Useful Vocabulary
Outskirts = the outer part of a city or town (not near the centre)
“It’s not exactly on the outskirts, but it’s not close to the city centre either.”
An area that people live (not a commercial area- where people shop)
“It’s a relatively quiet, residential neighbourhood.”
Green area like parks and gardens, for example
“What makes it so nice is that there is a lot of greenery dotted around the area.”
In small sections around the area (like dots)
“What makes it so nice is that there is a lot of greenery dotted around the area.”
Busy activity (usually in a city)
“I used to live in Shanghai, so living here is a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of city life.”
Officially meet
“To be honest, I don’t see my neighbours so often, and we’ve never formally met.”
Be a private person (also with “himself”, “herself”, etc.)
“I’ve passed them on my way into the apartment, and we usually say “hi”, but they tend to keep themselves to themselves.”
Not near anything else (alone)
“In contrast, living in Dundrum seems a bit more isolated.”
Is your neighbourhood a nice place to live?
Yes, it’s very nice. I live on the south side of Dublin in a neighbourhood called Dundrum. It’s not exactly on the outskirts, but it’s not close to the city centre either. It’s a relatively quiet, residential neighbourhood. What makes it so nice is that there is a lot of greenery dotted around the area. I used to live in Shanghai, so living here is a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Do you know many of your neighbours?
You know, I don’t actually know any of them. To be honest, I don’t see my neighbours so often, and we’ve never formally met. I’ve passed them on my way into the apartment, and we usually say “hi”, but they tend to keep themselves to themselves.
What would improve your neighbourhood?
Ah, this is something that my girlfriend and I talk about regularly. We both used to live in city centres and enjoyed being able to walk out the door and go to a cafe or meet up with friends easily. In contrast, living in Dundrum seems a bit more isolated. There aren’t many nice cafes nearby, and there’s a lot less life on the street in general. Ultimately, I think the area would improve if more people moved here and if there were more small businesses and cafes. I believe that it’ll happen in the future. But for now, it’s a bit too quiet for us.
