Dubai is a city that's been built on the sands of the desert. However, in some places you just can't tell. The Greens is one of these places: some areas are so green that the low-rise residential area almost feels like a controlled jungle.
Exotic birds flit among the well-manicured lawns and trees of the community while its many fountains are a refreshing sight to the eyes in the summer heat.
As the sun goes down, The Greens' residents are out taking a stroll or teaching their children to ride bicycles, or taking their pets for walks. Still others catch up with their evening exercise or simply take in the sight of the setting sun.
The lushness and low-rise apartment blocks of the sleepy Greens stand in stark contrast to the neighbouring Tecom community, with its high-rise executive-tailored tower blocks.
Divided by a single road and a new flyover linking to Knowledge Village and Dubai Internet City, the contrast is more than evident.
A central lake complements the Greens area, providing a great pedestrian-friendly area for residents and a safe haven for young and old alike.
Matt Beckner, 27, American, is an entrepreneur who runs his own company. As a Greens resident, what does he like about living in the development?
Proud residents
"It's Green!" he told Gulf News under the shade of a green canopy of vegetation. "And there are not that many towers, which is very nice. And you can walk. It's a little bit like living in a small city."
Philip Thomas, a 33-year-old salesman, originally from India, is also in love with the lush surroundings. "I like the fact that it's green first of all, compared to the rest of Dubai, and most of the facilities are well-maintained here, that's what I like," he said.
He added: "I like the lake and the water [features] around. Most of the apartments, at least in the Golf towers and everything, are very well-maintained."
The Greens has a central shopping plaza, The Village. With numerous outlets, it also includes a supermarket, coffee shops and a number of restaurants.
Tucked away amongst the beige-coloured buildings, investigative types can also find other restaurants and coffee shops scattered around the development, such as Nando's and popular social venue Caribou Coffee.
The main stretch of The Greens is home to parallel green lawns and a dozen or so interesting art sculptures, which add interest to the overall landscape.
Just across the main three-lane road lies Tecom. Home to business and media executives, both Tecom and The Greens are ideally placed for access to Dubai Internet City, Media City, Knowledge Village, Shaikh Zayed Road and Jebel Ali/Abu Dhabi and Jumeirah.
A new network of underpasses, flyovers and lanes has made traffic flow in and out of the area smoother in recent months. While there is still some construction at the Barsha entrance/exit to the area, the Shaikh Zayed Road end is complete.
Tecom's Metro station (Dubai Internet City stop) opened in April near the Grand Millennium Hotel. A station nearer to The Greens is yet to open.
While The Greens goes to sleep, Tecom wakes up. Its many hotels host restaurants and bars providing residents and visitors with entertainment and a ready choice in terms of nightlife.
The Media Rotana is a popular destination with media executives, not only for its food and beverage outlets, but also for the Bodylines leisure and fitness club.
Maricel Surima, 28, Filipina, is the massage therapist at Bodylines.
"Here at Bodylines we offer three types of massage, first one is urban aroma — a soft, light and relaxing massage. The second is a de-stress-yourself deep-tissue massage. The other one is travel revival, it's like a combination of the two treatments — this includes a foot massage and the scalp so it's really a full body massage," she told Gulf News.
Surima has been a masseuse for six years and has been working at the Media Rotana for two years since she first moved to Dubai.
Most of the club's clients are ladies and most of the hotel guests are men, she said.
"Ladies who live nearby in The Greens and Barsha come to us. They mostly complain about back pain, particularly lower back pain, things like that. Stressed and hard-working women!" she said.
Other hotels in the area include The Grand Millennium, Byblos Hotel and Layia Hotel and Suites.
Street smart
Completed a number of years ago, The Greens offers mid-rise family accommodation amongst green streetscapes and safe, quiet surroundings. Recreational facilities for residents include swimming pools, gyms, children's play areas and The Village — with shops and food outlets under one roof. Tecom stands for Dubai technology, e-commerce and media free zone, and is a free zone including Internet City, Media City and Knowledge Village, stretched across Shaikh Zayed Road. Many of the residential towers are complete while others are still being constructed. Tecom mixes residential and commercial properties. Both Tecom and The Greens are next to Emirates Golf Club, close to Dubai Media and Internet Cities, Dubai Marina, the American University in Sharjah and Shaikh Zayed Road.
Have your say
Do you live in Tecom or The Greens and have a story to tell us? What is your opinion of the changes that took place in your area? Do you live in another neighbourhood and would like to tell us about it?
