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Dubai Motor City: A place for the fast and the curious

Home to the famous autodrome, Dubai Motor City is a convenient choice for families

Not too dissimilar to the connotations associated with its name, the development of Dubai Motor City has been speedy over the past few years.

First established in 2004, it was the city's Dubai Autodrome that got tails wagging about this new residential area. However, during the past five years, different residential complexes and retail spaces within the community have come up and it has become a popular hub for young expats and families.

Spread over 38 million square feet and just a 10-minute drive straight down Hessa Street to the busy Sheikh Zayed Road, this community is a healthy mix of calm and convenience for those who want the perks of inner city life, without the headache of road congestion and a 24-hour buzz.

In 2015, a report by Movesouq.com and FlatReviews.com, a portal that reviews apartments in Dubai, pitted Dubailand (the location of Dubai Motor City) as one of the most "in-demand areas" based on moving activity in the emirate. And the report stated that Dubai Motor City was one of the highest-rated communities in the city based on traffic; pet-friendliness; walking possibilities; nearby schools, kindergartens, shops and restaurants; and value for money. For British resident Marc Gelsthorpe, "convenience and better accommodation options" were the driving force for his move from Jumeirah Village Triangle to Motor City.

"The fact that I can walk to the shops, the gym isn't far away, and the parking bays are huge all makes living here better. You get a storage room behind your parking, too," he told Khaleej Times. These, he said, are a rarity for apartment living in Dubai. With several nurseries and a Gems British Curriculum school also nearby, many describe the area as a "city within a city" due to its self-sufficiency.

Its name, Motor City, "celebrates modern man's fascination with the automobile and all it suggests: the freedom of movement, the thrill of speed, the sleekness of aerodynamic design, the efficiency of cutting-edge engineering, the promise of technological progress", according to its developer, Union Properties.

Comprising six sectors within its layout including Dubai Autodrome, Uptown, and The Ribbon Mall, visitors to the area will find low-rise apartment blocks surrounding retail shops and restaurants, with family villas located in the gated Green Community. With landscaped gardens, water features, stone streets and walkways, the family home development includes luxury villas, family villas, townhouses, and bungalows.

"I recently moved to Damac Hills, close to Motor City, but I lived in a one-bedroom apartment there for close to three years. I lived above the shop fronts along the main street and loved it. I only moved as work provided an accommodation for my growing family. I moved in before First Avenue Mall opened and got a brilliant deal on my unit, way cheaper than many areas in Dubai," Sarah W. said.

And she timed her move well, during the area's "up and coming phase".

"Within 18 months, the place was beaming with places to eat, supermarkets to shop at. It all came up so quick and actually, friends wanted to come visit me for a change as there were things to do there."

In 2018, the first hotel came up in the area, too, Park Inn by Radisson, which overlooks the popular Dubai Autodrome - the hub of the community.

The FIA-sanctioned, 5.39km circuit includes a race school, indoor and outdoor karting tracks, the Grandstand Retail Plaza, the Motorsport Business Park, and a VIP Paddock Hospitality area.

Once fully complete, the whole Dubai Motor City area will house 11,630 residential units, 2,900 serviced apartments, and 2,900 hotel rooms. And according to the Dubai Statistics Centre, the current population stands at 8,561.