Millhouse

The Millhouses went to visit Arabian Ranches and Mirdif today.

Mirdif wasn't for us... those planes were just too low and it was a little dis-jointed. Arabian Ranches we did like though. A bonus is that compared to Jumeriah 1 it's as cheap as chips as well as being nice.

but...

Where are the nurseries? The one on the camp site seems fully booked... so where else is there?

lionheart

Have you seen the heavy vehicle congestion around the Emirates Rd exit? Can be pretty horrendous. There are nurseries at nearby Springs, Meadows and Lakes complex I believe.

hnd

Don't have children ourselves but believe there's also a nursery at the Polo club up the road - may be wrong though but think not as one of the AR residents' sites has had questions on how best to get back to AR from there since they closed the snicket.

As for lorry congestion at the Emirates Road junction, don't understand that. Since the initial part of the Interchange opened in 2008 the traffic flow across Emirates Road gets better and better, especially now that the entrance from the interchange into Motor City opened recently.

Have lived here at AR since July 2005 when taxi drivers used to say, "Where?". Things have become steadily better and better and, with the above-mentioned Emirates Road/Arabian Ranches Interchange and the Outer Bypass just up the road, we really aren't that far from anywhere in Dubai and have easy access to anywhere else in the UAE.

All we would say (depending on your budget) is to try and avoid homes which are:

a) on the perimeter road adjacent to Emirates Road and Al Qudra Road and perhaps anything next to Global Village (the weekend fireworks in previous years have been very loud, something to think about if you have young children)

b) anywhere near the sewage treatment plant between Hattan and, we think, TerraNova or Alvorada? (sorry, not a part of the Ranches we know particularly well).

c) anything near the autodrome which seems to cause vitriol despite the fact that the autodrome was in place way back in 2003 when we got our place, ie near the Interchange

Would also say that there's very little aircraft noise at AR - apart from the occasional stuff from the Air Force base out in the desert between AR and Al Lisaili, medivac choppers attending accidents on Emirates Road and the like.

We feel that the shopping at the community centre is ok and shop daily at Le Marche for what we want to eat that day (good bread) and there's a Spinneys over the road at Motor City when you feel you need a pork fix.

Guess what we're saying is that it suits us - perhaps it would suit you, too?

Millhouse

Thanks HND this is very helpful. When you say avoid near the autodrome what exactly is the problem? traffic, pollution, or noise?

We will be avoiding the sewage plant for sure. We were not too fussed by the road noise actually (we currently live in the middle of abu dhabi) so it will seem peaceful compared.

Are you able to tell me the cost of a taxi from the ranches to Deria?

And what are your utility bills like?

hnd

There are often complaints from people who live near the autodrome because of the noise of ... wait for it ... vehicles going around the track

Haven't ever taken a taxi to Deira but a taxi to the British Embassy from AR is around 40dhs if that's any help.

As for utility bills ... we have a 3 bed + maid/study and are also fortunate enough to have a pool with heater/chiller (there are only two of us though - no live-in maid). Winter bills (ex housing fee) are around 500dhs/month rising to around 1500dhs at the height of the summer when both a/c and pool chiller are working. But, we have absolutely nothing green in our garden (no plants, trees) so we have no irrigation. Having said that, our neighbours in an almost identical 3bed + maid (who have 2 young children & live-in maid) have almost identical bills - they have no pool but have grass, trees etc and therefore have an irrigation system.

Hope this helps.

commander

nightmare place...

would chose Mirdif over it anyday.

hnd

Meant to say ...

Did you visit the retail centre when you came to look around? If you go to the House Hunters' kiosk they have pocket maps of AR showing the different communities and the facilities they offer. All have a pool while some have pool, kids' play area/tennis court.

Also, at the Polo Club just up the road there's a gym and spa (members only) and, obviously, stables which offer riding lessons. The bar there is lovely in the winter months when you can sit outside and watch people exercising their horses/ponies or watch the polo matches and the restaurant offers reasonably good food at - by Dubai standards - reasonable prices. Bar prices are reasonable too.

The bar at the AR Golf Club is also popular - although we prefer the Polo Club. The Golf Club also has 11 or so hotel rooms and AR residents get discounted rates.

AR also has it's own Medical Centre but there's also a Village MediCentre at Motor City (used to be at AR but moved to MC when Emaar opened it's own medical centre).

There's also a fairly regular bus service to Mall of the Emirates.

Any other questions, just ask.

hnd

Funny that - both of our neighbours move to AR from Mirdif

lionheart

Regarding the traffic congestion, I was thinking about the Al Khail and Green Community roundabouts just a few kilometers away. If you are driving towards Jebel Ali for any reason, you cannot miss it. There is a good Spinneys and a handy Chinese takeway at nearby Sports City, apparently better than anything within the AR complex.

Millhouse

Thanks - very helpful once again.

Yup, we went to the camp site shopping area - quite liked it and had dinner there. We met up with househunters and viewed a 3bed+M+S in Reem (very nice with lake view), Alma (didn't like the layout) and Saheel (fantastic). I suspect we will go for Reem on balance, but will see where we get to with the rents on Saheel.

My only conern with Saheel are the huge gardens and the amount of water that will need to be poured on them, but I can live with 1500/month as I have budgeted 2000/month for DEWA.

I can only assume that commander prefers Mirdif as he has a personal interest in counting the load factors on the arriving planes or reading the tourists' heat magazines as they go past.

Millhouse

Thankfully, I'll be going DIFC bound... that said, the misses may be going to JA.

Will see if I can find the Spinneys - cheers.

hnd

To get to Spinneys at MC, exit AR onto Al Qudra Road (the road which heads out to the Bypass/Bab el Shams) and go into MC at the DEWA r/a. Turn right and carry on to the traffic lights at the top of the hill. Left at the lights, through the next 2 sets of lights (autodrome on your right) and Spinneys is on the left - look for the cars parked on either side of the road. Village MediCentre is on the left by the 1st set of lights as you go down the hill towards Spinneys.

ctfc

Lived in AR for a while - great place to live!

Nurseries - yes, there's one at the Polo Club which is apparently nice and very convenient; also one at Repton which is very good and about 15 mins drive.

Golf club is excellent for food and very sociable (I've never played golf!), polo club less so for food but polo parties are excellent.

Nearby Motorcity - end of Mirador La Coleccion and Palmera nearest Al Qudra Raod can be annoying to hear the cars every weekend and you don't want to be there for the 24 hours racing weekend.

Taxis - 80 AED to the airport; 60 AED to Satwa or there is a bus every 20 mins to Metro station at Mall of the Emirates for 5 AED.

Le Marche is OK and also other food outlets there which are perfectly OK - also an A&E/MMI (can't remember which one); Spinneys in Motor City a few minutes drive away with, as mentioned, pork fix.

One thing to be aware of is the new mosque which is almost complete - will be noisy nearby 5 times a day which could get very irritating, especially if you don't agree that 'prayer is better than sleep'.

lionheart

A good point about the almost complete mosque. My boss was offered a villa at a pretty good price in AR only to find that it was less than 25 yards from the mosque. As we live opposite one in Garhoud, I can vouch for the inconvenience it causes, especially at 4.15am

TGFKASE

You CAN miss it coming from AR to JA..

Instead of heading onto Emirates Rd, head onto the Dubai Bypass Rd. It hooks up with the Labab Rd and takes you down onto Emirates Rd, missing out Al Khail and GC R/A.

I live in Sports City and use this route many times to get to JAFZA..