Like it or hate it — most individuals have an opinion on Belfast.
As a part of the Belfast Telegraph’s Belfast in Focus marketing campaign we took to the streets to search out out what folks’s favorite — and least favorite — issues are within the metropolis.
Among the many positives had been the folks, the range and the greenery across the metropolis.
And a number of the extra unfavorable opinions included the price of dwelling, the degrees of homelessness and the degrees of anti-social behaviour.
Billy Dickson (72), from east Belfast, mentioned he's pleased with the progress Belfast has made in recent times.
“It’s good that a variety of issues have modified now and each cultures can get together with one another,” he mentioned. Nevertheless, he feels the town has an issue with garbage, notably round Metropolis Corridor.
“There might be so much possibly finished from a cleaning standpoint, just like the streets, might possibly be cleaned up a bit higher,” added Billy who was spending time together with his younger grandson.
James McCullins (21), a scholar from County Monaghan is having fun with scholar life and socialising in Belfast — however mentioned it comes at a value.
“It’s a giant metropolis however it’s a small metropolis. The perfect factor about Belfast might be the folks and the quantity of issues to do in it, actually, you aren’t wanting issues to do in it.”
He feels it may be exhausting dwelling in Belfast throughout the price of dwelling disaster, “If you're on a good finances, (it's) possibly not one of the best place,” he mentioned including that college students are beneath explicit pressure, “for books, laptops, issues like that, it’s a bit expensive”.
Linda Teller is initially from Northern Eire however has lived in Germany for 25 years.
“That is my first time Belfast since earlier than Covid and I’m fairly shocked at what number of empty retailers there are...I’m a wee bit disenchanted right this moment,” she mentioned.
She does, nonetheless, nonetheless love Belfast.
“Northern Eire is only a stunning nation, however I believe they want to spend a bit of cash round city — I hope the federal government and council places a bit extra money into the town to make it extra engaging,” she mentioned.
In the meantime, scholar Jools Hughes (19) enjoys dwelling in Belfast and embraces the range of the town.
Evaluating Belfast to her dwelling city of Newry, she felt it was so much greater and busier however she additionally remarked that there was a variety of homelessness in Belfast “particularly within the night time and the morning time you see so many individuals,” she mentioned.
Siofra Harkin (20), from Donegal, has moved right here to go to college.
She likes Belfast and the procuring it has to supply however evaluating it to her dwelling city, she doesn’t discover it as secure.
“It’s so much noisier, there’s much more folks on the road, I wouldn’t journey alone at night time, whereas I’d be extra comfy doing that at dwelling,” she mentioned.
One other scholar, Katie Gordon (20) moved to Belfast from York final 12 months.
She has totally embraced scholar life in Belfast and notably loved the Christmas markets final 12 months.
“It’s such enjoyable and a pleasant option to finish the 12 months,” she mentioned.
She additionally shares a priority for her security at night time time in Belfast: “I wouldn’t be strolling dwelling at night time alone, I’d all the time be strolling with somebody or getting a taxi.”
Like many college students, one other downside she has with Belfast is the degrees of anti-social behaviour within the metropolis, “particularly within the Holylands”, she added.
Helen Evans (63), from Belfast, praised the greenery across the metropolis.
“I believe we're very fortunate with our parks, now we have superb locations fairly near the town centre,” she mentioned.
Nevertheless, she takes challenge with the unused buildings round Belfast: “I simply don’t perceive when there’s such an issue with housing that somebody isn’t coming in and turning these into very nice flats,” she added.
An amazing quantity of these interviewed agreed that the folks in Belfast are one of the best a part of it.
Belfast-born Gavin Kearney (20) mentioned: “I believe anybody that comes over right here all the time says that the individuals are actually pleasant, in order that’s probably the greatest issues. Everyone seems to be all the time actually useful as effectively. It kind of makes the town.”
Belfast: In Focus - As a metropolis with an extended historical past of reinventing itself, in 2022 Belfast is as soon as once more beneath strain to wash up its act and fulfil its potential as a thriving hub for residents and guests alike. The Belfast Telegraph investigates the challenges dealing with the town, shines a light-weight on the tasks and insurance policies transferring it ahead, and envisages the Belfast of the long run.