The Springs: a favoured community for families

John Blanch is a family man. He spends most of his free time with his loved ones — his wife Bic, 13-year-old son Kit and 11-year-old daughter May-Ann. So when he decided to move to Dubai from Singapore in August 2008, what he wanted was an ideal home and a nice community to live in. No wonder then The Springs in Emirates Living, with its tranquil and family-friendly atmosphere, naturally fitted into his plans.

His first home in Dubai was a villa in Springs 3, which he rented. But it did not take him long to move into his own residence in Springs 11. John's work at the International Management Group as director of operations in the Golf Course Services division makes him a frequent traveller. "Although I travel a lot, I always look forward to getting back to Dubai and our home," he says.

Not without reason; the neighbourhood suits the family's lifestyle. John says, "Our children go to the Dubai British School in Springs 3 which is close by. The school is a focal point of our lives — it's where we've made lots of friends, and it organises fun activities."

The family finds The Springs cycle-friendly as well. "It's very convenient for us to cycle to the shops, the gym and the school — it keeps the family healthy," says John.

The Blanch family is particularly happy that its three-bedroom villa is the best it could get in The Springs community. The unit features three bathrooms, a living/dining room and study/guest room.

"Our pad has one of the largest gardens in The Springs with its own swimming pool. We have an open garage with space for our two cars," says John.

The pool is fast becoming a favourite area for the whole family. "The garden is so large we have been able to enjoy some great barbecue parties — our son recently celebrated his 13th birthday with a pool party for 25 of his friends," John adds.

The villa interiors also appear brighter after a makeover by home improvement solutions provider Under One Roof.

Long before he settled in Dubai, John made frequent trips to the city as part of his work. During such visits, he was also on the lookout for a house where he could live with his family.

He says, "I did plenty of research on which place was good for a family to live." When he visited The Springs, he immediately felt it was what he was looking for — an ideal community for a family in Dubai. We also looked at Arabian Ranches because it is a very similar style of development to The Springs. However, we felt that it was a little bit further away from where we wanted to be based."

The location of the Dubai British School also helped swing the decision in favour of The Springs. "We wanted a house that was a little bit unique as many of the homes in Dubai are almost identical," says John.

He eventually chose this property because its large garden and location at the end of a cul-de-sac made it very appealing. "It's so peaceful. It has a lake view and is within a five-minute bike ride to Spinneys [store] and is very close to the Dubai British School. The total plot size is 6,995 square feet."

The community

The Springs, a gated community, is located just off Shaikh Zayed Road, close to the American University, Dubai Marina, Dubai Internet City and Media City. Residents are spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping options - apart from the shops within the community, there are plenty of retail stores around the area. The community features 24-hour security, substantial parking spaces, childcare centres, fitness centre, parks, mosques, children's play areas, walkways and fountains, shops, cafés and many fine dining restaurants.

The Blanch family's villa is next to the lake surrounded by a walkway which is used extensively by joggers. "Everything is very convenient. We also have very nice green spaces with the nearby lake and park. We are close to the shops and the school, which is a great thing," says John.

The family often visits Spinneys and Choithram stores located close by. Shopping centres such as the Mall of the Emirates and Ibn Battuta Mall are not too far away either. "We have a wide choice of restaurants within a 15-minute radius, and many of our friends live in the vicinity," says John.

What's more comforting to residents, however, is the absence of traffic jams even during peak hours.

John says, "The access is great — we have Shaikh Zayed Road on one side, the Greens on the other and we also have access to the Al Khail Road. Soon we will have a direct road to Ibn Battuta Mall as well. It is one of the most convenient locations in Dubai and the infrastructure improvements are only going to make things better."

It only takes John 15 minutes to travel to his office at the Gold and Diamond Park. With a much-developed road network in place, he can choose from about five alternative routes to work.

Two golf courses — Emirates Golf Club and the Montgomerie Club — are close by. While John is satisfied with most aspects of the community, he doesn't seem too happy with the ongoing infrastructure work in the area.

"The only thing we don't like about The Springs is the roadworks that have been going on for the past couple of years. Hopefully, they will be completed within the next six months, and then this will be a perfect community."