WowEyes

Hi,

We will be moving to Dubai soon.

Based on the map, we are trying to triangulate our house location between Oud Mehta, Deira city centre and DIFC.

We came up with the idea of Business Bay because it offered reasonable 3 bed apartments (150K - 180 K) and we were hoping to get close enough to a metro station so that we wouldn't be solely dependent on driving around in peak hour traffic.

Our other criteria for a location would be:
a) Amenities offered by building - play area for little ones/ gym/ tennis court/ parking for 2 cars etc?
b) Community spirit - opportunity to meet people given its totally new for us
c) A nearby play school for our younger one and Sports/ Arts classes for the older one
d) Nearby facilities: Reasonable laundry, groceries (with delivery??), handymen etc
e) Ease of finding house help - we will be looking to sponsor, but even so will maids be willing to live?



All feedback welcome.

scrubbedexpat141

All of that is readily available in Business Bay.

Executive Towers offer some of the biggest spaces for apartments, worth considering.

Lots of stuff at the bottom of these towers as well with park, events, nurseries (quality I have no idea I'm afraid), a supermarket and a mini-supermarket, restaurants and a great pub in the Taj at one end. Easy to get towards Oud, DCC and DIFC, all straight under the tunnel.

Good luck with the move.

Millhouse

I have literally just renewed my lease in Business Bay. I work in DIFC - 7mins to the office, 10mins home. DCC something only like 15mins max.

Due to a somewhat screw up with my lease, I actually have 4 parking spaces. It's quite useful, but I doubt that is a mistake repeated very often.

Exec. Towers (I am not there) - offer everything on your list. The other developments won't.

Don't forget Old Town - you might even be able to get a little scratching patch of a garden.

scrubbedexpat141

I forget you're in Business Bay, why don't we ever go for a beer?

Perhaps when you're back from China?

WowEyes

Hi, I'm not sure what you mean by Old Town. Could you please elaborate which parts are called OLD Town as nothing comes up on google maps - the atlas of our times.

scrubbedexpat141

DOwntown. Everything around the Khalifa.

Mogs

It is part of Downtown Dubai - next to Burj Khalifa - low rise apartments (3-4 storeys I think) - some ground floor ones have small gardens. Lots of pedestrian walkways, small parks, pools, etc

WowEyes

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I've been looking up Executive Towers on the net to get a better feel of what the property is like.

Found this site and it looks like noise and bad plumbing are a recurrent feature.

https://www.flatreviews.com/building...ecutive-Towers

Almost all the respondents have rated the finishing as low.

Our kids are a bit sensitive to noise and find it difficult to sleep with a lot of ambient noise. They have early bedtimes compared to most other kids as well.

Millhouse - you are in the area but not in ET, right. Any specific reason? Is the problem only with ET or other apartments as well?

Sabi Star

Has this area ever been landscaped? When passing it on Metro or SZR it just looks like sand - as it was years ago. What about out door space for children?

Millhouse

All done - really nice there now.

Millhouse

There is nothing wrong with ET. I was just after a low-floor 2 bed with 2 parking spaces which is not really available there. I ended up with a cheaper, much larger apartment on the first floor of a brand new building in need of modernization

Everyone will moan about plumbing and quality etc. The truth is in Dubai, it is all crap. The more you pay, the more you probably end up moaning about it. Some buildings are better than others, ET is in the middle of the range.

ET is really quite nice - a bit too high-rise for me, I much prefer low-rise buildings/ or the lower floors (oddly, due to the podium arrangement, there isn't really a low floor in ET).

You have kids: study the fire exit arrangements carefully.

scrubbedexpat141

The kitchen tap has really shit water pressure. Solution - use the dishwasher, but still a bit annoying. Rest of it is fine.
Noise - not really, maybe we've been lucky for 4years. I will say it's worth buying a draft blocker thing for front door maybe, as there is a very slight gap and maybe that allows the noise in?
The finish is alright, nothing great at all, not as nice as some Emaar builds but then again, even the best quality builds fall apart.

If you're worried about your kids sleeping then don't move to a big, busy city?

Tockalosh

When did you move out of the ranches Milly ?

Millhouse

About 2 years ago - tried mirdif and now business bay.