10 things I love about my neighbourhood- Kunal Vijayakar

Here is a list of the ten most appealing things about my neighbourhood in Prabhadevi:

1.    Prabhadevi is one of the oldest parts of the original city of Bombay. On one of the original seven islands of this city; they say, that in case of a natural disaster, the reclaimed areas of Mumbai could possibly turn vulnerable. In that case, I may be in one of the safest places in the city. We’ll wait and see.
2.    The area has a sense of history. There are still a few small bungalows and wadis left here. The Prabhadevi temple, itself, is 300 years old while the Siddivinayak temple is more than 200 years old.
3.    Development hit Prabhadevi a little late in life so it’s not erratic. We have stylish hotels like the Ritz Carlton coming up, and yet the by-lanes still remain quiet and green. I can actually see farmlands out of my living room window—lush coconut trees and gulmohur amidst dense banana plantations.
4.    Prabhadevi has a community of culture and sport characterised by its residents. A kilometre away is Worli where cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Milind Rege reside. On the Dadar side of Prabhadevi, veteran Marathi cultural icons like Kishori Amonkar and Sulochana reside. Ravindra Natya Mandir is a stone’s throw away and in the swanky new building, Beaumont, lives Deepika Padukone.
5.    It takes ten minutes to reach Bandra using the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and on a good day, 15 minutes to reach the airport. It takes me three and a half minutes, to reach home once I get off the sea-link.
6.    Ninety per cent of my work happens in the Parel area. Famous Studios is a ten-minute drive away. News channel offices are all located at Parel within a 200-metre radius.
7.    The beach is a three-minute brisk walk from my house. Unfortunately, I am not much of a brisk walker!
8.    The area is packed with traditional Maharashtrian food joints—aka as asli ghar ka khana. If you want more upscale options, Four Seasons is five minutes away, while the Palladium Hotel and High Street Phoenix are ten minutes away.
9.    My two closest friends, Boman Irani and Cyrus Broacha, are at equidistantly opposite directions from where I live. A home-cooked meal is 20 minutes away in either direction, east or south. If not, The Willingdon Club, which is my lifeline, is a ten-minute drive towards the race course.
10.    Finally and most importantly, Prabhadevi is still South Mumbai and I can call myself a townie!