shandolier

What would we be able to afford for 90 to 100k a year in Dubai Marina area? What are the facilities like? Are there shops within walking distance? And what buildings/developments are good for living in?

Finally any advice on reputable agents to use to get a place?

Cheers to anyone for any advice!

AppleMac

90 - 100k would get you a good quality one-bed apartment in one of the premium developments or possibly a 2 bed in one of the lower grade developments.

If you are on the SZR side then you have shops at Marina Walk and Marina Mall - if on the JBR side then the choice is more limited although you are closer to the restaurants and cafes on JBR Walk.

None of the agents are that great - remember they are not working for you, all they are interested in is shifting as much stock as possible for the commission and will generally say anything to do that.

Have a look on Dubizzle and Gulf News for property ads.

I have lived there for 2 years now and personally would not live anywhere else in Dubai - the access in and out is now good, the metro stations are close to opening and a tram system is being built. There are a lot of hotels around so plenty of bars to choose from and a lot of outside restaurants and coffee shops all over the place.

Probably the worst aspect is that traffic can get a bit bad around JBR at the weekends when everyone flocks in.

Purdey

It's great!
I'm in JBR - 1 beds from AED85-100K depending on how high up and what view you have. 2 bed AED 105-120K
Bars, cafes and restaurants at the Walk. Marina Mall walkable, Spinneys a short drive and IBN Battuta 10 mins drive.
There are cheaper 1 beds around the Marina but very small - well, the ones I saw were tiny.

MacScot

I think it is a good place to live, especialy the central part of the marina next to JBR (e.g., Al Sahab or Marina Promenade buildings). You have easy access (300 m) to The Walk and its restaurants and the beach (400 m). You also have ready access to places that serve alocohol alon eor with meals, such as The Hilton Jumeirah Beach Resort (400 m), Carlton Ritz (1 km), the Dubai Marina Yacht Club (800 m), The Address at Dubai Marina Mall (700 m) and a new hotel being built (300 m) in teh marina.

Largest supermarket is at Geant (Ibn Battuta) (5 minutes by car or taxi), Waitrose's at Marina Mall (650 m), as well as smaller supermarkets, such as Al Maya (JBR - Bahar) (300 m), Al Maya, South Marina (800 m) and others. Spinneys at The Marina Walk is too far away and you need to go by car..plus there are few bars at Marina Phase I (the nearest is The Grosvenor (15 min walk). Lots of banks, hairdressers and a dentist.

Lots of buses; and a tramline is being built. Access to JLT Metro station (800 m).

Lots of British expats and holiday makers in the area.

Hello.Kitty

Yup, we used to live in JBR (nice but not that nice in comparison to other developments in the Marina) and have moved to the SZR side of the Marina by the Yacht Club.

Different buildings have different facilities and different pros and cons - it depends what you want. Most have gyms (apart from JBR), pools, saunas... some have kids' playrooms and lounges/conference areas.

More and more mini supermarkets are opening up all over the place, so it's easy to pop out if you need anything last-minute.

I'm coming at it from the stay-at-home mum angle and to be honest, everything I need day-to-day is within 10 mins' walking distance (not to be attempted in the height of summer!): shops, chemist, playground, pool, M&B groups, mall, gym, cafes and doctor/dentist... and beauty salons! As mentioned, when the metro stations open, the rest of Dubai will be really easy access too.

Didn't like it in JBR so much, but love my new place.

CeeBee

Yeah it's great location wise. Access is a doddle although some nights it can take an extra few minutes because of the traffic. It's not a major concern though.

One words of advice though if you are looking. As mentioned above a new tram system is being put in so if you are road side some places can be noisy as they tend to work either very late or through the night. It can be annoying and noisy.

commander

spent the weekend in marina mansions. Lovely building opposite the yacht club. JBR walk is great to go to chill at the weekend.

Timmy Molloy - London Boy

Isnt that the wrong end of Marina? I thought Spinney's end is where it's all happening.

klaus3974

Do not think so... easy access to JBR walk from there, 2 minutes walk to Dubai Marina Mall, plus the Yacht Club at your door steps. Like everything in Dubai... things change fast.

Ethos83

There's a few restaurants clustered down at the Spinney's end, but they seem to be popular mostly with Arabs. By contrast the pizza place a bit further up the Marina walk is solidly an expat hangout.

That said, the Marina walk really can't be described as 'happening.'

Hello.Kitty

the Yacht Club is in the middle and has really easy access to The Walk (JBR seafront), not to be confused with Marina Walk, which is where the Spinney's is. Once the building work Yacht Club side of Marina Mall cleans its act up, we'll actually be able to walk from beyond the Yacht Club to Marina Walk at marina level, which will be great. More and more shops are opening up all the time - the end plan is for all the marina level to be like Marina Walk.

Meow

I'm sure it's great if you like living in an area of only high rise buildings, many of which look like tenemant blocks.

-

Hello.Kitty

Well, that's only JBR[ubbish] imo, which is fast becoming a less favourable option in the Marina... you just have to shop around.
Living in a villa can be just as isolating/soulless or just as great.