This month A Place I’ll Remember is a little different. Bray, Ireland is my base camp for month one of a three month European adventure. I can’t claim any expertise at all about the current state and the future of this local economy, but I also can’t help but notice and react to new places through the lens of economic development. It’s a town of about 34,000, making it the 10th largest urban area in the country, to give you some idea of scale. It was originally a seaside resort conveniently only about 12 miles south of Dublin and today the rail and bus transport links are robust, allowing it to attract year round residents who work locally or commute to Dublin.
That’s my first observation – the public transportation links that support both tourism and commuting.
My second observation is what appears to be a pretty healthy retail and small office sector in the central district, existing alongside larger national retailers. From the place I am staying, in a converted 19th century whiskey distillery, within 15 minutes I can walk to a large supermarket, and countless small businesses including butchers, grocers, pharmacies, dry cleaners, clothing shops, restaurants, and bars. Are they profitable? I can’t say, of course, but I can say they have not been abandoned for the strip mall big boxes.
Ireland has its housing struggles too, but I do notice the variety of housing options available within walking distance of this downtown area – a range of densities and price points.
All this also within a 15 minute stroll to a mile-long seafront promenade, a hiking trail up to Bray Head, and views of the Wicklow Mountains. And right this minute, the sun has just come out – something you don’t take for granted, especially at this time of year.
There are lots of ways to plan a community and lots of ways to plan your life in a community. Being a downtown Chicago person myself, what strikes me most about Bray is not having to surrender to a car when I surrender the big city – I can live my life here on my feet.