Are townhouses in Dubai a good middle ground?

I've never lived in a townhouse before, but I'm seriously thinking about buying one in Dubai. What appeals to me is having my own entrance and more privacy than in an apartment, without neighbors above and below me all the time. At the same time, I don't really want to spend villa money just to get more space. Are townhouses worth considering there, and which parts of Dubai would you look at?

You don't really notice how tiring apartment noise can get until you spend a few days somewhere quieter. No footsteps over your head, no elevator right outside the door, no hallway traffic all evening. That's why a townhouse can be a pretty comfortable step up without going all the way to a villa. Around Dubai Hills or Arabian Ranches, you can find communities where that quieter setup still comes with shops, parks, and everyday stuff nearby. I'd walk around a couple of them in the evening too, because that's when you get a much better feel for how the neighborhood actually lives.

The first dozen listings will probably all start blending together after a while, especially when every project has the same pool photos and perfect landscaping. I'd narrow things down by the kind of community you'd actually want to come home to, then look at the houses inside it. You can check townhouses in Dubai here: https://atvir.com/uae/residential-complexes/townhouse . Compare a few communities with very different layouts and see which ones feel closer to what you had in mind. After that, the choice usually gets a lot less abstract.