Page 32 - Seniorstoday November 2021 Issue

was one of the best in the city. And then
there was the Smoker’s Corner which sold
some rare used books which you couldn’t
get anywhere else. The other attraction
was the used books and magazines on the
streets right up to Flora Fountain and even
DN Road on the other end. I had the most
enviable collection of old Harvard Business
Review magazines and books on marketing
and general management that quickly
became a very treasured collection that all
my work colleagues wanted to dip into.
The choice of bars and restaurants were
just mind-boggling. The now well known
Mahesh (not an upmarket restaurant
then) was just across the street, and so was
Mocambo Cafe. We used to hear that in
the 60s, Mocambo Cafe used to have floor
shows and was a popular hang-out in old
Bombay. It was perhaps already a shadow Chimanlals- the last word on paper
of its previous self but still great for food and Irani chai. Or Vithal Bhel Puri and
and for hanging out after work for a beer Waikiki also next to Sterling. Apoorva,
and some snacks. For music lovers there Lalit, Mahesh, Samovar, Jimmy Boy and
was Hiro Music at the beginning of P.M. Brighton. The list was almost endless. Not
Road, a great place to spend some time to mention the Sailor’s bar behind Lakshmi
browsing for records, record players and building if you were broke and looking for
audio systems. Although it didn’t compare a cheap way to spend the evening.
with Rhythm House, it was a good place to Of course I missed working in the new
stop by during lunch hour. CBDs that Mumbai has produced with
If you wanted to replenish your wardrobe BKC, Powai and Andheri which now
there was always the Bombay Swadeshi house both the large multinationals like
Store later relaunched to become the more Hindustan Unilever, P&G and Colgate
upmarket Bombay Store besides of course besides all the tech sweatshops. I have no
the Khadi Gram Udyog on DN Road if you knowledge of what work life is about in
were looking for something more Indian these places. From the outside at least they
and traditional. look like sterile desserts or overcrowded
If you were looking for good quality suburbs that couldn’t have the nostalgia
stationery there was Chimanlal’s close to and romance of a wide choice of things to do
Sterling Cinema. If you just wanted a snack in the Fort and Colaba districts.
and were looking for a change from all I might be terribly biased but I do miss
other food we recommended the Yazdani the magic of South Mumbai as a Central
Bakery further up on Cowasji Street where Business District for Mumbai. My favourite
one could have a very satisfying baida pav city just doesn’t seem the same without it.

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