# How walkable is the Marina?



## UAe_Newbie25 (Jun 28, 2015)

Hi guys, moving to Dubai in October and my office is in Marina Plaza right behind Marina Mall. Planning on living in the Marina/JLT area and was wondering if I could cut down on my commute costs by walking to and from work? So is the Marina walkable at all and is this a realistic expectation?

Cheers!


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## ahmed abbasi (Jul 20, 2015)

it surely is. By the time you will be in town, even if you are in JLT which will be opposite your office, still walkable & the rest like Marina, JBR are like few steps away. it depends on the Building you will choose to live in


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

Pick a building nearby. It's not that walkable in the summer unless you don't mind turning up at work drenched in sweat.

For example West Avenue or La Riviera are decent buildings nearby.

Wikimapia - Let's describe the whole world!


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

I think Marina Plaza is walkable from almost every point of the Marina within 15/20 minutes. Maybe not in the summer months perhaps. If you're considering JLT, it should also be fine as long as you're close to one of the metro stations.


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## UAe_Newbie25 (Jun 28, 2015)

OK thats great, I'm also planning on house sharing for the first 6 months or so to save a bit of money before finding a studio.


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## Windsweptdragon (Aug 12, 2012)

You won't save very much money doing this in my opinion. Its not London where transport is extortionate. If you travel within same Zone on the Metro system your daily spend will be around £1.


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## UAe_Newbie25 (Jun 28, 2015)

Windsweptdragon said:


> You won't save very much money doing this in my opinion. Its not London where transport is extortionate. If you travel within same Zone on the Metro system your daily spend will be around £1.


Looking at Marina/JLT house shares I can expect to pay 5-6K a month all in which seems reasonable. Are there other options that are cheaper than this while on a Metro line too? Sorry if this comes across as totally clueless, I'm just trying to figure out all the options available to me.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

You're not going to do much better for 5k per month. Plus, if you're using the Metro, you're still going to have a 5/10 minute walk from the metro station (unless you take the traaaaaaaaaam but you'll be quicker walking).


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## UAe_Newbie25 (Jun 28, 2015)

OK, thanks. Any insight into how much I'd be paying if I lived somewhere like Discovery Gardens or Al Barsha?


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## ahmed abbasi (Jul 20, 2015)

you can easily rent a Room in Barsha or Discovery for 3 to 3.5k a month or a studio in some cases. I agree with Gavtek, using metro will still ask for a walk. better to rent in the buildings right behind the Marina or next to it. there are many options around


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## Windsweptdragon (Aug 12, 2012)

UAe_Newbie25 said:


> Looking at Marina/JLT house shares I can expect to pay 5-6K a month all in which seems reasonable. Are there other options that are cheaper than this while on a Metro line too? Sorry if this comes across as totally clueless, I'm just trying to figure out all the options available to me.


It all depends on how nice or crap a place you want to live.  One of my friends rents a room in DIFC for 3800 a month (bills and 1x weekly cleaning included) but it isn't a very nice building. It is a 1 minute walk to the nearest metro station and including the walk at other end you'd have around a 40 minute commute. 

If you live closer you obviously shorten the commute. How much do you want to scrimp and save? 

Sorry if anyone mistook my original comment for saying you should definitely get the metro. My point was that if you are looking to save money by not doing something, walking over using public transport isn't the area to do it in Dubai. Taxi's, buses, trams, metros etc are all dirt cheap compared to price you pay in England.


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## UAe_Newbie25 (Jun 28, 2015)

Also, I'm wondering if you could let me know if my budget breakdown is realistic. I will be getting 18.5K AED per month looking to budget accordingly:

Rent (flat share) - 5-7K
Food - 2K
Transport - 1K (either walking to work or getting metro and the odd taxi here and there)
Going out - 3K

That gives me 5K left over which seems alot so I'm just wondering what else I've left out?


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## de Mexicaan (Apr 16, 2012)

UAe_Newbie25 said:


> Also, I'm wondering if you could let me know if my budget breakdown is realistic. I will be getting 18.5K AED per month looking to budget accordingly: Rent (flat share) - 5-7K Food - 2K Transport - 1K (either walking to work or getting metro and the odd taxi here and there) Going out - 3K That gives me 5K left over which seems alot so I'm just wondering what else I've left out?


Holidays, retirement plan, clothes, etc. In any case, it is easy to get rid of your money in Dubai.


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## DubaiResident (Oct 25, 2014)

Stay in Marina, and get a bike or find a place near a tram stop. Walking is not a good option unless your building is right next to your office. Metro is a short walk from Marina mall.


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## Seabee (Jul 15, 2010)

The marina is very walkable, either around the water-side promenade or the straighter streets the other side of the buildings. There are five bridges across the water too. In summer though you wont want to walk more than a few metres. So whether you walk to work depends which building you live in. There's a Metro station at either end of the marina and the tram runs round part of it. The Metro bridges across Sheikh Zayed Road from JLT are air-conditioned.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

5K for a flatshare is realistic. You can spend more if you want but I don't think there's any particular benefit unless it's a very nice flat with a cool group of people. 

2K a month for food including a mix of home cooking and takeaways and 1-2 meals at inexpensive to midrange places weekly is fine. You can easily spend less, depending on how often you eat out or what you cook. For groceries the trick is to avoid buying everything at Waitrose/Spinneys and head for Carrefour at Mall of Emirates. You can take the metro to MoE easily. 

3k for going out is a healthy budget. You can easily spend less (or more). Altogether 5k a month for food and socialisation is very generous. Some people won't think so, others will be gobsmacked at how lavish you are. My income is more than double yours but I still rarely spend more than 800/week for everything outside my rent/utilities/car. 

If you live in the Marina and almost all your social activities are within the Marina you will be very hard pressed to spend 1K a month on transportation costs.

If you find a flatshare within walking distance of your office, which is definitely feasible (look into Horizon Tower, loads of flatshares there) you can easily keep your monthly living expenses to 8.5K and save the other 10K. 




UAe_Newbie25 said:


> Also, I'm wondering if you could let me know if my budget breakdown is realistic. I will be getting 18.5K AED per month looking to budget accordingly:
> 
> Rent (flat share) - 5-7K
> Food - 2K
> ...


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## UAe_Newbie25 (Jun 28, 2015)

TallyHo said:


> 5K for a flatshare is realistic. You can spend more if you want but I don't think there's any particular benefit unless it's a very nice flat with a cool group of people.
> 
> 2K a month for food including a mix of home cooking and takeaways and 1-2 meals at inexpensive to midrange places weekly is fine. You can easily spend less, depending on how often you eat out or what you cook. For groceries the trick is to avoid buying everything at Waitrose/Spinneys and head for Carrefour at Mall of Emirates. You can take the metro to MoE easily.
> 
> ...


Great, thanks for such an informed answer TallyHo. Wonder if JLT is still a viable walkable distance to Marina Plaza too as I'm considering that as an option too.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

JLT is walkable as long as your building is reasonably close to the JLT metro station (which I think is a bit closer to Marina Plaza than the Marina metro station).


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## UAe_Newbie25 (Jun 28, 2015)

Sorry, another question but will I likely be able to get a room in a 1/2 BHK apartment for about 5-6K? Its just that I'd rather share with fewer people as I do like my own space and after living with 4 others(!) here in London, a little room to breathe would be welcome haha.


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