"the village" area of belfast

work_to_live

whats it like to live in the village area of belfast? rental prices are cheaper there but im wondering if its for a negative reason

Old_Git

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-23405185

duggan1

Ever see district 9?

JulieElizabeth

work_to_live wrote: »

whats it like to live in the village area of belfast? rental prices are cheaper there but im wondering if its for a negative reason

Yep

nail head hit

qwert_yuiop

Used to live there. Loved it. Always something interesting happening. Not necessarily good, but always interesting.

work_to_live

I need to feel safe so sounds like its not an option for me.what about the top of the ravenhill road closest to city centre.is it sectarian?cheaper there aswell

qwert_yuiop

Truth is, Northern ireland is sectarian.

I'd like someone to tell me this isn't true, but I was told last week that the population is actually becoming increasingly divided, with younger people tending to move from mixed areas they grew up in to more purely sectarianized zones. Tandragee, for instance, I'm told has only an elderly Catholic population, and therefore in a few years will have no Catholics at all.
There's our future - a network of little bantustans (look it up) of one or other group. Depressing stuff.

donnac2558

work_to_live wrote: »

I need to feel safe so sounds like its not an option for me.what about the top of the ravenhill road closest to city centre.is it sectarian?cheaper there aswell

We call that the bottom of the Ravenhill Road, the top is near Rosetta. Well everyone I know does.

So the area you are looking at, think Woodstock Road so very red,white and blue. I know someone offered a house down there and refused as her parents had a mixed marriage(in the old fashioned sense), and she was frighten to go to that area. Others warned her about that particular area and not to even think about. She and her partner ended up renting privately and it cost them a lot more, but they considered now safe and friendly they wanted the area they lived in to be.

To be totally honest, cheap = if not from that area originally not welcomed or sub standard housing.

Milko

To put a slightly more balanced view on this thread, a friend recently sold his house in Ardoyne ... it went to a local family as apparently, only locals buy & sell here


Make of that what you will but as my mainland friends tell me, they wouldn't buy in a "yardi" estate as they wouldn't be welcome so lets now give NI any further unnecessary negativity. Territorial grounds span the world over

In_For_A_Penny_2

If you can afford to live somewhere other than "cheap" you probably won't regret it.

Sectarianism aside, the main issue that would worry me about some of those areas you mentioned is the potential anti-social behaviour (not wishing to sound like a snob)

Majority of Belfast is absolutely fine but if you're not familiar with the city do your research.

BatCat

I lived there a few years ago when I went to university. Far cheaper than the holyland and very convenient. Neither my then boyfriend, nor I had any issues. It's interesting, but I didn't feel scared or anything.
I wouldn't raise my children there though, but it was fine as a student. I think it gets a very bad press which isn't really deserved.