Belfast remains the main city and port of Northern Ireland
As the BBC writes, today's Belfast offers wide employment opportunities combined with fairly high living standards at relatively low living costs, which attracts both large international companies and expats. This is all the more surprising given what was here not so long ago – in the 1980s and 1990s: riots, shootouts at checkpoints, blocked streets, barbed wire, explosions, armed soldiers at intersections (read the report by "Zagranitsa" A DAY IN BELFAST ).
Yes, the capital of Northern Ireland has not yet managed to fully rebrand – too many still remember its turbulent past, and the instability of the political leadership of this constituent part of the United Kingdom only adds to the difficulties. However, it must be understood that many of the young people now working in the city were not even born in 1998, when the Good Friday Agreement was signed on the political settlement of the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland. Perhaps this is one reason why they (like most of the region's 1.8 million population) are more interested in working for the future than in delving into the politics of the past.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Belfast's economy offers multinational corporations the advantage of low operating costs, and this advantage is already being used by American insurance company Allstate, international law firm Baker McKenzie, and business consulting and auditing giants such as PwC and Deloitte. Since the terms of "Brexit" and the so-called soft border between Northern Ireland (leaving the EU along with the rest of the United Kingdom) and the Republic of Ireland are still being worked out, it is unclear how all this will affect Belfast's economy and labor market.
Before the 2016 referendum on leaving the EU, two of the largest foreign employers – Brazilian chicken processor Moy Park and American investment bank Citi – expressed concern about this. But after the referendum result became known, both companies stated that it would not affect their work in Northern Ireland and even increased the number of jobs.
More concern is caused by the trade dispute between Northern Ireland's largest manufacturing employer (4,500 jobs), Canadian engineering company Bombardier, and American Boeing. The latter filed a lawsuit in the US against the Canadians, accusing them of dumping – selling aircraft at reduced prices. Boeing is seeking to have the US government impose higher taxes on Bombardier, which would threaten the future of the Canadian company's plant in Belfast. In addition, 80 local firms supplying parts and services to Bombardier's production would be hit. The aviation sector has great potential in the eyes of Northern Irish people, so they are watching with concern how the Bombardier-Boeing dispute develops.
COST OF LIVING
Isis Dela Pena Palamine, who moved to Belfast in 2014 from Sweden's Malmö, works as a chef. According to her, the cost of living in the capital of Northern Ireland compares favorably with Sweden. "Life here is very cheap when it comes to food and housing," she says. "We rent a two-bedroom house, and it costs us £425 a month. In Sweden, we would pay £600 for an apartment."
Those who want to buy property in Belfast can find an affordable option. According to the latest statistics, the average house price in the city is £128,650. For comparison: in London – £489,000.
The average salary – £26,000 a year – is lower than the UK average (£28,000) and London average (£35,000), but it is growing rapidly (Belfast is second in the country in terms of wage growth). Living costs are relatively low, except perhaps for some utilities – since Northern Ireland imports gas and electricity.
Some of those who have moved here, especially from New York and London, note that restaurants can seem expensive, but the number of establishments is growing, new chains are coming to Belfast, and this should soon balance the situation.
WHERE TO GO
Visitors are primarily attracted to the central areas: the "Titanic" quarter built before the 2007 economic crisis, next to the shipyard where the famous ship was once built (Belfast has a memorial to the victims of the Titanic disaster), and the "Cathedral Quarter" (a former warehouse area now full of trendy bars and restaurants, the best in the city).
Visitors to the "Sunflower" bar here are offered locally produced stout, and only the security cage at the entrance, which was once used to check those entering, reminds of the grim past. But now, painted a cheerful green and often with fresh flowers on the grille, it serves solely to attract tourists.
The University Quarter is also very popular. It is one of the most ethnically diverse areas of the city. Queen's University has students from all over the world, especially many from Asian countries. Nearby are the quiet, tree-lined streets of Malone Road and Lisburn Road.
However, Belfast is a small city, and just minutes from the center are tougher places, Falls Road (a stronghold of Catholic nationalists) and Shankill Road (a stronghold of Protestant unionists), where the echo of past battles still sounds. These two parallel streets used to often appear in the news – or rather, in reports of unrest in Belfast. They are still separated by the so-called peace wall (or "peace line") – a high barrier between Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods, which is not demolished largely because it attracts tourists.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Shizuko Luke says that 11 years ago, when she moved here from Japan, she felt anxious – Belfast was and still remains a fairly mono-ethnic city. And although the situation is now changing, Northern Ireland still lags behind other regions of the United Kingdom in this regard. However, now Luke, who has had two sons born here during this time, is very positive: "It's a good place for those who decide to start a family, and the education system in Northern Ireland is very high quality, with many excellent schools," she says.
Ronan Cunningham has been living in Belfast for the past four years. According to him, the city has unique conditions for founding and developing high-tech startups (robots, augmented reality, artificial intelligence). Ronan founded his software company BrainWaveBank here.
A native of Galway (Ireland), Ronan worked for 20 years at Boeing Corporation, founded his engineering company in San Diego, but then moved to Belfast to launch a new startup here. He claims that the concentration of talent in high-tech, the willingness of the tech community to share experience, and the ability to get a cheap loan for a startup create a unique situation.
"Neither in Dublin nor in London could I do what I do in Belfast," he says. "People like me are willing to work for significantly less money when they start building their business – and at the same time can have a decent standard of living that Belfast offers." As Cunningham adds, life in the city is bustling, with new restaurants and bars constantly opening.
Chi Shon Sun was born in Malaysia and moved to Belfast 19 years ago when he decided to get an education in computer science. Now he works as an application specialist at one of the energy companies. He says this city helped him develop both professionally and personally. "People here are very friendly. The years spent in Belfast have been wonderful. The decision to move here is one of the best decisions I have ever made."