Apartments going suburban in B'lore South, East

More apartments in Bangalore South and East are coming up closer to suburban, BBMP limits than within mainstream City spaces owing to high number of business establishments in residential areas of Jayanagar, Koramangala and Indiranagar.

At least six to eight projects in the last two months have come up closer to suburban areas in these zones. The Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (Credai) Bangalore President Nagaraj Reddy told Deccan Herald that residents in Jayanagar, Koramangala and Indiranagar have been seeking apartments unable to cope with higher number of outlets.

Says Reddy: “Too many shops and companies have come up in these residential spaces. This has increased traffic and people in the areas. We have had queries from residents seeking good, well-to-do apartments to live in quiet spaces. While I agree commercialisation began in the late 90s and early 2000, in the last three years, commercialisation has intensified compared with earlier levels. Residents have put up with this, but off late many feel the need for living in self-contained apartments even if located a little away from City centre. These are mostly middle-aged to elderly people who don’t need to travel too much. But there are youngsters too who have approached us for property choices.”

A resident of Jayanagar 8th block, close to Sarakki, Mahendra Kumar has moved to Kanakpura Road close to Konanakunte in Bangalore South. His explanation is simple: “We were close to J P Nagar 6th Phase and Jayanagar 8th Block. The area now has a number of shops and restaurants which has brought in more traffic and people. Our family decided to move on to the interiors just off Konanakunte.”

A trend seen in these areas is parts of houses are let out to software companies, fabric shops, and in some cases where houses are old and demolished, restaurants, jewellery stores, and textile outlets have come up, like in an Iyengar household on Jayanagar 4th Block main road which made way for a showroom. Old residences are under pressure to be sold, which are then demolished and new outlets established on the same site. Jayanagar 5th Block is also an example - many households have converted part of their houses into commercial ventures.

In Indiranagar too, close to 100 ft road, four-floored residences are coming up in which one entire floor is reserved for office space with built-in parking. The rent from the office within a residential set-up helps repay loans and balance family requirments. Entire houses have been demolished and restaurants have been set up on 100 ft road. CMH Road close to 100 ft road is packed with shops. This has resulted in apartments moving from City centre spaces towards suburbs. While residents have moved to apartments in the past, new residents too are moving out, according to Credai, because newer commercial outlets are coming in. Apartment complexes are coming up on the ring road and just beyond in Bangalore East.

Koramangala has an ambience similar to Jayanagar and Indiranagar. The 80 ft road is completely commerial and the area behind St John’s Hospital is replete with restaurants. Many residents have moved to Sarjapur. A resident in one of the apartment complexes, Shravanti Gupta, says Koramangala has turned out to be busier than what it was three years back. “Traffic, people, showrooms, hotels, restaurants are aplenty in Koramangala.

The main areas are crowded while the edge of Koramangala is ok. In any case when I got an offer from the apartment to live closer to Sarjapur Main Road, I took it up. It’s self-contained living now.” For more apartments to come up in the central areas of residential localities, old properties alone will have to make way for them as newer properties are here to stay for long.