As a keen cyclist I have been familiar with lifecycles for many years, primarily due to its…read morereputation as an excellent place to have your bicycle repaired. I recently had a problem with my bike gears and so brought it down to the lifecycles workshop to have it looked at professionally. Now on first name terms with the guys working there, I always receive fantastic service from the friendly and knowledgeable workers and have to say I'm usually very happy with the work they do. My most recent problem I had with my bike was fixed within 2 days and this for me was very pleasing. They replaced a part on the bike but explained why they had to, what was causing the problem in the first place and how to prevent it in the future. Money well spent!

This place is tucked in the alleyway in Lawrence street, so you may need help with directions on…read moreyour first visit. However, when you get there you can be confident your bike is in good hands. Austin is the guy who runs the shop and I don't think there is anything he doesn't know about bike maintenance. In addition to this, he's pretty cheap compared to other similar bike repair services in Belfast. I'd advise leaving enough time for any work though- since it's a small business it can probably get busy so rush jobs may not be possible. Still, very happy I have this place so close!

This knocks the socks off Botanic Gardens any day. It's massive, wilder, nowhere near as crowded…read moreand just lovely. I used to take my spaniel Tiko here every day and he loved it - OK, dogs love anywhere they can run about, but he really did share my love of this park, as there's loads of undergrowth he could and did snuffle into and lots of space to run around. (And if the poor girl whose lunchtime Subway sandwich he scarfed is reading this, I can only apologise yet again.) I haven't been back to Ormeau Park since he died, because, well, I just don't want to at the mo, but some of my happiest memories of him are at this park and it''s probably my favourite outdoor spot in all of Belfast. I love walking past the house in the middle of it and dreaming someday of living there. I'd even give up my Melbourne yearning for that... This is a stellar spot for walking, cycling or skating, and I even saw a mini orchestra happily playing near the bandstand once as well. There are bowling greens, a basketball/netball court and tennis courts, at which I would marvel at healthy types playing vigorously there at 10am on a Sunday, as Tiko and I lurched past. (And if the poor guy whose tennis ball he neatly nipped in and stole is reading this, I can only apologise yet again.) A beautiful park that's a bit bittersweet for me at the moment, but hopefully will become a regular chilling out place for me again. Perfect.

Ormeau Park, the underrated green space of Belfast. I love this place its a little emerald in the…read moregrey concrete of the city. Well cultivated and kept with its grandiose gates and lots of little walks and trails, great for a little peace of mind walk or a wee day out for kids at the pretty awesome play park. My only negative is that I think there could be more done here events wise. It always seems botanic has the monopoly on those. Maybe a winter wonderland like they do at Hyde Park in London and a few Summer events to make use of the bandstand and nice open spaces.

This gym is small, lacking equipment, and in need of a refurb (as already mentioned in these…read morereviews). My experience of it is that it's a badly run gym - so much so that they haven't even bothered to go on here and inform people that it's actually now called Club Vitae, One to avoid.

This gym is simple and a little run down. They don't have much but basic equipment. If you're…read moreserious into you fitness this isn't the gym for you. However if normal gyms intimidate you, this may be your starting place. It's small and quite and no judgments over your work out. They provide some great classes with positive and helpful teachers. Yoga here is especially excellent. I have been to a few yoga classes in my time and I've learnt more here than anywhere else. Good practical tips and they don't push you belong your limits. The pool is small with no deep end. But its perfect the for a morning swim. Again it's a bit run down, which can be a tad frustrating considering this isn't a cheap gym. The hallway to the pool constantly smells bad. The showers and changing rooms are clean, but old. Most keys have lost the scrappy bit for your arm so bring a pin as well as your pound to pay for them. Personally I am willing to put up with all the negatives as this gym as what's most important to me, a pool I can do lengths in with no interruption and no que for machines!

I've only used the pool. I win master the front crawl. A few classes is be interested in trying…read moreso will have to fit them in. Then joy of joy Clements. Coffee after exercise. Life just doesn't get better than this. That and the fun of pretending to be a student. Overall the facilities are great. Loads of classes to choose from and good sized pool.

I've been a member of PEC now since just before Xmas, so just under a month. I'm impressed so far…read more Though I've only used the gym its absolutely great. Lots of machines and rarely a wait for anything. Its also extremely good price wise with no long contracts. I'd highly recommend the place if your looking for a well stocked, convenient gym or leisure centre with long opening times. Spot on!

Wow!! We went here…read moreas a hen party and what a night!! This place is really really great for a fun girlie night out. We were offered lovely wine and nibbles when we arrived and were then treated to an hour of impressive pole tricks, routines and instruction! It was so much fun to try and have a go, and really hard work k too! I'm actually planning to take it up as a fitness regime because its awesome...and you get to wear heels! whoop! I was told that if you're having a hen night you can even book exotic male dancers to come in too (£70) which we didn't get (sob) but would certainly up the ante methinks! Guys are of course welcome to come too! Parties are offered on Fri, Sat and Sun eve, and other days are available if the studio is free! Classes are taught at all levels from beginners to advances, from taster to pussycat doll! They are all priced from £15 per head for a taster, £80 for 8 weeks beginner, intermediate, advanced and the specialist routine classes are £60 for the 8 weeks. Not bad!! A really fun alternative hen night and a great way to get fit too.

Our tour guide for the North Belfast walk bought us by this lovely park and told us some cool…read morethings about it: - Stephen Rhea (Oscar winning actor of the Crying Game movie) grew up in the house opposite the park. Look for a bright yellow door near shop called 'War on want" and that's his house. - in the early part of the century, if you are rich enough, you could buy an annual key to get into the park - glad it's free now! - this area was supposed to have been ''mistakenly" bombed instead of the ship building harbour during the first blitz but recent archives from Germany revealed that it was deliberate as they didn't want locals to have access to water for fire fighting the next round of blitz attacks. I loved the two lakes - reminded me a wee bit of the Serpentine in London's Hyde Park. It's a gorgeous bit of greenery, very calming and beautiful with the mini-waterfalls. Go visit and commune with Nature! Note: #235 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016

The Waterworks is a great place for an evening walk. It has great facilities for kids with a…read moreplayground floored with bark to avoid cuts and bruises. Living so close by I often walk around the grounds of The Waterworks - it's especially nice on summers evenings.

This must be one of Belfast' best kept secrets, hidden away in the suburbia of Stranmillis the…read moreYMCA fitness centre has facilities that will rival any private gym. I attended a charity football tournament here on Saturday and was shocked by what I was presented with. When someone says YMCA to me I immediately think of a the song and then I think of a run down church hall in desperate need of repair but to my amazement when I pulled up to Belfast's YMCA I was presented with a state of the art building and a huge car park. I read on the way out that there's an on site gym, youth club and cafe. We were playing on the football pitches out the back. The pitches themselves were a little over grown but as it's off season you can give them a bye ball on this. The facilities at the pitched included changing rooms, floodlights and small goals with netting. I'm not sure how hiring the pitches works but if you're thinking of organising a kick about I would get in contact with the YMCA. I couldn't believe I hadn't been here before Saturday, they obviously have invested a lot of cash in to this facility and it's a shame that more people are not aware of what's on offer here.

A charity football tournament brought me to the YMCA on Saturday, before going to this place the…read moreonly thing I had heard about it was the song. Needless to say my apprehensions were completely unfounded. Great leisure facilities await any young man with little dough, and ample parking providing a place for any size car to stay. They also have a Café onsite too if you fancy a coffee or a good meal. (Surely they do a Cowboy supper?) Great pitches to play on if you are wanting to play football or whatever you feel So if you are looking for a place to hang out with all the boys, consider a kick about at the ol' YMCA.

The present site of the Harbour Office has been in use since 1847 as the headquarters of the…read moreBelfast Harbour Commissioners. The building was constructed between 1847 - 1854, firstly designed by George Smith in 1854 and later by the Belfast architect William Henry Lynn. The building was done in style of an Italian palazzo. It features some gorgeous marble mosaic floors and stunning stained glass windows the most impressive of which shows the Seal of Belfast Harbour Commissioners, others depict commerce, ship building and enterprise as well as featuring a number of the coat of arms of cities with which Belfast has done business. The site is also home to a fascinating art galley. The collection here has been built up over the years by Harbour Commissioners. The gallery is located in ornate and opulent rooms decorated in Victorian fashion, the art works nestle themselves happily on these walls. The rooms boast work from prominent Irish artists such as; William Conor and Joseph Carey. There are also a number of sculptures from France and Italy. Mainly though the collection is impressive in its historical importance. There are a number of old landscapes, historical events and relevant scenes from Belfast's past. For example there is an 1851 painting of Belfast Harbour's Ferry Steps. Other pieces include the portrait of Sir Robert Baird, Proprietor of the Belfast Telegraph and Harbour Commissioner from 1932 to 1934. As part of European Heritage Weekend on 11th & 12th of September the Belfast Harbour Office will be open to the public for a chance to view the fascinating history within its walls and sneak a peek at the famous art collection.

As part of the European Heritage Open Day two friends and I visited this impressive building. The…read moreguide was very interesting and knowledgeable and gave us a thorough account of the Commission, its role, its inception and its future. I really was impressed with everything the commission is responsible for!!

From downtown Belfast you can't really tell what awaits you. The mountain is bigger than you might…read morethink from a distance. There's at least one cave on the northern route that you can scramble up to (need to be comfortable with exposure and basic climbing). Great views of the city and surrounding countryside, even Scotland if it's not raining. There are also lots of (steep) mountain biking trails.

If you are coming from Belfast city centre, you can take most pink metro buses for Antrim Road…read more (1d, 1e, 1c etc) and get off at Strathmore. There is a huge brown sign for Belfast Castle . Take Innisfayle Park and you cant miss the CaveHill park gates. I think there are three trails. Castle (1.3km), Estate (3.9km), CaveHill (4.5km). I have been around the different trails many times. From sunny strolls with a picnic on the Estate route to running the Cavehill trail in the lashing rain, its a park that offers much to its visitors. Cavehill trail starts at Castle with a gentle hill and dips into a forest lined with flora pathways and wooded areas covered with bluebells, streams and wildlife. You can stay on main trail or wander around to explore the many trees and vegetation. Just be on the look out for mountain bikers as they take many winding, smaller routes and appear out of nowhere. The trail had a few look out points with resting stones. McArt's Fort and Napoleons nose are some of the more well known features. There are a few ways to get to top. If you dont fancy the longer track to right after cave you can go left and run up either two small paths. Much harder on the quads but quicker and a lot more rewarding. Once at the top there are wonderful panoramic views over Belfast & beyond. Some additional points: Free parking and free access to trails O2 network has coverage at top (for selfie glory) Watch out at wooden steps as many visitors have worn down the ground revealing metal stakes that were put in to secure the land. When you are on a quick sprint down its easy to catch your toe and fall (as my friend did) Bring water! Family friendly but expect to carry smaller kids on steeper parts.

This is a great walk on the outskirts of Belfast. It is well hidden from the Manse road entrance…read morebut don't be put off its worth the view! It takes roughly 30 - 40 mins to ascend depending on fitness level. The path leads from a quaint bridge along a stony lane running behind Lagan college. It has quite a steep incline half way through - really gets the heart pumping. The vista over Belfast and the lough are breath taking. I usually catch a plane or ship coming in. Tip 1. Parking can be tight, i recommend parking in local estate Garland Hill and adding to the dander Tip 2. If you don't fancy the strenuous walk up hill there is another entrance with parking on the Lisnabreeny road itself.

I love finding different places to walk without having to travel too far and this is another such…read moreplace. 10 mins by car from my house in Carryduff and nestled in the Castlereagh hills. There's a small car park off Manse Rd easy to miss as it's not signposted. Entry to the walk is through a wooden gate on the left. You are on a par with Cavehill height- wise and when it's clear you can see right down to the port of Belfast or over to the spectacular Mournes. There's a Rath surrounded by trees which is eerily quiet and the gravelled path leads you down towards Cregagh Glen and waterfalls. You walk past the back of Lagan college and enter the Glen via an underpass. Be careful as the old railway sleeper path ways can be treacherous as I found out to my cost recently! They look dry but can be slippery as I ended upon my ass. Fortunately nothing damaged except ny dignity! You can take a detour to visit the monument to American soldiers who served in NI during WW2 or walk on down the Glen which is beautiful especially after rain when the water is really flowing. It is quite a steep walk back up to the car park but there are a few benches dotted around. Hard to believe you are right in the heart of urban Belfast. This place is well worth a visit with kids (there's a little adventure playground) or its a haven for dog walkers or even just on your own.