My community: Khalifa City A is a retreat from the hustle and bustle of Abu Dhabi

Jacqueline Wood, runs the Abu Dhabi Womens Group Facebook page and has a jewellery business. Delores Johnson / The National

Jacqueline Wood and her husband, James, lived in Mushrif when they first arrived in Abu Dhabi. Four years later, they decided they wanted to live somewhere quieter and get more space for their money, so they moved to Khalifa City.

“We moved out to Khalifa City to get away from the noise and hustle and bustle of living in the Mushrif area. A friend knew I was looking to move, and there happened to be an empty villa in the small compound of 10 villas that she lived in. It was an easy decision. The real plus point for me is that we now have shaded parking, and unlike living in Mushrif, there is plenty of it. That’s like winning the lottery for me,” Wood says.

“The other benefit is that I know my landlord. He once lived in the villas. This means that we are well looked after by his maintenance team.

“I use the ‘pink shops’. The ­stationery shop is superb for arts and craft materials. The pharmacy couldn’t be more helpful, and the opening of Géant is good for my everyday shopping because it’s so convenient.”

Wood adds that the Tandoor ­Express, near the Géant supermarket, is one of her favourite restaurants. Also, as new supermarkets have opened, her shopping habits have changed. “Now that ­Spinneys is open, I like to buy my fruit and vegetables there, and a roasted chicken is actually cheaper than buying a frozen one. I like that.

“From a leisure perspective, we have the gym and pool facilities at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Al Forsan resort, various gyms around [the area], yoga at Al Zeina and golf facilities at Yas Links,” she adds.

The multinational make-up of her immediate area is another plus point. “Our small compound of eight houses is a very friendly United Nations, made up of ­British, Irish, Americans, ­Italians, Mexicans, Russians, Egyptians, ­Pakistanis and Syrians,” she says.

Access to transport links is also good. “My commute takes me from Khalifa City to Al Zeina, and is a very easy 15 minutes at pretty much any time of the day,” she says.

Her one Khalifa City bugbear, however, is the current lack of nearby petrol stations, but a new Adnoc will open shortly on the road close to Khaleej Al Arabi Street.