Best place to live within commuting distance of Belfast

Mistral001

SnowyOwl wrote: »

I've got to agree with LeftieM. The plain but painful truth is that our society is still a divided one. Saying so is not a sectarian or bigoted statement. There are some areas where the impact is less, other areas which are staunchly nationalist, others staunchly loyalist. Ignore those boundaries at your peril when purchasing a home.

Well I (and many people) have ignored them and never found a problem even though I/we were very much in the minority in the particular area moved to. Maybe I was just lucky, but the general point I was making was that to go to an area because it was "mixed" ie. is not predominately of one colour or another, is actually implicitedly making a choice based on secterian criteria.

PS. I do not want to make a big deal of this aspect of chooseing a house. The poster who first mentioned "mixed" areas probably did it it quite innocently, however, the inference that non-mixed areas should be in some way be avoided is sad to see in forums as not help to halt the ghettoisation that seems to be getting worse rather than better in NI.

RetireEarlyBlog

I agree with what most people have said. If you want to consider living in Belfast, the best area without a doubt is Malone/Stranmillis/Lisburn Road. Nothing to do with sectarian nonsense, these areas have the highest rental and property prices in N. Ireland for a reason. The next best area would be Belmont Road/Stormont. Seen Ballyhackmore mentioned, another decent place, but I would have it slightly behind Belmont Road/Stormont. If you're working in Belfast, to be honest, I don't see any reason to look behind those areas. You could consider the likes of Lisburn, Bangor, etc. and while these are all perfectly decent areas, I wouldn't consider the quality of life any better (commutes can be tough at times).

If you're looking for a less urban location that's still close to Belfast, the Cultra mention has a lot of merit, the property prices there are mad though.

RetireEarlyBlog

Mistral001 wrote: »

is actually implicitedly making a choice based on secterian criteria.

In fairness, it's less a sectarian thing and more of a scumbag thing. I think you will find that the more people are paid and the higher the value of their houses, suddenly they aren't so keen to start burning their neighbours out of their houses

SnowyOwl_2

Mistral001 wrote: »

Well I (and many people) have ignored them and never found a problem even though I/we were very much in the minority in the particular area moved to. Maybe I was just lucky, but the general point I was making was that to go to an area because it was "mixed" ie. is not predominately of one colour or another, is actually implicitedly making a choice based on secterian criteria.

PS. I do not want to make a big deal of this aspect of chooseing a house. The poster who first mentioned "mixed" areas probably did it it quite innocently, however, the inference that non-mixed areas should be in some way be avoided is sad to see in forums as not help to halt the ghettoisation that seems to be getting worse rather than better in NI.

The irony in your statement is that if an area is non-mixed then it has already been subject to avoidance by everyone except the particular singular group in that area.

almillar

You'll not get from Templepatrick or Parkgate to Belfast by car IN THE RUSH HOUR in 15 mins! OP asked for 40 mins commute max and I guess it'll take longer than that from there in the mornings...

RikM

almillar wrote: »

You'll not get from Templepatrick or Parkgate to Belfast by car IN THE RUSH HOUR in 15 mins! OP asked for 40 mins commute max and I guess it'll take longer than that from there in the mornings...

The problem is that any car commute is going to be critically dependent on when you do it. Take the shore road from Carrick. Anywhere from 20 minutes, to over an hour, depending on when exactly you go.

almillar

RikM - yup, I'm taking (and I think most people would) commute to mean into Belfast for 9 and leaving Belfast at 17.00 - so there's no point saying 15 mins if you can do that at 22.00, you need to take traffic into account. eg Banbridge to Lisburn can take less time than Lisburn to Belfast.

RikM

almillar wrote: »

RikM - yup, I'm taking (and I think most people would) commute to mean into Belfast for 9 and leaving Belfast at 17.00 - so there's no point saying 15 mins if you can do that at 22.00, you need to take traffic into account. eg Banbridge to Lisburn can take less time than Lisburn to Belfast.

Yes... But sometimes a little difference counts for a lot. I'm lucky enough to be a bit flexible about my start time, so reaching work around 10am (and leaving generally 18:30 - 19:00), I get to spend a huge amount less time in traffic, than having to be in the office by 9. Travelling between 8:30 and 9 tends to be the worst - clashes badly with the school runs.

wanchai_2

Ah yes, the little darlings can't be expected to walk, cycle or get the bus...

RikM

wanchai wrote: »

Ah yes, the little darlings can't be expected to walk, cycle or get the bus...

And, of course, if you're dropping a kid at Belfast High, you have to stop outside on the shore road while accumulating a long line of traffic behind you...