Little has changed at 20 Synge Street since the current owner purchased the property a few years ago. The 180sq m (1,937sq ft) Victorian terraced house is still in turnkey condition since previous owners gave it a swish makeover after they bought it for €381,000 in 2013. It then sold to the current owner for close to its asking price of €975,000 but does not appear to be listed on the Property Price Register.
Its location at the periphery of the Portobello district makes the area a key target for hipster professionals due to its proximity to Camden Street, Rathmines and the city centre. The current owner moved here from New York a couple of years ago for work and “was all set to stay much longer but the pandemic threw everything into disarray” so is returning to the Big Apple.
“I drove a lot for work so when I came to Ireland I decided that I did not want to drive, so the location is perfect for that,” says the owner. “To be honest, the lockdown showed me that everything you need is within 2km – you really don’t have to move beyond that at all, but if you do, there are good transport links with the Luas stop around the corner.”
The property, a two-storey over-basement home, lies on a historic Victorian terrace, and benefits from off-street parking to the rear, which is a rare bonus for houses so close to the city.
"What I love is the fact that it's a period house as I'd always lived in new homes, so it's a lovely change, and I also get to see the birthplace of George Bernard Shaw each morning when I look out the window."
A concertina door at basement level, where the open-plan kitchen-dining and informal living space lies, opens out to a sunny courtyard which is one of the favourite spots in the house for the owner. “It is such a great place to entertain, and the contrast between the old garden walls and the contemporary garden setting is just lovely.”
The property has three bedrooms all of which are en-suite. Two lie on the first floor, and the third lies adjacent to the formal drawing room at hall level.
What the owner will miss most about his home are his neighbours: “They are just amazing, during lockdown one of the houses up the street organised a sing-along on the steps. As I was so far from New York, it really made me feel at home.”
20 Synge Street, a fine Victorian townhouse in turnkey condition, is now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €1.15 million.
