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Northwood vs. Charlestown

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  • 01-05-2018 8:02am
    #1
    Joza
    Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭


    I'm hoping to get some advice on a potential property purchase. Long story short I'm looking at buying an apartment as a single first time buyer.

    I'm limited in what I can afford and I've seen reasonable apartments in Northwood area near Santry and also in Melville near Charlestown. My max is 250k. I walked around Northwood recently and it's a much prettier area (has a park with lake and trees), seems more upmarket, but what's also drawing me to Melville are the 3 bedroom duplexes as opposed to only a 2 bedroom apartment in Northwood. However, the proposed Metro North will have a stop in Northwood which is a big plus.

    Has anyone else been in a similar position? What did you choose? Should I forgo the bigger place in Melville for what seems like a much better area in Northwood? I know in the end it's entirely up to me, just hoping others might share some experience or wisdom to help me decide :)
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    #2
    wersal gummage
    Registered Users Posts: 1,643 ✭✭✭wersal gummage


    I'm not sure you'll get a 2 bed in Northwood for 250


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    #3
    Joza
    Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭Joza


    I've looked already, there are a few (doer uppers too).


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    #4
    DubJJ
    Registered Users Posts: 84 ✭✭DubJJ


    I'd go for the smaller property in your preferred area.
    The extra bedroom may be appealing but the local amenities are what you will really appreciate on a day to day basis.
    I also think 3 bedroom duplexes have a bit of an identity crisis and can be a bit harder to shift.


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    #5
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,518 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Northwood is a ghost town in the evening.
    Melville has great bus links to the city. The 140 has you on O’Connell street in 20 mins.

    Melville will be a bigger property with less management fees but are timber frame construction so noises will be more noticeable. Northwood is concrete built in places but some are timber frame too.

    Management fees in Northwood are about 2.5k and Melville under 1k. Mainly due to having no requirement for lifts.


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    #6
    Joza
    Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭Joza


    @DubJJ When you say the duplexes have an identity crisis, have you first hand experience in this regard? I'd be interested to hear more.


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    #7
    wersal gummage
    Registered Users Posts: 1,643 ✭✭✭wersal gummage


    Joza wrote: »
    I've looked already, there are a few (doer uppers too).

    Do you mean looked as in you looked on the Internet, or have you viewed and got into bidding etc? Some estate agents will deliberately price low just to get people in to view


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    #8
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    kceire wrote: »
    Northwood is a ghost town in the evening.
    Melville has great bus links to the city. The 140 has you on O’Connell street in 20 mins.

    Melville will be a bigger property with less management fees but are timber frame construction so noises will be more noticeable. Northwood is concrete built in places but some are timber frame too.

    Management fees in Northwood are about 2.5k and Melville under 1k. Mainly due to having no requirement for lifts.

    I know for a fact that there are apartments in Northwood with fees under €1400. Don't know what you mean by ghost town, but lack of late night noise is a pretty big dealbreaker when it comes to apartments. I don't know of any timber frame apartments in the country, let alone in Santry.

    I'm unfamiliar with Melville, so wouldn't know of the merits or any pros/cons. To suggest it is better serviced by public transport when that same Bus route is equally accessible from one end of Northwood is a bit much. The other end of Northwood is also serviced by the 16, which is one of the best routes in the entire city, before we even get into other routes or MN.

    Other positives for NW: Cinemas, restaurants, supermarkets (LIDL x 2, ALDI, Tesco), parks, airport, Omni / Gulliver's retail park, nicer area, cheaper taxis into/outta town.

    The one big thing it's missing is a decent boozer, tbh. The hotel is fine for an odd pint but the Comet is probably the closest to a real pub in the vicinity.


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    #9
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,518 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Deleted User wrote: »
    I know for a fact that there are apartments in Northwood with fees under €1400. Don't know what you mean by ghost town, but lack of late night noise is a pretty big dealbreaker when it comes to apartments. I don't know of any timber frame apartments in the country, let alone in Santry.

    I'm unfamiliar with Melville, so wouldn't know of the merits or any pros/cons. To suggest it is better serviced by public transport when that same Bus route is equally accessible from one end of Northwood is a bit much. The other end of Northwood is also serviced by the 16, which is one of the best routes in the entire city, before we even get into other routes or MN.

    Other positives for NW: Cinemas, restaurants, supermarkets (LIDL x 2, ALDI, Tesco), parks, airport, Omni / Gulliver's retail park, nicer area, cheaper taxis into/outta town.

    The one big thing it's missing is a decent boozer, tbh. The hotel is fine for an odd pint but the Comet is probably the closest to a real pub in the vicinity.

    Melville is timber frame apartments.
    My friend has apartment in temple court. Fees there are 2.5k.
    Melville has Charlestown also, cinema, Dunnes, Aldi, LIDL, pub.

    Both very similar estates.


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    #10
    mel123
    Registered Users Posts: 2,193 ✭✭✭mel123


    Ive lived in Melville, and im very near Northwood now so would be in it a lot

    Defo Northwood all day long IMO


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    #11
    Joza
    Registered Users Posts: 58 ✭✭Joza


    Thanks for all the info so far folks, feel free to keep it coming :)

    It does seem like Northwood is a better option. I think I'd be willing to sacrifice an extra room for a generally nicer area to live in. And, as I've mentioned already, Metro North.


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    #12
    LirW
    Registered Users Posts: 4,825 ✭✭✭LirW


    Northwood is nicer imo. I'm not a big fan of the area around Charlestown, but that's taste really.
    I've heard that some buildings in Northwood were affected by Pyrite but it was supposed to be fixed, might be something you wanna look out for.


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    #13
    l5auim2pjnt8qx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 151 ✭✭l5auim2pjnt8qx


    Location Location ! !

    Santry is a far nicer area than Charlestown.

    Numerous anti-social problems with estates in Charlestown with regards
    to attacks by gangs of feral teenagers roaming the areas.

    A smaller 2 bed in a nice area you feel safe walking about wins everytime
    than a larger duplex apartment in a less desireable area.

    As another post suggests 2 beds for 250K around santry would be hard to come
    by even if posted on daft for amount, I would be thinking 275-285 for a generous
    sized apartment.


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    #14
    jd
    Registered Users Posts: 5,683 ✭✭✭jd


    LirW wrote: »
    I've heard that some buildings in Northwood were affected by Pyrite but it was supposed to be fixed, might be something you wanna look out for.
    That was fixed..


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    #15
    bikeman1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,261 ✭✭✭bikeman1


    I'm in Northwood since last August, bought a two bed apartment. I am loving it so far.

    Pros:
    Nice area
    Loads of shops
    Beautiful park for walks / running
    Nice cafés
    Frequent buses to City centre, Airport, Swords, North County Dublin. Hourly nitelink at weekends to 0400. Airport shuttle every 20 mins 0400/0000 everyday from hotel.
    No rough element around/ on site security
    Great road access M1 / M50 / Port Tunnel
    Well maintained common areas.

    Cons
    Aircraft noise. I'm used to it now. Airport is very busy these days.
    No pub within 10 minutes of the place apart from hotel. I go to Kealys in Cloughran or town.
    Cycle route to town is not safe. Very busy route.

    I'm not aware of the Charlestown scenario. But that's the happy view from Northwood.


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    #16
    LirW
    Registered Users Posts: 4,825 ✭✭✭LirW


    Cycle route to town is not safe. Very busy route.

    Just an advice on that one, Swords road is incredibly busy, try get out to Ballymun road and go straight down into the city, that way is safer.


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    #17
    factnee
    Registered Users Posts: 186 ✭✭factnee


    kceire wrote: »
    Melville is timber frame apartments.
    My friend has apartment in temple court. Fees there are 2.5k.
    Melville has Charlestown also, cinema, Dunnes, Aldi, LIDL, pub.

    Both very similar estates.

    I have a 2 bed apartment in Parklands, Northwood. Management fees for 2018 are 1593


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    #18
    Captain Flaps
    Registered Users Posts: 1,834 ✭✭✭Captain Flaps


    Rent an apartment near Charlestown (don't know Melville specifically). There's no good/safe boozer around there either, you're heading back towards Glasnevin for that which is hardly a stroll itself. The centre there is nice enough but pretty soulless, without the cinema it's really just Dunnes and an Eddie Rockets. Shallots Indian is about the height of nice, sit down dining. You wouldn't convince me to buy in the area and the fairground that pops up a few times a year seems to attract the kind of people you'd rather avoid in droves.


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    #19
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,518 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    Captain Flaps wrote: »
    Rent an apartment near Charlestown (don't know Melville specifically). There's no good/safe boozer around there either, you're heading back towards Glasnevin for that which is hardly a stroll itself. The centre there is nice enough but pretty soulless, without the cinema it's really just Dunnes and an Eddie Rockets. Shallots Indian is about the height of nice, sit down dining. You wouldn't convince me to buy in the area and the fairground that pops up a few times a year seems to attract the kind of people you'd rather avoid in droves.

    The same fair ground that pops up in Northwood beside home base too?


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    #20
    Captain Flaps
    Registered Users Posts: 1,834 ✭✭✭Captain Flaps


    kceire wrote: »
    The same fair ground that pops up in Northwood beside home base too?

    Wasn't aware of that, you can factor out that one I guess. Only counter point is that I'd assume charlestown has a few more scrotes than northwood but that's neither here nor there.


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    #21
    jd
    Registered Users Posts: 5,683 ✭✭✭jd


    kceire wrote: »
    The same fair ground that pops up in Northwood beside home base too?

    I've seen circuses there, not fair grounds.


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    #22
    mel123
    Registered Users Posts: 2,193 ✭✭✭mel123


    kceire wrote: »
    The same fair ground that pops up in Northwood beside home base too?

    The circus lands there once a year, defo no fair ground ever in Northwood


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    #23
    vichitra
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭vichitra


    I am living in Melville since 2004, it is very convenient and not a bad area at all. I haven't seen any issues. Many buses 9,83,140, 40.
    All the popular shops around, near M50


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    #24
    l5auim2pjnt8qx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 151 ✭✭l5auim2pjnt8qx


    Its hardly a place for picnics in the park with the family.Sometimes you just get what up pay for.

    https://www.boards.ie/b/thread/2056890179

    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/innocent-family-terrified-as-two-shots-are-fired-at-house-by-kinahan-thugs-35453046.html

    https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/sword-attacker-sliced-off-victims-left-hand-26523796.html

    http://www.neighbours.ie/forums/index.php?threads/anti-social-behaviour.67613/


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    #25
    DubJJ
    Registered Users Posts: 84 ✭✭DubJJ


    Some of those articles are almost a decade old.


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