There was a time when people would head out to the Central Business District during free time.

Weekends meant shopping on Brigade Road, MG Road and Commercial Street followed by a movie or lunch in the area.  However, nowadays every area in the City seems to have become a commercial centre full of brands and malls. Koramangala, J P Nagar, Indiranagar, Marathahalli, Kamanahalli, Malleswaram, you can see a host of brands in every area of the City.

Considering the increasing traffic, it’s surely a boon of sorts to be able to shop right outside one’s house.

While some consider it to be a matter of great convenience, some feel the City is slowly losing its charm.

Metrolife speaks to a few Bangaloreans living in some of the most commercial areas of the City to find out the advantages and disadvantages of this boom.

“One place that has changed rapidly right in front of my eyes is the New BEL Road,” says Tejaswi, a student of M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology.

A resident of Sadashivnagar, Tejaswi spends a lot of time on New BEL Road since his college is located in the same area.  “I remember the days we used to drive to BEL and CPRI used to be full of trees. The area hardly had any shops and there were no speed breakers at all,” he recalls.

What disappoints him is the fact that nothing is homely anymore. “Burgers are always from McDonalds and pizzas from Pizza Hut. There is no local or Indian touch to anything anymore,” he notes.

Yes, there are advantages too. “You can walk around and shop closeby and that’s very convenient,” he adds.   Hema, an administrative executive, stays in Malleswaram and visits Jayanagar often.

With both the areas booming with brands, Hema finds it convenient to shop. “Earlier, we had to go all the way to Commercial Street or MG Road. But now, we can shop for everything just two minutes from my house,” she says.

 “Most brands are present in Malleswaram itself and with Mantri Mall coming in, the area has become even better,” she adds. Jayanagar is experiencing a rapid transformation too, she notes. “But Malleswaram is a better place comparatively,” she says.

When it comes to boom, how can one forget Indiranagar and Koramangala, two of the fastest growing areas in they City.

Be it malls, brands, boutique restaurants and nightlife, these two places have them all. But Arthi Krishnamurthy, a stay-at-home mother living in Koramangala, doesn’t like this transformation.

 “It’s crowded, noisy and polluted. It was not at all like this earlier. There were snakes around and people actually considered Koramangala to be a village on the outskirts of the City. It was so nice to walk around but now it’s just annoying.”

But isn’t it advantageous to have a mall like Forum right next to your house? “Yes, it surely is. Having a small child at home, it’s convenient for me as I can shop right around the corner. But the whole flavour is so commercial unlike olden days. During weekends, you don’t even want to go out,” she says.  

Advancement has its advantages and disadvantages. The most important factor is how a city copes with it. As Arthi sums up, “It’s like a lot of people coming and occupying your home. Initially, it’s nice but the fun wears off as time goes by.”