Dublin is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland. Its official Irish name is Baile Átha Cliath. It is located in the midpoint of the Irish east coast, and is a global city that is a major financial center.
Dublin is divided by the River Liffey into the North and South sides, the South side considered the fancy part and the North Side considered to be working-class. People often refer to the North part of Dublin as “DNS,” and will say “She is from the DNS.” There is a bit of a rivalry between the two, as it creates a class structure. Dublin is divided by number into postal districts, the odd numbers on the North and the even on the South (the exception of Dublin 8, on the North Side).
Neighborhoods
The Dublin 4 area of Ballsbridge is considered a high-class, rather pretentious area. It is south of the Grand Canal. It is primarily an expensive residential area as well as a tourist area, as it has many nice hotels. There are also a lot of embassies here, including the American embassy. It is just within walking distance of the city center.
The Docklands contain a lot of new development; it is a neighborhood in transition. They are in the process of tearing down a lot of old buildings and creating new glass high rises (which are around 10 stories, tall for Dublin.) It is located on both sides of the River Liffey. They have recently opened a train station to help promote the practicality of the neo-urban lifestyle they are trying to create.
Foxrock, on the South side, is a suburb of the city of Dublin, in Dublin 18. The village of Foxrock is considered unusual for Irish culture, as it does not contain a pub. However, it does have a golf course and race track. Carrickmines is another suburb of the south side of Dublin 18, and is a prestigious area with a famous croquet club and nice houses and rentals.
For those who want to live close to Dublin and don’t want to be way out in the suburbs, or want to be in the hustle and bustle of the city, there are the Northside coastal areas, such as the fishing area of Howth. There are some beautiful views of Dublin Bay, the Wicklow Mountains and Boyne Valley. There is a great network of walking paths, and many observation areas to observe local wildlife. It is in Dublin 13.
Parks
Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed city park in Europe, at 1,760 acres in size. Dublin Zoo is also in this park. It has deer living in it! Both the president and US ambassador live on these grounds. There are many hiking and walking paths in this park, and they often hold sports and music events. It is on the north side near Dublin 7/8. It has oak, beech, pine, chestnut and lime trees, so it lives up to the Irish greenery reputation.
St Stephen’s Green Park is centrally located, adjacent to Grafton Street, a major shopping area. It contains many statues of famous Irish people, that have been given obscene names by some of the locals! Many students, shoppers and workers of Dublin can be seen hanging out or taking lunch breaks here when the weather is nice. It takes up 22 acres, and is in the South Side of Dublin 2, close-in.
Ivey Gardens are located in proximity to the Department of Foreign Affairs. They are a local treasure, having been designed in the 1860s after French and English styles. It is quiet and not very crowded, a good escape from city life.
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