What’s On has details of the Al Quoz neighbourhood in Dubai – part of the What’s On neighbourhood guide – including hidden gems and old favourites.

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– Complete neighbourhood guide

As far as buzz goes, few neighbourhoods garner as much attention as Al Quoz. Well, believe the hype, for beyond the dusty streets are cutting-edge galleries, cool independent stores and quirky cafés.

SHOP: Corcel Collective

A bike shop for the hipster elite selling BIKEID cycles, one of the purest bicycles on the market, as well as completely customisable Pure Fix bikes.

Hautletic, Marabea Road, Al Quoz, Dubai, daily 10am to 6pm (by appointment only). Tel: (04) 3384088. Metro: First Gulf Bank. corcelcollective.com

Corcel

DO: Parkour

The new Gravity Calisthenics Gym offers beginner classes in parkour, the street running workout. Learn the art of freerunnning from the pros before stepping back and letting the experts show you how it’s done. Read our Tried & Tested calisthenics class for more.

318 Rd, Al Quoz, Dubai, Sun 5pm and 7pm, Tue 5pm and 6pm, Sat 4pm. Tel: (04) 3216006. Taxi: 318 Rd, Al Quoz. facebook.com/GravityCalisthenicsGym

Gravity Gym

HIDDEN GEM: SLaM

Specialising in creative colour while also offering mani-pedis, waxing and threading, SLaM is a breath of fresh air on the Dubai beauty scene.

Al Joud Centre, 15a Street, Al Quoz, Dubai, Sun to Wed 9am to 9pm, Thur and Sat 9am to 6pm. Tel: (800) 7526. Taxi: Near Ace Hardware. slam.ae

Slam

SHOP: Dubai Garden Centre 

This long-standing favourite for Dubai dwellers is so much more than just a place to flex your green fingers. With a wonderful café, serving arguably the best chocolate brownie in the city, an on-site carpentry workshop, a farmer’s market, second-hand bookshop and even cool design studio Toil & Tinker, this place is a community hub that people flock to. Look out for the special live acoustic events from homegrown music initiative Freshly Ground Sounds, who transform the back garden into a hipster wonderland.

Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Quoz, daily 8am to 10pm. Tel: (04) 3400006. Metro: First Gulf Bank. facebook.com/dubaigardencentre

Dubai Garden Centre

VISIT: A4 Space

This Al Quoz haunt is on a mission to spread creativity in Dubai. It’s home to The Appetite Café, which serves up a decent cuppa while you browse the book collection built by the community through donating unwanted reads. A4 Space also hosts pop up exhibitions and has a 70-seat screening room for film nights.

Street 8 Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Sat to Thur 10am to 7pm. Tel: (050) 5569797. Taxi: Alserkal Avenue. facebook.com/A4space

A4 Space: Al Quoz, Alserkal Avenue

DINE: Deus Café

The pop up resturant revolution is in full swing at this studio and creative hub where both Tacado and Ghaf kitchen serve.

Capital D Studio, Al Quoz, Dubai, Sun to Thur 9am to 5pm, Sat 11am to 4pm. Tel: (04) 3415339. Metro: First Gulf Bank. facebook.com/deusarabia

DEUS