JUMEIRAH BEACH RESIDENCE BY LAURA BUCKWELL WHO LIVES IN THE STUNNING DEVELOPMENT AND IS A WELL KNOWN TELEVISION PRESENTER IN DUBAI

Laura: please tell us about your family?

My husband and I met here in Dubai 5 years ago through friends. I grew up as a Royal Dutch Shell expat kid in Nigeria and Holland and have always been surrounded by Dutch families, so it was no surprise really that I ended up marrying a Dutchman. Funnily enough we both grew up in the same area of The Hague. We have a wonderful 2 and a half year old little boy called Marnix who is into everything. His favourite word at the moment is ‘mine’ and wants to be involved with anything we do. He has a lot of energy.

 You live in JBR, do you have everything Dubai offers on your doorstep?

 As I’m quite a nervous driver, having JBR on the doorstep is wonderful. As a family we love the beach and there’s a whole host of activities for kids, dozens of coffee shops for catch ups or meetings, and every type of restaurant cuisine imaginable, from fast food to fine dining. The 2 year old development ‘The Beach’ is just fantastic and very smart. They have done such a good job. I also love the fact that throughout the year there is always some sort of entertainment, whether it be a night or day market, Christmas carols, fireworks, trampolines, a celebrity pop up shop or a football dome, there is always something new and exciting to experience. I’m definitely a ‘people watcher’ so JBR is a dream with all the cafes that spill out onto the water front. We live in a hotel apartment and you can never quite beat the view from a high rise out into the ocean. We are right at the end of JBR and have the best of both worlds living near to the marina. Marnix and I love getting the water taxi over to marina walk and Marina mall every week.

What are your favourite spots within walking distance? Cafes, restaurants etc

Truth is, there are many. We’re lucky to be only a short walk from the new beach-side development from Meeras “The Beach” which is a rich collection of fabulous restaurants, coffee shops, state-of-the-art cinemas and a terrific public beach. Furthermore, we are only a short walk from several four and five star hotels all of which offer yet more stunning dining facilities, spas etc. We’re completely spoilt for choice.

 Is it a good place to live as a dog owner?

Not bad. On the surface, it appears perfect with a long marina path that surrounds the marina but there are some confusing signs from Emaar that imply dogs are not permitted. We’ve never had any issues walking ours though and confirmed as many others freely walk theirs too.

You are TV News Anchor and MC, where can we find you? 

 I’m a part time news anchor with City7TV and I’m on air Sunday, Thursday and Saturday. The other half of the week I’m running around after Marnix and keeping him entertained with his pals. I’m also very fortunate to be an MC at large-scale live events a couple of times a month, from award ceremonies and product launches, to industry panel discussions and VIP introductions. It can be rather terrifying but also very exciting. I’ve been asked to host to BBC Good Food Awards in November which will be a good one.

 Finally, what advice would you give to rent an apartment in Dubai?

We live in a hotel apartment which is brilliant as everything is included such as DEWA, du, breakfast and daily housekeeping. A godsend with a 2 year old! So if your looking to rent I wouldn’t rule hotel apartments out.
In general, make sure you go with a trustworthy real estate agent, and to take the advice of friends who have had a positive experience. There’s nothing more powerful than the endorsement of friends and family. Also, don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as possible and make sure you do your research, as different areas of Dubai can change dramatically in terms of price, access to transport