Mumbai is a city of many little
neighbourhoods. The neighbourhood typically acquires
its character from the community that migrated
there and retains it even after the immigrants
turn into residents settled there for generations.
There is no commonly accepted way to group these
neighbourhoods into larger districts. Each division
here roughly corresponds to an area that was settled
and developed in a particular wave of development.
South Central Mumbai - Byculla,
Parel, Worli, Prabhadevi, Dadar.
Used to be Mumbai's industrial heartland, but
went into decline when the industries did. Now
this area has been revamped into a white-collar
office location. Home to Mumbai's only zoo, the
Worli seaface and the temple to what people consider
the city's guardian diety. As you move north,
it morphs into a nice middle-class locality.
North Central Mumbai - Dharavi, Matunga,
Vadala, Sion, Mahim.
Primarily an upper middle-class area, except for
Dharavi, which contains Asia's largest slum. This
area developed immediately after India's independence
because of a wave of immigration. Part of the
migrants were refugees from the partition.
Central Line Suburbs - Kurla,
Vidyavihar, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Kanjur Marg,
Bhandup, Mulund,Thane. And you have the entire
area between Andheri on the west to Ghatkopar
in the east which covers Andheri (E), Saki Vihar
and Powai.
This is a solidly middle class bastion, Mulund
and Ghatkopar are home to predominantly middle
and upper middle class populace many from the
entrepreneurial Gujarati community. Except Powai,
and especially Hiranandani Gardens which has rapidly
become the multicultural bastion of the young
and upwardly mobile.
Thane is a separate city but it is fast developing
and has many plush localities.
Harbour Line Suburbs - Chembur,
Mankhurd, Govandi, Trombay.
Before the development of Navi Mumbai as a satellite
town of Bombay, this area used to be known only
for the existence of an atomic research centre
hereabouts. Now this is known for being on the
way to Navi Mumbai.
Western Line Suburbs - Bandra,
Khar, Santa cruz, Juhu, Vile Parle, Andheri, Powai.
Contains Bombay's other downtown and is home to
those rich who can't afford South Bombay. It has
some beaches, but not very clean. Home to a large
Christian community and the city's most famous
church. Also this is where the city's two airports
are.
Northwest Mumbai - Jogeshwari, Goregaon, Malad,
Kandivali, Borivali, Dahisar.
This is where you go to find beaches that are
not dirty. Other than this, it is just another
victim of Bombay's vast urban sprawl.
Culture and attitudes
Mumbai is the most cosmopolitan city in India.
Compared to the rest of the country, attitudes
are quite liberal, though that is not saying much.
Because almost everyone is an immigrant, the citizens
have learnt to tolerate and even like one another.
But this tolerance has sometimes broken down.
Between the 60s and 80s, there was resentment
about the non-Marathi speakers taking away jobs.
There were riots in 1991 and 1993 between Hindus
and Muslims. Sometimes the city is subject to
periodic fits of morality and the policemen go
after couples displaying affection. But the city
mostly manages to recover from these.
Get around
It is a good idea to equip yourself with the Eicher
Mumbai City Map, the best and the most detailed
map of Mumbai available. The book costs Rs. 250
and is available at most bookstores. It is updated
quite frequently.
Eat
The dining experience at an upscale
restaurant in Mumbai is more or less the same
as anywhere else in the world. If you search hard
enough, you will find cuisine from practically
every part of the world represented in the city.
But to get a real flavour of what's unique to
Mumbai, you will have to go a little lower down
the scale, and experience its street food and
Irani cafes. That is what is described here. For
individual restaurants and other places to eat,
go to the individual district pages
Emergency numbers
Police: 100
Fire: 101
Ambulance: 102
|
