Portstewart is the best place to live in the north, according to a Sunday Times guide.
The newspaper publishes its Best Places to Live guide each year, with Portstewart on the north coast topping the list for Northern Ireland.
Also featured in the list are Donaghadee in Co Down and the Ormeau area of south Belfast.
Donaghadee topped last year’s locations for the north, which also included Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh.
Other locations to be included in the guide in previous years include Holywood, Co Down, Magherafelt, Derry city and Ballycastle.
Portstewart’s community spirit praised
Praising Co Derry’s Portstewart, the Sunday Times judges said: “Year-round community spirit is the beating heart of Northern Ireland’s most graceful seaside town.
“Beach cleans, litter picks and the volunteers behind the annual Red Sails festival are just a few examples of the local pride that’s always on display. The two-mile sandy beach is at the centre of life here, but there are also decent shops, cafés and restaurants and an interesting cultural scene at the Flowerfield Arts Centre.”
Donaghadee a scenic and sociable hotspot
Meanwhile, the guide describes Donaghadee as a “scenic and sociable hotspot on the Ards peninsula”, adding: “The sense of community is as strong as the town is charming with its lighthouse, multicoloured houses and a centre packed with useful independent shops and friendly cafes, pubs and restaurants showcasing local produce.”
South Belfast’s Ormeau Road
The Ormeau Road area is dubbed “Belfast’s most liveable neighbourhood” in the guide, which states: “Importantly, the schools are great, and nowhere in the city can beat it for outdoor space. Dogs and kids can let off steam in Ormeau and Cherryvale Parks, while cyclists and joggers can canter along the towpath.”
The full UK list features 72 locations and guide editor Helen Davies said: “These are all places where you can feel grounded as well as upwardly mobile: they have a mature sense of community, lively, supportive high streets and an eye to the future, whether that is eco-friendly measures, transport and regeneration, or imaginative inclusion of new housing.”
