NorthernLad

The Universe?

There was supposed to be a revolving mountain/ski slope out in Dubailand if I remember rightly.

I have fond memories of crossing the mini roundabout to get across Emirates road into The Ranches, it really was like Russian roulette.

DXBtoDOH

The indoor ski mountain - oh yeah People even started to buy off-plan flats and one of the UK tabloids did a feature on an elderly couple who'd invested their life savings in an off-plan flat facing the ski slope

I also remember the Ranches before any roundabout. Going to Motor City was a straight shot across a narrow road. Motor City had just opened, methinks. Ranches people raved about the Spinneys.

Speaking of which, in 2008-2009 there were still a lot of offroad shortcuts that were feasible, like the Ranches to Motor City. And when I lived in my villa share in Umm Suqeim that first year, we used to cut through undeveloped lots all the time.

Mind you, I remember old time expats talking about how they used to drive through the desert to get to Barasti

NorthernLad

...and Chicago Beach Hotel

Gavtek

If you look on Google Earth, there's a small completed section of this filled with water across 611 from Maktoum Airport, along with the outline for a large stretch of it. It was supposed to be 75km.

Miss Ann Thrope

Never again???

Max the Dog

Arrived in 92..


No barasti, no marina, SZR called Abu Dhabi rd and only 2 lanes with traffic lights and U turn at the Metropolitan.


Long Island ice teas at Chicago Beach on Thursday afternoon's then Pancho Villas, George and Dragon and the Lodge,


Them were the days!

DXBtoDOH

Pancho Villas and George and Dragon are still there

TheShed

We lived on Chicago beach for our first two years. Everything on the compound (Bar, gym, squash courts, the Pier and almost 2 kms of private beach just for us). I worked at Hamarain Centre back then (Marriott Deira Building) and it took an average of 20 minutes to get to/from work.

Was total bliss and I have never felt so happy to this day

jam25mack

Arrived in the summer of 2006.

Yeah it was more fun and carefree and a lot less serious than it is now.

Used to enjoy the alternative routes home if the road was blocked. Bump out through a hole in the camel fence and off over the desert.

Arnold S

Arrived in 2009 after a few work related visits in 2008. Horrendous traffic, Deira City Centre to the Trade Centre taking over an hour if you timed it wrong. Colleagues from Sharjah talking about 5 hour commutes or not even making it home, sleeping in their car and coming into work the next day with the same clothes on.

Also, "Hey, hows it going? I had dinner with someone last night and they're looking for. Told them all about you, they really want to meet and I reckon this could be a decent sale, local guy plenty of money."

"Fantastic, I really appreciate it"

"Yeah, just give me 10,000 AED and I'll give you his phone number"

Brains1983

WTF are you yammering on about?

DXBtoDOH

Someone wanted lots of money to connect him to a prospective employer.

Like the real estate agents who wanted a thousand upfront just to show you a flat.

Brains1983

OK - cheers for the explanation!

I only got here in 2010, guess that was all finished with by then!

DXBtoDOH

It was a wild, wild, wild time mate

Salesmen everywhere were adding on personal margins. Even at the car dealerships they'd charge you an extra thousand or two just to put the plates on the car. You were being paid huge amounts of money and huge amounts of money was going out of you every day.

mission