Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are moving to Abu Dhabi in about 5 to 6 weeks. We have a budget of 170 to 220 K and are trying to work out the best place to live in.

We have a small baby so it's important that we live somewhere close to shops that carry essentials (nappies, formula etc) but we don't feel the need to be next to a mall. We're after a 2 bed and would prefer to live in an area which seems a bit more family friendly and where there isn't too much traffic noise.

My husband is currently out there looking at villlas/appartments and is uploading them on to Youtube for me to check out. He thinks that Khalidiya is ideal butwe know that it's way out of our price range so is checking out Al Raha Gardens, Muroor, Nahyan and Bateen.

Any advice as to areas that might suit our criteria would be appreciated :):fingerscrossed:

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

Al Raha Gardens should tick all the boxes,

Where is he working?

Khalydia is hardly quiet?

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

There are plenty of decent sized 2 bed apartments on the island in those areas you're looking at and within your budget. Parking can be a bugger tho.

PM me if you'd like the number of a half-reasonable expat estate agent.

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

with a young family, i would recommend Al Raha gardens, at least its quiet and there are facilities over at the Ethiad plaza.

I think the 3 or 4 bedrooms there fall into the budget?

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

I heard that the utilities bills at Al Raha are something silly like 5K a month? :blink:

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

Apartmenty rents i Khalidya are dropping. You can get 2 or 3 bed within your budget. But it is getting busy and traffic is getting heavier. Handy shops are on your doorstep (they deliver) and so is the beach and nice parks. There are also a couple of older, more established expat villa compounds on island (al Karama) not too far from Al Wahda Mall - I know there were some vacant villas at the higher end of your budget. PM me if you want my agents number.

Al Raha is very nice, but a little out of town, and everyone complains about the AC bills.

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

I noticed this the other day when I was back... why is this?

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

Combination of roadworks impact, new tower blocks and new tenants. Plus the Corniche really kicks off in the cooler months. at the moment it has the F1 fanzone and yasalam (free concerts). 450,000 anticipated next weekend. In the poetic words of Baldrik "Boom boom boom boom..."

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

There's also a shedload of Dubai-originating traffic. In the Marina Mall car park at the weekend I counted one Dubai registration plate for every two Abu Dhabi ones.

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

Thanks everyone! This has been a great help. He's checking out a few places in Al Raha Gardens this week so fingers crossed. I might warn him about the air con point though..!

You're right, it is hardly quiet lol but I guess the easy access to grocery shops was quite appealing. I have this fear of being in a place so isolated that i might wake one day and find there are no nappies or and realising it will take me half an hour to get anywhere :(

He's working in the Tourist Club area but we're not bothering to even look there. We are coming from Kensington in London so we're used to being able to have a but of peace and quiet but still be able to access all conveniences.

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

Erm, well I think Al Raha is going to be a bit of a shock if you're coming from Kensington.

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

yea, just a tad.

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

The problem you will find is that in order to past the 'nappies test', you need to be downtown. downtown means noise, but a much more fun existence.

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

Kensington to Al Raha, that is one hell of a drop :)

Re: Moving to AD with a baby- Best place to live?
 

Noise when you're out and about or noise you can still hear when all doors and windows are shut? I can cope with noise outside (used to work slap bang in the mode of zone 1) but don't like to too much noise inside...my real concern is about the baby being unable to sleep if it's really loud outside. But I'm guessing that most apartments and flats are double glazed?

I've sent time in Saudi and Pakistan so I'm hoping Al Raha won't be too much of a shock :p