# Day-to-day experience of Springs & Al Barsha



## OldFarmer (Jan 15, 2011)

As we get closer to our relocation date and details start to firm up, I'm trying to paint some sort of picture for the family about what our days will be like. Wondering whether some of you can help fill in the blanks. It's still mostly blanks. 

We've applied to a school in Al Barsha 1 near Mall of the Emirates. We have not selected housing yet, but are looking mostly at villas in Springs. We are still open to suggestions on where else we might look, but if we get into the school, then it's school in Al Barsha and dh's work in Jebel Ali Free Zone. Work commute is less critical than the school commute, since dh will often travel anyway. How long would it take to drive from the SW corner of Springs to Mall of the Emirates?

Dh liked Springs when he visited because it seemed a good place to be able to take a bike ride, walk to the fitness center, mosque or cafe. On the downside, it seems like I can't live well there without my own car. I'm not sure I want a second car, or the expectation of driving daily. Dh seemed to feel a sense of neighborhood/community in Springs. Anyone get a similar feeling in Al Barsha? I don't want to go much farther inland than that, and I'd also rather not go deeper into exurbia. 

The other thing I wonder about is what I'll do. Until recently, I worked, and now I'm basically doing admin for the relocation while the kids are in school and otherwise prepping to move (selling stuff online, hauling stuff to thrift stores, cleaning out the house). Those of you who are housewives/stay-home parents of kids in school, what are your days like?

Please humor me. I don't mean to ask disrespectfully. I've been working FT or some combination of PT+farming for the past 6 years, and I know the move will be a shock in itself. So I'm looking for suggestions not so much to keep busy as to make connections with people.


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## sheilad (Feb 13, 2011)

Hi there,

I'd like to say that I can help, but actually I am in exactly the same position. We are relocating in June and I am also used to working and filling my day, but now will be a lady of leisure. I don't want to drive but am coming to the conclusion that it will be inevitable, given the distances involved. We are considering both Springs and Arabian Ranches, but can be flexible as we don't have to consider schools as our chidren are now grown up.

I hope that you get it worked out and I would love to hear from other wives how they went about making friends and bulding a new way of life.


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## ReggieDXB007 (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi, not sure I can be of much help since our two left the nest four years ago! Springs to Barsha is close but traffic can play a big part. I think in the mornings it shouldn't take you more than 20 minutes, but be prepared for some serious orienteering to find the optimum cross-country route as the service roads that run parallel to SZR can get pretty congested in the mornings.

There's a major junction at the Greens (one community down from you) which is getting close to being finished which should really improve your travel time.

My experience of years of fighting the traffic at the Hanger Lane Gyratory system (you had to be there to understand) taught me that one needs to live close to the school - not just for the morning commute (and you will have the option of a bus here, although these tend to be phenomenally expensive and of course there are all sorts of trust issues) but also for those emergencies (and our eldest tended to specialise in those). However, whereas the Springs is all part of a massive residential community, nicely parcelled up which I suspect you'd feel at home with, Barsha grew out of the desert between 2002ish and 2008, one villa/tower block at a time. Consequently there isn't much of a community feel about it, although now it is well served with amenities.

So, depending where you live in either location you may get away without having to drive (there's always a Ducan - corner shop) within delivery distance for those essentials, but the heat of the summer makes life difficult if you haven't got a car. Taxis can be plentiful and relatively cheap of course but not always convenient, especially during the rush hours. In fact, given the way Dubai has developed, I don't believe that you can survive without a car, especially if you factor in all the extracurricular activities your children will be involved in. 

Also Springs would be definitely easier for commuting to Jebel Ali although the traffic can be a real nightmare from that point on during the rush hour. But you get used to everything!


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Hey there,

If you search this forum, you will find quite a few threads discussing about life in Springs. Here's one of them: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/du...-living-dubai/69346-springs-villa-2011-a.html

If you do plan on living in the Springs area, I would suggest you look at schools closer to your neighbourhood simply because you will spend a lot of time stuck in traffic on your way to school. The roads leading to Al Barsha have been under construction for about 2 years now and I don't think they'll be ready anytime soon.

Good luck with your move.


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Springs is like an estate - all the houses look the same. It is a huge area and you may not be close enough to a pool/shops/gym to walk. 
Al Barsha is a more traditional area - (not built by one developer) so has more character. It has many compounds. A small compound may have 8 villas, large compounds have 46+ villas. They are arranged in a circle with a communal pool ,and sometimes a gym, in the middle. API are a company that have several compounds in Barsha, one of which is very close to the American School and a Park.If you want a communal feel and to meet the neighbours ( and for the kids to have friends on the doorstep) then compound are very good. Barsha has Mall of The Emirates and Metro - you could manage without a second car in this area.


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## ShaunDubai (Aug 12, 2010)

My wife and I live in Springs. Arabian Ranches is out in the middle of nowhere (at present!) and also gets traffic noise from Emirates Road.


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## ShaunDubai (Aug 12, 2010)

ShaunDubai said:


> My wife and I live in Springs. Arabian Ranches is out in the middle of nowhere (at present!) and also gets traffic noise from Emirates Road.


PS: I don't drive and have been doing very well with taxis (and now the Metro) for over five years now.


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

wandabug said:


> Barsha has Mall of The Emirates and Metro - you could manage without a second car in this area.


However, you would require a taxi/bus to get to the MOE or the metro in Barsha as well. It is not a short walk, esp. in the summer heat


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## OldFarmer (Jan 15, 2011)

Thanks for your responses! LOL as I read this, dh is out in the yard with the tractor, digging our cars out from a spring snow and ice storm, in order to get to work! I know traffic is a headache, but spring snowstorms...ugh.

I feel like I "get" what Springs is like...and what I've seen on dubizzle and bhomes has piqued my interest in Al Barsha. It's not so much that we need friends on the doorstep. We're a gregarious family, and even now, living out of town on a farm, we get more visitors than a lot of people in town. I guess I'm looking at something that's less like USA suburbia/exurbia, vast tracts of semi-identical homes and no amenities in the communities--no places to gather, like gyms, shops, cafes, etc. While I'd like to be able to walk to places close by, I understand that 120F temps can make that difficult/miserable/dangerous.

Like PPs have mentioned, the kids will have extracurriculars. Surely they'll make friends at school, and we enjoy time together as a family. That leaves me with the SAHM question. I'm certainly open to volunteering at school from time to time, but I'm not really "that" kind of mom. What do the SAHMs do when the kids are in school, and how are they getting to know one another?


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