Cuffe Parade: A little world in itself

Perfectly manicured women scurrying from lunch to eyebrow-threading appointments with such a sense of purpose. Or better yet, men discussing the burden of wealth and thriving businesses while incessantly dropping statements such as “market kharaab hai yaar!” Cuffe Parade, a priori, comes across as the protective golden bubble where residents are smothered by wealth. But this upmarket residential goldmine, as 25-year old Cuffe Parade resident, Dhanraj L., puts it, “Is a little self-sufficient world in itself.”

An evening-stroll through the tree-lined streets and in the local park and we begin to understand Dhanraj’s words.

From the gray-haired bhel man, known to every child and elderly alike in the neighbourhood, to the now-iconic home of every-possible exhibition, the World Trade Centre, the area, with its unique ethos, was not built in a day.

Created with some sort of Pythagorean awareness of angles and dimensions, with greenery reminiscent of a typical American neighbourhood, Cuffe Parade is home to many a plush residences, prestigious institutions, and swanky hotels. With enough eateries to leave residents spoilt for choice and an all-that-you-need shopping arcade just around the corner, the special affinity felt by residents suddenly becomes self-explanatory.

Mahesh Lalwani, ex-secretary of Jolly Maker I Housing Society, known as one of the country’s most deep-pocketed societies, speaks of the allure of Cuffe Parade. “While many buildings do require renovation, given that Cuffe Parade in itself is an ‘old’ area, there is no denying the high demand that exists for residences in the area.”

Jolly Maker I, in line with the somewhat enclosed neighbourhood that is Cuffe Parade, has seen a rising demand for apartments by in-house residents looking to expand on their already-lavish apartments. 

So is that what Cuffe Parade is all about? A hub for self-entitled brats? “Not quite,” shares Dhanraj. “This seafront road that only saw its reclaimed-land conversion and development begin in the 1960s is an area around which most of us have built our entire lives.”

Dhanraj, like other residents such as Amrit Panjabi, manage to draw us in hook, line, and sinker! The cocoon of familiarity and unconditional love of the neighbourhood is palpable.

In the late dusk of the day, one look around litter-free Cuffe Parade and we begin to realise that those with misanthropic tendencies in Mumbai still have an eye-opening pit stop to make in this self-sufficient SoBo neighbourhood.