Moving to Belfast - how do I start looking for good schools, nice areas to live in?

bigw81

Strandtown Primary is extremely well regarded - as far as 'big schools' are concerned, my two have been through Grosvenor Grammar and I can't speak highly enough of it (plus they've just had a fabulous new building completed - WOW!).... many of their friends go to Sullivan out at Holywood and its a great school also.
When looking at rental prices or house prices, bear in mind that the 'qualifying' criteria to get into their secondary school could well include 'distance from school' and the school might also have 'feeder primary schools' which are given priority over other applicants. Your children are only 5 and 8 so you're probably thinking secondary education is miles away at the moment - but unless you want to move them again to another primary between now and year 7, you'll need to choose carefully with an aim in mind as to which secondary you're hoping to get them into. So whilst you might have to pay more to rent/buy in certain locations, you might decide that its a good investment for the next three years in order that your 8 year old falls within a certain catchment area.

Hope that helps in some way - the great news is that generally speaking, education standards are much much higher over here than across the water, so you should find that you can get them into a good school irrespective of where you locate!

hatsepsovet

WheelieWood wrote: »

or about 165K

hatsepsovet : I'd tell you how great a reputation Orangefield Primary has and then try to sell you my house... but it sounds like you're already thinking of outside Belfast itself. :rotfl:

I phoned the Orangefield Primary and YES, they do have spaces for my kids! They are sending me application forms, so we will see, if those spaces are still available next year. Now just need to find somewhere to live.

I have also looked into Strandtown and the 3 feeder schools; alhough Strandtown have a space for my elder child, the feeder schools couldn't tell me if they had a space for my younger child; I have to get in touch with them closer to our moving date to see if there's been any changes.

So now for the housing; where in the vicinity of Orangefield primary should I be looking to rent? We would need a minimum 3, preferably 4 bed house. Anywhere we should avoid?

Many thanks again everyone. :T

caz2703

hatsepsovet wrote: »

So now for the housing; where in the vicinity of Orangefield primary should I be looking to rent? We would need a minimum 3, preferably 4 bed house. Anywhere we should avoid?

Walking distance or will you be driving? Is there a chance you will be using Strandtown Primary?

Someone closer to this part of town may be able to add or challenge me on the info below:

If you're going by car then pretty much from Belmont Road at Dundela up towards Orby which is just past Orangefield Primary. Beyond Orby you are heading towards the Cregagh Estate which I would personally avoid.

Other options which someone can comment on:

Ballgowan Road?
Orby side of Castlereagh road - are these bigger houses than the other side of C'Reagh Road?
Grand Parade - most houses off here are bog standard 3 bed 2 reception that most of East Belfast is made up of or am I wrong?
Cyprus Avenue and surrounding streets have bigger houses but bigger houses means bigger prices.
Upper Newtownards Road - Ormiston and Wandsworth. Again, bigger and dearer.

Not much to find when looking for rental properties but Ormiston has some Let Agreed at £800pm compared to approx £650 if you were the other side of Belmont in Marmont (again, bog standard 3 bed 1 or 2 rec). Marmont would work for Strandtown and Belmont by car. Orby is also £650-ish and would work if walking to Orangefield but they're only 3 bedroom houses.

Get yourself onto https://www.propertynews.com and look up some of those areas for rental (and for sale) to get an idea of what is there then use Google Maps to check distance from Strandtown, Belmont and Orangefield.

tara747

Can I recommend the Ormeau Road and Stranmillis (South Belfast)? Just to balance out East Belfast posts?

It is a lovely area, very family friendly but still full of fab little cafes, bars and BYO restaurants... it has a great park and a library and it's close to the river, Lagan Meadows, the towpath and the city centre (and Forestside shopping centre which has M&S and Sainsbury's). And it has a great butcher!

House prices are getting more reasonable so it's more affordable - in the next year or so prices are likely to fall even more so you can rent there as cheaply as anywhere in Belfast and watch out for your perfect place. There is a good selection of rental properties with gardens and sufficient bedrooms for your family.

e.g.:

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758427&i=8&p=ECSECS19706&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758462&i=9&p=BCCEBCE0411&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758525&i=14&p=CILCIL0373&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758068&i=2&p=PNC434893&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758228&i=3&p=PNC530518&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758273&i=5&p=PNC522840&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=30&s=111757818&i=10&p=PNC523604&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=30&s=111757818&i=11&p=PNC428633&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=12&s=111757650&i=4&p=PNC492693&fp=1&sort=h2l

Best of all (imho)... it's totally neutral religion-wise. I know we're all at peace now, but this is still a consideration for most people. There are several very dodgy parts of Belfast that I wouldn't live in.

Good luck OP, keep us posted!

starnight_2

Ormeau Rd may be nice, but surely it's much to far from Strandtown for the OP to consider!! If she is sending her children to Orangefield and Strandtown I would suggest somewhere between the two, around Upper Newtownards, Castlereagh, Bloomfield areas.

lazer

tara747 wrote: »

Can I recommend the Ormeau Road and Stranmillis (South Belfast)? Just to balance out East Belfast posts?

It is a lovely area, very family friendly but still full of fab little cafes, bars and BYO restaurants... it has a great park and a library and it's close to the river, Lagan Meadows, the towpath and the city centre (and Forestside shopping centre which has M&S and Sainsbury's). And it has a great butcher!

House prices are getting more reasonable so it's more affordable - in the next year or so prices are likely to fall even more so you can rent there as cheaply as anywhere in Belfast and watch out for your perfect place. There is a good selection of rental properties with gardens and sufficient bedrooms for your family.

e.g.:

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758427&i=8&p=ECSECS19706&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758462&i=9&p=BCCEBCE0411&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758525&i=14&p=CILCIL0373&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758068&i=2&p=PNC434893&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758228&i=3&p=PNC530518&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=17&s=111758273&i=5&p=PNC522840&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=30&s=111757818&i=10&p=PNC523604&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=30&s=111757818&i=11&p=PNC428633&fp=1&sort=h2l

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=12&s=111757650&i=4&p=PNC492693&fp=1&sort=h2l

Best of all (imho)... it's totally neutral religion-wise. I know we're all at peace now, but this is still a consideration for most people. There are several very dodgy parts of Belfast that I wouldn't live in.

Good luck OP, keep us posted!

I too would recommend South Belfast -

The Stranmillis area up around cutters wharf is lovely and as far as i'm aware the OP hasn't enrolled the kids in school yet, so do any of the posters have children in schools in these areas?

I'm afraid the only schools I'm aware are the Catholic Maintained Schools which may not be what the OP is looking for

caz2703

I think the reason East Belfast has featured so much is the fact the OPs husband will be working in the Docks area (Odyssey side, not Dargan side) so for ease of commute in a new city the East makes more sense.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and mine is that I would start off in the East then as you get used to the surroundings maybe look elsewhere if you're happy to increase commute times or when looking at secondary level education. The East has a good selection of shopping areas, close to the motorways, handy to travel down the coast to the likes of Holywood, Bangor etc for a change of scenary and has some very good schools, more so than Stranmillis.

Don't get me wrong, Stranmillis is lovely for its wee cafes etc but if I want that culture when I live out in the sticks I can find it by driving. If I had my own way I'd have the OP move to Bangor, rent a 5 bed 3 reception for £750pm, have Bloomfields and the town centre close by, a fantastic primary school almost in walking distance, Donaghadee & Groomsport close by, Crawfordsburn only 15/20 minutes up the road etc etc etc :rotfl:

tara747

starnight wrote: »

Ormeau Rd may be nice, but surely it's much to far from Strandtown for the OP to consider!! If she is sending her children to Orangefield and Strandtown I would suggest somewhere between the two, around Upper Newtownards, Castlereagh, Bloomfield areas.

caz2703 wrote: »

I think the reason East Belfast has featured so much is the fact the OPs husband will be working in the Docks area (Odyssey side, not Dargan side) so for ease of commute in a new city the East makes more sense.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and mine is that I would start off in the East then as you get used to the surroundings maybe look elsewhere if you're happy to increase commute times or when looking at secondary level education. The East has a good selection of shopping areas, close to the motorways, handy to travel down the coast to the likes of Holywood, Bangor etc for a change of scenary and has some very good schools, more so than Stranmillis.

Don't get me wrong, Stranmillis is lovely for its wee cafes etc but if I want that culture when I live out in the sticks I can find it by driving. If I had my own way I'd have the OP move to Bangor, rent a 5 bed 3 reception for £750pm, have Bloomfields and the town centre close by, a fantastic primary school almost in walking distance, Donaghadee & Groomsport close by, Crawfordsburn only 15/20 minutes up the road etc etc etc :rotfl:

Sorry, I was under the impression that the OP hadn't 100% decided on schools yet.

I totally see your points caz, but there is a lot more to South Belfast than cafes, it has some lovely parks and good schools. And it's close to the Lagan towpath, Lady Dixon Park etc. If you want to go to the seaside, Newcastle is close by. To get on the road to Bangor you only need to go a few miles round the Outer Ring. As for shopping centres, Forestside is brilliant and there is the huge Tesco at Knockbreda, just minutes away.

Most importantly, it's a safe area and very close to the city centre (20 minutes' walk) and means that you are less car-dependent - some people value this highly. The walk along the river is lovely and I enjoy watching the rowers from the boat club.

Anyway, I hope the OP finds somewhere nice!

starnight_2

Tara - sorry I reread my post and feel I might seem a bit abrupt. Not sure if OP has decided on schools yet, and I agree Ormeau is lovely.

tara747

starnight wrote: »

Tara - sorry I reread my post and feel I might seem a bit abrupt.

Not at all