Portstewart, Donaghadee and Ormeau area in Belfast named the best places to live in Northern Ireland

Portstewart has been named as the best place to live in Northern Ireland and two other NI areas join it in a list of the 72 nicest to live in the UK.

Donaghadee and Ormeau are alongside the Co Londonderry town on the Sunday Times Best Places to Live poll for 2024.

Portstewart is described as a “graceful seaside town” which has a “Year-round community spirit.”

The Sunday Times rated Portstewart above the competition in NI having ‘decent shops, cafés and restaurants and an interesting cultural scene at the Flowerfield Arts Centre.’

Judges highlighted the beach cleans litter picks and the volunteers behind the annual Red Sails festival as examples of the local pride.

While missing the top rank Donaghadee also received plaudits in the Top 72 list.

The town was described as a ‘hotspot on the Ards Peninsula’ with a strong community spirit. The ‘charming lighthouse, multicoloured houses and a centre packed with useful independent shops and friendly cafes, pubs and restaurants showcasing local produce’ also received a nod.

Ormeau in Belfast also received some credit in the list, as the ‘most liveable neighbourhood, with just the right amount of buzz in its cafes.’

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