About Dublin - Shopping Experience
A New Kind of Shopping Experience
The shopping experience has to be more than just the purchase of goods. First of all access to the city needs to be easy and convenient. The arrival of Luas, the new tramway system, means that shoppers are effortlessly and smoothly carried to the main shopping centres of Grafton Street, St. Stephen's Green and the Abbey Street, Henry Street, Mary Street and O'Connell Street hub. From other directions of the city not served by Luas, buses and DART provide a frequent service. There are over 10,000 parking spaces for those shoppers who wish to travel to travel by private car. (All these shoppers' car parks are within a 5 minute walk to the shops.)
The new generation of department stores and shopping centres, with their vast range of home-produced and international fashion and other merchandise, now provide greater choice than ever before in ultra-modern surroundings. Speciality shops populate the main shopping thoroughfares, O'Connell Street, Henry Street, Mary Street, Grafton Street, North Earl Street and their interesting side streets suggest an endless variety of ideas and possibilities not found in suburban shopping centres. The recent introduction of street markets in the European style, such as at the IFSC, Cow's Lane and Meeting House Square have added a new dimension to shopping.
The historic streets, and indeed those that have been newly built, of Dublin provide their own interest and entertainment, and the countless restaurants, coffee houses and the growing number of pavement cafés offer relaxation and refreshment. In one sense the city has never busier and people are under more pressure - but there are still moments where many take a little time off to watch the world go by. Places of rendezvous, both traditional and new, abound where one can meet friends over a coffee or a glass of wine and be entertained by a wonderful variety of buskers.