Ivelina Stoilova is a Bulgarian who spent most of her life in Varna, a picturesque Black Sea coastal town,in the north east of her home country. However, since 2003 she has been living in a country which has influenced every aspect of her life to a great extent; the UAE. She lives in one of its most high-profile developments - Dubai Marina — and has a secure jobas a senior credit analyst at a leading financial firm.
She started her life in the UAE in the northern emirate of Ajman where she worked at a general trading company. After spending six months in Ajman, she moved to Sharjah, where she stayed for a year. She then moved to Dubai in 2004, where the first development she lived in was The Greens.
She says when she came here she didn't expect to mingle and live with people from so many countries across the globe. "Dubai is a cosmopolitan city, very different from what you see in other countries. I really like what they have created out of a desert. It is truly amazing," she adds
Her second home was in The Springs and then she moved to Dubai Marina — for the first time. After a while, she moved to Green Community where she lived fora year before moving to Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR). It was only last year that she moved back to her favourite place — Dubai Marina.
A natural choice
For someone who lived in a coastal town for so many years, Dubai Marina is definitely an easy choice to make. "I love the Marina because I love being close to the beach," says Ivelina.
She was one of the first residents of Marina Quays North and the initial days, she says, were pretty quiet."I am the first resident in this apartment and the building was brand new when I moved here in April 2010. I had to get myself out to the JBR Walk to be around people." However, things picked up as the days passed, with more people moving into the building.
Hers is a spacious one-bedroom apartment inMarina Quays North. "I love my room because it hasa lot of space. Also I simply love the views of the Marina," she says.
So why does she love the this place so much? Apart from the proximity to the beach, is there any other particular reason? "Yes," says Ivelina, "I like the strategic location of Dubai Marina. And as far as the community where I am living is concerned, it is really nice and I love the facilities here." Marina Quays features a pool, gym, squash and tennis courts.
"What I really like about the development is it is really clean. The security personnel are friendly and I never had a problem with them," she adds.
Getting around
The community offers easy access to Shaikh Zayed Road and also to a number of important landmarks in Dubai. "Shaikh Zayed Road is only two minutes' drive from here and overall the development provides excellent access," she says.
For Ivelina, traffic has never been an issue and she says the Marina, in general, doesn't experience traffic snarls, even during weekends or peak hours. However, she adds that there are certain areas within the Marina that do face congestion during the weekends because several people from different areas of Dubai come here, especially to The Marina Walk.
Plenty of options
Marina residents are spoilt for choice as far as shopping and dining are concerned. While The Walk at JBR features plenty of shops and restaurants, the Marina also has quite a few options.
"I love JBR Walk because it gives you variety in terms of shopping and dining. For me, the Marina is likea small city within a city. I don't need to drive to get tothe shopping and dining centres — you have everything here. Sometimes it can be too hot but the distances are so short that you can just walk to any of these places," says Ivelina.
Dubai Marina has many grocery shops including Waitrose at Dubai Marina Mall, Spinneys andAl Maya Supermarket. There are several restaurants as well. Ivelina also likes the fact that the Marina is onlya few minutes' drive from shopping malls such asMall of the Emirates and Ibn Batutta. Some options for dining within close proximity are the Royal Mirage hotel and Madinat Jumeirah.
Right decision
"I am an outdoor person and spend most of my free time outside my home. I go cycling whenever the weather is good. Dubai Marina is a perfect place for someone like me," she says. "During weekends, I catch up with my friends, go to the beach, dining or clubbing or catch up with some outdoor activity. I do have a few close friends living in the same area."
After Ivelina moved to Dubai Marina, she introducedher friends to it and some also chose to move here. Ivelina says her friends are quite happy with the decision they made.
Long-term plans
Ivelina has no immediate plans to move out of the area as she loves it so much. "Even if someone offers a free apartment elsewhere in Dubai, I will still stick with the Marina," she says jokingly.
While she is absolutely happy with the whole development, she feels there are a few things which mar its charm. "One, the bridge work to connect JBR to the other side of the Marina has not been completed yet and it is making the drive a little bit riskier.
"Two, some tall buildings right in front of the beach are blocking the sea views of the buildings behind them. Apart from these, I have absolutely no problems here," she says, adding, "With the rents coming down, I think Dubai Marina is a great place to live in."
