Going into town

Kewreeuss · 01-05-2020 5:39pm #1

By town, I mean Dublin City centre.
Does anyone who doesn’t live in the centre go in regularly and not for work?
Years ago I’d be in maybe onceor twice a month, stroll around the green, mooch around Grafton or Henry st, Tower records, Hodges figgis, the odd restaurant, leave the car along the quays for a quick getaway.
Is my perception wrong that town is only for singles, or those who live close enough to walk in or use their leap card?
Do families go in for anything other than the a zoo or a museum? Would they go in just for a stroll around?

Edgware · 01-05-2020 5:52pm

If you want to see a good selection of dirt birds, welfare scroungers,junkies etc it's the place to go. Dublin City Council will rip you off as well-for committing the crime of owning a car.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 01-05-2020 5:55pm

Edgware wrote: »

If you want to see a good selection of dirt birds, welfare scroungers,junkies etc it's the place to go. Dublin City Council will rip you off as well-for committing the crime of owning a car.

Ah would you get the boat. Town is actually a nice way of passing a day, lots of interesting cafes, selection of shops and good bars & nightlife.

01-05-2020 6:07pm

Edgware wrote: »

If you want to see a good selection of dirt birds, welfare scroungers,junkies etc it's the place to go. Dublin City Council will rip you off as well-for committing the crime of owning a car.

You forgot all the culchies looking up at all the buildings and public transport, while having a chance at getting the shift from someone who isn't their cousin.

jimwallace197 · 01-05-2020 6:08pm

DubInMeath wrote: »

You forgot all the culchies looking up at all the buildings and public transport, while having a chance at getting the shift from someone who isn't their cousin.

Because the public transport and buildings are so impressive, would ya get up the yard!

01-05-2020 6:12pm

jimwallace197 wrote: »

Because the public transport and buildings are so impressive, would ya get up the yard!

Compared to anywhere else in Ireland yes.

jimwallace197 · 01-05-2020 6:18pm

DubInMeath wrote: »

Compared to anywhere else in Ireland yes.

So, as if people from the country don't get the opportunity to travel abroad and see other cities. Stop acting like Dublin is the centre of the world.

01-05-2020 6:21pm

jimwallace197 wrote: »

So, as if people from the country don't get the opportunity to travel abroad and see other cities. Stop acting like Dublin is the centre of the world.

Where am I doing that?

Better Than Christ · 01-05-2020 6:28pm

I regularly go to town for no reason other than to stroll around Hodges Figgis or Books Upstairs and then while away a few hours in a quiet corner of a coffee shop. I really miss that.

I don't live close enough to walk in, and unnecessarily bringing a car to the city centre is selfish and obnoxious, so I usually drive as far as the Luas.

Kewreeuss · 01-05-2020 8:15pm

I think the shopping centres have spoilt it for casual shopping, at least.
Load the car up, head to Blanch, Dundrum, Pavilions, free parking, meet me back here in 3 hours, dump the shopping in the boot and go back home. No streets to cross, traffic and buses to dodge, beggars whose gaze to avoid.
But town is also to wander around, with distinctive shops, oddly shaped niches selling god knows what, just not as bland as a shopping center. My only issue is going on public transport is fine on your own, but parents and a couple of teenagers or three return is expensive.
When I was small, coming up to Dublin was an excursion for people from the country, 2 or 3 times a year. They don’t come any more because they have their own big cities ( sorry, I don’t intend to be patronising) with exactly the same shops and prices. Are ‘Dubliners’ in the suburbs the new ‘country people’ going int the city centre a couple of times a year?

Vita nova · 01-05-2020 8:27pm

DubInMeath wrote: »

You forgot all the culchies looking up at all the buildings and public transport, while having a chance at getting the shift from someone who isn't their cousin.

I can understand how Edgware's stupid post might have pissed you off but Aint Eazy Being Cheezy was able to respond without resorting to name-calling or escalating things whereas you did the complete opposite.

01-05-2020 8:33pm

Better Than Christ wrote: »

I regularly go to town for no reason other than to stroll around Hodges Figgis or Books Upstairs and then while away a few hours in a quiet corner of a coffee shop. I really miss that.

I don't live close enough to walk in, and unnecessarily bringing a car to the city centre is selfish and obnoxious, so I usually drive as far as the Luas.

It's one of the things I miss most, an aimless stroll around browsing whatever with no time limit and a nice bite to eat in a cosy coffee shop to finish up. It might be only a couple of months ago, but it feels like I'm talking about olden days long passed.

Who knew they were going to be the good old days so very quickly?

Del.Monte · 01-05-2020 8:41pm

Vita nova wrote: »

I can understand how Edgware's stupid post might have pissed you off but Aint Eazy Being Cheezy was able to respond without resorting to name-calling or escalating things whereas you did the complete opposite.

It's AH, you hardly expect normal responses do you?

Vita nova · 01-05-2020 9:01pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

It's AH, you hardly expect normal responses do you?

Oh, I know that but that doesn't mean one shouldn't bother commenting.
You actually thanked that post

EmmetSpiceland · 01-05-2020 9:53pm

I’d only head into town with the “family“ a couple of times a year, Christmas to see the lights and maybe during the summer months. It’s never easy.

I, personally, find that the types of families you see in town, on any given day, are the same ones who trek out to Ikea on a Saturday, or Sunday, for a “day out”. It’s just ridiculous and unimaginative.

Any sane person would leave the family at home whenever they need to go shopping for anything, or at least only bring one child.

I do understand that some mothers are for forced to bring 3, or 4, kids to Tesco to give the father, at home, “a break”. You know the kind, the same guy would storm home after work and lock himself away in his “office” or out into his “man cave” rather than spend time with the family.

Hopefully, one of the upsides in the aftermath of all this virus stuff will be that people won’t be dragging their kids out with them to places they don’t want to go and then roaring at them for not being “telepathic” and being exactly where they want them to be.

Thelonious Monk · 01-05-2020 10:02pm

jimwallace197 wrote: »

Because the public transport and buildings are so impressive, would ya get up the yard!

Compared to anywhere else in Ireland we are miles in front

policarp · 01-05-2020 10:25pm

Dublin is a great spot for people gazing. Multicultural.

LeYouth · 01-05-2020 10:36pm

Dublin definitely has a town feel about it. For a real city you have to go abroad.

Spanish Eyes · 01-05-2020 10:42pm

Oh god, hear we go again.

01-05-2020 10:52pm

LeYouth wrote: »

Dublin definitely has a town feel about it. For a real city you have to go abroad.

I think it is in the sweet spot not too big or small.

Kylta · 01-05-2020 11:12pm

Am a true blue ( it means born within the canals). Not many dubs go shopping in town anymore, they basically use the shopping centres on the outskirts. No parking and most of them have whatever shop you need. I personally think in the future dublin will be aimed at tourism. There already trying to keep the cars out off town. The clampers are like little fu¢king gremlins, its that bad that there even clamping in the outskirts too. Dublin is gone to expense for Dubs. I've been to prague and berlin etc, they seem to have an originality about them. People must remember that the brits ran this country a hundred years ago, so what your basically looking at is an old british city, thats maybe the equivalent of Leeds or Manchester. Definitely not the equivalent of London. Its still a great city dublin for tourist, but you won't find many dubs in the city centre

Church on Tuesday · 01-05-2020 11:38pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

I’d only head into town with the “family“ a couple of times a year, Christmas to see the lights and maybe during the summer months. It’s never easy.

I, personally, find that the types of families you see in town, on any given day, are the same ones who trek out to Ikea on a Saturday, or Sunday, for a “day out”. It’s just ridiculous and unimaginative.

Any sane person would leave the family at home whenever they need to go shopping for anything, or at least only bring one child.

I do understand that some mothers are for forced to bring 3, or 4, kids to Tesco to give the father, at home, “a break”. You know the kind, the same guy would storm home after work and lock himself away in his “office” or out into his “man cave” rather than spend time with the family.

Hopefully, one of the upsides in the aftermath of all this virus stuff will be that people won’t be dragging their kids out with them to places they don’t want to go and then roaring at them for not being “telepathic” and being exactly where they want them to be.

so do you have a family or not?

Edgware · 01-05-2020 11:39pm

DubInMeath wrote: »

You forgot all the culchies looking up at all the buildings and public transport, while having a chance at getting the shift from someone who isn't their cousin.

Sit outside in South William St having a coffee and within 5 minutes you will have dirtbirds annoying you looking for money for a hostel.
The scumbags of Dublin might think that is fine but decent Dublin people will do without it.
Of course in the Dublin scumbag mentality anyone who criticises them must be a Culche or a "bleeding foreigner" (who seems to have no problem finding work unlike Joxer)

01-05-2020 11:46pm

Edgware wrote: »

Sit outside in South William St having a coffee and within 5 minutes you will have dirtbirds annoying you looking for money for a hostel.
The scumbags of Dublin might think that is fine but decent Dublin people will do without it.
Of course in the Dublin scumbag mentality anyone who criticises them must be a Culche or a "bleeding foreigner" (who seems to have no problem finding work unlike Joxer)

True you will have people asking you for money, never seen it within five minutes however, I don't spend much time sitting outside cafes or pubs.

You get that being asked for money happens in Galway, Limerick and Cork at least in my experience, not just a Dublin thing, but you'd swear it was from most of your posts.

And yeah plenty of Dublin bashing by country folks on here, you'd swear that it was personal with some of them or just trying to be edgy.

jaxxx · 01-05-2020 11:51pm

jimwallace197 wrote: »

So, as if people from the country don't get the opportunity to travel abroad and see other cities. Stop acting like Dublin is the centre of the world.

Well our wee country ain't called the Republic of Dublin for nothing like! Sure us other 25 are merely large commuter areas! :pac:

Kylta · 02-05-2020 12:00am

Edgware wrote: »

Sit outside in South William St having a coffee and within 5 minutes you will have dirtbirds annoying you looking for money for a hostel.
The scumbags of Dublin might think that is fine but decent Dublin people will do without it.
Of course in the Dublin scumbag mentality anyone who criticises them must be a Culche or a "bleeding foreigner" (who seems to have no problem finding work unlike Joxer)

That begging thing is rampant in dublin, its not only confined to the city centre, the out shirts has its problem with this too.

Edgware · 02-05-2020 12:01am

DubInMeath wrote: »

True you will have people asking you for money, never seen it within five minutes however, I don't spend much time sitting outside cafes or pubs.

You get that being asked for money happens in Galway, Limerick and Cork at least in my experience, not just a Dublin thing, but you'd swear it was from most of your posts.

And yeah plenty of Dublin bashing by country folks on here, you'd swear that it was personal with some of them or just trying to be edgy.

It's not a country vs city issue.
The poster stated Dublin when going into "town"
You can be assured Cork and Limerick aren't short of scumbags either

Thelonious Monk · 02-05-2020 12:01am

Kylta wrote: »

Am a true blue ( it means born within the canals). Not many dubs go shopping in town anymore, they basically use the shopping centres on the outskirts. No parking and most of them have whatever shop you need. I personally think in the future dublin will be aimed at tourism. There already trying to keep the cars out off town. The clampers are like little fu¢king gremlins, its that bad that there even clamping in the outskirts too. Dublin is gone to expense for Dubs. I've been to prague and berlin etc, they seem to have an originality about them. People must remember that the brits ran this country a hundred years ago, so what your basically looking at is an old british city, thats maybe the equivalent of Leeds or Manchester. Definitely not the equivalent of London. Its still a great city dublin for tourist, but you won't find many dubs in the city centre

I as a Dub, well I work in the centre but I still love going in at the weekends to just have lunch or coffee or walk around a bit.
Yes hopefully they get more and more cars out of the city, it would be far more pleasant.
I can never understand people's complaints about clampers - just don't park illegally, simple as that.
London is a world megacity, my favourite place in the world but nowhere really compares to it.

riclad · 02-05-2020 12:31am

I assume People go to concerts. Clubs. Restaurants
Theatre etc if you want to go shopping Dundrum or blanhardstown is more convenient with free parking
Dublin city council wants people to use the luas or
Dublin bus to travel Eg reduce no of people using cars
It seems every year some large shop closes
See Debenhams etc its hard to compete with
Online shopping I see many small shops closed
Down for 6months near o. Connell St empty
Space for rent. Half the shops in the city centre
Are coffee shops. Chinese or fast food joints
Things are not looking good for the retail food sector
Will small cafes make a profit if they have to remove
Half the chairs in order to follow social spacing rules

riclad · 02-05-2020 12:43am

Go to any UK City there's the same chain stores coffee
Shops McDonald's burger King. If you go to the city centre
Theres car parks. It's not hard to avoid getting clamped
A large amount of the people who work in Dublin are from rural towns or else they are students from rural areas

Del.Monte · 02-05-2020 8:49am

Vita nova wrote: »

Oh, I know that but that doesn't mean one shouldn't bother commenting.
You actually thanked that post

That's because I enjoy the cut and thrust of town against country - and it's AH - doesn't mean I agree with the sentiment.

Edgware · 02-05-2020 9:01am

The pity is that Dublin has the potential to be a fantastic city. From the massive Phoenix Park along through historical Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter, Smithfield North Inner City and likewise from Ringsend/Sandymount along the southside to Drimnagh there are so many interesting features. It is a coastal city and a riverside city. A bit of imagination and determination to deal with street nuisances would help greatly

Zebra3 · 02-05-2020 10:41am

Too much air and noise pollution.

It's a kip because cars rule the roost.

Avoid it as much as I can.

Kewreeuss · 02-05-2020 12:23pm

I am beginning to think Dublin City is for tourists who fly in and those who live there.
Parking charges, traffic restrictions and cost of public transport inhibit casual visits. If I lived in ranelagh or contaref and had a bike I’d be fine.:D

Bobblehats · 02-05-2020 5:13pm

Thinkin about it meself tenor.gif?itemid=4821945

donvito99 · 02-05-2020 5:24pm

Kylta wrote: »

Am a true blue ( it means born within the canals). Not many dubs go shopping in town anymore, they basically use the shopping centres on the outskirts. No parking and most of them have whatever shop you need. I personally think in the future dublin will be aimed at tourism. There already trying to keep the cars out off town. The clampers are like little fu¢king gremlins, its that bad that there even clamping in the outskirts too. Dublin is gone to expense for Dubs. I've been to prague and berlin etc, they seem to have an originality about them. People must remember that the brits ran this country a hundred years ago, so what your basically looking at is an old british city, thats maybe the equivalent of Leeds or Manchester. Definitely not the equivalent of London. Its still a great city dublin for tourist, but you won't find many dubs in the city centre

The thought of driving out to liffey valley and spending the day browsing the shops with the family pretending to be English... I'd rather die

I don't think I've ever seen town so busy, so it follows that the less cars there are the more pleasant it is and the more people will hang around ?? Makes sense to me

Fritzbox · 02-05-2020 5:33pm

Zebra3 wrote: »

Too much air and noise pollution.

It's a kip because cars rule the roost.

Avoid it as much as I can.

World's most popular tourist city is Bangkok.

02-05-2020 6:58pm

Kylta wrote: »

Am a true blue ( it means born within the canals). Not many dubs go shopping in town anymore, they basically use the shopping centres on the outskirts. No parking and most of them have whatever shop you need. I personally think in the future dublin will be aimed at tourism. There already trying to keep the cars out off town. The clampers are like little fu¢king gremlins, its that bad that there even clamping in the outskirts too. Dublin is gone to expense for Dubs. I've been to prague and berlin etc, they seem to have an originality about them. People must remember that the brits ran this country a hundred years ago, so what your basically looking at is an old british city, thats maybe the equivalent of Leeds or Manchester. Definitely not the equivalent of London. Its still a great city dublin for tourist, but you won't find many dubs in the city centre

As a Londoner, to me going into town is going up West. While London is choked with tourists all year round, you'll still find locals shopping in all the congested areas. Traffic and parking and congestion charges aside, public transport makes the difference between people shopping in the city or in suburban malls. Not that public transport is that cheap in London.

Dublin is a nice city that you can walk around fairly comfortably which is rare in a capital city, and while Leeds is nice enough it just doesn't compare.

Better Than Christ · 02-05-2020 7:11pm

Zebra3 wrote: »

It's a kip because cars rule the roost.

That's something that badly needs to change. There is far too much on-street parking, but also too many multi-story car parks. Whenever improvements to public transport, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure are mooted, they're welcomed by most business owners in the city centre, but a inordinately powerful organisation calling itself "Dublin City Centre Traders Alliance" always objects. Far from being an alliance of traders, DCCTA is a consortium of large retailers who also happen to own car parks. Their whole raison d'être is to oppose all sustainable development in the city centre in favour of lining their own pockets. Their car parks should be compulsorily purchased by the state, flattened and turned into affordable housing for people who work in the city centre.

Sam Hain · 02-05-2020 7:37pm

DubInMeath wrote: »

You forgot all the culchies looking up at all the buildings and public transport, while having a chance at getting the shift from someone who isn't their cousin.

says a Dub that persumably now lives in Meath LOL

Fann Linn · 02-05-2020 7:40pm

Sam Hain wrote: »

says a Dub that persumably now lives in Meath LOL

The flag on The Hill says 'Behind Enemy Lines'.

biko · 02-05-2020 7:40pm

Every Dublin thread in AH ends up with Dubs against the world. It's all so tired and done.

ziggyman17 · 02-05-2020 7:44pm

Love going into town.. We go in once a week........Lots of lovely places to have a bite to eat.......The Long Hall, The Palace Bar, The Stags Head, Toners, to have a few nice pints of Guinness, an evening walk in Stephens Green Park is always lovely, once you know where to go and stay away from certain places then Dublin City is a great little town.....

donvito99 · 02-05-2020 7:52pm

I can understand that some people just prefer to go down the local on a Saturday night and not get on a bus into and out of town, but can you imagine - as some here have suggested - living in a kind of giant Milton Keynes where you spend your day working in an industrial estate with ample parking and your weekends at shopping centre with ample parking near a motorway.... no thanks.

Edgware · 02-05-2020 7:55pm

ziggyman17 wrote: »

Love going into town.. We go in once a week........Lots of lovely places to have a bite to eat.......The Long Hall, The Palace Bar, The Stags Head, Toners, to have a few nice pints of Guinness, an evening walk in Stephens Green Park is always lovely, once you know where to go and stay away from certain places then Dublin City is a great little town.....

There are nice pubs in that stretch from Westland Row up to Camden St. Can't say the same for the North Inner city until you go to Stoneybatter

Thelonious Monk · 02-05-2020 7:55pm

Kewreeuss wrote: »

I am beginning to think Dublin City is for tourists who fly in and those who live there.
Parking charges, traffic restrictions and cost of public transport inhibit casual visits. If I lived in ranelagh or contaref and had a bike I’d be fine.:D

What so Dublin should be designed for people who don't live there and drive in from surrounding counties? No thanks!

andekwarhola · 02-05-2020 7:55pm

Kylta wrote: »

but you won't find many dubs in the city centre

Nonsense.

Zebra3 · 02-05-2020 8:33pm

Candie wrote: »

Dublin is a nice city that you can walk around fairly comfortably

It's actually not.

A nightmare for cyclists too.

Better Than Christ · 02-05-2020 8:56pm

Zebra3 wrote: »

It's actually not.

A nightmare for cyclists too.

It's a nightmare for cyclists, but it's a nice city to walk around - plenty of parks and squares and some lovely architecture. It would be even nicer if car usage was heavily discouraged and you didn't have to press a button to request 'permission' to get from one side of a street to the other.

Thelonious Monk · 02-05-2020 9:53pm

Better Than Christ wrote: »

It's a nightmare for cyclists, but it's a nice city to walk around - plenty of parks and squares and some lovely architecture. It would be even nicer if car usage was heavily discouraged and you didn't have to press a button to request 'permission' to get from one side of a street to the other.

Parts of it are a nightmare to walk around. I work (or used to maybe) in Baggot st area. There's barely enough room for pedestrians on part of Baggot st and especially Merrion row, so at lunchtime you have people doing 80km down the street while pedestrians are pushed out onto the roads. It's dangerous.
I mean it isn't too bad but it could be so much better, if there were less cars.

GT89 · 02-05-2020 10:10pm

Yes I find Grafton and Henry Street are much more pleasant places to shop than Dundrum or Blanchardstown. For me I'm as quick getting into town on a bus than sitting in traffic to get in to park in places like Dundrum or Blanch. Around Christmas these places are nightmares and town is just as good.

Going into town

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