From Eco Park to Nazrul Tirtha: 20 things locals love most about Salt Lake and New Town

• Biswa Bangla Gate: Residents are proud of having an iconic landmark in their midst. “Anyone approaching from the airport passes through New Town and sees the Biswa Bangla Gate overhead. It’s a beautiful sight,” says Ashok Banerjee, whose co-operative building offers a view of the structure.

• Salt Lake stadium: “It’s a thrill to have a stadium within walking distance,” says Sudipta Mukherjee, an IB Block resident. The diehard Mohun Bagan fan has watched not just his club’s games but also legends like Messi, Maradona, and Oliver Kahn at the stadium. “I even saw the star-studded Hope 86 and A.R. Rahman music concerts here.”

• Block markets: Residents love having markets within walking distance. “In other parts of town, four localities share one market, but here almost each block is self-sufficient,” says Sourav Sinha of AC Block. “The markets offer everything from groceries and stationery to dry cleaning and salons.”

• Auditoriums: Residents enjoy access to numerous auditoriums for cultural events. “As part of our Chattogram Parishad group, we’ve used large venues like EZCC as well as smaller ones such as IPHE in CK Block for our shows. Other localities have few options.” The star venue now, of course, is the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre which is the largest in eastern India.

City Square: “I have fond memories of taking part in cultural programmes in the Square, around the clock tower, especially in association with New Town Radio. It’s a pleasant place to meet friends as well as to perform,” says Sithi Kana Ghatak of CD Block.

• Picnic spots: Residents treasure the abundance of picnic spots, such as Eco Park and Eco Urban Village, close to home. “Our location is such that even places like Sundargram, just outside New Town are easily accessible,” says Akhipata Gupta of DLF New Town Heights.

• Eco Park: Visitors here enjoy everything from boating and butterfly gardens to the Seven Wonders replicas and a miniature zoo. “And it’s famous across the country. Friends coming to our house always want to go there, and we’re proud to show them around,” says Ashok Banerjee from DC Block.

• Healthcare: Moumita Khan recently returned to her Sankalpa 4 home after years abroad and finds facilities here at par with, if not better than, those overseas. “Healthcare is especially good. We have many state-of-the-art hospitals nearby and unlike in the West, consultations and tests happen promptly,” she says.

• Block parks: After moving from Howrah, Sourav Sinha delights in Salt Lake’s green spaces: “Back in Howrah, there were barely two parks for the whole area. Here, every evening I walk in AB-AC Park, my daughter and her friends play badminton or football, and people of my parents’ age sit and chat,” he says.

• Nicco Park: Gunja Roy, a seven-year-old from BL Block, is counting the days to her visit to Nicco Park. “I’ve never been on a water slide and am dying try it out in there,” she says.

• Metro connectivity: Rajib Roy drives from his AC Block, parks his car near the City Centre Metro, and takes the train to Sealdah. “From there, I do my exotic vegetable shopping. It’s cheap and convenient,” he says.

• Birds: “I love how we can still hear birds in our locality,” says Devraj Paul of CD Block. “A woodpecker wakes us up each morning, pecking on our window. Squirrels climb up to our terrace too.” In winter, the lake in Central Park and the marshlands of New Town become a transit haven for migratory birds, drawing keen birdwatchers.

• Chaat corner: “The vada pav at the swimming pool is better than those I’ve had in Mumbai,” claims Joie Chatterjee of CD Block. “They serve extra lasun chutney, perfectly suited to the Bengali palate and the chilla, Victoria vada, and aloo tikki are excellent too. I also appreciate how hygienic the place is.”

• Nazrul Tirtha: “I watch movies regularly at the Nazrul Tirtha hall near my house,” says Hasi Maitra of Sree apartments. “It’s also lucky that this serves as a venue for the Kolkata International Film Festival screenings. The staff here is friendly and warm too.”

• Central Park: “In a fast-changing world, Banabitan is timeless,” says a BE Block resident. “No new constructions, no demolitions, just decades-old trees. You could visit and still feel as though it’s the peaceful 80s.”

• Underground cables: “In other parts of the city, overhead wires are both an eyesore and hazardous,” says Arabindo Adhikary of Alaktika complex. “Underground cables prove that New Town is a truly planned city.”

• Wide roads: “It feels comfortable to drive without the fear of being scratched by another vehicle squeezing by or grazing pedestrians who have no footpath to walk on. Driving in Salt Lake or New Town is a breeze compared to Shyambazar where I used to stay,” said an HB Block resident.

• Pujas big and small: “Salt Lake may have huge theme pujas but I also like how we still have homely pujas where residents rehearse and perform together or sit and chat after offering anjali,” says Anasuya Mitra of BL Block.

• Supermarkets: “I find the malls and supermarkets most convenient,” says Mouli Nath Maji, who can easily walk over from his EC Block home to City Centre. “I can do all my shopping from there or even from Smart Bazaar in IB Block.

• Our own newspaper: Gopal Das of DL Block says his favourite part of life is reading The Telegraph Salt Lake! “This is the only quality community paper in our area and keeps us posted about every happening here,” he smiled.