Moses2013

At least it would give more options and I did enjoy some parts of the city centre in Belfast after visiting last year. A lot has improved though and we now have a new linking motorway between Athenry to get to Limerick and it's hard to believe that it used to take over 4 hours to get to Dublin. Ideal would be another motorway between Limerick and Cork, as that would really link the 3 cities in the West. We sometimes take the ferry to France from Ringaskiddy and the drive from Limerick to Cork is annoying if you have a tractor and lorry in front of you.

SultanOfSwing

Belfast's nice enough, but parts of thy city centre were forgotten about in favor of others and there are a lot of abandoned and derelict buildings around.

It used to take around 3-4 hours for me to get to Dublin from just outside Belfast too before the M1/N1 was dualled all the way from Dublin to Belfast. The bit between the border and Dundalk was always fun when stuck behind a tractor, though they were usually pretty good about moving over when they had the chance. Now when we go over I can zip up from Dublin airport in less than 2 hours, it's great. I often think that (just like within Northern Ireland) the west was kind of forgotten about when the motorways are built though. You shouldn't have to drive all the way to Dublin to get a motorway connection to the north.

Moses2013

I agree but then again I'm kind of happy that we don't have the life people in Dublin have LOL. Galway is not a bad place with good work opportunities, although is lacking decent shopping and city planning just doesn't make sense. In return we have some stunning scenery on our doorstep and once the days get brighter, it's great you can just drive, grab a coffee and can hike around Connemara. Every places has it's pros and cons, just like WI

SultanOfSwing

I'm with you there.

One big pro Galway has that Wisconsin doesn't, of course, is the lack of snow.

scrubbedexpat099

Difficult to see any extension of the motorway networks in current climes.

Pulaski

Maybe in the summer then?

scrubbedexpat099

robin1234

Towns in England were sometimes set out in a grid pattern - but it’s more of a Roman or medieval thing, rather than eighteen or nineteenth century, as in North America.

Look at the map of Winchelsea, for instance.

Pulaski

Gloucester started out with a rudimentary grid too - with two main roads that cross in the center of the city, like most US cities, including, and perhaps "especially" the smaller ones. Maybe that is why I felt quite comfortable when I moved to NC.

SultanOfSwing

Ireland was obviously not influenced by Romans in any way because we don't have any grids that I have encountered. At least not on a large scale. But I like both ways of doing things anyway, grids are super easy to navigate in when in an unfamiliar town, and the 'someone dropped spaghetti on the blueprints' method is nice in its own way.

That and the weather, I bet. I just looked at Charlotte for shits and grins and those lucky bastards are going to be in the 50s all week.

scrubbedexpat099

Warmest January I can remember, quite a few days above freezing.

SultanOfSwing

It's not the temperature that's the problem, it's the precipitation. 34 degrees is fine on a dry day but that means snow on a wet one.

December was lovely though, frequently above 45 and not a drop of frozen misery falling from the sky.

scrubbedexpat099

Difficult to tell if its snowing, ground blizzard out there is blowing stuff around. Hopefully the main road will not be closed.

SultanOfSwing

I bet Pulaski never has that problem.

scrubbedexpat091

Example of a small town in So. California east of San Diego founded after the civil war era.