I first arrived in Baile Atha Cliath aka Dublin in 2007. I was still a student in France then and decided to go to Dublin for a summer holiday to improve my English.

I worked and lived then in hostels, the Jacobs Inn and Isaacs hostel in the Dublin 1 area. That was my first experience living abroad alone and one of the best. I have met so many people from different countries with whom I am still in contact today.

Being alone forces you to get out of your comfort zone and go talk to people. Working in a hostel was the best place to meet new people on a daily basis and practice speaking English.

I have been back to Dublin since 2012, now for work reasons. I really enjoy living in Dublin. I have read recently that it is the second friendliest city in the world after Melbourne, Australia, and I could not agree more. Here are a few reasons why I enjoy living here.

1. Human-sized city

Dublin is not a massive capital. You can walk from one side of the city centre to the other in 30 minutes.

It feels strange at first if you are used to massive urban sprawls. But you quickly start to enjoy how compact it is. You get to know the local coffee shop owners. And remaining anonymous does not last long because you see familiar faces everywhere. To make navigating even easier, I put together a list of the 10 apps every Dubliner needs.

2. Good "craic"

Whether you are in a pub, night club, or a bar, the Irish and people from overseas know how to party and have fun. They are awesome people to hang out with and know how to enjoy the simple things in life. They are very open minded, generous and down to earth people.

3. City identity

Dublin is a very iconic city to live in and the Irish are very proud of their identity. Ireland might be a small island and the population might not be huge but they are known worldwide and many foreign people are actually Irish descendants.

Among some celebrities: Quentin Tarantino, Chuck Norris or even Sharon Stone.

The language, the music, the literature, the Guinness or even the whisky are known all over the world. I might live here since a while but I keep on discovering new things every day.

4. Crossroad

Lately Dublin has become a big melting pot. Africans, Asians, Europeans, South Americans, North Americans, all the continents can be represented in Dublin.

Such a small European capital but so multi-cultural. And you can see the influence of these cultures on your every day life. Either by seeing couples from different origins walking on the streets, or by going to restaurants of different nationalities.

But also in term of lifestyle: going to the gym, doing yoga, going to latin dance classes or even having brunch on a weekend have become new trends.

5. Tech hub

Dublin is now known as the "European silicon valley" and attracts major US tech companies like Google, Meta, and Airbnb, setting up their HQ here. It offers great career opportunities for anyone in the tech space.

It is also incredibly wired for remote work. Free Wi-Fi is everywhere. And if you are visiting and need instant connectivity without hunting for a local SIM card, I highly recommend downloading the Ubigi eSIM app before you land. You can use my code WEP1XCQQ to get 20% off your first data plan. It will be handy for the time you complete all your paperwork before getting a local sim card.

6. Laid back lifestyle

Life in Dublin is very laid back. The Irish are not in a rush. It is not unusual here to call in late at work because the transport was delayed, not always because of the traffic but because, well...we take our time here.

Life is also very simple, people go to the pub after work not only for drinking but also to share their day with their friends or even strangers and listen to a live gig before heading back home.

If you are struggling to separate your professional and personal hours, reading about my approach to balancing work and travel might help

7. The street art

There are many street artists in Dublin, from buskers to mural artists, the main streets in Dublin are always alive. Henry street and Grafton street are the main places where street performance is present on daily basis.

Also I have noticed lately more and more murals from street artists. This city is full of creativity.

8. The proximity to the wild

Dublin is located close to the mountains that we can see from the city centre and close to the sea that is just a few minutes walk along the quays on the Liffey.

This proximity helps to get off the busy life from the city when you need it and just enjoy a different lifestyle outside of Dublin to reconnect with the nature.

The landscapes in Ireland are just amazing and still wild as soon as you get out of the city. It is definitely worthy to go explore the surrounding.

9. The gardens and parks

If you do not want to go outside the city, Dublin has still many green spaces. Saint Stephen's Green park, Merrion square or the famous Phoenix park to cite a few are good getaways within the city to spend an afternoon on sunny days for a pique-nique or just spend some time with friends and family.

10. Green, White, Orange

The colors of the flag are the same than my country of origin Ivory Coast. Is it a coincidence? Who knows but I feel great in this city and find some values that are similar to my home country. People are very friendly, open minded, welcoming and always up for a good laugh.

Dublin has been the place where I fell in love with street photography and taking photos of the main Dublin landmarks.

You can find them by following me on Instagram @themillennialnomad or if you find any locations that you like, I invite you to have a look at my online photo gallery of Dublin and Ireland

Featured

Dame Street

Dockland - When The Old Meets The New

Ha'Penny Bridge Reflection

Trinity College Entrance Door

Convention Centre - Irish Flag

Love Lane

Temple Bar Archway

Molly Malone's Temple Bar

Christ Church Sunset

Umbrella Street

visit print shop

If you hesitate to come live to Dublin, don't.

This city is great for a first experience abroad, not too big, not too small, rich culturally and historically, busy nightlife, friendly people and I can keep on going.

As an expat, Ireland is the fifth country I live in. I don't know still how long I will stay here but If I had to leave one day, one piece of me will definitely be Irish.

What about you? Have you lived or traveled in Ireland? What was the one thing that you loved about the city of Dublin? Let me know in the comment section below.

As always, if you enjoyed this post, make sure to like it, it actually makes a difference. And if you know anyone who would find it helpful, feel free to share this post with them.

Safe Travels!