronic traffic issues that exist at certain times are sufficiently covered now.

It would be more beneficial if other experience/ advice can be offered to the OP.

beepbeeprichie

I think this thread perfectly sums up greystones, the locals love it there but also enjoy complaining about anything at all. Honestly, mentioning dog poo as a reason to consider moving here?? I'm sure the dogs in rathfarnham poo as well, I'm sure she doesn't need a heads up about it.
If you can afford to move to greystones,i doubt you'll have any regrets, good community, low crime rate, good coffee shops and restaurants and plenty of activities for kids and adults.
Good luck

Taltos

You'll love it here OP.

You've got
The sea - year round fun right there, with or without a wetsuit. South beach, gets deep very fast. The Cove - a bit more sheltered but watch out for the barnacles.
Clubs - coming out of your ears - you've GAA, football, rugby, tennis, lawn bowls, rowing club, sailing club etc etc
Library
Cinema within a short drive - Arklow, Dundrum etc. Or the new Cove screenings.... Love that but haven't made it yet.
Schools - primary, secondary, as gaelige, educate together - you choose...
Transport - Dublin bus (hmm), Dart. Taxis can be pricey if coming from town so agree a fare up front.. Close to N11 - which can also be a curse in bad weather or during an accident.
Coffee shops / restaurants - great selections to choose from. Eg Tomasso's coffee on the mainstreet, he's hilarious. 3Qs for some really nice food, or Bochelli's or Homans - the list goes on - try them all and get the loyalty coffee cards where offered (you'll need a second wallet).
Forests / walks - loads.... All within an easy drive/cycle and some within a walk...

As to dog poo - no worse than other towns. Unfortunately we do have a high incidence of folk not watching where they're going, whether it's playing Pokemon or whatever the skill I was taught as a kid to watch where you place your feet is a lost or dying art.

Harbour - love it or hate it - you choose...

And walks - people still salute each other as they walk. I regularly say Hi to folk I pass, freak some out but sure that's half the fun.

2011

According to the CSO Greystones has the highest residential property prices in Ireland outside of Dublin:

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/revealed-most-expensive-places-to-buy-property-outside-dublin-1.2799566

CaoimheSquee

Myself and my partner moved here in August 2015 and it was the best thing we ever did.
I initially was anxious about the distance from city centre and my own family in Dublin 16, but Greystones is such a community in itself that you really don't feel the need to leave unless for work or the odd social occasion in town (for which you can get a nitelink or Finnegans bus home on).

There is a real sense of community here and as a renter for the last 15 years this is something that is such a pleasant surprise. You know your neighbours, people say hello and there are so many things to get involved in and do like farmers markets, vintage fairs, sunday music sessions, sailing, fitness clubs, hikes and even outdoor cinema events!

There are so many gorgeous places to eat and have a great cuppa. From Indian to Italian to Tapas to the superb Hungry Monk (and of course the Happy Pear lads) there is so much to get the mouth watering! (could do with a few more early bird deals though!)

The beach and marina walk are so lovely. I don't mind the harbour. It is definitely a bit of a mess as you head on to the cliff walk from the Greystones end but I am sure it will get there. Sitting outside the Beach House looking out on it during summer evenings definitely made us feel somewhere quite special!

Ok, now the downsides and imo there are two big ones.

Pubs - they are grand for an afternoon tipple with some food but otherwise absolutely rubbish. We usually head to Bray if we fancy a few drinks out but close by.

Commute - Dublin Bus will make you want to pull your hair out. If you are beside the Dart you will be mostly grand, but if you need to get the 84 or 184 to connect you to or from the stations, or the 84x (this is impossible to get home unless you work right in city centre as it fills up after a couple of stops) then prepare for a few rageful moments!

However, the good very much outweighs the bad. We have definitely found a home here and find we have a lot of visitors wanting to come see us since we moved out!

gecko81

Did Hans Solo ever move to Greystones and what was the verdict? In a similar situation myself at the moment and would appreciate some advice.

grudgehugger

Not sure Hans is still reading boards..

If you share a bit more about your own situation and questions uppermost on your mind I'm sure some of us will weigh with a current opinion.

Cluster

gecko81 wrote: »

Did Hans Solo ever move to Greystones and what was the verdict? In a similar situation myself at the moment and would appreciate some advice.

When you get here, you'll find yourself getting into the same conversations as everyone else, that is pulling up the drawbridge behind you. The building thats taken place in the last few years is insane. The pressure on local infrastructure has been widely documented and it is an issue but...

Lovely people, the sea, the hills, the walks, the trees, the mass paths, the hills. Its gorgeous out here and as a blow in, I know Im part of the problem but damn you all to hell Greystonions, you live in the best kept secret in Ireland. I love it.

PS - We both work from home

bilbot79

Cluster wrote: »

When you get here, you'll find yourself getting into the same conversations as everyone else, that is pulling up the drawbridge behind you. The building thats taken place in the last few years is insane. The pressure on local infrastructure has been widely documented and it is an issue but...

Lovely people, the sea, the hills, the walks, the trees, the mass paths, the hills. Its gorgeous out here and as a blow in, I know Im part of the problem but damn you all to hell Greystonions, you live in the best kept secret in Ireland. I love it.

PS - We both work from home

I'm torn between a move to Greystones or Malahide from D7. All our connections are northside (aswell as my parents up north) and we've a first baby on the way. I know Malahide would be better for family distance wise but Greystones just resonates more naturally for all the reasons you outlined plus 'slightly' cheaper.

Really don't know what to do. Family vs Place.

Taltos

bilbot79 wrote: »

I'm torn between a move to Greystones or Malahide from D7. All our connections are northside (aswell as my parents up north) and we've a first baby on the way. I know Malahide would be better for family distance wise but Greystones just resonates more naturally for all the reasons you outlined plus 'slightly' cheaper.

Really don't know what to do. Family vs Place.

Malahide is lovely too and with a new baby on the way you want to make it easier.
Unless you enjoy the escape...

bilbot79

Taltos wrote: »

Malahide is lovely too and with a new baby on the way you want to make it easier.
Unless you enjoy the escape...

Thanks. You seem pretty clear that unless we want to avoid our family there's a high value in being near then? This is the part I find difficult to weigh up. The place I know is right for us vs need to be 20 mins from relatives instead of 45 mins

dannyc31

bilbot79 wrote: »

I'm torn between a move to Greystones or Malahide from D7. All our connections are northside (aswell as my parents up north) and we've a first baby on the way. I know Malahide would be better for family distance wise but Greystones just resonates more naturally for all the reasons you outlined plus 'slightly' cheaper.

Really don't know what to do. Family vs Place.

If you like your family then Malahide, on the other hand if you would prefer it wasn't as easy for them to pop around then Greystones.

i'm also a northsider and myself and my partner are considering moving to greystones to buy a place. having rented in malahide i will say that my experience is the people are generally more friendly and welcoming in greystones with the few friends that we have living there and weekend visits to the town. but its all personal preference in the end.

Cheeseplant

bilbot79 wrote: »

I'm torn between a move to Greystones or Malahide from D7. All our connections are northside (aswell as my parents up north) and we've a first baby on the way. I know Malahide would be better for family distance wise but Greystones just resonates more naturally for all the reasons you outlined plus 'slightly' cheaper.

Really don't know what to do. Family vs Place.

We have experienced both. We moved from Greystones to Malahide for family reasons as we have family connections to Mala. They are similar towns in some ways; coast, somewhat self-contained. However, lifestyle-wise I would think they are very different. Greystones is more outdoorsy/ health conscious/ green. I couldn't see the Happy Pear business survive in Malahide! Greystones is more lefty and although the town is smaller than Malahide, it definitely has better cafes/ restaurants (well certainly until the 3Qs closed, such a shame). Malahide is friendly enough. They are both well to do towns. Greystones was also friendly enough and my partner loved it, although I wasn't a keen at the time, but now we have left can see us moving back for all the reasons above. Big pull for us would be a new house for less than Malahide. Every time we go back to North Wicklow we regret the move and talk endlessly about moving back but we now have family to consider and a move of schools. I also don't think there is a good selection of secondary schools here.
Living close to family isn't all it's cracked up to be, It very much depends if they are of an age that they can help with babysitting etc. Our relatives here are not and so don't really provide us with any support.
one negative for Greystones which impacted on me was the commute. The N11 was a nightmare. For saying that, the M50 the other direction is also crap in the morning and takes almost as long to get to work as it did from Greystones.

bilbot79

Cheeseplant wrote: »

We have experienced both. We moved from Greystones to Malahide for family reasons as we have family connections to Mala. They are similar towns in some ways; coast, somewhat self-contained. However, lifestyle-wise I would think they are very different. Greystones is more outdoorsy/ health conscious/ green. I couldn't see the Happy Pear business survive in Malahide! Greystones is more lefty and although the town is smaller than Malahide, it definitely has better cafes/ restaurants (well certainly until the 3Qs closed, such a shame). Malahide is friendly enough. They are both well to do towns. Greystones was also friendly enough and my partner loved it, although I wasn't a keen at the time, but now we have left can see us moving back for all the reasons above. Big pull for us would be a new house for less than Malahide. Every time we go back to North Wicklow we regret the move and talk endlessly about moving back but we now have family to consider and a move of schools. I also don't think there is a good selection of secondary schools here.
Living close to family isn't all it's cracked up to be, It very much depends if they are of an age that they can help with babysitting etc. Our relatives here are not and so don't really provide us with any support.
one negative for Greystones which impacted on me was the commute. The N11 was a nightmare. For saying that, the M50 the other direction is also crap in the morning and takes almost as long to get to work as it did from Greystones.

That's great feedback everyone. Thanks very much. I'll definitely have a few days WFH after corona and my wife maybe. We would get the dart in though.

I guess one of my fears is choosing Malahide at extra expense for practicalities (like proximity to family) but then realizing that I had overthought it. People scare me into thinking you need the aunties and cousins right there. And with it being an only child for sure, is it more important to have closer relationship with family members?

That said I can't think of a better place to raise a child than Greystones and if we dont go there then like yourself I'll always think about it when I go to North Wicklow

Cheeseplant

bilbot79 wrote: »

That's great feedback everyone. Thanks very much. I'll definitely have a few days WFH after corona and my wife maybe. We would get the dart in though.

I guess one of my fears is choosing Malahide at extra expense for practicalities (like proximity to family) but then realizing that I had overthought it. People scare me into thinking you need the aunties and cousins right there. And with it being an only child for sure, is it more important to have closer relationship with family members?

That said I can't think of a better place to raise a child than Greystones and if we dont go there then like yourself I'll always think about it when I go to North Wicklow

PM sent

seasidedub

I am a born and bred Malahider who made the move to Greystones in 2020 just at the beginning of lockdown part one.

Nobody, but nobody could understand what the hell I was doing. I had a 4 bed semi on the coast road in Malahide with a sea view and 3 minutes walk to Low Rock for swimming. But, for me, there are similarities yet significant differences between Malahide and Greystones.

Malahide is a village but still feels more suburban, Greystones is a village and there is still a nice ruralish feel to it.

The outdoor activities are superb. There is no comparison between swimming at North Beach, the Cove or and of the little coves under the Teddy Bear to either Low or High Rock in Malahide.

Generally in Malahide the walk is along the coast road down to Portmarnock and along the velvet strand there, or up to the Castle and around the grounds. There is also Paddys Hill, or the backroads around Malahide and of course drive out to Howth. In Greystones, there is the cliff walk, walk to Delgany via Killincarraig, walk to Sugarloaf, forests, beach, easy drive on back roads to Glendalough, Enniskerry Knocksink woods, any and all Wicklow Mountains from Djouce to Lugnaquilla etc. It just feels like the closest thing to living in the "country" yet with the city close.

You can also dart out to Dalkey, Killiney etc., to see the folks who live on the hill......swim at the Vico or 40 foot with ease.

To me there is no comparison to a coffee along Church Road outside the Happy Pear where the wooden benching now is or at Spendloves at the Harbour to anywhere for coffee in Malahide. The Grain Store in Kilruddery is gorgeous, Avoca in Enniskerry etc.

I was able to unload an inefficient house which needed huge renovation for a new one at the Harbour, A rated, and still have a little left over. A no brainer.

Greystones feels more "hippy", Malahide is more yuppy. It is closer to the airport though......

Caveat: I spent nearly a year coming down to Greystones on days off, even in bad weather to really see was it for me. And I miss Pilates in Malahide tenis club overlooking the sea..........