I have been living on the Palm Jumeirah for nearly four years. When I moved to Dubai seven years ago, I worked on the Palm Jumeirah and told myself I would never live there. I thought it was too much of a “destination”, rather than a place to actually live. Fast forward three years, and now I would not want to live anywhere else! I have my own business and work from home and in all honesty very rarely leave The Palm!
Why The Palm?
I love the lifestyle, community and pace of life. My husband and I have lots of friends here – it’s a friendly, warm community with a real “holiday” feel. There are so many positives to mention. For me, one huge bonus is that The Palm is dog friendly, pets even have access to the beach at The Pointe. There are some great dining choices and the amazing Chicago Meatpackers even allows our wee pooch to dine with us! We have a secret underground walkway from our apartment building into Nakheel Mall with an array of shopping and dining on our doorstep and not to mention one of the best waterparks in the world at The Atlantis.
Initially when I moved to The Palm, I found it difficult to find out what was happening in the community. So, I started a Palm residents group on Facebook called the Dubai Palm Life. We now have more than 3.6k followers, where we share local information, offerings and as well as showcase the amazing island and the benefits of living here. The Palm caters to all types of lifestyles. For those living an active life, there are countless gyms and fitness classes available, including community classes in the winter months that take part outdoors in Al Ittihad Park.
A laid-back vibe
Given we live on an island, there is ample access to water activities such as, paddle-boarding, kayaking and even scuba diving. You can rent a boat and many residents have boats, so for a lot of residents, our weekends are being out on the water! And if you prefer to relax then there’s an array of beautiful pools to choose from in the five-star hotels and resorts all across the Palm.
Life on the Palm can be what you want it to be from chilled and laid back, super family friendly to a party destination with several exciting venues scattered around the island. Families love the welcome addition of the Nakheel Mall. It means we have the Waitrose Supermarket and the wonderful Food Hall called Depachika right on our doorstep.
Pre-Covid-19 we had started residents’ events in various venues around the Palm so we could meet the community and the turn-out was fantastic. It gave us the opportunity to get to know each other. We hope to be resuming the events once it is safe to do so.
Renting a home on The Palm
We reside in the Marina Residences and although we have not bought our apartment, it is the place we call home and have done for nearly four years. We have a fabulous two-bed apartment with a huge balcony and amazing West Marina, Frond and Atlantis views. We are fortunate to have a great landlord who has brought the rent down in line with the current market value. The facilities are great, and location suits us perfectly.
The pandemic has made life different, but we are grateful to be residing here with such great neighbours and community. Residents have constantly shared information and updates on changing rules via the community social media group and we were able to assist some of our local Palm Jumeirah businesses with advertising during the hard times.
During lockdown, we had Zoom fitness classes, quiz nights, bingo and even themed one of the Friday lockdown sessions as a Caribbean night, all online.
Albeit the tough times living close to the sea has had a more calming effect on me. As lockdown eased, we have gone back to our walks on the Boardwalk and The Pointe with our dog and enjoy the outdoor life despite summer temepratures. It has made me grateful to be residing in this beautiful island and appreciate the value of where we live. You will not find me living anywhere else!
- The author is the MD of Go To DXB
