Re: Re: Grafton Street, Dublin

Having spent almost 12 months travelling abroad I had a stroll down Grafton Street today for the first time in as many months. I have to say I was highly impressed with the improvements relating to the quality of new shops on the street: Karen Millan, Sisley, TopMan, Ted Baker (soon), Swarovski Jewellers and Rocks Jewellers to name but a few. News today that Tommy Hilfigger is to open a large store on the street is to be welcomed as well. Of course, yet ANOTHER mobile phone shop (3 Ireland) had opened on the street, but you can’t have everything I guess?

However, what struck me most were the understated, and often elegant designs of the shop fronts of all the new premises. Even many current retailers on the street, such as Next, Pamela Scott, Wallis, The Loft Cafe, The Bus Stop newsagents towards the south of the street, and Fitzpatrick’s shoes had all introduced new, sleek, and reasonably eye-pleasing shop front designs within the past year.

I know the Grafton Street area was designated some sort of Architectural Conservation Area several months ago by the Council with a view to improving street and shop front design, as well as the street’s tenants. I’m glad to say that it appears to be working.

What I was most disappointed with, however, was those awful new bins, I’d seen pictures of them on this thread already, but the pictures don’t seem to do justice to their horridness. While they JUST about fit in on Henry Street, they look absolutely disgusting and TOTALLY out of place in the Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green Area. They also seem to have been literally flung down randomly all over the city. And why in God’s name have they replaced the lovely silver ones on O’Connell Street? I really would love to know what the Council were thinking. Then again, they never do seem to think much do they?