Ben Petrunov is 36 years old and moved here from London. He works in finance and has been living in Abu Dhabi for a year and a half. We asked Ben what five things he likes best about the capital and here’s what he had to say.
Summer all year long
When I was a kid I dreamed of living in a place that didn’t have winters so I wouldn’t need to spend months struggling with snow, ice and slush. Don’t get me wrong, I like snow but in the mountains, not in the city. So, incidentally Abu Dhabi lives up to my childhood dream quite nicely!
Urban Planning
Having lived in a few big cities I’ve done my share of the urban commute. So, unless you can afford a helicopter, we all have to trudge through the daily grind. Not so in AD. With a few construction bottlenecks, the roads are great and getting to most destinations around town is a breeze.
Architecture
AD hasn’t yet crossed into the sci-fi age like Dubai, but it has its fair share of cutting edge architecture. Also there’s this exciting sense of innovation and growth – what with the 2030 plans and all the bridges, business districts and developments. Much like New York must have been in the roaring 20s – young, modern and aspiring.
Lifestyle
Abu Dhabi provides the perfect match for people with more money than time (or willingness) to do household tasks and others in the opposite situation, so everyone’s happy. In other words, for a quite reasonable price you can avoid all chores (except maybe shopping, and what a chore that is!) and just enjoy your leisure time, which comes at such a premium (if at all) elsewhere.
The young people
Have you noticed how few retired people there are? My father-in-law, who recently turned 70, felt like he was the oldest person in town when he was visiting. It’s arguable if that’s a good or a bad thing, but the upside is that a majority population of young people makes any city more vibrant, creative and fun.
