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Never Ceased To Be Amazed
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 3500
Location: Shhh...don't talk to me...I'm playin' dead...
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 Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:30 am Post subject: |
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| veralynn wrote: |
I think commuting every day from Al Ain or the likes would be a nightmare - driving is bloody awful here. No-one has any respect for any rules of the road.
Yet, we have a poster here who repeatedly insists on people consider making the Al-Ain to Abu Dhabi run twice a day!
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mishmumkin
Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Posts: 929
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| Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:47 am Post subject: |
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One of my colleagues made a recent move from The Tourist Club to Khalifa City A, and his commute is actually about the same. Living in town is a bumper-to-bumper commute, but driving in from KCA is all moving.
Like Veralynn, I would caution against the commute from Al Ain. It's too far, and the road is very dangerous. It will wear you down doing that every day of the week. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:11 am Post subject: |
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I know someone who does the Al-Ain/Abu Dhabi commute for work and doesn't mind it. Not me... ugh...
VS |
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veralynn
Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 113
Location: Abu Dhabi
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| Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:00 am Post subject: |
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How can anyone not mind commuting?!
It's all down to personal opinion of course but I would never advise a commute from Al Ain. A couple of times a week would be ok, but not daily.
Even driving in from KCA would be a right royal pain in the arse at the moment - every single road leading into AD is undergoing major roadworks. |
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mishmumkin
Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Posts: 929
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| Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:30 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Even driving in from KCA would be a right royal pain in the arse at the moment - every single road leading into AD is undergoing major roadworks. |
Well, 20+ minutes on the road from KCA during peak times (no trucks there) or 30 minutes from Khalidiya in stop-and-go traffic. Friends/colleagues who have made the move find it much less stressful. Traffic is relatively light coming into town from that side. If I had to choose the better route, I'd go w/ KCA. |
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johnkg
Joined: 06 Feb 2009
Posts: 127
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| Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 3:43 pm Post subject: |
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"I would never advise a commute from Al Ain. A couple of times a week would be ok, but not daily. "
I wouldn't even consider a once a week Abu Dhabi - Al Ain commute. Way too dangerous in rush hour. A crash on that road usually involves carnage. A crash in downtown Dubai usually means a messed up fender. I've never seen overturned, burnt out, mangled wrecks in downtown Abu Dhabi.
Khalifa A still has you on very fast stretches of road. The fact that detours and roadworks pop up daily and road convergences appear without warning all add to the pile-up potential. There's also a lot of fog on the road near KCA at this time of the year (late Nov - March) |
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helenl
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 1202
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| Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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Carnage is not limited to those roads outside of Dubai - but maybe the major crashes are "avoided" because traffic is bumper to bumper on major roads for much of the day?  |
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mishmumkin
Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Posts: 929
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| Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Coming back to the original topic, if one has limited funds and wants more space, neigbourhoods like Khalifa City A, Baen al Jasraen (between 2 bridge), and Mohamed Bin Zayed City make decent alternatives to properties on the island. Al Ain, though a lovely place to live, is a long and grueling commute. |
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veralynn
Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 113
Location: Abu Dhabi
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:25 am Post subject: |
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A reasonable summary MM. But
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| 20+ minutes on the road from KCA during peak times |
from KCA to where?
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| Khalifa A still has you on very fast stretches of road. |
Yes, until you hit either Maqta Bridge (often tailed back) and the Hobson's Choice of the Eastern Ring Road or Airport Rd (both with roadworks at the mo), or Massafah Bridge and the joke of the roadworks at ADNEC.
Sorry to go on about this, but I journey in the opposite direction each day and see the mess of traffic struggling to get in to AD..... So you get to live in the no man's land of KCA etc and have a cr@p journey to work every day. No thanks! |
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mishmumkin
Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Posts: 929
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:31 am Post subject: |
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KCA to the corner of Muroor and Electra. I've actually lived in Mohamed Bin Zayed City and done the drive to this junction on a daily basis for 4 months. 30 minutes from Mohamed Bin Zayed City-avoiding the Mussaffah bridge at all costs. A friend works at PI and drives from Khalidiya to PI. That takes longer than the commute from KCA to Electra.
The point is this: the OP has a limited budget and wants/needs 3 bedrooms. KCA is a GOOD option even if it's not ideal. Personally, I love living in town and don't want to change it. But for those w/ other priorities (like $$ and more bedrooms), I would recommend places like Baen al Jasraen or KCA long before I would recommend moving out to Al Ain. |
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veralynn
Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 113
Location: Abu Dhabi
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:58 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| KCA to the corner of Muroor and Electra. I've actually lived in Mohamed Bin Zayed City and done the drive to this junction on a daily basis for 4 months. 30 minutes from Mohamed Bin Zayed City-avoiding the Mussaffah bridge at all costs. |
What, even since the roadworks started? If so, I am amazed!
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| The point is this: the OP has a limited budget and wants/needs 3 bedrooms. KCA is a GOOD option even if it's not ideal. Personally, I love living in town and don't want to change it. But for those w/ other priorities (like $$ and more bedrooms), I would recommend places like Baen al Jasraen or KCA long before I would recommend moving out to Al Ain. |
Agree. |
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Mayugon
Joined: 26 Feb 2009
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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Again folks, thanks... I suppose that I could do with 2 bedrooms if I have to. My main concerns are price (perhaps no more than 200,000); commute time and conditions; and parking. I cannot imagine my wife, toddler in tow, having to fight for a parking space and then walk a couple of blocks to our front door in the summer heat...
On a related matter, are apartments fairly spacious with plenty of closet/storage space? Also - are walls thick enough so that one doesn't hear the neighbors? Suppose all of this depends... |
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mishmumkin
Joined: 01 Sep 2007
Posts: 929
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| Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| I cannot imagine my wife, toddler in tow, having to fight for a parking space and then walk a couple of blocks to our front door in the summer heat... |
Well, that eliminates 70% of housing on the island. 
Construction is crappy. New buildings have LOADS of problems. It will never cease to amaze you just how crappy the quality of the buildings can be. As for noise, most buildings have concrete walls, so sound generally does not carry....at least in my experience.
Whether or not you have built-in wardrobes is hit and miss. Closets? Ha. haha. No...not in most places. |
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veralynn
Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 113
Location: Abu Dhabi
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| Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 5:11 am Post subject: |
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Older buildings are usually very generously sized. Newer buildings are usually titchy. So older buildings are usually better but only if the maintenance is up to scratch. Also, don't be put off by the outside appearance of some of these older buildings - inside they can be really nice apartments.
As I said before (I think) you probably won't have a huge amount of choice with apartments. You'll just have to see what's available when you get here....
Good luck and let us know how you get on when you're here. |
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GlobalDawg
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Posts: 91
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| Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:07 pm Post subject: Housing |
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| After living in a residence hotel in AD from early Nov to late Jan, I was happy to find a newly constructed and spacious 2bdrm/2bth flat in Baniyas. The cost was 135K. There are two flats that are still available and three separate constructions just started a few weeks ago. Fortunately, my drive into work is only 12 minutes. The drive into Marina Mall takes about 20 minutes in the evenings or early on Friday and Saturday mornings. If anyone would like more information--PM me. |
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