India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (43 page)

If you travel west from Colaba to the other end of the narrow peninsula until you hit the sea, you’ll arrive at
Nariman Point,
starting point of Marine Drive. This was once Mumbai’s most bustling business district; although many airline offices and several foreign embassies are still situated here and there are many businesses that refuse to give up the prestige of being based here, Nariman Point is facing massive competition from the burgeoning purpose-built business zones farther north.

FORT

North from Colaba is the business neighborhood called Fort. By day the area comprising
Fort, Fountain, Ballard Estate,
and
CST
(or
VT
)
Station
is an extremely busy commercial district, but at night the neighborhood is rather forlorn, with many of the large parks
(maidans)
empty. A little beyond CST Station is
Crawford Market,
which leads to the heart of Mumbai’s congested markets.

Just west of the Fort area is
Churchgate Station.
Veer Nariman Road,
the street leading from Churchgate Station to Marine Drive, is lined with restaurants.

MARINE DRIVE TO MALABAR HILL

Prestigious
Marine Drive
(aka Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Marg) stretches from Nariman Point in the south to Malabar Hill in the north. Edged by a broad, well-maintained promenade that follows the curve of the seafront, this is a very popular place to take a morning or evening walk. At night the streetlights along this drive accentuate the dramatic arch of the bay, giving it the name
Queen’s Necklace,
though obviously this term is less frequently used these days—still, images of this sweep of prime waterfront real estate (with the world’s second highest concentration of Deco architecture after Miami) tend to feature on anything promoting Mumbai as a travel (or investment) destination; if you want a room with a view, you’ll probably choose a hotel along this strip. On a more prosaic level, Marine Drive is a long, often traffic-clogged, arterial road that runs along the curve of Back Bay and ends at
Chowpatty Beach,
from where roads climb toward the upmarket neighborhood of Malabar Hill.
Malabar Hill
connects to Napean Sea Road and beyond to
Breach Candy, Kemps Corner,
and
Peddar Road
—all upmarket residential areas.

CENTRAL MUMBAI

Central Mumbai extends beyond Crawford Market through
Mohammedali Road
and
Kalbadevi
to
Mumbai Central Station
and the fast-growing commercial areas of
Lower Parel
and prime seafront district of
Worli
which, thanks to the arrival of the new Four Seasons Hotel, has become one of the best places to be based for a thorough exploration of Mumbai (access to either the north or the south of the city is about an hour either way, and the new Bandra-Worli Sea Link dramatically cuts down travel time to Bandra). The greatest developments are occurring around
Phoenix Mills,
where some of the erstwhile mill buildings have been converted into shopping complexes, restaurants, and gaming and entertainment spots. West from Mumbai Central Station are
Tardeo
and
Haji Ali,
where a mausoleum located on a tiny causeway-linked offshore island enshrines an important Muslim holy man. The popular shrine is reachable only during low tide, but serves as an exotic-looking landmark in yet another of Mumbai’s bays.

NORTH MUMBAI: BANDRA, JUHU & BEYOND

North of Mahim Creek extend Mumbai’s vast suburbs, from where millions commute daily. First up, just across the creek, is
Bandra
which, along with Juhu and Andheri (West), just north of it, is where Bollywood stars live and hang out. Although it’s not really on the tourist circuit, Bandra, being home to a sizable portion of the city’s elite, is packed with lively restaurants, steamy clubs, trendy bars, and countless shops. At night young people gather, especially along
Carter Road
and Turner Road to drink, smoke (cigarettes or dope), and chill out before making their way to favored clubs. The area around
Juhu Beach
is where many of the city’s middle classes escape; crowded with a host of vendors flogging popular eats, ice cream, coconuts, and fresh fruit juice, it’s worth a visit to soak up Mumbai’s carnivalesque atmosphere rather than contemplate sunbathing on the beach, which is filthy, or venturing into the even dirtier seawater. It does, however, have some fine hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs—Enigma at Juhu’s JW Marriott Hotel is one of Mumbai’s most happening spots.

Just east of Juhu lie the city’s two airports and a host of upmarket hotels. The area of
Andheri (East)
around the international airport has become a crowded (and rather polluted) commercial and residential neighborhood. Yet many business visitors prefer to stay in this part of town if their business lies here, to avoid the stressful commute. Farther north in the suburbs is
Goregaon,
home to Film City, where many Bollywood movies are shot; past that is
Borivali,
from where Mumbai’s most popular theme park, EsselWorld, is accessible. Beyond, the city goes on (and on), with little to tempt the visitor.

VISITOR INFORMATION

For the best listings of the city’s current events and what’s hip and happening, look no further than the twice-monthly magazine
Time Out,
widely available. You could try the
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation
(Madame Cama Rd., Nariman Point;
022/2202-4627
or -7762;
www.maharashtratourism.gov.in
; Mon–Fri 10am–5:30pm and Sat 10am–3pm), or the main
Government of India Tourist Office
(123 Maharishi Karve Rd., Churchgate;
022/2203-3144,
022/2207-4333 or -4334; Mon–Fri 8:30am–6pm, Sat 8:30am–2pm), both of which should be able to assist with general tourist-related information. However, if you’re staying at one of the city’s better hotels, your concierge will be a better source of information on sightseeing, performances, events, and activities (although you may need to negotiate hard to get the lowdown on truly local restaurants and more offbeat attractions—our prize for the best concierge advice in the city goes to the folks at the Four Seasons). Another excellent source of information—as well as assistance with just about any kind of query, problem or emergency—is
Reality Tours & Travel
(
022/2283-3872;
24-hour line
98-2082-2253;
www.realitytoursandtravel.com
). Krishna, one of the founders of this community-oriented tour company, knows the city inside out and is particularly astute at interpreting it for outsiders. His team will go so far as to source magazines, clothing and other essentials for you if you end up in the hospital, so can definitely also answer more mundane questions; for more information on their sightseeing and slum tours, .

Mumbai

Ambulance
In case of accidents or medical emergencies, dial
102
or
1298
, or call
105
for a cardiac ambulance. You can also contact
Bacha’s Nursing Home
(La Citadelle, New Marine Lines;
022/2203-2977
or 022/2200-0963) or
Bombay Hospital
(Bombay Hospital Rd., New Marine Lines;
022/2206-7676;
www.bombayhospital.com
). Or try
Swati Ambulance
(
022/2387-1215
), which has 24-hour service.