karaoke bars

“We all have our likes and dislikes but one thing which is common to everyone would be music. Having karaoke bars in Calcutta would be really great. Simply because it is a healthy and enjoyable activity for all. Plus, I feel I’m a closet pop star. Karaoke would help me on a personal level as well,” says Preksha Dugar, second-year student of BCom at St. Xavier’s College.

hard rock cafÉ

“Hard Rock Cafe is the perfect place to be for fans of music, food and great times. The experience of enjoying live music while sipping on premium liquor is fantastic. Nothing beats the trendy ambience of a HRC. Calcutta is a city where people love great music and good food but are sadly starved of the combination so this should not be given a miss,” says Ankhi Majumdar, third-year student of English at Scottish Church College.

Paintball

“After the popularity of The Big Bang Theory and given that Calcutta has very limited options as far as recreation is concerned, a Paintball arena would be more than welcome. And this time I would like to see the Paintball arena inside the city instead of on its outskirts, which is difficult for students to access,” says Sarodik Ghoshal, first-year student of Media Science at Techno India.

international acts

“A lone POTF concert is not going to cut it. A lot more live performances of Alt rock, jazz and indie — that’s what we need. We need a little more enthusiasm and we need a LOT of passion. A little organised campaigning would do a world of good. If Radiohead came to Calcutta (which they never will), we’d go absolutely crazy,” says Syamantaksobhan Basu, third-year student of English at Jadavpur University.

alcohol home delivery

“Being lazy and living in Calcutta almost go hand-in-hand, so alcohol home delivery would be perfect. We wouldn’t have to worry about reaching the shop before it closes or having to go out at all,” says Soham Adhikari, third-year student of computer science at MVJ College of Engineering, Bangalore.

starbucks coffee

“I am a coffee junkie. And it’s an extremely depressing fact that an entire city which houses crores of people does not have a single Starbucks outlet. My favourite item at Starbucks is Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frapuccino Blended Beverage. It’s not even a purist’s coffee; you have it once, and it sticks to your palate for a week,” says Meghdut Roychowdhury, final-year student of computer science and engineering at Techno India.

pop-up restaurants

“As a foodie, I think pop-up restaurants in Calcutta would be a huge success. They come up on particular days of the year operating out of homes, abandoned buildings or even trucks and cars. It will be a refreshing change from the regular restaurants,” says Sanjana Ray, second-year student of history at Presidency University.

indoor sports stadium

“We are fortunate enough to have a facility like the Netaji Indoor Stadium. Instead of blaming lack of infrastructure for the lack of quality sportsmen and hosting fairs and political events at the facility, the Netaji Indoor Stadium should be strictly used for sports only,” says Deep Roy, third-year student of Computer Science at MVJ College of Engineering, Bangalore.

Ikea

“Ikea, with its almost unimaginable range of all-things-household, can give one a ‘dream home’ no matter what the floor area is. It is nothing short of paradise for those interested in interior design or even building houses from scratch! Calcutta needs a place like Ikea which caters to all kinds of budgets and tastes, while maintaining a high level of practicality,” says Disha Roychaudhuri, third-year student of English at Jadavpur University.

amusement parks

“Expecting a Universal Studios or a Disneyland here in the city would be unreasonable but asking for proper, and I mean proper, amusement parks is feasible. We want more adrenaline-rush infusing rides like a roller coaster with twists and turns, a perilous river-cave ride and definitely a faster flying saucer,” says Abhinanda Dutta, third-year student of English at Jadavpur University.

flea markets

“I would love it if there were better flea markets in Calcutta selling trendy items like the ones in Delhi and Goa.The best thing about flea market items are that they are pocket-friendly. Also, while shopping, a thumb rule that I swear by is bargaining and that is possible only in flea markets,” says Pratibha Jaiswal, third-year student of political science at Scottish Church College.

laser tag

“Laser Tag is not only immensely fun but the intensity makes it feel almost like a real battlefield. It’s cool, highly refreshing and is as good as any other form of exercise,” says Soumyajit Debnath, Class XII student of Lake Point Convent School.