Dubai: The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) is one of the new attractions among the other iconic features of Dubai and this is where taxi and bus drivers bring in tourists.
Yusryaa, a 49-year-old Canadian tourist, heard about The Walk from a bus driver who was showing them around the city. "It is lovely, relaxing and a nice, clean place. This will not be my last visit," she said.
Canadian Sandra Mithani, a housewife, lives in Jumeirah Beach Residence. She was seen walking The Walk with her baby boy and husband, Al Noor.
She said: "The atmosphere is cozy, so we come down here almost every day to enjoy the walk in such a well-organised spot and soak up the surrounding view and fresh air - even as we have have lunch or sip coffee or tea at one of the relaxing cafes."
However, there is one aspect about The Walk during weekends that annoys Al Noor. "Everything at The Walk is perfect, as my wife Sandra has said. However, the irresponsible speeding by motorcyclists in such a peaceful and relaxing area is really annoying," he said.
Rosie Lynch, an Irish resident of Dubai, was seen with her friend, Jill, shopping at one of The Walk's many fancy stores.
"Dubai is a cosmopolitan city by all means and everything is up to date and accurately tailored to meet customers' expectations," Rosie said, and Jill agreed.
'Cosmopolitan city'
Jenifer Jim, a 37-year-old American working in the private sector, enjoys having lunch with her pals at The Walk.
"The Walk is marvellous and almost combines everything that any of us might think of. It is designed to provide for all kinds of requirements. For instance, it has fancy shops from the top global retail brands, banks, hotels, not to mention the varied exquisite chain of well-known international restaurants and cafes," she said, adding: "On top of that, The Walk is so relaxing, especially during this time of the year, when the breezy conditions add an extra charm to it".
Lalita, from Turkmenis-tan, also a Dubai resident, agreed: "The Walk is quite a nice place, getting busy at nights because of the high demand for its restaurants. On the other hand, people always come here to exercise, jog and have fun. The shops are eyecatching as well. However, I mainly come to The Walk for just the walk."
Lebanese Nisreen, 25, a private sector employee and resident of Jumeirah Beach Residence, said: "The idea of The Walk has translated into reality perfectly and caught everyone's eye. However, I somehow had the feeling that patches of green would cover large spots of the zone. But later we were told that priority was given to more parking space. It's definitely good to have enough parking space, but at the same time, such beachfront avenues need a touch of greenery to enhance its charm ."
'Amazing place'
Livio, a Romanian, who has worked in Dubai for almost eight years and is currently employed with Zara Home at Jumeirah Beach Residence, said: "The Walk is one of the most attractive and amazing places in Dubai and so far it has succeeded in attracting people to it from different walks of life. Everything is well planned, such as the location and the rest of accompanying fabulous bunch of cosmopolitan stores and a perfectly organised food court."
Livio added: "What I personally like the most is that everything that you need is gathered at one place and surrounded by a magnificent scenery. The Walk is making good profit, demand is fast expanding at this location and we receive customers from outside the UAE who usually flock to The Walk during weekends to pamper themselves with an unforgettable experience.
"The surprise of the year is that the Dubai Shopping Festival is going to have The Walk as one of its many venues for entertainment and sales promotions. So, The Walk is going to witness musical performances, outdoor cinemas, fashion shows and live entertainment and plenty of other activities".
Haiyan Mujarkech, CEO of Dubai Retail, told Gulf News: "As a subsidiary of Dubai Properties Group, Dubai Retail aims to redraft the definition of 'community and convenience shopping'."
At a glance: Key aspects
The Walk is a first of its kind shopping experience in Dubai. It has the first outdoor seaside retail avenue.
- Opened in August 2008.
- Divided in two levels.
- Spread across 800,000 square feet.
- Over 1.7km of promenade.
- More than 166 stores, 70 cafes and restaurants.
- Outlets open from 10am-10pm, Fridays 3.30-10pm
- Food and beverage outlets open from10am to 1am (7 days a week). Some of them are open 24 hours.
- The area is accessible at all times, day and night.
