1br in beverly hills is at least 15k... not worth at all.. 1.5 yrs ago I stayed in 3br, it was 22k... very small gym & pool, ugly neigbourhood in the middle of under-construction high-rises.
my recommendation is maximize yoru savings here... that is why everbody comes to qatar... no advanture here, first 1 or 2 weeks only, that is it.. then everything monotonous and boring...
But on 30,000 a month..Somerset is fully furnished, full service ( 6 day maid srv) breakfast included...nice place BUT construction all around. Commute is about 30 minutes slightly past airport on a good day. West Bay lagoon is awesome! Saw 4 bedroom villas (sometimes villas are what I call a "Townhouse") right on the water. Only problem w/them is furnishing a LARGE accomodation,,make sure your allowance will allow for LOTS of furniture if you go that route..GOOD LUCK..
When I said you could save an hour or more a day I meant total, not each way. I would guess at the heaviest time of the day (barring an accident or some other out of the ordinary delay) you could get from WB to the Airport in under 45 minutes, and if you happen to work a schedule that comes allows you to stay off the road during the heavy times you could easily commute in 20 minutes each way.
My only point was there are some VERY nice villas within a KM or two from the Airport for the budget you are looking at. If you prefer a more posh surrounding West Bay is very nice, if you just want a beautiful place to live you can find them much closer to where you will be working.
******************************************
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it is too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
An hour would be worst case I think. With no traffic at all you can do Beverly Hills Tower to Airport in 15min, so you're probably looking at 30-45 min commute to work.
Thnaks ICGuru! Will definitely try to contact a realtor before we make a decision. So far the consensus seems to be traffic from downtown to airport is roughly hour each way. (looks like 15minutes from Google Earth but I guess it was shot on a Saturday :)
Sorry if I am a little late on this, just returning from vacation.
As Tallg mentioned it is wise to look for housing near your office as the commute can be atrocious. The airport area (around E ring and airport) has some beautiful villas with pools and gyms and would save you an hour or more a day of sitting in this wonderful traffic. I would recommend contacting an agency in Doha to look at the actual villas/condos before making any decisions.
******************************************
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it is too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
You should wait til you get here before you decide. i think your opinions of high rise towers will change once you have seen a few. If I had that amount of money I would decinately live in a compound with good facilities. Le Mirage is another nice one closer to the airport
Tall, I'll definitely grab the number from you once I get in town. Have always wanted to try the karting gig and grew up riding bikes in the desert.. Guessing winter is about the only time this is possible weather wise.
BTW my buddy used to work for a motorcycle race team based out of Sheffield. He said the sun never came out but it didnt matter cause you cant see the sun in pubs ;)
Thanks guys, I think the apartment choice is really just a matter of preference and a bit of not really understanding the differences between an apartment and a compound.
In the states, flats are anything but, apartments come in groups 3 stories high in a gated community (presuming this is a compound) and tower apartments are condos..
Not sure which is more difficult, sorting out areas from gulf-times ad's, decifering semantics over living descriptions or actual phone calls to agents who seem to be every bit as confused as myself ;)
Try explaining a loft sometime, "you want an unfinished apartment, in a tower, with no ceiling and a concrete floor??? even 6000 miles away I can hear the guy going, "great, another crazy yank"....
He thinks it has a nice view and so on. For the situation of pearl he told that he can move to his new flat after a few months so we can say that the pearl is not ready yet.
I haven't written on the blog for months, but I'm glad the old information is still proving useful. If it's any help, I think Al Fardan Towers are considered to be a bit better than BHT (our company puts people higher up the hierarchy in Al Fardan, lower in BHT).
And you're right, it's always easier to just pop in and visit these places. Phone calls usually end up a mess of confusion!
Only done blo-karting a few times - normally when we have visitors. I can give you info with the guy we do it with if you're interested. There aren't any dunes where they do the blo-karting (flat ground is the key) but a 4x4 is still useful to get there, though not essential.
Are these serviced apartments?? Any idea of rough location? Rates etc? Websites?
Heya Tall,
Strolled about your blog and saw some pictures of past days in BHT (congrats on the puppy!). Definitely the TYPE of apartment we're looking for. Basically looking for an apt in a downtown high rise and have narrowed search to Al Fardan 1 and BHT, possibly Regency as well. Surprisingly difficult to get definitive information from the web and thus far, calls/emails to agents unreturned. Suspect I'll have to be onsite and just tour about.
Still blokarting?? Always wanted to give it a try and thinking about picking up a 4wd to make it easier. Saw some scary youtube videos of dune climbing (and crashes)
I would def recommend Al Fardan 1. no they are not towers but a very upmarket compound as deedee explained but they are more opposite The Mall rather than LuLu. I go to many homes with my work and these are the most beautiful i have seen so far. Much nicer than any tower block in the city.
I'm not in BHT anymore, but I would still recommend it. It is expensive (not sure of exact prices as we didn't pay the rent) but is one of the better places in Doha. I think they have a website.
Apartments are good size, there are good facilities, it's walking distance from City Center mall, Four Seasons Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, The Corniche (for walks).
Downside is it's probably still a good 30-40 min commute to the airport, and there's a lot of construction work going on around it.
TallG, Going back through previous posts it looks like you used to live at the Beverly Hills Towers. You still there?? Am considering it an option as well as the Regency but posts with rates date back to 06 guessing theres a substantial difference by this time!
Thanks Paul! Seems like I'm managing to compile a list of "not quite ready". Checking Somerset. Checked. This is just off the B-Ring right?? Google Earth shows enormous plot of dirt ;)
Hoping my G-earth is a bit behind or Paul's sleeping out of doors ;) ;)
Hi Deedee, checking on Al Fardan Towers, Google earth has towers West of Airport and City Center. Guessing on D Ring you're talking about the Western Tower. Earth is old though and I cant see any compounds with a pool. Do they have a website by chance??
If Pearl isnt open and West Lagoon is an hour commute, Lets try something different, how about City Center?? Any closer to the airport commute wise? I've heard of Beverly Hills and vague info on Marriott Executive Apartments.
Chuckling here.... Hear ya Tallg. Trying to put the most positive spin on it. Actually, besides the commute the most dreaded thing will be the loss of Starbucks methinks!
since you are working at the airport, check the villas at Al Fardan 1. It would only be a short commute. It it on D-ring road across from LuLu Hypermarket. I have been here for 5 years and seen a lot of different compounds. Al Fardan 1 has the most beautiful pool area and the villas are HUGE! They even have 5 bedroom villas with private pools in the backyard. By the way, it can take almost an hour to go from West Bay Lagoon to the airport in morning traffic. I know from experience. Consider this in your search.
I love being here, but I wouldn't describe coming to Qatar as an adventure. More of an experience.
I would highly suggest you go and visit places like the Pearl before committing to anything. You may find it looks a little different from the brochures, for the moment at least.
Luckily Doha is a bit more about an adventure for both of us actually. We realized as comfortable as we were in the States, we were playing it a bit safe with Life. It's not that money isnt nice (it is) but the numbers are letting us pursue a bit of housing fun at the same time. Since my offer wont let me convert housing to a per diem I either spend it or lose it. Sooooo we're shopping around for the lifestyles of the not so rich but certainly shameless ;)
Thanks Mandi, will check out West Bay Lagoon. Cristiani is already pressing me for the Pearl and since I'll be at the Airport, betting I'm in for a 30-45 minute commute already....
As a matter of biology; if it bites you it's probably female!
I'd live somewhere really cheap and I'll keep the rest of the money. J/K! BTW, if you're interested with the Pearl, you need to have atleast (correct me if I'm wrong) 160,000 USD for down payment.. So scrape the money in!
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1br in beverly hills is at least 15k... not worth at all.. 1.5 yrs ago I stayed in 3br, it was 22k... very small gym & pool, ugly neigbourhood in the middle of under-construction high-rises.
my recommendation is maximize yoru savings here... that is why everbody comes to qatar... no advanture here, first 1 or 2 weeks only, that is it.. then everything monotonous and boring...
come here and get smthg temporary then decide...
BHT : 4122222 (front desk/reception)
or
Regency Tower:4121101 (front desk/reception)
Maybe you can get an idea of costs for renting.
Actually there a acouple new towers "behind" BHT, named Al Maha Towers, that could be a choice too.
In the end and just like Tallg said a visit or drop in can be useful and definitive for your decission.
Best regards!!!
But on 30,000 a month..Somerset is fully furnished, full service ( 6 day maid srv) breakfast included...nice place BUT construction all around. Commute is about 30 minutes slightly past airport on a good day. West Bay lagoon is awesome! Saw 4 bedroom villas (sometimes villas are what I call a "Townhouse") right on the water. Only problem w/them is furnishing a LARGE accomodation,,make sure your allowance will allow for LOTS of furniture if you go that route..GOOD LUCK..
When I said you could save an hour or more a day I meant total, not each way. I would guess at the heaviest time of the day (barring an accident or some other out of the ordinary delay) you could get from WB to the Airport in under 45 minutes, and if you happen to work a schedule that comes allows you to stay off the road during the heavy times you could easily commute in 20 minutes each way.
My only point was there are some VERY nice villas within a KM or two from the Airport for the budget you are looking at. If you prefer a more posh surrounding West Bay is very nice, if you just want a beautiful place to live you can find them much closer to where you will be working.
******************************************
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it is too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
******************************************
If you prefer apartment then you should check this: Al Seal Residence, Yellow Tower, West Bay Area, near city center.
Al Fardan Gardens 1 (villas in a compound, not an apartment flat)
http://www.alfardanrealestate.com/aregardens.htm
An hour would be worst case I think. With no traffic at all you can do Beverly Hills Tower to Airport in 15min, so you're probably looking at 30-45 min commute to work.
if i have 30K QR, i would still live in a simple and small place for cheap rent. and spend the rest of the money with stuff, gadgets, women, food. :D
I just don't think it's always an hour a day from West Bay to the airport! That's a worst-case scenario.
Mandi
Thnaks ICGuru! Will definitely try to contact a realtor before we make a decision. So far the consensus seems to be traffic from downtown to airport is roughly hour each way. (looks like 15minutes from Google Earth but I guess it was shot on a Saturday :)
Sorry if I am a little late on this, just returning from vacation.
As Tallg mentioned it is wise to look for housing near your office as the commute can be atrocious. The airport area (around E ring and airport) has some beautiful villas with pools and gyms and would save you an hour or more a day of sitting in this wonderful traffic. I would recommend contacting an agency in Doha to look at the actual villas/condos before making any decisions.
******************************************
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it is too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
******************************************
i would like to live on an iland where there s no sign of man.....yahooo!!!!
You should wait til you get here before you decide. i think your opinions of high rise towers will change once you have seen a few. If I had that amount of money I would decinately live in a compound with good facilities. Le Mirage is another nice one closer to the airport
Tall, I'll definitely grab the number from you once I get in town. Have always wanted to try the karting gig and grew up riding bikes in the desert.. Guessing winter is about the only time this is possible weather wise.
BTW my buddy used to work for a motorcycle race team based out of Sheffield. He said the sun never came out but it didnt matter cause you cant see the sun in pubs ;)
(I think he exaggerates)
Thanks guys, I think the apartment choice is really just a matter of preference and a bit of not really understanding the differences between an apartment and a compound.
In the states, flats are anything but, apartments come in groups 3 stories high in a gated community (presuming this is a compound) and tower apartments are condos..
Not sure which is more difficult, sorting out areas from gulf-times ad's, decifering semantics over living descriptions or actual phone calls to agents who seem to be every bit as confused as myself ;)
Try explaining a loft sometime, "you want an unfinished apartment, in a tower, with no ceiling and a concrete floor??? even 6000 miles away I can hear the guy going, "great, another crazy yank"....
He thinks it has a nice view and so on. For the situation of pearl he told that he can move to his new flat after a few months so we can say that the pearl is not ready yet.
Good luck Steve if you haven't decided yet.
"What doesn't kill me; makes me stronger..."
Hi Steven
I haven't written on the blog for months, but I'm glad the old information is still proving useful. If it's any help, I think Al Fardan Towers are considered to be a bit better than BHT (our company puts people higher up the hierarchy in Al Fardan, lower in BHT).
And you're right, it's always easier to just pop in and visit these places. Phone calls usually end up a mess of confusion!
Only done blo-karting a few times - normally when we have visitors. I can give you info with the guy we do it with if you're interested. There aren't any dunes where they do the blo-karting (flat ground is the key) but a 4x4 is still useful to get there, though not essential.
StevenZ, just wondering why you would choose an apt over a compound if you have the bucks?
I agree with deedee about Al Fardan Gardens as far as the location. Traffic is a nightmare in Doha.
And what did you mean by loss of Starbucks??
Somebody's grumpy ;)
sydney
Hi Lipstick,
Are these serviced apartments?? Any idea of rough location? Rates etc? Websites?
Heya Tall,
Strolled about your blog and saw some pictures of past days in BHT (congrats on the puppy!). Definitely the TYPE of apartment we're looking for. Basically looking for an apt in a downtown high rise and have narrowed search to Al Fardan 1 and BHT, possibly Regency as well. Surprisingly difficult to get definitive information from the web and thus far, calls/emails to agents unreturned. Suspect I'll have to be onsite and just tour about.
Still blokarting?? Always wanted to give it a try and thinking about picking up a 4wd to make it easier. Saw some scary youtube videos of dune climbing (and crashes)
30K Qr - Where would YOU live??
ritz,
four seasons.
chaud
I would def recommend Al Fardan 1. no they are not towers but a very upmarket compound as deedee explained but they are more opposite The Mall rather than LuLu. I go to many homes with my work and these are the most beautiful i have seen so far. Much nicer than any tower block in the city.
I'm not in BHT anymore, but I would still recommend it. It is expensive (not sure of exact prices as we didn't pay the rent) but is one of the better places in Doha. I think they have a website.
Apartments are good size, there are good facilities, it's walking distance from City Center mall, Four Seasons Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, The Corniche (for walks).
Downside is it's probably still a good 30-40 min commute to the airport, and there's a lot of construction work going on around it.
TallG, Going back through previous posts it looks like you used to live at the Beverly Hills Towers. You still there?? Am considering it an option as well as the Regency but posts with rates date back to 06 guessing theres a substantial difference by this time!
Paul, thats PERFECT!! On the site now! Thank you!!!
Nope. Its on West Bay. Here's the wesbite: http://www.somerset.com/en/qatar/doha/somerset_west_bay.html
cheers,
paul
Thanks Paul! Seems like I'm managing to compile a list of "not quite ready". Checking Somerset. Checked. This is just off the B-Ring right?? Google Earth shows enormous plot of dirt ;)
Hoping my G-earth is a bit behind or Paul's sleeping out of doors ;) ;)
Paul does Somerset have a website??
StevenZ, how about Somerset, Ezdan and Regency?
cheers,
paul
Hi Deedee, checking on Al Fardan Towers, Google earth has towers West of Airport and City Center. Guessing on D Ring you're talking about the Western Tower. Earth is old though and I cant see any compounds with a pool. Do they have a website by chance??
Thanks!!
If Pearl isnt open and West Lagoon is an hour commute, Lets try something different, how about City Center?? Any closer to the airport commute wise? I've heard of Beverly Hills and vague info on Marriott Executive Apartments.
Chuckling here.... Hear ya Tallg. Trying to put the most positive spin on it. Actually, besides the commute the most dreaded thing will be the loss of Starbucks methinks!
since you are working at the airport, check the villas at Al Fardan 1. It would only be a short commute. It it on D-ring road across from LuLu Hypermarket. I have been here for 5 years and seen a lot of different compounds. Al Fardan 1 has the most beautiful pool area and the villas are HUGE! They even have 5 bedroom villas with private pools in the backyard. By the way, it can take almost an hour to go from West Bay Lagoon to the airport in morning traffic. I know from experience. Consider this in your search.
tallg is right
I love being here, but I wouldn't describe coming to Qatar as an adventure. More of an experience.
I would highly suggest you go and visit places like the Pearl before committing to anything. You may find it looks a little different from the brochures, for the moment at least.
Saving money... good advice always!!
Luckily Doha is a bit more about an adventure for both of us actually. We realized as comfortable as we were in the States, we were playing it a bit safe with Life. It's not that money isnt nice (it is) but the numbers are letting us pursue a bit of housing fun at the same time. Since my offer wont let me convert housing to a per diem I either spend it or lose it. Sooooo we're shopping around for the lifestyles of the not so rich but certainly shameless ;)
Thanks Mandi, will check out West Bay Lagoon. Cristiani is already pressing me for the Pearl and since I'll be at the Airport, betting I'm in for a 30-45 minute commute already....
As a matter of biology; if it bites you it's probably female!
now while your earning good. You may never know what will happen to you in the future. Spend wisely!
"Masunod nawa ang iyong kalooban!"
improve your way of life
minimize time in the car
maximize your savings
If you can make it, and yet live like "UPSCALE", then you WIN.
Regards!!
Pearl has only just opened. Not sure if anyone has moved in yet. Like most of Doha, it's still under a construction.
Your best bet is to live near where you work, to keep your daily commute to a minimum.
West Bay Lagoon.
Mandi
I'd live somewhere really cheap and I'll keep the rest of the money. J/K! BTW, if you're interested with the Pearl, you need to have atleast (correct me if I'm wrong) 160,000 USD for down payment.. So scrape the money in!
cheers,
paul
Just saw the Pearl website but hard to tell the progress of construction let alone pricing or culture?? Any Pearl Live Ins on forum??
(PS Thank you VERY much for any information in advance!!)
S