B
A
Best Places to Live 2022
Winner
BALLYCASTLE, CO ANTRIM ✪
First they came for the golf, then it was the Game of Thrones
locations, now it’s the grub that earns Ballycastle pride of
place. This fishing village has a modern, independent streak,
but its coast, countryside, and welcoming atmosphere make
it an irresistible recipe. You can enjoy a flapping-fresh fish
supper at Morton’s by the harbour, and there’s the North
Coast Smokehouse, Ursa Minor bakery, and fine dining at
the Salthouse, a luxe hotel and spa.
Another recent success is Broughgammon Farm, where
Charlie Cole rears free-range goats for meat. “We used to
come here every holiday. I always wanted to come back,”
says Cole, 33, who returned from Belfast to run the family
farm with his wife Rebecca and sons Rupert, two, and Toby,
five. “It’s a fantastic place to bring up children, with beaches
near by and such a friendly, laid-back way of life.” That beach
is a mile-long sand and shingle affair with views to the Mull of
Kintyre, and there are walks in Ballycastle Forest and the
emerald-green playground of the Glens of Antrim to explore.
Best place to live if... You want a real coastal town rather
than a tourist honeypot.
Best address Anywhere on Quay Road.
£169,000Bally good
Charlie Cole of
Broughgammon
farm in
Ballycastle, with,
left to right, his
wife Rebecca
with Toby,
grandparents
Robin and Millie,
and Rupert. Left:
Londonderry.
Right: White
Park Bay, near
BallycastleLONDONDERRY A
Cool, credible and cheap, the
city that was passed over as
the punchbag of the Troubles
is somewhere fun and with a
future. The Derry Girls mural,
unveiled on Orchard Street in
2019, is a well-deserved
honour for the irrepressible
1990s teenagers whose
no-nonsense sitcom charm
has rubber-stamped the
city’s new identity.
Estate agents will enthuse
about the millions spent
regenerating the centre
since the opening of the
Peace Bridge in 2011, uniting
the city. Culture vultures,
meanwhile, will point out that
this was the first UK City of
Culture (in 2013) and now
enjoys a fine reputation for
music and the arts.
For Grainne Kelly, the city’s
big advantages are its size and
connections. “Everything’s in
walking distance. You can be
in the city and go to the beach
if you take a long lunch
break,” says Kelly, co-owner of
BubbleBum, a company
making inflatable children’s
car seats, who lives near
Limavady Road with her
husband and their two sons.
“But we’re also really well
connected. I can leave my
house at 5.30am, fly out to
London before 7am and be
back at home for about 9pm.”
Best place to live if... You
want the buzz and boost of^
an upcoming city.
Best address Limavady Road.
£161,000*HELEN’S BAY, CO DOWN B
Until the Insta generation fell
in love with its natural beauty,
useful shops and outdoorsy,
paddleboarding, yoga-on-the-
beach vibe, this outpost on
the Gold Coast was full ofpensioners. Now you’ll be
lucky to find a doer-upper for
less than £300,000. As soon
as you can say probate sale,
they’re being knocked down
and rebuilt by young families
flocking to the dog-friendly
sandy beaches — by far the
best in the Belfast area —
wooded headlands and
breathtaking sunsets.
There’s aspiration in BT19.
It has its own golf club, and
men’s full membership is a
modest — for round here —
£580 (women’s £405). The Old
Inn, in Helen’s Bay’s “little
brother” Crawfordsburn, has
been turned into a boutiqueCHRIS HILL; ESPIEGLE/GETTY IMAGEShotel with roaring fires and a
restaurant, plus a £500,000
treetop spa is due to open
later this year.
A bottle from Neill Wine
could take the edge off for
up-all-night parents — and,
like, Helen’s Bay Organics, it
does home deliveries too. The
pretty-as-a-picture station
links Belfast (22 minutes) and
Bangor (9 minutes).
Best place to live if... You
want to come home from a day
in the city to a stroll by the sea.
Best address Sheridan Drive
and Old Fort, which have
vistas over Belfast Lough.
£253,000Northern
Ireland
Dramatic coasts with the most and a city
on the up make the cut across the Irish Sea
— and you’re never far from a golf course
AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE
£187,000
*Source: Halifax
This is an edited version. For the complete guide visit thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-liveOn the
up...
House prices
have been
rising fast in
Belfast,
though it
remains
affordable,
fun and
young.
Although BT9
may be the
poshest
postcode,
Stranmillis
and Ormeau
roads are
appealing
alternatives.
For those
priced out of
Holywood
and the^
Gold Coast,
Bangor is a
good option.April 10, 2022 39