River Towers-Cork

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NiamhH

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I have recently moved to Cork and am looking to buy a 2 bed apartment, town house or duplex.

I have noticed that the apartments behind St. Annes on the Lee Road - 'River Towers' are going for quite a bit cheaper than 2 beds in other locations and am just wondering why exactly? Is there something about the place, apartments etc.? I know they are not as nice as the St. Annes apts (old building in front) but still seem surprisingly reasonable (well-relatively speaking), especially considering their promixity to the city centre.

I have heard someone say that people are not so keen on them as they are on the grounds of an old psychiatric hospital. This hardly accounts for it?

Thanks.
 
I have heard a couple of stories about trouble (car damage etc) occurring there at nighttime. The relatively close proximity of these apartments to some of the rougher parts of Cork city further up the hill was also mentioned.

These could have been isolated events and may not be responsible for the cheaper prices.
 
I rented an apartment in there last year for approximately 8 months. Before we moved there were a couple of incidents with cars being broken into and there was a couple burnt out one night. The lighting in general in the area around the complex was quite poor and there was no security gate in place. We spoke to our landlord and they were trying to get all this sorted with the management company, remember this was all last year ago so if it is not in place I would be a bit worried.
I did like living there but as I didn't drive at the time I did feel a bit isolated from shops and pubs but there is a new centra open now over the bridge and there is supposed to be a bar/restaurant in the old church out front.
Best of luck.
 
Recently had the pleasure of viewing the apartments from the top floor of the council offices (stunning view!). Although it was the St. Annes block that caught the eye, I can't say I remember any specifics on the block towards the rear.

While a lot of people did comment on how well the apartments looked, again more in relation to the St. Annes than the River Towers apartments, the majority did pass comment on the old psychiatric hospital and frequent replies of "but would you really live there?" were made. It was a national event so it wasn't just a local view, but have to admit I was surprised by the reaction.

Then again I've stayed in what I was informed was the old hospital morgue section of a now hotel (again, anyone with a knowledge of Cork will nodoubt know the hotel and possibly even the wing in question) and was delighted with the room, so maybe it's just me.
 
Remember looking at those apartments and what struck me was how little light they got, the building in front looks like it'll keep most of them in perpetual shade. Normally aspect wouldn't bother me much but there it felt really gloomy.
 
We lived in the 4th floor apartment in the last block that juts out and it was very bright. The building in front did not affect us at all.
 
over all i would say unless you drive you could be considering solation.. saying that i did see an ad in the examner supplement or a web site selling a property,like an old church or something on the grounds in the lee road entrance.
can't be sure but it was commercial and use for a restraunt or pub..
 
yep have a look at the link but i imagne it will be a while brefore it opens and i don't know if there will be acces from the new apartments
[broken link removed]
who is selling the new apartments and what kinda price range ?
 
My brother has one of the Apartments in the old hospital.

I must say I quite like the grounds and the area, and there are a number of things planned for the site - the big hall between the hospital and the new block of apartments is to be converted into a gym and swimming pool, and there is a plan for a shop in around the back as well. (There is also a plan for an extra 100-200 apartments or something like that [I can't remember the exact number]. Also possibly a conference centre/auditorium - they failed in getting planning for a hotel and seemed to be considering if they could rent it out to UCC. I've no idea if that is even feasible though)

Downsides:
It's a bit out - you do have to drive/cycle into town.

Positives - very close to Wilton, Western Suburbs, the city ends very definitely at that side - so right next to the countryside.
Nice area.

I do think that they are (relatively) good value - however I'm rather bearish about the current property market, so I wouldn't advise buying.
 
therave said:
i did see an ad in the examner supplement or a web site selling a property,like an old church or something on the grounds in the lee road entrance.
can't be sure but it was commercial and use for a restraunt or pub..
Click to expand...

Yes a restaurant/bar. They were asking either €2 or €3 Million for it :eek:.
 
A friend of mine has been living there the last two years and loves it. The apartments are cheaper than town because they're a little further out. Despite this, he works in UCC and is able to walk in every morning. The grounds are well-maintained and it feels like living in the countryside (he's seen foxes and rabbits on the grounds), even though it's only a 5 min drive to the city centre. The trouble with the burnt-out cars happened summer 2005 - but the management company has since gotten in security and there's been no trouble since. He's happy to stay there for a while, because his mortgage is very manageable, despite the recent hikes.
 
Superman said:
I do think that they are (relatively) good value - however I'm rather bearish about the current property market, so I wouldn't advise buying.
Click to expand...

Whichever way property market is at the moment, its not really an issue when you NEED somewhere to live, its different for investment purposes.

As regards River Towers, I know a few people who have rented or bought there and never had any trouble. Apts are spacious especially compared to city ones.
 
NiamhH said:
I have recently moved to Cork and am looking to buy a 2 bed apartment, town house or duplex.

I have noticed that the apartments behind St. Annes on the Lee Road - 'River Towers' are going for quite a bit cheaper than 2 beds in other locations and am just wondering why exactly? Is there something about the place, apartments etc.? I know they are not as nice as the St. Annes apts (old building in front) but still seem surprisingly reasonable (well-relatively speaking), especially considering their promixity to the city centre.

I have heard someone say that people are not so keen on them as they are on the grounds of an old psychiatric hospital. This hardly accounts for it?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Rumours abound that they are haunted. A lot of people seem to really believe it too.

I know of at least one person living there and I believe they are actually very nice. Only hitch you may have is that Cork people tend to be very superstitious and as a result the prices may stay low and most will probably be occupied by tenants. Same story goes for the lovely apartments at the old mill in Midleton.
 
There is no way on this earth that i would view that place never mind move in there and i know all my friends are in the same frame of mind!
It gives me the creeps. There were stories going around by the builders when they were working up there about how eerie it was and there were paths worn out ll through the hospital from the ex patients walking up and down and th scratch marks on all the walls from the patients.
It gives me the shivers just passing the place. I know it might sound stupid and probably is to have a reactin like that but all my friends and family feel the same way.There is no way any of us would live up there.
 
Ghosties and Ghoulies -don't be ridiculous! I moved upto River Towers 3 years ago and to be honest when I moved there first, I was a bit creeped out as the old building wasn't renovated yet and I used to park my car in front of it at night. Being from Bishopstown, I was always told that the 'mad house' was haunted. Now, I know that's a load of rubbish. I'm still living there 3 years on and I love the grounds. In summer, you would see people lying out on the grass catching some rays and it has a real rural feel to it despite being close enough to the city centre. I usually walk into town if I'm going out at night -takes about half an hour if I head down the Mardyke. My apartment is really spacious too and the price suits me fine. The prices are lower I would guess as they are technically on the morhtside of the city but the Lee Road/Sundays Well is far from a trouble spot. If the skangers want to cause trouble, they can go anywhere to do so. The burnt out cars happened a year and a half ago -no real trouble since. Hope that helps.
 
There is no way on this earth that i would view that place never mind move in there and i know all my friends are in the same frame of mind!
It gives me the creeps. There were stories going around by the builders when they were working up there about how eerie it was and there were paths worn out ll through the hospital from the ex patients walking up and down and th scratch marks on all the walls from the patients.
family feel the same way.There is no way any of us would live up there.
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This is the funniest thread I have read in a long time!

Are you guys for real?????? Honest to God I never heard anything so daft!
There must be something in the water down there!!!
 
Daft isn't the word I would use! The apartments are built on the grounds of a victorian mental institution. Ghosts, I mean in fairness! It's the living you need to afraid of!
 
I rented there a few years ago and I can honestly say I loved it. A large majority of them are owner occuppied and a few of my neighbours were UCC lecturers and wig wigs.
Its near enough to town and Wilton and yet with a country feel and if anyone is working in UCC then the location is ideal.
I can't really understand why they are so cheap.
 
Oh my god....guys, please!!! Be more afraid of the LIVING than the dead! As regards the scratches on walls etc, its a load of rubbish - just because it was a mental health hospital does not mean the patients were evil as portrayed in horror movies.

I would imagine prices are a bit cheaper there because although it looks like a nice area,i.e. country style, there have been a few problems there at night, it is poorly lit all along that road and as mentioned earlier there were a few incidents where cars were broken into. To summarise, its not all that secure for residents.
 
Bambo,

you might be getting a little mixed up with the main road on Sudays' Well. A few cars were broken into last summer when there was a spate of that going on all over the city. People had left stuff on their back seat and opportunists took advantage. One or two cars over a 6 month period on a complex with around 150-200 cars isn't bad. As I said, I grew up in Bishopstown, a supposedly nice area of the city and the only time I had my car broken into was in the driveway of my mothers house! I never had any trouble up in River Towers and as I said I'm there 3 years. I know that some cars on the Sundays Well road have had their windscreens smashed from time to time. Perhaps that's what you are referring to? Since people have moved into Atkins Hall, the number of incidents on the complex have been rare. I really believe that the reason property is slightly cheaper is due to it being 'northside'. If you go on myhome, all the norhtside properties (even in Montenotte) are cheaper. Although, then again, the prices in River Towers have doubled in teh last 3 years!
 
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