Westward look, the land is bright... This is literally what is happening in Mumbai. There is a distinct shift in preference from South Mumbai to West Mumbai as the ideal location for corporate houses as well as residential complexes, not to mention hospitals, hotels and schools, to name just a few.

What's wrong with South Mumbai? It is basically a commercial area. With people coming in to work from the North and others from further out in the suburbs, it is becoming increasingly difficult to commute to South Mumbai and takes a good two and a half hours from the North. In addition, the pollution, the exhorbitant rents, the inadequate parking facilities and the cramped, choc-o-bloc style of office space are proving to be deterring factors against South Mumbai.

Nariman Point, the 'jewel in the crown' for many years, and the 'Manhattan' of Mumbai, now faces stiff competition from Bandra-Kurla, which houses corporates like ICICI, Wockhart, ILFS, UTI, IBM, etc. And Bandra-Kurla already faces serious competition from Andheri-Kurla, which has emerged as an electronic media hub, with several television companies like Star Plus, and star hotels like the Leela setting up headquarters here. And the Central Business District (CBD) at Goregaon-Malad is developing equally fast, and being invaded by the insurance and IT-enabled service sectors.

The exodus out of South Mumbai has gathered momentum. It started out with the F&B industry, then expanded to include leisure and recreational facilities, and now includes schools, hospitals, movie houses, shopping malls/entertainment areas, etc.

Another major factor which has contributed to the exodus to the West is the amendment in the rent control act, which resulted in the 'Leave and Licence' fee going up. In Nariman Point, while rentals for commercial space was Rs100/- per sft the same in the Western suburbs ranges from Rs30/- to Rs50/- per sft. As a result, there was a rush of MNC's relocating to the suburbs which they found cheaper, more convenient and cost effective as far as commuting goes.

The Western suburbs appear to have on offer the best of both worlds - residential as well as commercial complexes.
Corporates with a vision find Western Mumbai ideal, as they not only are able to find spacious and luxurious premises but are able to consolidate offices scattered over different locations into a single building, with the price advantage thrown in. In addition, the plush commercial complexes in the Western suburbs have more to offer in terms of technology and facilities, which in turn leads to improved efficiency. They also score in terms of aesthetics, with luxurious landscaping and parking facilities, proximity to the airports and quality hotels, and above all, a railway system perceived to be more reliable.

This shift in commercial activity towards the Western suburbs has led to the construction of several flyovers and road over-bridges across major traffic intersections dramatically resulting in reduced travel time. And the upcoming hovercraft/waterway link, all add up to make the Western suburbs more alluring.

New horizons
Mumbai's real estate history always had that chapter of the growing family having to move out of old, small houses in the city proper to bigger flats in the suburbs. Earlier on, they used to look for a bus stop nearby, a school for the kids and a market, now they want more space, more greenery, more amenities that are 'in' and more facilities that are 'hi-tech'. The Western suburbs is the answer to all these requirements.

While budgetary constraint was the sole determinant of the location or type of home (leave licence or ownership) for a prospective homeseeker earlier, now it is the twin issues of price vis-a-vis facilities - and the distance from the city centre. The solution offered by builders is not just a flat in a building, but an entire self-contained township - thereby extending the horizons of Mumbai's homeseekers.

Today, the number of housing complexes in and around the Western suburbs and beyond is phenomenal. And it is not just a concrete jungle of never-ending block like structures. These are aesthetically designed with all the amenities one could wish for. Most importantly, they are affordable. Builders have tied up with financial institutions that have different plans for different pockets.

Decent commercial properties in the Bandra-Borivili belt cost between Rs4,000/- to Rs5,000/- per sft, while apartments range from Rs700/- to Rs2,000/- per sft (all negotiable).

Satellite Townships
Projects like 'Evershine City' and Sheth Builders' 'Vasant Nagri' are such examples, offering apart from the basic floor space, amenities like nursing homes, shops, primary schools, cable TV connections, a gymnasium, parks and gardens, family restaurants, transport facilities, telephones on demand, manicured gardens, well-paved internal roads, effective sewage disposal systems and clubhouses with a swimming pool, gymnasium, football field, billiard room, badminton court and restaurant. What more could one ask for? And with an increasing number of corporates moving into the Western Suburbs, jobs too are just a stone's throw away.

Similar projects are in the offing in Khandivili, with builders like BREDCO, Kanakia's, Gundecha Builders, Evershine Builders and Sheth Group working on the 'New Khandivili' project.

What the stars say
Everybody is heading west, far from the madding crowd.

SHILPA SHETTY: Loves 'the vastness and the space' of her home in Aditya Apts near the Lokhandwala Complex. 'I have my own bedroom', she says.

TABU: Loves her balcony at Green Acres, Lokhandwala, 'which overlooks the greenery beyond, from where she can watch the sparrows'.

SONALI KULKARNI: Her one-bedroom flat at Sagar Darshan on Juhu-Versova Link road, has a lot of open space around. 'It is well lit, breezy and at the same time noise-free', she says.

Leading builders

The Lokhandwala Construction Industries Ltd
the premier in the housing industry is developing “A Complete Township” with a futuristic design and spread over a sprawling 200 acres of layout consisting of wide roads, gardens, playgrounds, Sai Baba temple, hospital, bank, school, etc. This self-contained township situated at Akurli Road, Kandivili East, is just 2 km from Kandivli railway station and about 1.5 km from the western express highway.

Rustomjee Homes
Building communities with excellence is just what they are doing. They believe in structures that serve a purpose far greater than their functionality and that give their occupants a sense of belonging. They have upcoming projects in Dahisar and Matunga.

Kanakia Construction Pvt Ltd
Each Kanakia project is a landmark in its own right, sought after for its striking architecture, well-planned interiors and lasting construction standards.

Nova Nirman Nigam
Committed to quality, they have several projects, both residential and commercial, in the offing in and around Khandivli and Goregaon. Projects approved by leading financial institutions.

Ekta Shakti Developers
Affordable apartments ranging from Rs10,73,580/- to 23,50,770/- coming up in Borivili (E) with loans available. Possession March 2003.

Source: Times of India and other inputs