Bursting the mythical bubble

If you think that the dombivli-kalyan belt is no better than a semi developed village, think again.

If you think that the dombivli-kalyan belt is no better than a semi developed village, think again. These central suburbs have come a long way from their earlier image. If you visit these suburbs now, you will be surprised at the infrastructure and amenities there. In fact these areas have become an extension of downtown Mumbai and offer all the conveniences of modern living. Here we debunk some popular myths about these areas:

Dombivli-Kalyan are too far away
Well, the connectivity to Dombivli- Kalyan has improved vastly. You will get regular fast, semi-fast trains to Dombivli/Kalyanu00a0 from CST or Dadar. Special trains with AC coaches from Dombilvi to CST are expected to start soon. By road, one can get to Kalyan via the Eastern Express Highway in around two hours. KDMT buses ply on the Kalyan-Shil Road that connects Dombivli-Kalyan to Navi Mumbai. It takes around one hour.

There are no places to shop
In Dombivli, there are a number of shopping centres/retail outlets near the station. A number of big shopping malls, retail outlets and branded stores are coming up on Manpada Road. Murlika Bhatnagar, a Kalyan resident says, "Previously, we had to travel to Thane or downtown Mumbai to do our shopping, but things have changed.
"The Metro Junction Mall at Netivalli village has retail outlets of various brands as well as entertainment options for families." Besides, there are a number of restaurants, branded stores and shopping complexes at Shivaji Chowk and Khadak Pada, Kalyan (West).

Lack of lifestyle housing
The industrial development in and around the Dombivli-Kalyan belt has attracted a number of young professionals. "The housing demand in this region has changed. People today want all the conveniences of modern living," says Amit R Gandhi, director, Mohan Group. So, we have projects with swimming pools, amphitheatre, badminton court, indoor games, jogging tracks, etc. Regency Estate at Dombivli is one of the first lifestyle projects to come up in this area. Madhav Sankalp, Golden Park, Mohan Pride, etc, are some of the lifestyle projects in Kalyan.

It lacks recreation spots
Kalyan has two big theatres namely Bhanu Gold and Joker. Cinemax is soon to make an entry at Khadak Pada, Kalyan. An artificial 'Chowpatty' near the Durgadi Fort on the Kalyan-Bhiwandi road is another attraction. Dombivli has three cinema halls Gopi, Tilak and Madhuban, which have been recently renovated.u00a0 Both Kalyan and Dombivli have a number of good multi-cuisine restaurants.u00a0u00a0

It's not cosmopolitan
"Kalyan's low cost of living attracts a number of migrants. Today, people of all communities live here," says Sanjay Agarwal, director, Regency Group. Besides the routine festivals, cultural activities like Devgandharva Mahotsav, Aagri fest, Fine Arts competitions are major attractions in this area. People from all communities take part with equal fervor.

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