Business Bay, Dubai’s skyscraper district has a lot more to offer than just concrete towers and dynamic city life. Living in Business Bay puts you in close proximity to Downtown Dubai – one of the most energetic and vibrant areas in the emirate. This community has everything you’d look for in a modern residential district – a host of entertainment venues, quality homes, hotels, restaurants and retail options.
Over the years, Business Bay has made a name for itself as a major commercial and residential district. If you’re considering potential neighbourhoods to move to, a look at the pros and cons of living in Business Bay can help you decide how well-suited the community is for you.
PROPERTIES IN BUSINESS BAY
Business Bay enjoys a central location right next to Downtown Dubai, with areas like DIFC, Al Quoz and Jumeirah located nearby. Residential properties in Business Bay include luxury apartments and podium villas available for rent and sale.
In Business Bay you are spoiled for choice in terms of the places to live, with plenty of beautiful, spacious apartments on offer. Flats in Business Bay are available in studio, 1, 2, 3 and 4-bed configurations. You can easily find apartments for rent in Business Bay with annual rent between AED 36k and AED 750k. Business Bay apartments for sale have a starting price of AED 422k, with bigger units predictably being more expensive.
The most popular apartment communities for living in Business Bay are Executive Towers, DAMAC Towers, Capital Bay Towers, Merano Tower and Ontario Tower. The Executive Towers development also features 2, 3 and 4-bed villas in Business Bay. You can buy a villa in Business Bay for as low as AED 2.6M. A limited selection of villas for rent in the neighbourhood are also available.
PROS OF LIVING IN BUSINESS BAY
Moving on to the pros and cons of living in Business Bay, Dubai let’s first look at all the reasons that make this area a highly sought-after, urban neighbourhood.
IT’S GOOD FOR FAMILIES
The availability of larger residential units means that you will see a lot of families with small children living in the district. There are nurseries and pre-schools located in the area, the most prominent ones being the Hummingbird Nursery and the Maple Bear Pre School. There are a couple of schools located nearby too.
Other than the Bay Avenue Park, developments like the Executive Towers also have small green strips with kids’ play areas and other recreational facilities on offer. Teenagers are likely to love Bay Avenue, with its funky graffiti-style design and skate park. It’s a great place for them to hang out with friends within the neighbourhood.
A CENTRAL LOCATION WITH GREATER VALUE FOR MONEY
If glittering skyscrapers are what you love about Dubai, then living in Business Bay is definitely a good option for you. A key benefit of considering apartments in Business Bay, as opposed to the neighbouring area of Downtown Dubai, is that you get a lot more space for your money. Where you can find a 1-bed apartment for rent in Business Bay for a starting price of AED 35k, the same in Downtown Dubai will cost you around AED 50k.
That alone can save you AED 15k annually, without compromising on any of the benefits that you may have when living in Downtown Dubai. That’s mainly because while living in Business Bay, you are just a short drive away from Downtown Dubai and all its marvellous amenities, including The Dubai Mall, Souk Al Bahar, Dubai Opera and the trendy Downtown Dubai restaurants.
GOOD AMENITIES
When living in Business Bay, you have everything within convenient reach. There are an abundance of retail stores, convenience outlets and supermarkets in Business Bay. You can easily find Spinneys and Choithrams in the vicinity. You will also find the Urban Yoga studio, and a number of beauty salons and spas in Business Bay. Options for gyms in Business Bay include B-toned, Bare and other facilities. For those of you who love to dine out, the restaurants in Business Bay offer exceptional diversity in ambience, cuisine and budgets.
DIVERSE POPULATION
Business Bay is an upbeat and vibrant neighbourhood. One of the biggest advantages of living in Business Bay is that it is not defined by a single nationality, so you will find people from nearly every continent living side by side.
There are often events at Bay Avenue including concerts and farmer’s markets that present a great chance for the residents of the area to come out, mingle and enjoy life here. This basically means that no matter where in the world you are from, you will always feel at home here.
UPSCALE LIFESTYLE AND ENTERTAINMENT
For those who love the high-end lifestyle, Business Bay is an absolute haven. The Bay Avenue Mall is located at the base of Executive Towers. Besides this, there are many hotels in Business Bay that offer great opportunities for fine-dining and nightlife. Residents can even catch an exhilarating spectacle of contemporary circus-style stunts and skills at La Perle by Dragone in Business Bay.
WELL-CONNECTED NEIGHBOURHOOD
For residents who rely on public transport, Business Bay is exceptionally well connected. When it comes to public transport in Business Bay, there is an extensive choice available to residents. You can choose to travel by Dubai Metro, via the Business Bay station on the Red Line. There are regular taxis and water taxis also available to help you commute in and out of the area. The location also has a good network of bus services that cover all the major towers in the neighbourhood.
CONS OF LIVING IN BUSINESS BAY
While we just enlisted all the benefits, there are certain challenges of living in Business Bay as well. Here arethe minor disadvantages of living in Business Bay that may affect your decision to make your home here.
SKYSCRAPER CITY
This area is dominated by commercial and residential skyscrapers. While there are a few villas available in the Business Bay district, it’s hard to escape the whole skyscraper city-feel when living here. Buildings here usually have more than 20 storeys. So, if you’re bothered by heights or are someone who prefers outdoor areas, green spaces and quaint communities, Business Bay may not be the ideal option for you.
RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC
As a commercial and residential district, it’s no surprise that rush hour traffic in Business Bay is intense. A large number of people commute within and into the area every day to work in the hotels or the district’s numerous commercial buildings. It is perhaps the biggest disadvantage of living in Business Bay. However, it’s not something that cannot be worked around. You can always factor in extra time to get to your workplace in the morning.
NO SCHOOLS
This may be a problem for families with school-going kids. There are no schools in Business Bay. However, there are a number of schools in neighbouring areas that you can consider for your kids. The most prominent options include the Jumeirah English Speaking School, The English College Al Safa and the GEMS Our Own Indian School.
NOISE LEVEL
While Business Bay represents value for money in terms of the apartment size, particularly for such a central location, some might find the traffic and the noise from nearby Sheikh Zayed Road to be substantially disconcerting. Plus, the noise from ongoing construction can also be noticable.
FAQS
WHAT ARE THE TOP BUILDINGS IN WHICH TO BUY APARTMENTS IN BUSINESS BAY?
Check out the top buildings to buy apartments in Business Bay on MyBayut.
HOW FAR IS DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FROM BUSINESS BAY?
It takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes to drive from Business Bay to Dubai International Airport and vice-versa, depending on the traffic. This is another one of the pros of living in Business Bay.
All in all, Business Bay is an excellent option for anyone who wants a modern lifestyle in a well-connected area of Dubai. If you aren’t thinking about buying a home right away, you can always have a look at renting in Business Bay.
We hope this roundup of the pros and cons of living in Business Bay helps you make an informed housing decision. For more neighbourhood options like Business Bay, you might want to consider the pros and cons of living in JLT or what it’s like living in Downtown Dubai.
