Living in KCB

Hi busybee2 The villa is close to a school, so it's a good landmark for directions. I'm glad you're so positive about KCB, because I keep hearing so many negative things about it being so far out !!! But to be honest, it doesn't seem that far out to me. We've lived in both Arabic & western neighbourhoods in Dubai and I'm happy to be in either. It's the villa that is more important to me (and some food delivery options :D) ask the people that are negative on kcb where they live, where they school, where they shop etc. in kcb yes there are no shops yet, but they will come, but i would much prefer a more quieter location than all the busyness of kca, i have said i think, that i lived in kca long before any of those that moan about kcb..... and they all live in kca now, the message i always got from people that you need a passport to travel anywhere over the bridges, because really the only things back then was the airport....... i much prefer to turn right off the main road and not have to contend with more traffic trying to get into kca its a nitemare, the first roundabout needs to have traffic lights its too busy now, there are so many people, so many schools, shops etc etc. in nite time its very dark like out in the country feel as there is only the street lights down the middle of the main road.. in kcb we have 3 sets of lights, the middle of the road street lights and also on each set of pavements both ways... we have pavements and drains which they dont have in kca and so its really messy when it floods with the rains.. kcb is just as far out as kca.... in fact to drive from kcb to kca its like under 5 mins, its 4 roundabouts, and of course i stick to the speed limits you can do it faster as there is nothing in between kca and b at the moment, apart from the new university. if you are close to a school really the only big school is the ozzie one? which is then close to exit 333 and so then you are straight onto the motorway. eventually the empty space between the motorways and road 15 will have facilities, hubs has seen the plans and they will build them but who knows when they have said within next 2 years. most people have never been to kcb so they cant really comment. i have been everywhere..... across the road is the main mall, hospital, etislat, police station, there will more sporting facilities when the mall is finished, its got a cinema, banks, everything is there really no need to go into town, its like 45 mins to dubai and its like 10 mins to yas island etc. dont listen to them....

also you will find that the majority of people never have been to kcb really so their just thinks its further in the sandpit, but i laugh when coming from town, up to the kca/kcb turn, i turn right no traffic and see the traffic jam that is trying to get into kca! or is coming out of kca!! the adnoc petrol station is a nitemare all the time, in kcb its not..... there is emirates general market which is lulu across the road in shawamekh if you dont want to go to the mall, its a good little shop, has a butcher, seafood, veg everything for a little place.

Busybee2 Thank you so much for your reply! You've just made me feel so much better about our decision to live there. :) After a lot of searching, the best villa we found was in KCB (and believe me, I looked at A LOT in KCA)! I already drive 30mins one way to school now, so the drive from KCB to KCA doesn't bother me. It was about finding the right villa as the choices are so much better here in Dubai. So I'm pleased with how lucky we were finding this one in KCB. But I am a lazy cook sometimes, so it's nice to know I can still order takeaway when I can't be bothered making dinner ;) Thanks again, I really appreciate it! and ignore the comments that says it takes 15-20 mins to get from kcb to kca rubbish, it takes 5 mins to drive the 4 roundabouts from kcb to kca and then it depends on where you are going in kca then, its definately not 20 mins....!!!! yep dubai is defo better for villas, always has been always will be. also forgot to say hot plate/indian palace will deliver to you when you know where you are. if you are near a landmark ie fire station or the bridges 333 or 336 bridges or mafraq hotel etc then you will find it easier for directions to people, getting a taxi isnt really much of a problem, we order from transad and they do find us. ignore people that say kca is better, thats because they have kids over in school there or they have a big budget for a house, or they prefer just to be nearer all the shops etc, we lived in kca when nobody was there, and people just wouldnt go over the bridge without a passport as they felt to isolated and too far from the main island etc etc. but i find between kca and b when it rains kcb doesnt suffer as much as we have drains and pavements and street lights, kca floods and so deep in places that it goes half way up cars etc..... kca is very very very busy, yes in kcb you do have to drive but if you are on the bus routes and there are 3 buses that come along you really dont need a car, school buses do come to kcb too! where is the villa that you have found near a landmark?

it actually takes me less time to travel from kcb to town than kca to town, you can go down the al ain road which is much faster and depending on where you live if you live by one of the exits go straight out to the main motorway, otherwise in kca or b you can wiggle around the inner roads for 5 mins before you get anywhere...

kcb is just as big as kca, in fact there are loads of expats, in the beginning all the small compounds were leased by etihad for their staff, so there are alot of those dotted around the place, there are a lot of expats here, a lot of people work at mafraq so its just on the doorstep, if you work up the road to dubai etc, then the main road is as convenient as kca, much quicker than kca imo. a lot of people that work out in the military live in kcb as its on the dubai road so very easy to get along, all the people in al reef come to the petrol stations here, and also to baniyas mall, the main etislat office is at mafraq just across the road, better than the kaos at etihad plaza with all the parking issues and the road issues etc, yes there is more choice of banks/shops etc over in kca but its extremely busy all the time.

imo kcb is much quieter, there are too many things now there, too many schools, businesses etc and the roads are too cramped, they need to put traffic lights on the roundabouts to help, its a nitemare. kcb is much quieter, and you usually get more room as a lot of the compounds squash them in in kca compared to others... but each one to their own. i have lived in both and kca before anybody else like 7 years or so ago... when everyone stayed on the island and i always got you need your passport to go to khalifa city etc. its best to have a car so it really doesnt matter if occaisonally you have to drive to the post or the bank you dont do that every day and you can do at other times. but there are buses that go now as well, so you can get into town and also to baniyas or delma mall quite easily. <em>edited by busybee2 on 25/04/2013</em>

Can anyone give me first hand experience about living in KCB? Do they do food delivery there? (pizza, subway, etc) Is there a drycleaners? Park? Small grocery store? Anything? Or is everything in KCA? Thanks! yes. delivery pizza hut, kfc, subway etc all deliver. dry cleaners nope, you would need to go to kca or baniyas/shawamekh. park nope but they are planned, but compared to kca etc it has pavements and drains, which are more important when it rains..... small grocery store usually attached to the mosques. the only thing they have at the moment, but there are big plans for shops/parks etc but as with all places it takes time, kca has only this year got a small park and its been around for like 8 years! right across the highway there are shops, but the new mall at baniyas is just across the motorway 5 mins drive, there is mafraq hospital and mafraq hotel right next to kcb. there is a petrol station which doesnt get too busy unlike kca, it takes less time to get onto the motorway than kca.