One of the major attractions of St James's Wood, a new scheme of 119 apartments on the South Circular Road, Dublin 8, is that Cosgrave Developments has not skimped on space. You won't find cubby-holes masquerading as box rooms here. All of the apartments in the first phase of the 42 being released today through Hooke & MacDonald have well-proportioned, sizeable rooms.
Another bonus is that car-parking spaces are included in the cost. Prices start at £175,000 to £200,000 plus for the two-bedroom apartments and £232,000 to £250,000 for the three-beds.
Situated across the road from the Hybreasal apartments and a short distance from St James's Hospital, the scheme is about a 10 to 15-minute drive from the centre of the city, depending on traffic of course, and not far from the bright lights and shops of the Harcourt Street/Camden Street/Portobello triangle.
It is obvious that a lot of thought has been put into the design. Project Architects has made maximum use of natural light by including dual-aspect windows in many of the rooms. The scheme is low-density with only six to eight apartments in each of the six buildings around an internal landscaped cobbled courtyard. Initial entry to the complex is through security gates on the South Circular Road. Each three-storey apartment building has its own separate front door with security intercom. The first phase is still under construction and is expected to be ready for occupation in early November. Many, but not all, of the apartments in phase one come with balconies which overlook the courtyard with its unusual granite sphere waterfall.
The standard two-bed apartment has 775 sq ft of space, with an impressive living/dining/kitchen area. The show apartment demonstrates how a large sofa with two chairs, a dining table with six chairs and a large cabinet can fit comfortably with plenty of room to spare. The feature pine fireplace has a cast-iron Burley stove. There are two large windows, one of which slides open to reveal a timber decked balcony overlooking the courtyard.
Coving and decorative ceiling centrepieces are standard as is the small storage cupboard off the living area. The kitchen is adequate in size with Shaker-style beech-effect units which provide space for a microwave and a fridge freezer.
The main and second bedrooms are doubles, with large windows and ample maple-fitted wardrobe space. The bathroom has standard grey tiling with silver/black detailing and a power shower. There is a second small storage area in the hall.
Another two-bedroom apartment of 825 sq ft is also on show with an even bigger livingroom area. It is similar in layout to the standard apartment, except for the large walk-in storage area in the hall. There are only five three-beds in this phase, some of which have studies/offices. The three beds are 1,000 sq ft. Again the living area is spacious, with many of the same standard features as the two-beds. In the show apartment, access to the balcony is to the left of the living area. The kitchen is about the same size as the one in the two-bed apartments with the same Shaker-style units.
The main bedroom has an en suite with shower. The second and third bedrooms are of equal size with double maple wardrobes and large windows with low sills that could be converted into window seats. The bathroom has plenty of storage space. A small office/study area has room for a computer and some shelving. The scheme will have a mixture of surface and underground car-parking, which will provide a total of 140 car spaces. The second development of 10 apartment buildings will surround a landscaped courtyard featuring a large mature tree and a hexagonal staircase.
The second phase will be launched in January.
Adjacent to the apartments and fronting out on to the South Circular Road is an office block which will be ready for letting in November.
