Chennai was once one of the least favoured cities to live in because of its highly traditional outlook and extremely humid climate. But with the coming of IT parks, as with many other cities in India, things have changed.
Chennai has expanded its boundaries, and today there are umpteen neighbourhoods and suburbs to choose which offer a high standard of living.
Here are our top five neighbourhoods to live in Chennai.
Teynampet
Teynampet is one of the busiest commercial areas in Chennai and derives its name from the vast swathes of coconut groves that used to exist here.
In recent times, Teynampet has burgeoned into one of the most swanky neighbourhoods in Chennai, boasting of plush areas like the Boat Club Road, Poes Garden, Sterling Road, and T Nagar. In 2013, it was revealed that Teynampet zone pays the highest amount of tax amongst all the 15 zones of the Corporation of Chennai.
In the last couple of years alone, property prices in Teynampet have surged by an eye-popping 150% as it has emerged as one of the most preferred areas for those looking for a slightly upscale lifestyle and luxury apartments. With the airport and the railway station being very close connectivity is not an issue.
Adyar
Located beside the eponymously named river, Adyar is an area where property prices have consistently been rising. Known for its streets that lie under thick, green foliage providing much-needed respite from the heat, Adyar was once a hunting ground for the British in the 17th and 18th centuries.
With the founding of the Theosophical Society in the 20th century, which was headquartered in Adyar, and the cultural promotion organisation Kalakshetra, Adyar grew in popularity. Adyar continues to be one of the greener areas in Chennai with Elliott’s Beach close by. It is also one of the costliest areas in Chennai with property prices averaging between Rs 10,700 and Rs 17,000. Nevertheless, prices have appreciated by 14% in a single quarter in 2016. Well-connected with an excellent road transport system, and infrastructure, Adyar is a much sought after neighbourhood.
Tambaram
Tambaram was originally a centre for the East India Company in the late 17th century and was a village on the outskirts of modern Chennai. It is believed that Tambaram derives its name from Taamapuram, an ancient town that goes back to the 13th century. Today, it is mostly known for being home to prestigious institutions like the Madras Christian College and sprawling parks like Gandhi Park in East Tambaram and Thirupur Kumaran Park in Selaiyur.
Tambaram East is popularly preferred over Tambaram West because of the wide roads that make commuting slightly better even during peak hours, its connectivity with State Highway 10 and Grand South Trunk road, and Chennai Airport being just 10 to 11 km away.
Nungambakkam
Nungambakkam was once a British stronghold along with four other villages in the 18th century. These five villages together were known as the Five New Towns. In the 20th century, this clutch of villages expanded into towns, impeccably European, housing upper-class civil servants and administration officials.
Today, Nungambakkam continues to be the plush locality it used to be with luxury apartments and premium educational institutions like the Women’s Christian College located here. It is also well within reach of prominent corporate companies like Tech Mahindra, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, and ITC.
Over the past two to three years, Nungambakkam has seen a 16% jump in property prices, being a much sought after area, with prices ranging between Rs 17,000 to Rs 20,000 per sq ft.
Anna Nagar
Named after the Tamil politician and acclaimed writer C.N. Annadurai, Anna Nagar is one of Chennai’s most posh neighbourhoods.
Originally a tiny suburban village known as Naduvakkarai or Mullam Village, Anna Nagar was developed by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board during the 1970s. Residential complexes, commercial complexes, wide roads, leafy green parks, and schools were all established.
Anna Nagar’s biggest claim to fame is that it played host to the World Trade Fair in 1968 and a 138 ft tall tower stands on the spot till today to commemorate the event. Well connected and well maintained, Anna Nagar is a part of the Aminjikarai sub district, and property prices hover between Rs 10,200 and Rs 12,900 per sq ft.
This article was originally published on www.thehindu.com
