Bangalore’s rapid expansion over the years due to the IT boom has caused the city to spread out in a large, ungainly sprawl that extends way beyond the boundaries imagined by its founder Kempe Gowda. The villages and farmland that once surrounded the city are all now converted into micro-towns and busy neighbourhoods that offer some succour to the thousands that flock to the city looking for opportunities and, consequently, options to live. The city centre and its immediate environs are, of course, unthinkable for those seeking affordable options. But for those with change to spare, and a status to maintain, here are some prime localities to think about for property investment.
Sadashivnagar
From movie actors to politicians to businessmen, you can find everyone in the posh, upscale neighbourhood of Sadashivnagar. Some of its most famous residents include actor Rajkumar, former Chief Minister S. M. Krishna, and the founder of the Cafe Coffee Day chain V. G. Siddhartha, among others.
Being the location of one of the four pillars constructed by Kempe Gowda to mark the ancient boundaries of Bangalore, Sadashivnagar is historically relevant and culturally important.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the area was carved out of the gardens of the Bangalore Palace, which used to be royal summer retreat of the Wodeyars. Due to this, its earlier name was Palace Orchards and later was renamed in honour of Karnad Sadashiva Rao, a veteran freedom fighter, philanthropist, and one of the key leaders who built up the Congress Party in Karnataka.
Sadashivnagar, combined with the Brahmin dominated Malleshwaram nearby, effuses a graceful, old world charm thanks to its stately mansions and, still, tree-lined lanes that are home to traditionally affluent and highly educated families. Of course, the cultural milieu is changing today with a demography that is in constant flux.
Dollars Colony
As the name suggests, the homes in Dollars Colony was built by NRIs who turned to Bangalore looking for its great weather and quiet lifestyle.
Today, Dollars Colony houses prominent politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen and is considered as one of the most upscale localities in Bangalore. Full of wide roads, plush gated communities, and well-connected by road, it is a much sought after area. In 2016, Dollars Colony found itself in the eye of a storm as records surfaced proving that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had no legal permission to build the layout.
Home to more than 400 influential personalities, the area was originally a lake and Lake Committee chairman, K B Koliwad claimed that the BDA has illegally encroached on it to form the neighbourhood. Residents continue to await the fate of the layout as the tussle continues.
Koramangala
Theories abound as to how the name Koramangala came about. But the most popular and accepted one is that it is derived from the Kannada words ‘kora’ meaning overhaul and ‘mangala’ meaning ‘welfare.’
Perhaps it does make sense considering that Koramangala used to be swamp land once upon a time, famous for being marshy and mosquito-ridden. But that also made it cheap and companies like Infosys and Wipro who were responsible for sparking the IT boom started life here during the 1990s.
From then to now, Koramangala has seen a phenomenal rise. Marshland gave way to wide, leafy roads filled with elegant houses with tall gates. Jostling for space are scores of commercial buildings in glass and steel, including Forum, Bangalore’s first official mall, along with retailers, restaurants and many prestigious educational institutions like Jyoti Nivas College, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics and St. John’s Medical College. Once home to only the super-rich, Koramangala’s demographic is now an interesting blend of yuppies, business magnates, and college students.
Shantala Nagar
Shantala Nagar, initially known as MacIver Town after L.J. MacIver who was a high ranking official of the British Civil and Military Station and later on the President of Bangalore Club, is the extremely tony area that’s located right in the heart of the city.
It is made up of Lavelle Road, Vittal Mallya Road and Kasturba Road, all of which are the most upscale thoroughfares of Bangalore, comprising old apartments and new commercial establishments.
Lavelle Road, named after Michael Lavelle, an Irish soldier who discovered gold mining in Kolar, is choc-a-bloc with shopping centres and restaurants. It is also home to D’Souza layout, which is part of the heritage of Bangalore. Michael Lavelle built Oorgaum House, named after the village in Kolar, for his daughter’s wedding reception and was spread across three acres. After his death, with nobody to inherit, the house was bought over by the P G D’Souza family in the early 1900s. The huge house was broken down into smaller bits to be divided amongst their large brood of 17 children. Today, D’Souza Layout comprises of apartments but old residents continue fondly call the area Oorgaum House.
Vittal Mallya Road was formerly known as Grant Road and today is one of the high-profile roads of Bangalore due to both the profile of its residents as well as its commercial establishments.
Named after the inimitable Vittal Mallya, the founder of the UB Group, this broad road located in the central business district is also maintained by the company. It is home to some of the world’s most renowned luxury brands like Tag Heuer, Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany’s. It is also the location of Bangalore’s luxury mall, UB City, as well as hotels like J W Marriott.
Kasturba Road was earlier known as Sydney Road and today houses many important buildings of Bangalore including the Government Museum, Venkatappa Art Gallery, Visvesvaraya Museum, and Kanteerava Stadium. But its most quirky occupant is the 600-year-old Ganesha temple, which is commonly known as “Vehicle Ganesha” temple. Historically, Kempe Gowda sought his blessings and much later, Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar would bring all his newly imported cars to the temple to make them accident-free.
Jayanagar
Jayanagar, which literally means ‘Victory City’ is regarded as the southernmost point of Bangalore, which is also marked by South End Circle and Ashoka Pillar.
Jayanagar was founded in 1948 and was credited as one of the first methodically planned neighbourhoods in Asia. Divided into 10 blocks, Jayanagar started off as a purely residential area with a predominant Brahmin population. Over the years, Jayanagar has evolved to include several prestigious educational institutions like RV College of Engineering and NMKRV College for Women along with many medical establishments like Nethradhama and Sanjay Gandhi Accident Hospital & Research Institute.
Jayanagar was known for its green lung spaces, wide roads shaded by trees arching over and row houses. Today, with the influx of the IT population, Jayanagar has become one of the most cosmopolitan and upscale neighbourhoods of Bangalore.
This article was originally published on www.thehindu.com dated August 14,2017
