Since moving into her Dublin 2 penthouse last March, Jane Deane has rediscovered the joys of city centre living. "It was a happy chance," she says of her purchase. "The minute I saw the view across the rooftops, I jumped at it."
Having rented a chambre de bonne at the top of a building when studying in Paris, she already knew what to expect. "There's a huge difference living at the top of a building. To begin with, the space is bigger. This is the size of two apartments in the rest of the development. And then, there's much less noise up here; it's like living in your own house, because no one else is above you and the only connecting wall is with the hall."
Jane's apartment has a huge terrace wrapping around three sides of her home and therefore benefits from plenty of light. "It's brilliant; my flatmate has a hammock and we hang that outside in good weather. In the summer, I can sunbathe on my own bed - the light comes in and wakes me at around seven in the morning."
So what are the drawbacks? She has to think for a while before answering, "the wind, if it's strong, but otherwise I can't think of any serious disadvantages." For some people, the number of stairs might also seem discouraging, but Jane makes the most of them.
"I only use the lift if I'm in a real hurry. Otherwise, the stairs are great exercise."