Uptown Mirdif Development
Spinneys was the first to open January 2005 followed by Uptown Primary School in September 2005. Now there is everything from multiple cafe chains, fashion, beauty, restaurants, jewellers, toy shops, banks, food court and even a pet shop.
Arabian Center - opposite Mushrif Park opened 2008
Mirdif City Centre - announced 1st May - click here to read more
Union Co-op centre - opening to be confirmed.

Supermarkets

Spinneys Market (also contains Marina Pharmacy with a good range including QV and Aveeno products - they will deliver to you!)
Spinneys in Uptown Mirdif
Mizhar Mall supermarket
Lifco on 37st

West Zone on 83rd st

Clinics/Pharmacies

Dental practice of Dr Nicholas & Asp, 83 street next to West Zone shopping centre.
Dubai London Clinic, Mizhar Mall

Prime Medical Center,  Arabian Center, Khawaneej Road
Welcare Clinic, Uptown Mirdif

Pharmacies:
Marina Pharmacy inside the Spinneys Market, they will deliver to you in Mirdif!
Mirdif Pharmacy - 24B st off 37st by the mosque
Life Pharmacy on 26B st, off 15st by the 'Pink Mall' and next to Welcare Clinic, Uptown Mirdif

On 58st, Mirdif
Bin Sina pharmacy, Bin Sougat Centre, Rashidiya

Parks

Rashidiya Park, Rashidiya - free entry - 2 grassed areas, swings, slides, climbing frame.
Garhoud Park, Garhoud - free entry - swing, slide, climbing frame.
Mushrif Park, Khawaneej Road just outside Mirdif - 10dhs per vehicle - huge park with different areas for BBQ, swing, slides, train, sandy areas.
Mushrif Equestrian and Polo Club - please call Maria 04 257 1256 for details of courses and facilities.
Mirdif Park - OPEN off 15st on right just before the mosque by the 'Pink Mall'. It has a main climbing frame and sand play area plus another separate sand paly part. also has a 300m running track and toilets. This is operated by Dubai Municiplality.

Beach

Mamzar Beach, Al Mamzar - 30dhs per car

Hotels

Le Meridien Dubai, Airport Road
Al Bustan Rotana, Cassablanca St
Millennium Airport Hotel, Cassablanca St
InterContinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Festival City

Other areas - a brief overview:

Festival City: on the Creek stretching from Garhoud down to Umm Ramool. Ikea is already open, great Cafe area with a small play area fo kids/families, changing and feeding facilities for babies, a ball pit, cinema and tv area for older kids.
HyperPanda supermarket is a convenient place for shopping if you don't fancy going to City Centre.
The rest of Festival City is opening in stages. The Waterfront shopping centre is wonderful with a great mix of retailers, cafes and restaurants (some licensed). To come will be a cinema and family entertainment centre and a couple of hotels by Summer 2007.
Click here to see the details of the Al Badia Golf Course, villas and apartments as well Dubai Festival City

Rashidiya: is an area next to the edge of Dubai Airport. Bin Sougat Centre is a little shopping mall with a kids' hairdressers, a small food court, Spinneys, Dome and Costa Coffee shops, fabric shop, Pizza Express, stationery suppliers and Fun Corner. There are many other retailers such as jewellers, lingerie and fashion stores for women and kids plus a beauty salon.
There is another small shopping centre close by with a co-operative store that apparently sells fresh fish.
An old area with many sprawling single storey villas that are sub-let by room to an army of workers mostly from the Philippines and Sub-continent countries.

Mizhar: next to Mirdif. Mizhar mall is new - opened January 2007 starting with a supermarket, Baskin Robbins and a large pharmacy. Behind the mall is the Dubai London Clinic.
The area is characterised by large independent villas often with large grounds. They are mostly owned by Emiratis.

Al Warqa'a: borders Mirdif on the opposite side to Mizhar. It is a huge area mainly with villas belonging to Emiratis. There are no facilities at present but it is 5 mins to Mirdif and its shops, nurseries, schools and other amenities.

Garhoud: borders Dubai Airport. has a small but delightful park, schools and nurseries, a Choitrams suprmarket that stocks the Organix range of kids/babies' foods (breakfast cereals, baby rice, rice cakes, bread sticks) as well as Heinz and Hipp. A very convenient location to travel to most parts of Dubai especially the Airport.
There is Welcare Hospital with an Accident & Emergency service, many restaurants, the Aviation Club that hosts the prestigious Dubai Tennis Championships, Irish Village, many offices and car showrooms.

Qusais: is a large area at the back of Dubai Airport. Little Princess Nursery, Lu Lu Supermarket, many apartment blocks, government offices. Very close to Sharjah.

Deira: is an established area bordering the airport and Qusais. Toys 'R' Us, Marks & Spencers, Reef Mall, many hotels, banks, travel agents and a Chinese market.
The main attraction is Deira City Centre - one of the original shopping malls in Dubai and in my humble opinion still one of the best. It has:

• Carrefour (huge French supermarket chain)
  
• Electronics
• Retailers from all over the world (clothing, shoes, jewellery, watches, cosmetics etc...)
• Fanstastic baby changing and feeding rooms in both mens and the women's toilets
• Entertainment - Magic Planet (carousel, games, rides, climbing frame), cinema, bowling
• Restaurants and cafes of a huge variety
• Luxe retailers in the Bin Hendi Avenue
• Easy parking with valet service
  

International City:off the Emirates Road 20 mins from Mirdif. a new area with apartments for sale just off the Emirates Road with schools and a large purpose built dragon shape mall called Dragonmart filled with goods from China from toys to dentists chairs to noodles to paper lanterns!