TOP OF THE DOCKS
The D2 high life is a duplex penthouse to market for the first time writes Katy McGuinness
The €1.6m penthouse apartment at the Waterfront in Grand Canal Docks, Dublin
65 The Waterfront Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2 ASKING PRICE: €1.6m AGENT: Owen Reilly, (01) 677 7100
GRAND Canal Dock is looking pretty gorgeous these sunny days, with not a table to be had outside any of its cafes. The water is thronged with kayakers and youngsters in wetsuits simply jumping in for the craic. The distinctive yellow Viking Splash Tours — a tour of Dublin on land and water in a Second World War amphibious vehicle, puts in an appearance many times each day; the passengers roaring in unison at the behest of their driver. And there is construction activity wherever you look, with buildings going up in every direction.
Waterways Ireland has aspirations for Grand Canal Dock, which include mixed residential, commercial and cultural development at the Georgian graving docks; these lie to your left as you survey the panorama from the terrace of 65 The Waterfront, directly opposite the magnificent Daniel Libeskind-designed Bord Gais Energy Theatre which lies to your right.
There will be a Green Mile running track around the circumference of the dock, and a berth and embarkation point at Hanover Quay, where a U2 Centre is mooted and Harry Crosbie is hoping to develop a boutique hotel.
Restaurants in Grand Canal Dock include new arrival Nutbutter, with a distinctly Californian and very healthy offering, while a branch of Boojum caters to a different demographic. Other options include the perennially popular Herbstreet, and The Marker’s summer rooftop South Pacific tiki-style cocktail offering has been pulling in punters in the sunshine.
There’s a magnificent view of all this busy activity, as well as the Aviva Stadium and the mountains in the distance, from the large front terrace of Number 65, one of three penthouse apartments in the upmarket Waterfront development.
Designed by Burke Kennedy Doyle for developers Frances Rhatigan and Chris Jones of Ellier, this was one of the last buildings to be completed before — as agent Owen Reilly puts it — ‘the lights went out’ in 2009.
The quality of the finishes throughout is high and the ceiling heights generous; underfloor heating means that the look is streamlined and minimal.
Number 65 has been rented out ever since the development was completed, and is only now coming to the market for the first time.
The duplex apartment is spread over the 6th and 7th floors of the development, and is in immaculate condition, having been staged for sale by the talented Helen Kilmartin of Minima, whose showroom is a few doors away. It’s a stylish job, and new owners will no doubt be tempted to buy the furniture that Kilmartin has supplied, lock, stock and barrel.
In total, there’s 1,787 sq ft of living space with a further 689 sq ft of terrace. At entrance level, a huge open-plan kitchen/living/dining space opens out onto the terrace. The kitchen is by Siematic and is holding up well — in fact it looks as if it has barely been used. It comes with a steam oven, microwave, induction hob and integrated coffee machine, as well as a washing machine. Although there’s no dedicated utility room, there is a large closet in the hall that’s ideal for airing clothes.
Also on the entrance level are two double bedrooms, one of which is currently staged as a study. Both bedrooms have slick Sliderobes, and one is en suite. There’s also a separate bathroom; the sanitary ware is from Villeroy & Boch. The bedrooms look across the internal courtyard towards the offices behind that were originally home to Facebook and now occupied by Accenture’s innovation team.
Upstairs, the enormous main bedroom is magnificent — with a wall of windows out onto the dock and more of those spectacular views. The en suite bathroom has both a bath and shower, and there’s a north-facing terrace to the back which still catches the sun. The views here are less dramatic than to the front, but still offer a place to sit out and have coffee in the open air. A second entrance to the apartment leads via a small hallway directly into the main bedroom.
The annual management charge for Number 65 is €3,600 — the building appears to be very well-maintained — and the apartment comes with two car parking spaces. Owen Reilly says that he has recently secured a rent of €6,000 per month for one of the neighbouring penthouse apartments, an indication of the likely return to an investor interested in purchasing Number 65.
The area around Grand Canal Dock continues to improve in terms of amenities, and there are few residential locations in the city that are as convenient for anyone working in the city centre. Many significant employers are located in the immediate vicinity, with a host of others within walking distance.
The proximity of the DART station at Barrow Street is a bonus for prospective purchasers with children considering a move into the area, as it makes access to all the schools located along the DART line super-convenient.
The most recent tenants of the penthouse lived here with their children; city centre-living is becoming more popular with families, as commuting times have been on the increase ever since the economy started to recover.
There are few residential locations that are as convenient for anyone working in the city centre