Mercer Court

Verdant St. Stephen’s Green is perhaps the largest, but certainly not the only, park in this quiet (yet central) sliver of Dublin. There's also Merrion Square, where stately Georgian homes and stattuettes of famed residents recall past grandeur, and Iveaugh Gardens with its elegant stone fountains.

Outside of parklands, the streets in this area are residential and quiet, marked by ornate mansions, elementary schools and dog-walking residents. North of the Green, shopping, bars and throngs of people set the stage, and the area to the west of St. Stephen's also has a residential, less touristy feel, with a few pubs thrown in for good measure.