Dublin: a college town with old-world charm
Guest Column
Even when I was applying to college, I always had some idea that I'd be studying abroad. I was pretty much sold on Hopkins when my over-eager tour guide answered my questions with a rhapsody about studying art in Florence, living in an olive grove outside the city, eating pasta and speaking Italian.
About four years later, with my Italian skills in shambles, I opted out of that particular Mediterranean fantasy in favor of something more within my skill set: studying English in Dublin.
Before I came to Dublin, my only experience with Ireland was a short trip to the countryside to visit the thatched-roof cottage where my grandmother was raised, with all of the woollen sweaters and sheep-lined roads that had entailed. So when it came time to pack up, I was excited to discover another side of Ireland for myself.
Dublin, I've found, is unlike any other city I have ever visited. Sure, it's charming and European, and has all of the beautiful art and architecture you would expect from the country's capital, but its young population and fun-loving attitude fight off the air of stuffiness that might otherwise be overwhelming.
Instead of a museum tour, for instance, one local suggested that the only things we needed to do in Dublin were get our free pint from the Guinness factory and catch the Ireland vs. France rugby match.
It's estimated that about 50 percent of Dublin's population is under the age of 25, and it certainly shows. Walking through the city on any night, you can expect to see young people spilling out of pubs onto cobblestone streets, lined up outside of clubs or eating dinner in front of glass-front windows (though hardly ever outside, as it never gets much warmer than 60 degrees). It's this youthful atmosphere that makes all of Dublin seem like a big college town, a mix of the serious and educational with more than a dash of the crazy and entertaining.
I'm lucky enough to live right on the edge of this college town, on the University College Dublin's Belfield campus. Approximately 10 minutes on the bus brings you to the beautiful St. Stephen's Green, the nightlife of Harcourt Street or the cobblestone-paved shopping avenue, Grafton Street, where I've learned it's possible to spend serious amounts of money. But staying on campus has also been quite the cultural experience in itself.
About four years later, with my Italian skills in shambles, I opted out of that particular Mediterranean fantasy in favor of something more within my skill set: studying English in Dublin.
Before I came to Dublin, my only experience with Ireland was a short trip to the countryside to visit the thatched-roof cottage where my grandmother was raised, with all of the woollen sweaters and sheep-lined roads that had entailed. So when it came time to pack up, I was excited to discover another side of Ireland for myself.
Dublin, I've found, is unlike any other city I have ever visited. Sure, it's charming and European, and has all of the beautiful art and architecture you would expect from the country's capital, but its young population and fun-loving attitude fight off the air of stuffiness that might otherwise be overwhelming.
Instead of a museum tour, for instance, one local suggested that the only things we needed to do in Dublin were get our free pint from the Guinness factory and catch the Ireland vs. France rugby match.
It's estimated that about 50 percent of Dublin's population is under the age of 25, and it certainly shows. Walking through the city on any night, you can expect to see young people spilling out of pubs onto cobblestone streets, lined up outside of clubs or eating dinner in front of glass-front windows (though hardly ever outside, as it never gets much warmer than 60 degrees). It's this youthful atmosphere that makes all of Dublin seem like a big college town, a mix of the serious and educational with more than a dash of the crazy and entertaining.
I'm lucky enough to live right on the edge of this college town, on the University College Dublin's Belfield campus. Approximately 10 minutes on the bus brings you to the beautiful St. Stephen's Green, the nightlife of Harcourt Street or the cobblestone-paved shopping avenue, Grafton Street, where I've learned it's possible to spend serious amounts of money. But staying on campus has also been quite the cultural experience in itself.
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