Portobello’s popularity extends well beyond it boundaries at the Grand Canal, South Circular Road and Clanbrasssil Street. The Portobello effect, as it is known, has seen houses beyond the crossroads at Leonard’s Corner rise in popularity due to their proximity to the suburb, the city and a number of well-established restaurants on the doorstep.
Taking the second right travelling westwards through Leonard’s Corner is St Alban’s Road. The area has undergone a dramatic gentrification since the mid-2000s, when you could pick up a house for €250,000-€400,000, depending on size and condition.
Recent sales on the Property Price Register show that the average price paid for properties over the past three years on St Alban’s Road is now €662,625, with the highest price of €833,000 paid for number 19 in 2022. But while comparing prices, you need to bear in mind square footage, garden size and condition.
Number 39 St Alban’s Road, a two-bedroom, terraced redbrick, has recently been launched to the market seeking €585,000 through Sherry FitzGerald. It extends to 62sq m (667sq ft) and offers a blend of old-world charm and contemporary comforts. It has two bedrooms – a single and double (which lies to the rear and has dual aspect) – and a fine drawingroom with an open fire to the front. The kitchen, though not particularly large, is perfectly functional, and the west-facing garden offers potential to extend the current accommodation, subject to planning permission.
It’s a lovely spot and has been rented in recent years – with the potential to generate about €2,500 in rental income per calendar month. It has been staged for sale by Vanya McCarthy of Stage My Home, and there isn’t an inch out of place in the charming property.
Its Ber is E1, which new owners may want to address, and there are SEAI grants available to do so.
The area enjoys a great selection of restaurants including Fumbally Cafe, Bastible, and Noshington. It is also convenient to Griffith College, St Catherine’s National School, Loreto of St Stephen’s Green and Trinity College Dublin. For yoga there’s the nearby Little Bird Cafe and Yoga, with a selection of Pilates classes at Live and Breathe Pilates on Heytesbury Street.
One of the real selling points is you can walk everywhere, and buses and the Luas are close by if travelling farther afield, so living here can negate the need for a car.
