To ask if you live in Belfast, do you like it?

[BeagBoo]

I'm from there but haven't lived there since a teenager. I've lived in London for my entire adult life but we will never be able to buy here, and we're just surviving really. Me and DH have been thinking of moving home with our DS (1). But I can't imagine living there. I hated growing up there and worry about raising a kid there.

But all my family live there and that would be nice, to be near them. I just struggle to visualise myself there. If you live there and like it, why? Thanks in advance.

^i would rather live in literally every other city in the uk than belfast

if i had a job in belfast i would fly in everyday with ryanair or whoever to avoid living there^

That's a really helpful post. Would you care to elaborate and give the OP your personal experience of living in Belfast?

That's a really helpful post. Would you care to elaborate and give the OP your personal experience of living in Belfast?

Thanks for the compliment- glad to be of help.

Religion, politics and economy would be the top 3 reasons for not living there.

You would have thought that by my post you would know that i never have nor never will live there. That doesn't mean i cant have an opinion on it- i wouldn't live in saudi arabia either for similar reasons but i dont have to have lived there to know that

I swear there are people coming on here who don't gave a clue about Belfast, but just want to push their bigoted agenda about the lovely people of Belfast, yet they will happily bang on about the 'narrow minded' people living in the city. I'm from a very rural area and used to have those bigoted views of Belfast until I moved into the city. I was shocked how friendly and helpful to the outsider with the 'Scottish' accent, locals were and I lived in a very 'working class' area. That was 30yrs ago.

So Ariaba, you just want to give your uneducated, bigoted opinion about a city and it's people, that you know nothing about? I suppose that's fair enough.

I haven't been to Belfast in a few years and clicked on this thread out of curiosity. You lot have me frantically trying to book getting up there for the June bank holiday now

Ach for fuck sake, I know we have our problems and shit, but we're no Saudi Arabia.

I grew up in Dublin and moved to Belfast after college. I moved out to Bangor two years ago.

I love it here, I wouldn't move back to Dublin. I could earn a lot more in Dublin or London but the cost of living here is so low that my quality of life is much better. Working hours and commutes are typically lower here, and property much much cheaper. No way I could afford a nice house in a naice suburb elsewhere!

I've had one nasty experience here, during the first big night of fleg protests. The people involved couldn't have known I was from Dublin/Catholic, it was wrong place wrong time. I feel safer walking home after dark here than I did in a naice Dublin suburb. Never once had a nasty or barbed comment about my background.

If your industry isn't well developed (or present at all) here, then that is an issue, same as any smaller city.

But I think go for it. There are places in Belfast I wouldn't want to live, but that's the same anywhere.

I've lived in both rural NI and in Belfast for long periods of time, and Belfast did my head in.

That's life - no one else has to like your city!

I agree, no one has to like your City, but having an educated opinion on a city that you've actually lived in would probably be more helpful to the OP, than the same old shit being spouted about a city you have had no experience of.

I live in Lisburn and I'm pretty happy here. I love Northern Ireland, aside from the political crap, it's a beautiful country with mostly very warm and friendly people.

Another Newtownabbeyer here! I love NI! I moved to Scotland for 2 years of Uni and England for a year but always knew I'd come back. The pace of life compared to London is horizontal! You can go into Belfast and usually bump into someone you know which is nice. The shopping is good. There are shopping centres with free parking outside of Belfast like Sprucefield in Lisburn or the Abbeycentre in Newtownabbey.

I love living near the sea and weather permitting usually go to the beach at least once a week with the DC.

People are so friendly and generally helpful.

I've never experienced sectarianism even when I walked to my friends house in the New Lodge in a predominantly Protestant school uniform.

I am not scared to wait outside a bar for a taxi, nor as a student walk home alone. Something I wouldn't have dreamed of in London.

The houses are definitely better for your money.

The education system is more stable with the replacement of the 11+ allowing entrance to Grammar Schools. I wouldn't have entertained raising children anywhere else. I know bullying happens everywhere but in my experience there seems to be less of it here .

I suppose OP it's a matter of thinking what you want for your DC. You said your DC is 1 year old, so that's a good age to move and settle quickly.

Also, there's the risk of having your opinions of Old-Belfast clouding your mind. You're older now, different life stage. So try to consider options from that POV.

Anywhere you live is going to have some problems. But living close to family might be lovely enough to outweigh that.

So Ariaba, you just want to give your uneducated, bigoted opinion about a city and it's people, that you know nothing about?

i was just trying to fit in with Belfast /s

If i knew nothing about it, i wouldn't have an opinion. But I have read what people in this thread have said, what other people have said and looked at actual facts. The whole sectarian catholic/ protestant thing is not a figment of my imagination. The fact that religion and politics are intertwined leading to terrible things such as the abortion laws there, segregation and a stalled economy are well known

you should also look into what bigot means. i stated an opinion, you displayed intolerance of an opinion different to your own- the actual, very definition of bigotry.

Also from the newtownabbey area

I like living not far from Belfast but not actually in it. If I was to move Malone area is good but £££s.

Public transport is pretty crap. Schools are generally good. Jobs can be hard to come by. People are on the whole friendly. It rains - a lot. I like Cathedral area for going out.

Personally I've found religion doesn't really come into it most of the time. I have good friends from all backgrounds and it's never been an issue.

Waves to Sirona. This is turning into NewtownabbeyNet. I'm up in Glengormley on the Antrim road. The bus service, into Belfast, is great from here, though I'm fed up with there being far too many carryouts. I wish the council would do more to encourage other businesses to open up, though it's hard for them, being so close to the Abbey centre. However I love the coffee shops, Especially 'Linen and Latte', I think it's called. One of the few places where they cater for my vegan diet.

I love having so many green spaces to walk the dogs, we're really spoilt for those. Hazelbank is beautiful and the Cavehill is a great walk/crawl. They are trying to make the village a lot more attractive looking. I do think it has a lot of untapped potential to become a naicer village.

In my younger days, the Kremlin, Belfast, was my favourite nightclub to go to.

Night in town tonight folks ?

I'm originally from Carnmoney Poverty I was in the Krem a few weeks ago :)Back in the day it was The Parliament we all went to after the usual clubs had closed.

Yes to the green spaces, one of the things I like about here is within a short walk or drive you can be in the 'countryside'

Poverty I love Linen & Latte! I live a stones throw away and go there all the time. Is a brill place.

I am from NI and lived in Belfast for 7years. Have lived in London now for 5 yrs and will be moving back this summer. Reasons for moving include housing and education. Jobs still seem scarce but again depends what you do. Having been away, every time I visit, friends take me to new places and it has changed so much in such a short space of time. The politics pisses me off but I am hopeful of change in the future.

So, anyone fancy helping me get a job? :D I'm a digital community manager at a charity. You can see my problem with trying to find one so far! But I do have offline skills, I run workshops and training on peer support.

We will be visiting in July as DD is taking part in a production at the Lyric Theatre. She will be there for two weeks for rehearsals, the rest of us will be over for a weekend to see the show and take in some of the city.

Never been before but we are looking forward to it

I have seen a digital account manager job advertised but that's probably something totally different have no notion about that industry?

It is, yep. Stupid niche job :(

irishdad neutral person as in someone who isn't aligned to either side of the religious and political extremes. TBH name or accent generally means nothing going to most people in NI, only the bogies and racists. And there are bigots and racists everywhere in every city in the world.

As for the 12th of July, we live in a pretty loyalist town and manage to avoid it all every year by going on a day trip to the north coast and avoiding the bonfire. Although I do admit it makes the washing on the line smell like smoke for a day or two after.
I also work in Belfast on the 12th and unless you are in the city centre it is possible to avoid it.
Things are changing in NI, for the better, and I will defend this wee country no matter what people accuse us of. Every country has its problems, it's a pity we've been tarnished with this brush because of the past but it's time to move on.

I can't help with the jobs OP, but I would suggest that you sign up to Facebook sites that are NI based, eg Dog lovers NI is a great one to find out about local walks that wouldn't necessarily be on tourist NI, as well as letting you know which cafés/hotels are dog friendly. Brilliant if you have a dog and helpful to know where you should avoid if you don't like them.

Try Facebook for your type of jobs too. Companies usually have their own Facebook.

Contact the local employment agencies and see if there's a demand for your line of work. That's usually the easiest way to find out if there's a good chance of a job.

Poverty I love Linen & Latte! I live a stones throw away and go there all the time. Is a brill place

There coffee is delicious! but I do think they should get rid of that big table! move their stuff further back and put some small tables and chairs in the front window. Here is quite a mature population in the area and I think the thought of stairs puts people off going in. I really hope they do well, because I think they're the nicest cafe in Glengormley.

Have you tried The Cosy Chair in Whiteabbey? It's wonderful. The smell of all that fresh baking and their soup. Yum yum.