Mumbai City – Made of Great


When it comes to my favorite city, it cannot be anything else other than Mumbai.
There is no thinking required nor are there any two thoughts about it. Mumbai wins hands-on in my mind when it comes to being my favorite city.
Yeah yeah … you have all heard about the horrors of Mumbai Locals, the rains and the incessant flooding and of course the Blasts have made the city famous time and again.
Yes, it is a notorious city that way but the reason these things happen is because Mumbai is unequivocally THE most important city in the country.
Thankfully, I have lived my entire life here and have grown to love it.
For anyone from outside, it is difficult to fall in love with the city. It is a difficult city for people who are not use to it. In case you are the one amongst many who actually enjoy the Mumbai brand of life and living, there is no looking back.
 

The Drive

One of the things I have always loved about the city is the sheer driving ease as compared to other Indian cities. Mumbai is one of the more disciplined cities in the country and most people tend to follow the rules (and not break them as one deems fit). Few people jump the red light and a handful will break traffic rules for the heck of it. The drive around the city is not bad … from the point of view of other cars and vehicles around. The traffic situation is definitely bad and there are traffic jams every now and then and there are many who would break the traffic rules but the overall situation is pretty disciplined and BETTER than other major cities. In fact, while the average Mumbaikar will crib about the bad traffic situation, someone who has driven around in different cities of the country will truly appreciate Mumbai's traffic sense and the 'relative ease' of driving around.

The Design

Mumbai, as a city has not only evolved and modernized but for those who haven't forgotten, it is an island city made out of 7 islands joined together (followed by additional reclamation from the sea). It's a city that stretches almost around 60 km from Churchgate to Virar and THAT is essentially the path taken by the infamous Mumbai Local trains. The north-south connectivity provided by the local trains is unparalleled. Trains are fast and they are not impacted by traffic conditions so they are more or less on time and you can reach places within defined time interval. The east-west connectivity is pretty much provided by the slow buses plying on the roads … and hence subjected to traffic snarls and uncertainty. Metro and Mono-rail projects along with some freeway projects are all set to solve this age-old east-west connectivity problem and we are definitely making progress. The new Mumbai emerging from these connectivity projects will be a city designed for better travel across the different parts.

The Connect   

It's the average Mumbaikar who is the Hero here. People connect with each other in various ways .. some of them very peculiar to the city. People connect most in local trains and then they also connect at the ubiquitous tea and vada-pav stalls. People also connect during the rains taking shelter under any shade available. People connect in Mumbai is definitely strong and it makes it a city with a warm heart.

Mumbai is simply the best city and my personal favorite and it is definitely #MadeOfGreat


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