To Dublin!

I had intended to write my one year anniversary since my accident post, but I've felt the need to set my sights on the future, which has resulted in finding an apartment in Dublin town this week.  The anniversary post may present itself sometime in the near future, but for now, I'd like to talk about what it's like apartment shopping in Dublin.

Been staying in Shankill this last while (south suburb of Dublin) and while it's been lovely, I am looking forward to city life again.  Have always preferred the north side of cities (Chicago, New York, not Seoul) and Dublin's no exception.  We settled on a neighborhood called 'Phibsborough' and it's right at the northern edge of the city, just before you hit Drumcondra after the canal (the canals' perimeters are what designate Dublin proper).

Before I get all sentimental and depressing, as I do, let me do some rote listing.  How about some of the differences I had to accept in shopping for an apartment in Dublin?


The good ones first.

It is not abnormal to reasonably expect ___ in a run-of-the mill low-rent apartment in Dublin:

• a fireplace
• a washing machine
• shared or private access to a back garden
• everything being furnished already, 10 times out of 10

Right, so that's all great.  Until you realize what you come to no longer expect in a run-of-the-mill low-rent apartment:

• a bathtub (seriously 10 times out of 10)
• something larger than a twin bed, half the time
• a regular-sized fridge.  only mini-fridges.  no freezers.
• bin charges (garbage pickup charges) not exorbitant, as I understand around 10euro a month, just not something I'm used to.  
• generally getting used to the fact that the building you'll be living in wasn't meant for residence purposes, or at least not for multiple residents.  
• things I've already neatly stowed away in my denial box

Most of these buildings were either single family homes or tenements where whole families lived in no-amenity single rooms.  The whole concept of apartment-living is apparently relatively new to Dublin.  Some of the apartments I was looking at had whole self-contained bathrooms built in the middle of the living room to qualify as being a viable modern-day apartment.   

Our apartment is in the back of a real estate agency shop.  The very real estate agency that found the apartment for us.  So that'll be interesting...that and that we're in between a closed-down sex shop and a fairly fancy arcade.  Oh-- and down the street from three corner pubs, a McDonald's and a humongous church.  Civilization!  Things that make me feel instantly guilty!

First time not living in close proximity to a train in some years.  Do not like that.  It might force me onto a bike, which won't be the worst thing in the world.  Last time I depended on a bike for transport was when I was giving Iowa a chance.

This might all make it seem like I'm less-than-thrilled about the move to Phibsborough, but in fact, the area is very cute and capable.  I'll also be living a short few blocks away from where James Joyce grew up.

I have nothing to add to that.  Except that I want to make public note of all the famous writers I've lived in close proximity to.  Ralph Ellison in New York.  Ok, so that's the end of the list and they're both long dead.  Still worth bragging about. 

...

We sign the lease in a couple days.  And I bought a towel today, so it's real.  

This is my year for hiding away, studying, hopefully writing more in this blog, making euros stretch (making euros do gymnastics), pontificating from my bed, learning the metric system - putting all that into a pot and hoping, hoping that it all magically turns into the Thing That Happens Next.

So that's Dublin apartment-shopping for you.  Let me know if you have any questions!