Livin' is easy in Cork city if you can afford Opera Lane's chic apartments 

Private patios, extensive glazing and high spec finishes are in evidence in these €465,000 two-bed apartments

Opera Lane aerial

Opera Lane, Cork city
€465,000
Size	92 sq m (990 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	C1

For anyone still harbouring the notion that city centre apartment living is somehow the poor relation of a suburban three-bed semi-d, a peek inside the showhouse condos at Opera Lane in Cork will soon cure you.

All boho-chic — subway kitchen tiles, vintage cabinets, even a decorative ladder — it’s easy to see why young professionals, or older executives looking to downsize, might decide to invest.

Two apartments have just come to market, hot on the heels of selling agents O’Connor Murphy reaching “sale agreed” on two earlier releases — a 114 sq m 3-bed with an extra-large terrace, for €580,000, and a 92 sq ft two-bed for €460,000, both of which featured in these pages. Cue the release of another two apartments, Nos 11 and 37, both third-floor, 92 sq m, two-bedroom apartments, with a starting price this time of €465,000.

The slow release of these apartments began last October, marking the first time they entered the market since they were completed in 2009 by O’Callaghan Properties (OCP). OCP sold 59 of the 61 apartments last year to investors backed by Deutsche Bank, Riga Developments.

The decision to rent rather than sell in 2009 was due to timing, as the property market collapsed in the wake of the 2008 financial crash.

Now, as 10-year leases expire, Riga Developments are selling, and agent Riona Coleman says there is interest among sitting tenants and also investors, who might decide to rent it out for a number of years, before downsizing themselves to this high-spec, convenient, apartment living.

Opera Lane is as central as it gets, and the Paul Mulligan-designed units have generous rooms, individual private balconies, and a substantial amount of glazing, ensuring plenty of natural light.

Pic: Denis Scannell

The main living space is open plan — a kitchen/dining/living area — and the showhouse, kitted out by interior designer Jane Gilloway (she also oversaw the revamped Panorama Terrace at Cork’s Montenotte Hotel) gives a good idea of just how smart and stylish these apartments can be. Jane made a number of subtle changes, such as flipping a cupboard in the utility room to create both a “utility zone” and a compact home office area.

Jane also created a nice separation between kitchen/dining and living area in the main living space by introducing an island unit (which doesn’t come as standard) for dining.

Extensive glazing at the street-facing end of the living area adds to the space and light. French doors lead to a private patio.

Whatever the view, there are windows aplenty to soak it in from, with an extra-large corner window in one bedroom and an ensuite in the other, while the main bathroom is off the hallway.

Towel rails are heated, bathrooms have jet showers, and the apartments are fitted for high-speed broadband.

Ms Coleman says each apartment comes with one dedicated parking space in a basement car park, with a car lift from Bowling Green Street.

She also says the third floor of the apartment blocks (there are two blocks, A and B, above the retail units on either side of Opera Lane) “have the best patios”.

There’s no doubt the Opera Lane apartments, with an annual management fee of €1,800, hold appeal not just for investors, but also young professionals looking for quality accommodation in the city centre, or perhaps owner-occupiers who can avail of the rent-a-room tax relief scheme.

There’s definitely an appetite for high-end city living: Trevor O’Sullivan of Coldwell Banker Carlton Estates sold a three-bed penthouse at Lancaster Gate last December for €1m.

VERDICT: No car needed, minimal maintenance, night-out on a whim.