Is Arklow still bad?

listermint wrote: »

Busy town. Traffic is mayhem on exit 20 coming in over bridge. Some lovely houses with plenty of history in them for not alot of money. Newer houses also available for middling money. Has alot of facilities too.

We live close to arklow but would be through it frequently. Never knew it before moving but would have zero problems with it. Certainly could do with more investment and more outside the box thinking . I think move emphasis needs to be put on the river front at rear of main Street moving away from a parking area more into a cafe style rating out recreational space. The town committee I think need some ideas injection.

Thanks, yeah moving back fto Ireland rom Aberdeen I think we'd find rathdrum very quiet. The traffic seems to be the most annoying thing so far. WE got sorted with a temp accomodation a small garden cabin for 4 weeks, reasonable price and will allow us to suss out area, it's in Kilbride so that looks very quiet.

Working class heroes wrote: »

I know both towns extremely well and would pick Rathdrum as a place to live over Arklow, hands down.

Thanks it also seems easier to find acocmodation there! Only snag is my wife doesn't drive yet, but train to wicklow would seem reaosnable if she got work there, and we can work on the license. She had temp remote working for the time being. All I have to go on is google maps but seems to be a chinse, a few pubs, a centra etc. So i think we are leaning that way but just waiting to see what happens with my wife's job situation. Thanks for the tip.
It'll be a bit of a contrast to living in Aberdeen city but seems to have most of things we'd need (even though i just mentioned a chinese and pubs ) No gym but i could continue my home workouts i've gotten into since lockdown.

Working class heroes wrote: »

Two Chinese.
One good chipper.
Three pubs, one of which does good food(Jacobs Well). One is probably one of the most unusual pubs in the country, The Cartoon Inn. The other is a traditional Bar/lounge type of place.
One Centra and two smaller shops.
Three primary schools and a large Secondary School.
All the usual sports clubs, GAA, Soccer, Rugby, Athletics amongst others.
Post office, Bank and Credit union.

The entire town centre is currently getting renovated, should be impressive when finished.
Planning gone in for a hotel at the train station as well as numerous hotels within a twenty minute drive.
Massive recreational development about to start for Avondale estate.
Work underway on two housing estates.
Good community spirit.

Yes it would be a big change to what you are used to but its a grand spot!

Just to add very easy to commute to Wicklow Town by train.

You have advertised well! Yeah I could cycle to work and my wife could have the car if she needed it once the test is got. We were thinking it was likley the best option anyway but good to get the inside info! More than my roaming the streets on google maps could deduce! I'll report my intel back to the boss

Working class heroes wrote: »

If you need any other specific info feel free to PM me.

Much appreciated, a lot of change going on at the min so can be daunting but step by step we'll get it all sorted!

Thanks lads for all the tips, in hind sight I should have titled the thread with a less aggressive title! Yeah we have temp accommodation booked for four weeks so hopefully get renting somewhere, the rental market in the area seems like a landlords market from keeping an eye on it the last few weeks!

Well we are moving ot Arklow! We got a place beside the church, st mary's court. Nice apartment decent amount of room (negatives are electric heating and what seems to be a very pricey elec service from pinergy which agent said couldn't be changed, I've asked RTB if that was legal, will sign lease anyway and see) It's nice and central so can walk to everthing (if anything is open). Was reasonalby priced comapred to some others we saw, even if the elec will be expensive and might need to pay for TV! A new bed is a bonus and the spare room has no bed so can be used as home office/ music studio/ storage. Just over 20mins to work or just over an hours cycle as might do that a bit in spring/summer depending on what I make of roads and if there's a shower at work!

Good to get something sorted before the likely restrictions increase!


Edit: Does Anybody know where the post collection place is in Arklow if parcels arrive and you aren't in, googling seems to send me to the post office on the main street ut not conviced they'd hold them all there! I'm sure a card would state it but just curious?

sandyxxx wrote: »

It’s behind Mr Price in the Knockanrahan ind. estate,at the back!

Thank you! Any idea of opening hours?

I've actually moved out now to Gorey, but that is because we decided to buy a house. We had started looking Arklow initally but then widened the net a little and ended up in Gorey, mainly due to availablity of houses. Not that there's that much more here but we just got lucky.

Aside from the last week there was always some element of Covid restrictions in Arklow when we were there so that would have to be taken into account.

The main street has quite a high amount of deralict and unused shops and a big cinema that was burnt down. The tiday town's comitte do a lot of good work and paint up the windows and keep flowebeds in good shape and hanging baskets all along the street.

The shopping centre has an argos and TK max which were handy. PLenty of supermarket choice in the town.

The pubs were very good i thought, for the size of the place there were plenty with live music -which is what I like so that was well above what i expected.

My wife is a vegetarian and there wasn't much selectoin when we dined out. The place has too many Chinese take aways and not enough variety. There is only one sit down resteraunt in the town (As oppoed to pub foIt od) and it's a chinese - it was nice but as they used crustacians not much for a vegetarian.

Teenagers cycling on the footpaths all the time was annoying!

IT was nice being close to the beach and there was a random walk through a quarry onto a lovely beach which was cool, and you could loop aroudn for a big long walk - essential during lockdown! The Centra has massive 99's

That's my random thoughts in no particular order, let me know if there's anything in particular. Traffic can be bad enough over the bridge, especially now with roadworks for the next 6 months or so I think.

Good points there about the wimdfarm. Good that cinema was sold, be nice to see development there. I forgot to mention about housing being able to proceed due to the sewage works.

Like every where else the rental market seems very tight, if thinking of renting when you move.... But no where easy these days