My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent and asks them what they like and don't like
Dr Javairia Hassan, a medical director at Dubai Healthcare City, rents a spacious one-bedroom apartment in The Greens and Views for Dh90,000 ($24,500).
This is the first apartment in Dubai for the Pakistani who moved from her home country about three years ago.
Dr Hassan and her husband Hassan Ashraf were drawn to the location for its serene and secure environment, which features a scenic lake, walking track and proximity to The Greens Souq with its variety of food, grocery options and cafes.
She took The National on a tour of her ground-floor apartment, featuring a large courtyard that her two children enjoy, and told of how it has become a cosy family home filled with personal mementos and memories.
Tell us about your home
Our apartment is on the ground floor and it has one bedroom with cabinets and attached washroom, a closed kitchen, spacious living room and a dining area.
We have a big courtyard and it’s my favourite part of being on the ground floor. Our kids can go easily without using lifts to the play area, which is just in front of our home.
The best part of our apartment is that it’s in a closed community so they can't exit the apartment complex when they're outside playing.
Where did you live before?
Since we came to UAE, we've been living here.
What are some other advantages of living here?
It is a calm, beautiful and safe place to live. There is a beautiful lake inside the community, it has a scenic walking track. There is a souq with lot of food and grocery options, many cafes and multiple salons.
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Dr Javairia Hassan and her husband Hassan Ashraf live with their two sons in a Dh90,000-a-year, one-bedroom apartment in The Greens. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National -
The building is in a gated community -
The living room in the ground-floor apartment -
The kitchen in the cosy family home -
The big courtyard is Dr Hassan's favourite part of being on the ground floor -
The building has its own gym -
The swimming pool -
Dr Hassan's flat has one bedroom -
The community play area by Dr Hassan's apartment -
Dr Hassan and her family enjoy watching movies together on the TV in the living room -
The living room also includes a dining area -
The community barbecue area
We go for our Friday prayer in a mosque that is near our apartment and the location also really helps during the month of Ramadan.
Our community has so many different nationalities, so it's a good opportunity for learning about cultures and taking part in events our neighbours host.
In winters, we host barbecue parties outside in the common area with friends and have lots of memories that we've made these past few years.
It’s also very close to tourist attractions, so our guests really enjoy staying with us.
How have you made the apartment your home?
We have decorated it with our beautiful memories – my younger son was born while we were living here, so this flat is his childhood home in a way.
We have decorated it with our awards and pictures and my son's handmade drawings.
Our souvenirs are also on the shelves, that we have collected from our travels over the years.
Do you plan to stay in the property?
Our family has grown in number and we would also like our parents to stay with us, so, we have to move to a bigger house.
As much as we love this community, it only has apartments. We'd prefer moving into a villa sometime in the future.
Do you think living here is value for money?
Rents are soaring here because of high demand, so I think it does offer value for money – it's near to the metro, main malls of the city and it's on Sheikh Zayed Road. It's a convenient location for travelling to work and leisure activities.
Are there any downsides?
It’s hard to answer, honestly. I think it would be challenging to settle in other communities once you live here.
And while it was spacious for us when the kids were younger, we'd prefer moving into a bigger place now as our family grows, but we've made some great memories here.
