Back to the Whole that is Marol

Back to Marol on my second tour of duty. Move here about 8 months back after my stint in Bangkok. Readers may recall my observations about Marol from my earlier blogpost. This time around, I'm actually enjoying my stay here. Perhaps its a case of Familiarity breeds Content. But perhaps its much more.

I'm staying in a part of Marol, that is its own tiny little private space in Mumbai. Its a place called Bhavani Nagar and its literally up a hill of sorts. What endears to me to Bhawani Nagar is the fact that it almost resembles a gated community of sorts. You are virtually cut off from the bustle of traffic and noise pollution. Yet, step out of Bhavani Nagar(BN) and you are part mainstream rush and swoosh that is Mumbai. 

BN has a few things going for it that makes it a great place to stay. For one, its centrally located and within  short reach of several key destinations. One would of course argue that in Mumbai, every place is centrally located (except for Backbay reclamation). But for the East Mumbai Suburban, BN works really well. The map illustrates.

Second, I'd mentioned that BN sits almost secluded from the craziness that is Mumbai. The fact that I dont have to listen to cars honking, people yelling and lights glaring when I open my window, is a serious relief to my life in a city like Mumbai. The more-than-slight geographic elevation which BN sits on, allows for a year round breeze, that's only more than welcome

Third, BN actually has a decently sized well-maintained garden which is meant ONLY for BN residents. Its got a children's play area, benches to sit and feel the wind on your face, a small jogging track for the fitness inclined. Such open space in Mumbai, is a luxury most people would pay for.

Fourth, virtually anything you can think of buying in terms of groceries & household goods are available in plenty. Just step out of BN and you have vegetable markets, bakeries, meat shops, fancy stores, kitchen stores, electrical stores, etc..the list goes on and on. And not to mention the transportation options.There's also a BEST bus stand, plenty of rickhaws, and a taxi stand. The Marol metro station is under construction. 

Lastly, great value for money in terms of rentals. Perhaps the only thing that works against BN is the general size of flats here. I feel its a little too small for a family of four or more. I may be wrong about this - but I've been to quite a few flats here and all of them look tiny (ie abt 500-550 sq.ft of living space).

But all said, I think BN is a real gem of place in a city like Mumbai.

PS: I wasn't paid by any real-estate broker for this article :)