Places to Visit in Mumbai

Juhu Beach

Juhu is an affluent neighbourhood of West Mumbai. It is famous for the sprawling Juhu Beach. It is surrounded by Arabian Sea in the west, Versova in the north, Santacruz and Vile Parle in the east and Khar to the south. Juhu is one of the most affluent areas of Mumbai and many Bollywood celebrities live there.

The beach is more than a kilometer long and is a favourite holiday and picnic destination for many. There are watersports on special days and the beach is a favourite hangout place for youngsters, amorous couples, and even old people. Famous film shoots have happened here.

Due to the expensive homes, living is always a challenge.

The concept of serviced apartments is relatively new, and has arisen because it is a cost effective way to lodge combined with almost all facilities in the same modern measure as any 3 star hotel.

There are people on various business and trade purposes and for them renting out or purchasing homes or apartments are next to impossible. And here is where the critical role of serviced apartments come which are neat and clean apart from being highly convenient, comfortable and affordable.  

The nearest railway stations are Santacruz, Andheri and Vile Parle and the beach has a personality and a character of his own and is a source of inspiration and creativity for a lot of people.

In the nineteenth century, Juhu was an island: a long, narrow sand bar rising above sea level by a metre or two, just off the west coast of Salsette. It could be reached during low tides by walking across the tidal inlet. 

The area has been known as “Juvem” by the Portuguese and has been forever attractive and well known for its name, and the attributes that it has been associated with. At its north point, nestled the village of Juhu, inhabited by Bhandaris (toddy tappers), Agris (salt traders) and Kulbis (cultivators) and at its south point, opposite Bandra island, lived a small colony of fisher folk and cultivators (Koliwada) The inhabitants of Juhu were mainly East Indians and there was a small section of Goans.

Nariman Point

Nariman Point which is Mumbai's premier business district and country's first central business district. Not many know that it was named after a famous Parsi visionary and entrepreuner Mr. Khursheed Framji Nariman. The area is situated on land reclaimed from the sea. It had the distinction of having the highest commercial real estate rental space in the world in 1995 at $175 per square foot ($1880/m²).

Nariman Point can be called as one of Asia’s most expensive land. Nariman Point hit a new high as a flat sold for a record $8.62 million (USD) on 26 November 200, at an astonishing $2488 (97,842) per square foot. According to the "Office Space Across the World 2012" report by Cushman & Wakefield, Nariman point is the 15^th most expensive CBD in the world. The area is situated on the extreme southern tip of Marine Drive. It houses some of India's premier business headquarters. Nariman point is the 4th most expensive office market in the world.  

Prior to 1940, the area was part of the Arabian sea. A popular leader of the Congress, Khurshid Nariman (affectionately called Veer Nariman) a BMC corporator proposed to reclaim the area from the sea near Churchgate. To accomplish this task, debris from various parts of the city was dumped here and the shallow seacoast was filled. Reinforced concrete cement was used, of which the imported steel used was obtained from the black market at a higher price due to the World War II. The entire cost was estimated to be 3 lakhs or 300,000 (now 10 crores or 100,000,000) Additional reclamations were carried out in the 1970s. A construction boom in that decade saw this region spurting many commercial high-rises.

Malabar Hills

There are a few extremely affluent residential pockets in Mumbai and one among them is Malabar Hill, a hillock in southern Mumbai situated at a height of 50 metres (approx. 165 feet), it is the highest point in South Mumbai.

Malabar Hills has got a quaint history. It is generally considered that the well-known and prominent Keyi family of North Malabar in Kerala was founded by Chovvakkaran Moosa in the early 18th Century. He was a strong force in trade and commerce during that time, having powerful links with rulers, kings and countries. He started off his business with the Portuguese, the French, and the British. He owned a large part of Bombay including the area currently known as Malabar Hill and many parts in Chowpatti Beach area.

Even today the family has some old shops and buildings in that area. When the British East India Company started creating problems for their business, they had to call a truce with them in order to survive. The Keyis tried everything from funding Tipu Sultan and Pazhassi Raja (the movie just released in India Pazhassi Raja even mentions that the king actually owed money to Chovvakkaran Moosa) in their war with the British at the time. When everything failed, they donated the entire area now known as Malabar Hill to the East India Company to maintain the Keyis' trading rights in the North Malabar area . Hence the name, Malabar Hill for this Western India prime property.

There are many important landmarks on Malabar Hill one among which is Walkeshwar Temple. The original temple was destroyed by the Portuguese, but rebuilt again in 1715 by Rama Kamath, and by 1860, 10 to 20 other temples were built in the region.

Owing to Mountstuart Elphinstone who built the first bungalow in Malabar Hill while he was Governor of Bombay, the place soon became a posh locality, as it is today. But today owing to the idea of serviced apartments, even places of extreme affluence are affordable to stay.

Borivali National Park

In a city of iron and concrete like Mumbai, a green patch The Sanjay Gandhi National Park, also known as Borivali National Park, is a unique National Park in that it lies within the borders of a city. To cater to the lakhs of visitors who come to the park, there are serviced apartments by Lake Bloom Residency a real estate group, which caters to fine but cost effective accommodation. Borivali National Park is a landmark in the history of the country.  The park lies on the northern fringes of suburban Mumbai, India. It covers an area of 104 sq. km. It is one of Asia's most visited National Parks with 2 million annual visitors. The park also holds claim to be the largest park in the world located within city limits. 

The park was notified in 1974 and since then establishments have sprung up in teeming hundreds for people to settle down and one among them are the serviced apartments from Lake Bloom Residency, which have mushroomed. The park offers a pleasant change from the usual sights, attractions, rush and glamour of the big city. The undulating green lands of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park are just the kind of surroundings to which one would love to retreat for some moments of quiet introspection or meditation. The great panoramic views of hills, valleys, lakes and open expanses can actually have a soothing effect on mind, body and soul and take yo completely into a different world of exploration and relaxation. And when you get back you have your serviced apartments by Lake Bloom Residency, which appear to have been just made by you. The Sanjay Gandhi National park is known for its dense forests, vast bird life, butterflies, and the small population of tigers. The park also encompasses the famous Kanheri Cave complex (between 1st century BC and 9th century AD) 

The rich flora and fauna of Sanjay Gandhi National Park visitors every year besides being a bustling forest. An estimated 800 types of mauve is supposed to exist in the park. This plant is native to this and the surrounding regions of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, including Karnala, the Yeoor hills, Tungareshwar and some parts of Goregaon’s Film City. The park is also home to a small population of leopards. The most beautiful part is that there are serviced apartments from Lake Bloom Residency, an affordable lot of apartments of varying sizes and rates to fit in customers of a different budget.

...other locations coming soon