The Springs

The Springs is one of the first villa communities Emaar built in Dubai, and among the first places in the city where foreigners could buy freehold. It is part of Emirates Living, alongside The Meadows, The Lakes, Emirates Hills and The Greens, and is divided into numbered sub-communities, from Springs 1 to Springs 15, each with its own gated entrance.

The homes are mostly townhouses, laid out along quiet streets that curve around a series of man-made lakes. After nearly two decades, the trees are fully grown and the community has a settled feel that newer developments take years to reach. Residents walk dogs, run and cycle on the lakeside paths, and children play outside on the quieter streets.

The trade-offs come with age and size. Many houses have been extended or renovated, but others still have original kitchens, bathrooms and air-conditioning, and the smaller types have modest gardens. It is also a car-dependent area, with no metro station inside the community, and the gates get busy at school-run times.

• 01

  Lakes and mature trees

  Many streets back onto lakes, parks or green corridors, and the fully grown trees make the community shadier and quieter than newer developments.

• 02

  Schools close to home

  Dubai British School's main campus is inside The Springs and Emirates International School is next door in The Meadows, a short walk or cycle from many homes.

• 03

  Two shopping centres

  The Springs Souk has a Carrefour, Reel Cinemas, restaurants and shops, while the smaller Springs Town Centre has a Spinneys and everyday services.

• 04

  Close to the Marina

  Dubai Marina, JBR beach and Dubai Media City are around 10–15 minutes away by car, which makes for an easy commute to the west side of the city.

Daily life revolves around the community pools, parks and lakeside paths, which are busiest early in the morning and in the evening. The Springs Souk, next to Springs 7, covers most needs, with a Carrefour supermarket, Reel Cinemas, gyms and a mix of cafés and restaurants. The Springs Town Centre, between Springs 2 and 3, is smaller and handier for a quick trip to Spinneys or the pharmacy.

For the beach, JBR is a short drive away, and golfers have the Montgomerie in Emirates Hills and Emirates Golf Club close by. Weekends often mean Dubai Marina, Mall of the Emirates or Dubai Hills, each within roughly 15–20 minutes.

There is no metro station inside The Springs. The nearest Red Line stations on Sheikh Zayed Road, including Dubai Internet City and DMCC, are around 10 minutes away by car, and feeder buses run along the main roads around Emirates Living. By car, the community has quick access to both Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road. Traffic at the community gates and on the surrounding roads builds up at school-run times.

Schools are one of the main reasons families choose The Springs. Dubai British School Emirates Hills, run by Taaleem, has its main campus in Springs 3; Emirates International School – Meadows is next door; and Regent International School is a few minutes away in The Greens. There are nurseries in and around the community. For healthcare, Mediclinic Meadows and several smaller clinics are close by, and Saudi German Hospital and Al Zahra Hospital in Al Barsha are about 15 minutes by car.

The Springs is mainly two- to four-bedroom townhouses and villas, in a handful of standard designs repeated across the sub-communities. The two-bedroom types appeal to couples and small families moving up from an apartment, while the larger end units and detached types with bigger gardens attract families who want room to extend. Homes facing a lake or a park, and those on quiet streets away from the main roads, are usually the most sought after.

Almost everything here is resale, as the community has been complete for years. Because the houses are older, you are really buying the plot, the position and the condition. Check whether extensions and conversions were approved, look at the age of the air-conditioning and the roof waterproofing, and set aside money for updating if the house is still original. Families keep rental demand steady.