dominoman

Wife (pregnant) and I have just moved to Abu Dhabi and are looking at places to live.

This weekend we saw Etihad Towers, Marasay Apartments, World Trade Center (Corniche), Al Ain Tower (Corniche), Marina Square (on Reem) and tomorrow are seeing Wave Tower.

Our impressions:
1. Etihad towers - Very high end, but wasn't for us. Would prefer to have "normal" shops, cafes and takeways around
2. Marasay Apartments - Lovely quiet location, near the port, at the end of the Corniche. Lots of expat kids in the pool area. Liked it, but wife felt it was all a bit too isolated and quiet. I felt the same.
3. WTC. Wow. Spectacular apartments with loads of storage. Lovely shopping centre underneath, with decent selection of low, mid and high end food. Only problem - No balcony. I just can't imagine not having direct access to some outside space. Will I adjust?
4. Al Ain tower. Loved it. First apartment we saw was a huge 2 bed with wrap around balcony. But beyond what we want to spend though otherwise I'd take it now. We saw another smaller one we liked that was around 155k. Only downside (apart from price) is the kitchens are dingy and small, and don't come with any appliances.
5. Marina Square (Reem). Decent apartment sizes for the money. Wife thought they were a little dark, but I quite liked it - and we saw lots of expats there which is good for her to meet people. Overall, felt maybe a bit removed from everything as my wife doesnt like to drive.

Any thoughts? What do you think of the above, and is there anything else you'd recommend we see too?

Am I wrong to be fixated on a balcony? It certainly cuts down the choice a lot.

Thanks!

flood2

Marina Square is the down market part of Reem! getting a bit shabby and reminds me of an east european council estate! Better towers including balconies on Shams on Reem. Beach Tower has good balconies. Taxis are cheap so no need to drive if not confident to drive.

Other questions to think about...

Do you need two beds?

Where do you work?

soukie

Personally I would go for the WTC - location is good and plenty of outdoor space on the Corniche when you need it Balconies used to be banned in AD and that's why you will see so many buildings without them.

carcajou

dominoman, where do you work? Abu Dhabi rush hour can be ferocious, and the driving really aggressive.

Etihad Towers and Sun/Sky on Reem were the buildings of choice for executives where I was.

Balcony . . . meh. I remember when I first arrived some moons ago and was put up my first few weeks in a Rotana, which had a sticker on the windows asking guests not to open the windows because of the heat.

DXBtoDOH

I'd never take a flat without a balcony. Half the year the weather's great and I like to keep the doors open to allow in fresh air.

You may want to walk around one afternoon and note any buildings that appeal to you and jot down the number or speak to the security desk and see if there are apartments for rent. Most of the buildings along the corniche are owned by real estate companies and many don't advertise. There's some nicer buildings mixed in with the usual ME crap.

Khalidiya was a traditional expat area and while the buildings are now older there's a range of shops and cafes in the vicinity and it fronts the more active part of the corniche as well.

dominoman

Thanks.

I work halfway along the Corniche, so WTC is 5 mins away. That's a bonus as it means one car between me and my wife would do.

We're 2, with baby on the way, so for now a 2 bed plus maid's room would be fine. We could use the maid's room as a nursery or guest room initially.

Interesting to see that balconies are really important for some, and meh for others. I'm fairly fixated in a balcony for the BBQs and just lounging. But others at work said it is just always covered in dust.

I definitely prefer the busier end if town. Etihad Towers wasnt for me. I'm seeing Nation Towers this week but am expecting that to be similar.

There's apparently a new building opening in Tourist Club area called Extension?

DXBtoDOH

BBQs are banned on balconies.

Dubai had a number of high profile high-rise fires because of balcony BBQs.

The nicer buildings should have a BBQ area somewhere.

DXBtoDOH

That's what the maid is for.

1one

Welcome to the UAE!

I'd recommend staying as close to work as possible as others have also pointed out that rush hour along the Corniche can lengthen your commute even though you're just down the road!

Bear in mind that you have just arrived, so the more central option will probably be a better idea to 'get your bearings' as you adjust. It is quite likely that as time goes on, you might move after 2-3 years once you get a feel for the environment and if you'd like a change, as there is so much variety on the market there.

AD island is not that huge so it's not like one part of town is more isolated than the other.

You will probably go out a lot in the evenings as part of work / also with the family so stay as close as possible to the malls and main hotels for ease of access. Staying near the malls will come in quite handy once summer arrives...

In your case, around 'Clock Tower' is super central as it is really easy to get straight on the motorway to Dubai for those weekend trips...and depending on how much you might travel, well, it's directly on 'Airport Road'!

dominoman

Thanks. Good advice. In my case the World Trade Center building is probably the most convenient of all for work. 10 mins walk - which means my wife could use the car and we wouldnt need two.

I've not heard of "clock tower". Where is that?

I just saw Nations Tower (was nice spec but I didn't love it) and the St Regis on Saadiyat. Wow! Loved the St Regis. Big apartments, balcony, and the amazing beach. It felt like a holiday resort. Expensive though - and a bit more of a drive in the morning, though not bad.

My new favourites are Al Ain (for the balcony), WTC (for the location) and St Regis (for the sense of being on permanent holiday)

ShirleyG102

Just saw Etihad Towers and Saadiyat St Regis today - and I have to agree, Etihad Towers, though decent, is probably not the best choice because apartments are essentially completely devoid of fresh air 24/7/365. Especially not for a pregnant woman, or soon to be born baby. It's where a lot of ADIA folks live though, so exec / high end in that sense, and great for networking, but personally I wouldn't live there just for the lack of balconies (or even windows!). The apartment I saw also wasn't spectacular - the reception area was oddly shaped, and rooms were ok. The views were excellent though. There's a Waitrose in the basement (though probably out of reach for me because even something as basic as a 9 pack of Andrex was 56 AED - heck, I'd stop using toilet paper at that rate).

Saadiyat St Regis was good - the apartment not so much, but the location yes. It felt like a Greek seaside holiday resort. The apartment we saw had a balcony, but wasn't bright enough. I felt the building itself was a bit deserted - didn't see people around, so that's something you need to consider. Not sure if it's fully occupied? Distance from everything else is a consideration, but in my few days in Abu Dhabi I didn't see much traffic so wouldn't worry about that. Taxis to work are also super cheap I've heard.

Didn't see Nation Towers, but I was told it's a bit disorganised. Not sure how true that is.

I liked Marina Square for the balconies when I drove past, but didn't get to see any apartments there, and have just read some articles which suggest that people who live there are slightly lower income.

soukie

I would go for location, location, location every time

DXBtoDOH

I don't know what your hours are but I commuted from Dubai to AD via Yas/Saadiyat Island for nearly two years and Saadiyat to the WTC on the Corniche is probably no more than 20 minutes in rush hour. Same for the return journey.

WTC will have the mall at the base which provides a refuge for your wife when she's bored/crazy with the baby during the day. That is probably the biggest advantage. The rest of the vicinity is generally unremarkable. Lots of shops but none you'd go in. Otherwise I'd go for Saadiyat.

By the way there's also the Saadiyat Beach Residences. St. Regis isn't the only deal on the island.

Maxima

At first glance, Saadiyat feels "far" but it is incredibly well-located;


15 minutes to the area around ADIA (less at off peak times)
15 minutes to Yas Mall
20 minutes to Reem/Mariah Island
25 minutes to the airport
1 hour from Burj Khalifa

Maxima

From what I heard parking in Marina Square is a problem, with even 3 bed flats in some towers getting 1 parking slot