Miska 3, Downtown Dubai
Miska 3 sits in Old Town, the pedestrianised quarter of Downtown Dubai laid out in a traditional Arabic-inspired style, where the buildings stand four to seven storeys. The building was developed by Emaar Properties, and its homes run from one bedroom up to three bedrooms. Old Town is divided into six clusters, and Miska is one of them.
Developer
Emaar Properties
Unit Mix
1 to 3-bedroom apartments
Area
Old Town, Downtown Dubai
On this page
- The developer behind the quarter and the tower
- A swim, a steam and the gym
- Play area, security and a working building
- One bedroom or three: choosing the home
- The road in from DXB
- Spinneys for the first evening
- Business Bay station and the number 27
- If you own a home here
- Dubai Opera and a Turkish dinner
- What Old Town does not give you
- The fountain, the souk and a bridge between them
- The aquarium and a city built for children
- Looking up at Burj Khalifa
- Sources
- Frequently Asked Questions
The developer behind the quarter and the tower
Emaar is the master developer of Downtown Dubai. It first revealed the project in 2003 as two developments, Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall, and added the Opera District later. Miska 3 comes from the same developer as those landmarks, which explains why a quiet low-rise quarter stands so close to the tallest tower in the city. You feel the difference in scale the moment you leave the Old Town streets and look up. If you want the district's big names close and a quieter street when the doors close, that contrast is the reason to choose this quarter over a tower. It is a low-rise answer to a high-rise district.
A swim, a steam and the gym
The building has a swimming pool for residents, with a steam room and a sauna among its facilities. A gym sits inside the same building. After a day on the Boulevard or in the mall, the steam room is where the evening slows down. On a longer stay the gym matters more, because it saves the daily trip out and keeps a routine intact. A residents' lounge or function room adds a second indoor space for a group that wants to sit together. In order, a day inside runs simply: the gym early, the pool through the hot afternoon, the sauna and steam room when the sun has gone.
Play area, security and a working building
Children get a play area in the building, which gives a family an afternoon that does not depend on a taxi. Security and CCTV cover the building. Maintenance services are provided there too, so a tap that drips or a door that sticks gets handled rather than left to linger. For a month-long stay that quiet backup counts for more than another amenity would. If you are travelling with children, you also know where the afternoon goes when the weather turns against the street.
One bedroom or three: choosing the home
The mix runs from one bedroom to three, and the right pick follows how long you stay. A one-bedroom suits two people on a short city break, when the evenings belong to the fountain and the opera and the flat is mostly somewhere to sleep. A two-bedroom gives one person a room for the laptop and a door to close. The three-bedroom is the one for a family or friends who want separate rooms. It also works when two couples share a trip. All of them trade altitude for a pedestrian street: a view from a high floor means looking at a tower elsewhere in Downtown instead. The one-bedroom is plenty for a weekend. A week calls for the second room. Stay a month and the pool and the gym start to set the rhythm of the days, so the three-bedroom starts to look like a household rather than a holiday.
The road in from DXB
The drive from Dubai International Airport (DXB) is 19.9 km and takes about 20 minutes by road. Downtown has direct access to Sheikh Zayed Road and Financial Centre Road, so the last stretch is one taxi ride with no change. Both roads carry heavy traffic at peak hours, especially near The Dubai Mall. Allow extra time if you land at the evening peak. Landing outside the rush makes the ride easier, and a late arrival gets you to the Old Town streets before the evening traffic builds around the mall.
Spinneys for the first evening
Spinneys is 0.22 km from the building, which makes it the shop for the first evening's milk and water, bought on foot before you have unpacked. The chain runs three branches within Downtown. Waitrose covers the weekly shop. It trades inside The Dubai Mall. The weekly shop is a separate trip, and you can plan it around a mall visit.
Business Bay station and the number 27
Business Bay metro station is 1.58 km from the building, which makes the metro a short taxi ride rather than a stroll, and at Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall station a covered, air-conditioned bridge leads on to the mall. The nearest bus stop is 0.22 km away, and Route 27 links the Gold Souq and the mall. Taxis are easy to find in Downtown, and waits are generally under ten minutes. For most trips beyond the quarter, you will find a taxi quicker than any timetable.
If you own a home here
If you own here, every holiday home needs a permit from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism before the first booking, and DET does not issue permits 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 Airbnb management guide for Downtown Dubai sets the district out from the ownership side. Our furnishing, photography, pricing, check-in and guest communications sets the district out from the ownership side. Downtown Dubai Airbnb rental income, ROI calculator, Miska 2, Miska 4, Reehan 7 and submit their property have their own guides. The guide to Downtown Dubai for owners covers the district in more detail.
Dubai Opera and a Turkish dinner
Dubai Opera, 0.92 km from the building, is a dhow-shaped hall that converts between theatre and concert layouts for up to 2,000 people. Check what is on before you book, because a night there suits an Old Town base well. For dinner on the Boulevard, Gal serves Turkish food at the ground level of Address Downtown, which makes a plain plan: dinner first, then the show.
What Old Town does not give you
It suits you less if you want a beach or a large park at the door. The nearest beach is 1.89 km from the building, and Downtown has fewer large parks and open green spaces than suburban areas such as Arabian Ranches or Dubai Hills. If you would rather have height, South Ridge and Boulevard Point are among the residential towers of Downtown, and they are the ones to compare. Weigh your base against that list before you book.
The fountain, the souk and a bridge between them
The Dubai Fountain is 0.8 km from the building, near enough that an evening walk can start there. The Dubai Fountain Boardwalk puts you close enough to the jets to feel the spray. Souk Al Bahar, a market in the Arabian style with shops and restaurants facing the fountain, is the natural stop afterwards. A bridge joins it to The Dubai Mall, so you can finish the evening indoors if the air outside is heavy.
The aquarium and a city built for children
Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, inside The Dubai Mall, offers glass-bottom boat rides, fish feeding and penguin encounters. KidZania, also in the mall, is a scaled replica of the city where children try more than 70 real-life jobs. Both sit under the same roof as the shops, which turns a rest day into a plan that the heat cannot touch.
Looking up at Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa stands 828 metres. At the Top is its ticketed observation experience, with decks on the 124th and 148th floors. From Old Town the tower is one taxi ride away, and booking the ticket for a clear day gives the decks their reason.
Sources
Sources: propsearch.ae, Emaar Communities, Wikipedia, Bayut, betterhomes, Bayut area guide, Emaar blog, Property Finder blog, Gulf News, Propsearch.
Questions