Do your best.........
Discussion
.......... to put me off.
I know that every time I mention locations of anything that I get a wide range of disagreements on here, so I am ready for you to all do your worst. I had an "orientation" tour of different areas to live yesterday, and after expecting to want to live in Arabian Ranches, I saw an area yesterday that I much prefer:-
Jumeirah Islands.
Why should I not be considering living here?
I also looked at following yesterday:-
Jumeirah Park
Jumeirah Golf Village
The Villa
Falcon City
Arabian Ranches
Victory Heights
But Jumeirah Islands was definitely my favourite...... So come on lads do your worst! Get some pre weekend drink scaremongering going!
I know that every time I mention locations of anything that I get a wide range of disagreements on here, so I am ready for you to all do your worst. I had an "orientation" tour of different areas to live yesterday, and after expecting to want to live in Arabian Ranches, I saw an area yesterday that I much prefer:-
Jumeirah Islands.
Why should I not be considering living here?
I also looked at following yesterday:-
Jumeirah Park
Jumeirah Golf Village
The Villa
Falcon City
Arabian Ranches
Victory Heights
But Jumeirah Islands was definitely my favourite...... So come on lads do your worst! Get some pre weekend drink scaremongering going!
king stink, or at least used to.You housing package must be decent.
Why not
Water attracts insect so sit in the garden and get bitten
In the past there have been odour issues
Can't walk to the pub
Taxi's to the pub will have to be prebooked
Does it have a double air con garage.
The other main issues are were do you work, and if applicable what school will your kids go to.
I would get up early and do a dry run of your commute
Why not
Water attracts insect so sit in the garden and get bitten
In the past there have been odour issues
Can't walk to the pub
Taxi's to the pub will have to be prebooked
Does it have a double air con garage.
The other main issues are were do you work, and if applicable what school will your kids go to.
I would get up early and do a dry run of your commute
Work is DIFC - so just down the road from the Islands. Wife will work, but we have no idea where yet, so we have to take a punt here as we need a property ASAP.
Did not notice the smell... would have thought as it is fairly warm at the moment that it would be at it's worst at this time. But perhaps I am wrong?
With regards to schools and kids play grounds etc, that is a very good point, we want to be as far away from any of them as possible. Is one of the most off putting things of some of the areas is the amount of schools, and kids making noise in playgrounds etc!
The bitey insects is a concern if I am honest. I have no experience of how bad they are in Dubai generally, and specifically near open water. That was something I was concerned about.
From the areas I saw yesterday, nothing has everything we want, but the Islands was the best I saw.
Did not notice the smell... would have thought as it is fairly warm at the moment that it would be at it's worst at this time. But perhaps I am wrong?
With regards to schools and kids play grounds etc, that is a very good point, we want to be as far away from any of them as possible. Is one of the most off putting things of some of the areas is the amount of schools, and kids making noise in playgrounds etc!
The bitey insects is a concern if I am honest. I have no experience of how bad they are in Dubai generally, and specifically near open water. That was something I was concerned about.
From the areas I saw yesterday, nothing has everything we want, but the Islands was the best I saw.
- Arabian Ranches - expensive for what you get, and need to ensure you are right end for traffic, and shops etc
- The Villa - excellent value for money, and easy to DIFC. Most places do not have a garage (would like a garage for tools and bikes etc). Is still a building site. No community club.
- Falcon City - Liked this, but no properties available. No community club.
- Victory Heights - Quite liked this area - but did not feel as nice as the Islands. Community pool seemed to be under a building site! Did not see a comminity club/bar.
- Jumeirah Golf Estates - really wanted to like this, but properties are really small. Very well built though. Golf course will be good when clubhouse fully open.
- Jumeirah Park - Surprised me completely. Is Toy town, every house looks the same, but they are good size plots, and appear well built. No community bar etc - but you can use the Islands one.
- Looked at Um Seqquiem, and Meadows, Lakes, and Springs - and this is not for me. Just did not like at all - probably the worst of all the areas for too many kids.
The different communities seem to offer different level of 'value' in the Ranches. We are in Alma 1 so nice and close to the main exit (easy right, nail it, flat out down the slip road then merge into 120kph traffic) *grin*
The commute is still good and my wife and kids love it. Still, it is quite a way out from DIFC but a fast transit run to there, Festival City, Dragon Mart (I am drawn there like a fly to horsepoo!) and quick up to Mall of Emirates
Did not realise you were in DIFC. 6th Gear is there too. Anyone up for an after-work burger in the coming weeks?
The commute is still good and my wife and kids love it. Still, it is quite a way out from DIFC but a fast transit run to there, Festival City, Dragon Mart (I am drawn there like a fly to horsepoo!) and quick up to Mall of Emirates
Did not realise you were in DIFC. 6th Gear is there too. Anyone up for an after-work burger in the coming weeks?
why would access to JLT be a +ve? 
with that kind of housing allowance you can really live where you like. islands would allow you the luxury of going against the main flow of traffic to DFC.
also look at the villas at jebel ali village. older community but well established and there's a decent school, the jebel ali club and geant on your doorstep. i believe its a nakheel development [them and emaar are the quality developers] and were refurbished last year.
a little further along, behind JA towards the e311 junction, you have al furjan. new [so unestablished] and could be traffic heavy [indian salik avoider rat run] but they're very cheap at the moment. 6 bedder with triple garage for mid 200s.
with that kind of housing allowance you can really live where you like. islands would allow you the luxury of going against the main flow of traffic to DFC.
also look at the villas at jebel ali village. older community but well established and there's a decent school, the jebel ali club and geant on your doorstep. i believe its a nakheel development [them and emaar are the quality developers] and were refurbished last year.
a little further along, behind JA towards the e311 junction, you have al furjan. new [so unestablished] and could be traffic heavy [indian salik avoider rat run] but they're very cheap at the moment. 6 bedder with triple garage for mid 200s.
Edited by shirt on Thursday 28th August 19:41
With a good allowance and no kids I'd be looking at a villa in Jumeirah - I'm not sure why anyone without a family would want to live in one of the communities.
We lived in Alma in the Ranches and as said above if you live near that part you are on Emirates Road (or whatever it is called now) within a minute and I used to get to the Dubai Mall/DIFC area 10 minutes after that. Very easy.
We lived in Alma in the Ranches and as said above if you live near that part you are on Emirates Road (or whatever it is called now) within a minute and I used to get to the Dubai Mall/DIFC area 10 minutes after that. Very easy.
XB70 said:
Did not realise you were in DIFC. 6th Gear is there too. Anyone up for an after-work burger in the coming weeks?
Have you seen my user name? Burgers are somewhere on the top of my list of likes!shirt said:
also look at the villas at jebel ali village. older community but well established and there's a decent school, the jebel ali club and geant on your doorstep. i believe its a nakheel development [them and emaar are the quality developers] and were refurbished last year.
a little further along, behind JA towards the e311 junction, you have al furjan. new [so unestablished] and could be traffic heavy [indian salik avoider rat run] but they're very cheap at the moment. 6 bedder with triple garage for mid 200s.
Someone at work lives there and was telling me about Al Furjan. Sounds a long way out to me though..... when I finally get my licence (hopefully Sunday) I will get a car and will see how far away it is.a little further along, behind JA towards the e311 junction, you have al furjan. new [so unestablished] and could be traffic heavy [indian salik avoider rat run] but they're very cheap at the moment. 6 bedder with triple garage for mid 200s.
Hitch78 said:
With a good allowance and no kids I'd be looking at a villa in Jumeirah - I'm not sure why anyone without a family would want to live in one of the communities.
Jumeirah does not really appeal (from what I have seen). I think it would be a bit of a trek to the golf course(s), although I know the Creek is not that far from there. Also not sure what sure what is round there really apart from a beach. Our thoughts behind the community (and we come from a community in UK as well) is that we will meet people locally, provided we have somewhere to drink!The Villas in Jumeirah seem quite isolated. I will have a further look into though to see if there is a mix. As I say I did look at Um Seqquiem (sp), and although close to city, it felt dated.
What we like about the Villas at Jumeirah Islands (and for that matter Jumeirah Park, Victory Heights etc) is you can still see the Marina skyline, and it feels like you are not far from the city.
i think you need to get used the city first, then go house hunting. jumeirah and umm suqueim are not developments and so it is impossible to label them as such [felt dated etc]. there are some great areas in there. i love the modern villas in jumeirah 1 behind the new strip mall. they're on small plots and close together but very sleek and has a good feel - like urban terraces. really can't remember what they're called but just head up al wasl road until you see baskin robbins on the right in a row of glass fronted modern shops. turn right and right again, there it is.
is there any reason you prefer a villa to an apartment? your money would go much further and dewa would be far less. there are some great buildings in downtown that might be ideal for you. also the emaar developments in the marina have waterside villas with the entrance at plaza level. the ones in my old building [Al Sahab] were amazing. the original 6 [anyone know the proper name for this development?] on the north east corner of the marina have more of a community vibe, are dead easy traffic wise, brilliantly located for marina restaurants and come with 360deg views from the marina to the golf course.
a mate of mine lives in a fantastic villa in a gated development in al sufouh. villas are like those in the greens, its very leafy and quiet yet he can be at work [media city] in 5 mins.
you should also place less thought on location being handy for things like golf. this is a car city, we drive places. its a big place but most journeys are short as you're doing 60mph for the main part. locate yourself for your commute as that is the one thing you can't avoid going to and 3hrs sat in a jam on szr is noones idea of fun.
i find the idea of a social life revolving around a community bar unappealing tbh. choose your friends, don't get lumped with people you can't escape from! dubai is a very social place and its easy to have a wide and varied social circle. personally i find the worst places to mix are those with dull as ditchwater expat stereotypes being oh-so-jolly and keeping up with the joneses. avoid stay at home wives like the plague.
PS- if you can see the marina skyline you're about 20km from the city
is there any reason you prefer a villa to an apartment? your money would go much further and dewa would be far less. there are some great buildings in downtown that might be ideal for you. also the emaar developments in the marina have waterside villas with the entrance at plaza level. the ones in my old building [Al Sahab] were amazing. the original 6 [anyone know the proper name for this development?] on the north east corner of the marina have more of a community vibe, are dead easy traffic wise, brilliantly located for marina restaurants and come with 360deg views from the marina to the golf course.
a mate of mine lives in a fantastic villa in a gated development in al sufouh. villas are like those in the greens, its very leafy and quiet yet he can be at work [media city] in 5 mins.
you should also place less thought on location being handy for things like golf. this is a car city, we drive places. its a big place but most journeys are short as you're doing 60mph for the main part. locate yourself for your commute as that is the one thing you can't avoid going to and 3hrs sat in a jam on szr is noones idea of fun.
i find the idea of a social life revolving around a community bar unappealing tbh. choose your friends, don't get lumped with people you can't escape from! dubai is a very social place and its easy to have a wide and varied social circle. personally i find the worst places to mix are those with dull as ditchwater expat stereotypes being oh-so-jolly and keeping up with the joneses. avoid stay at home wives like the plague.
PS- if you can see the marina skyline you're about 20km from the city
Shirt - you make some good points. Unfortunately time is not on our side to take the time to look around. We need to get somewhere ASAP, and then after the first year, if we want a change, we will change then. I know that will cost more in agency fees, but is the situation we are in.
We are bringing cats over from the UK, and so we need a property to be able to ship them to. The managed apartment I have now does not allow pets. Until the cats are shipped, we cannot empty the house in UK, and get everything shipped. Everything has a knock on for the next step, and the next thing on the list that needs to happen is find accomodation. We have someone ready to move into our UK property, and a drop dead date of end of September for this to happen.
As to apartment vs villa, the cats are not very good at using lifts. I have managed to teach them to read numbers, and press buttons, but they always lose the lift card when they are out playing! They are outdoor cats, who don't travel far, but I need them to be able to play somewhere.
Seriously we have lived in apartments/flats in London, and it is great for a 25 year old, but unfortunately I am pushing 40 now. I have been there and done it with apartments. Unless I was in New York or Hong Kong, where there is no choice I cannot see us going back to it. I was even looking at houses in Singapore when we considered moving there! Also we like our privacy, and having our own pool is much more appealing that having a shared apartment pool. I also want a garage for my tools and bikes - is something I enjoy working on, and so again an apartment is not condusive to doing this. We could easily get away with a smaller villa as there are only two of us, but we like the space, we have become used to it in the UK. We have lots of friends in UK and Australia that (we hope) will choose to use Dubai as a stopover, and although we effectively will be paying for their accomodation, we are happy to do this. My mates will come over once a year for golf, and again I want them to have somewhere comfortable to stay, and not have to worry about the expense of accomodation.
We are fortunate that our housing allowance is fairly decent, and what we supplement with salary will not stop us enjoying the life here from what I have seen so far. If it does, and we don't break even for the year, we will need to re-evaluate next year when we are more familiar with the area.
We have a pragmatic approach to this Dubai adventure - it is not a cash cow/saving experience for us. It is a lifestyle experience, so providing we go home having broken even, and had a great time then it will have been worth it. We have taken a few years out of our financial life plan. If we decide to stay past that, we will need to look at what we do then. I don't do debt - so won't allow that to happen - and if I eat into savings in the first year, I will know that we are living above our means, and will change something accordingly.
So how much do those lakes smell?! And how bitey are the mozzies over here?!
We are bringing cats over from the UK, and so we need a property to be able to ship them to. The managed apartment I have now does not allow pets. Until the cats are shipped, we cannot empty the house in UK, and get everything shipped. Everything has a knock on for the next step, and the next thing on the list that needs to happen is find accomodation. We have someone ready to move into our UK property, and a drop dead date of end of September for this to happen.
As to apartment vs villa, the cats are not very good at using lifts. I have managed to teach them to read numbers, and press buttons, but they always lose the lift card when they are out playing!
They are outdoor cats, who don't travel far, but I need them to be able to play somewhere.Seriously we have lived in apartments/flats in London, and it is great for a 25 year old, but unfortunately I am pushing 40 now. I have been there and done it with apartments. Unless I was in New York or Hong Kong, where there is no choice I cannot see us going back to it. I was even looking at houses in Singapore when we considered moving there! Also we like our privacy, and having our own pool is much more appealing that having a shared apartment pool. I also want a garage for my tools and bikes - is something I enjoy working on, and so again an apartment is not condusive to doing this. We could easily get away with a smaller villa as there are only two of us, but we like the space, we have become used to it in the UK. We have lots of friends in UK and Australia that (we hope) will choose to use Dubai as a stopover, and although we effectively will be paying for their accomodation, we are happy to do this. My mates will come over once a year for golf, and again I want them to have somewhere comfortable to stay, and not have to worry about the expense of accomodation.
We are fortunate that our housing allowance is fairly decent, and what we supplement with salary will not stop us enjoying the life here from what I have seen so far. If it does, and we don't break even for the year, we will need to re-evaluate next year when we are more familiar with the area.
We have a pragmatic approach to this Dubai adventure - it is not a cash cow/saving experience for us. It is a lifestyle experience, so providing we go home having broken even, and had a great time then it will have been worth it. We have taken a few years out of our financial life plan. If we decide to stay past that, we will need to look at what we do then. I don't do debt - so won't allow that to happen - and if I eat into savings in the first year, I will know that we are living above our means, and will change something accordingly.
So how much do those lakes smell?! And how bitey are the mozzies over here?!
those are talented cats! luckily mine has no ambitions beyond eating as much food as possible and inventing new ways of waking me up on a weekend. if you need a recommendation for a good vet let me know.
if you want a garage [which should be applauded!] then this limits the choice of developments somewhat. make sure it has aircon and space for friends to work on projects
re: shipping, you have a very cheeky pm from me!
if you want a garage [which should be applauded!] then this limits the choice of developments somewhat. make sure it has aircon and space for friends to work on projects
re: shipping, you have a very cheeky pm from me!
The lakes have improved maintenance and they now have fountains to aerate the water and stop it going stagnant. So I think the smell issue is more of an occasional nuisance rather than lingering odour.
As for bitie things I am midge magnet, I can sit outside mcgettigans and get eaten while no one else has a bite.
As for bitie things I am midge magnet, I can sit outside mcgettigans and get eaten while no one else has a bite.
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