Bird’s-eye views in Sandycove
YOU would have no excuse for not being fit as a fiddle if you lived at St Helen’s North, a classy apartment block at Marine Parade in Sandycove. It’s on the seafront, directly across the street from Scotsman’s Bay, so you’re always less than a minute away from a breezy constitutional walk.
Meanwhile, the Forty Foot is only half a kilometre down the road, so soon you’ll think nothing of the yearround swim, and Sandycove Tennis and Squash Club is within 10 minutes’ walk.
However, there are other local amenities that tend to counteract these inducements to exercise. The entire neighbourhood is dotted with bars and restaurants, for instance, and Sandycove & Glasthule DART station is at a temptingly easy distance of half a kilometre.
Apartment Number 9 is on the top floor of the building, so it’s a good spot to spend a lazy day quietly contemplating the vista that the Irish Sea presents. The view is to the north — good painterly light — but when you want southern sunshine there are two balconies at the back as well.
You can get the benefit of both aspects from the main living area — an open-plan kitchen, living room and dining room spanning the width of the apartment. The living room has a bay window overlooking the water, and the kitchen has a sliding glass door to the southern balcony. The kitchen was recently modernised by the current owner and has marble countertops, a centre island with a breakfast bar, and one of those boiling water taps.
There are two bedrooms, one with views of Scotsman’s Bay and the other with a Juliet balcony to the south. The second bedroom has an en-suite bath and shower and both have built-in wardrobes.
The floor area is 800 sq ft and there are management fees of €2,880 a year. The agent is Janet Carroll (01) 288 2020 and the price is €745,000.