Claren Tower 2, Downtown Dubai
Claren Tower 2 was developed by Emaar, and its homes run from studios through one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments to three-bedroom layouts. It stands on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, which is lined with restaurants and cafes. Hotels and residential buildings stand between them, and pedestrian pavements run the street's whole length. So the tower sits in a district built for walking.
Developer
Emaar Properties
Units
Studio to 3BR
Area
Downtown Dubai (MBR Boulevard)
On this page
- Who gets the most from a studio or a three-bedroom
- From the gym to the lounge, in the order the day goes
- Laundry and the longer stay
- From DXB to the Boulevard
- Feeder bus and abra boat
- The metro bridge
- The shop and the pharmacy
- Burj Park and the lake
- Souk Al Bahar and the fountain
- Under one roof at The Dubai Mall
- A show at the opera, then dinner
- When a doctor is needed
- Old Town and the high-rise streets
- How Emaar built the district
- Mosques and the beach
- What to weigh before you book
- If you own here
- Sources
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who gets the most from a studio or a three-bedroom
A couple on a long weekend can live well in a studio, and a Downtown apartment suits anyone who wants the fountain and the mall on foot, with the metro close by and no car. A family wants the two-bedroom or three-bedroom homes. If you are working remotely for a month, you have the gym and the pool under the same roof as your flat, so a break between calls costs you a lift ride instead of a trip across town.
Length of stay changes what you use. A weekend is mostly the pool and the gym. A week adds the laundry service, and a month adds parking for residents if you arrive with a car.
From the gym to the lounge, in the order the day goes
Start in the gym, which residents have inside the building. By late morning the swimming pool is the better place to be. The landscaped gardens and the roof or deck area are there for the hours when you would rather sit than swim.
Late afternoon belongs to the sauna and the steam room, which suit a stay built around long days of sightseeing. Children have their own play area in the building, so a family can split the afternoon without anyone leaving the tower.
For the evening the building has a residents' lounge or function room, along with cafes or restaurants on site. Leila serves Lebanese food in the tower. It faces the Boulevard, so dinner can be a lift ride away.
Behind all of it sit a reception desk for residents. Security and CCTV cover the premises, and maintenance services are provided in the building. If something in your flat needs attention, there is a desk to take it to.
Laundry and the longer stay
The mix matters more the longer you stay. Studios and one-bedroom apartments suit single professionals, while the larger homes suit small families or couples. On a stay of more than a week the building's laundry service saves you a luggage-sized load of clothes, and that alone changes how much you pack.
From DXB to the Boulevard
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is 19.4 km from the tower, about 21 minutes by road without traffic. A taxi from arrivals covers the trip in one leg. Pink-roofed cabs run for women and families. If you hire a car instead, parking for residents comes with the building, and the district gives direct access to Sheikh Zayed Road and Financial Centre Road.
Traffic can be heavy at peak hours, especially near The Dubai Mall. Visitor parking near the mall is tight at weekends, so the taxi is often the easier choice for an evening there.
Feeder bus and abra boat
A bus stop is 0.14 km from the tower, and feeder bus F13 serves the metro station and the streets around it. Marasi MTS, a water transport stop, is 0.93 km away. It is the boarding point for the water. The Dubai Fountain Lake Ride crosses Burj Lake in a traditional abra boat during the fountain shows, which makes it a good plan for one evening.
The metro bridge
The Red Line runs from early morning until midnight, later at weekends, and it connects Downtown with Business Bay and Dubai Marina. Business Bay is the nearest station, 1.12 km from the tower. The Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall station sits apart from the mall, but a covered, air-conditioned Metro Link Bridge with ten travelators carries you across to Downtown. The walkway to the mall itself is 820 metres long.
The shop and the pharmacy
Circle K is 0.06 km from the tower, which makes it the shop for water and snacks on the first evening. Life Pharmacy is 0.34 km away for anything you forgot. For a bigger shop, Al Maya trades in Downtown alongside Spinneys. Waitrose is inside The Dubai Mall.
Burj Park and the lake
Burj Park is 0.41 km from the tower, close enough for a short evening walk. It opened beside Burj Khalifa in 2010 and is a popular place to watch the Dubai Fountain, which plays on a lake of about 12 hectares. The park works as a starting point for a walk or a light jog, and its setting is quieter than the shops and restaurants nearby.
Souk Al Bahar and the fountain
The Dubai Fountain is 0.64 km from the tower, and Souk Al Bahar sits beside it. It holds over 100 shops and a run of restaurants, cafes and lounges. Walk there after dark and the fountain is the show. For a view from above, At the Top is the ticketed observation experience in the 828-metre Burj Khalifa.
Under one roof at The Dubai Mall
The Dubai Mall has more than 1,200 retail outlets and over 200 dining options, with the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink, Play DXB, KidZania and Reel Cinemas under the same roof. The ice rink at the mall is Olympic-sized. KidZania and Play DXB give children role-play, interactive games and virtual reality. Together with the play area in your own building, that gives a family a week of afternoons before any repeat.
A show at the opera, then dinner
Dubai Opera is 0.53 km from the tower, so an evening show needs no car. The hall changes layout between theatre and concert use and holds up to 2,000 people. The Pavilion is a gallery and cafe on the Boulevard that works for meeting friends or getting work done over wifi. Back at the tower, the cafes or restaurants on site cover a quieter night.
When a doctor is needed
Mediclinic is 0.95 km from the tower, and Mediclinic Dubai Mall opens daily from 8am to 8pm. Emirates Hospital sits in neighbouring Business Bay, just beyond the edge of Downtown.
Old Town and the high-rise streets
Old Town is a pedestrianised, low-rise quarter of buildings four to seven storeys high in traditional Arabic-inspired style. Old Town stays low-rise, while outside it high-rise towers dominate the streets. Boulevard Point and 29 Boulevard share the Boulevard with Claren Tower 2. Burj Vista and Opera Grand stand close by.
How Emaar built the district
Emaar first revealed the Downtown project in 2003 as two developments: Burj Khalifa plus The Dubai Mall. It is the master developer of the district, which covers 500 acres and holds the Opera District, Burj Plaza and the Boulevard. The main avenue was called Emaar Boulevard until December 2012, when it was renamed. Emaar developed this tower as well.
Mosques and the beach
Sheikha Abdullah Salem Mosque and Al Ghafoor Mosque serve Downtown Dubai, and The Dubai Mall has prayer rooms inside. The nearest beach is 2.31 km from the tower, and Mercato Beach and Jumeirah Public Beach are within a 20-minute drive of Downtown.
What to weigh before you book
Claren Tower 2 suits you if you want a pool and a laundry service in a district where almost everything is on foot. It suits you less if you want a beach at the door, or if peak-hour traffic would sour your week. That is the trade.
If you own here
If you own here, note that DET does not issue holiday home permits for hotel accommodation or for units whose sale agreement prohibits short-term rental. Royale Stays manages homes for owners at a management fee from 15%. The service covers furnishing and photography. It also covers pricing and check-in, plus guest communications and maintenance coordination. Our Downtown Dubai area guide sets the district out from the ownership side. Burj Vista Tower 1 and Claren Tower 1 have their own guides.
Sources
Sources: Emaar blog, RTA station list, Property Finder blog, betterhomes, Bayut, Khaleej Times, Gulf News, Bayut area guide, Wikipedia, Visit Dubai, dubizzle blog, Mediclinic Middle East, propsearch.ae, Emaar Communities, Propsearch.
Questions