Chennai has been and will always be a culturally diverse city. You can find anything from Kashmiri Saffron to Pazha Sarbath of Kanyakumari. For the people living in gated communities in TNagar, their shopping destination is close to home, and everything that is South Indian is right at their fingertips. But for those in North Chennai, Sowcarpet is the go-to place for all their household staples and festival essentials with the authentic touch of North and West India.
Each of these destinations comes with its perks and is vying for the coveted position of the favourite shopping destination in Chennai.
Sowcarpet is easily accessible for anyone living in North Chennai. The bustling streets are parallel and crowded with fruit and vegetable markets, roadside shops, carts, and vehicles. Colourful fabrics and clothes, dainty costume jewellery, vibrant traditional footwear, all line the streets, calling out to your desires.
Sowcarpet is very popular with brides-to-be and their retinue, as they get bargain fabrics, fully stitched lehengas, and salwar suits for the bridal trousseau. You can browse jewellery, polkis, and slippers to match the accessories to your wedding wear. Cheaper copies of designer wear that are friendly on the pocket yet keep one dolled up to the nines on their special day are available.
Then there are the lines of Grocery and preserved food shops that sell spices, pickles, preserves, packaged snacks, and dry fruits. The rates are also surprisingly affordable as most of these shops sell them at wholesale value.
A shopping spree through the streets of Sowcarpet is incomplete without indulging in the mouth-watering Chaat and drinks unique to the rustic neighbourhood. Kachoris, Pav, Pani Puri, Samosa, and the glistening golden Jalebis all add to the appeal of the place. Foodies even travel all the way there, just for the food. Colourful concoctions like Jaljeera, Badam Milk, Masala Cola, Lemon soda, and thick Lassis keep the heat at bay, not to mention the dripping sweet Ice Golas. Mint Street is the best place to indulge in a thali of authentic Rajasthani cuisine.
Sowcarpet is a multisensory experience where time slows down as you dawdle at all the shops and take in the yesteryear architecture. There is little room for maneuvering vehicles, and people prefer to park elsewhere or take public transport and walk through the lanes.
T Nagar is very similar to Sowcarpet, yet distinct in the variety of wares and class of shops. There are no narrow by-lanes, but the shops line all the main roads in a bazaar of sorts. Living in a gated community in T Nagar, you can get anything from luxurious Kancheevaram Silks to 50 Rupee Earrings to match your everyday wear. Hawkers take up space under the Usman Flyover with Kurtas, Kids’ clothes, Huge stuffed toys, accessories, and whatnot.
Stands of fresh-cut seasonal fruits grab your attention with their colours. The smell of steamed corn and filter coffee wafts through the air, comforting you through a tiresome day of shopping. The main shopping area of Usman Street, TNagar is crowded, and all you need to do is step out of a shop and the crowd pulls you along with it to your next stop.
Luxury brands stand out in sharp contrast to the local shops, but people throng them in equal proportions. T Nagar is popular for South Indian clothing, accessories, designer wear, and interestingly Puja and décor items. Even eating out in TNagar is a mixed experience of Flashy cafes, pubs, restaurants, and the dosa stands around the corner. You can get piping hot filter coffee and Keera Vadai from Balaji Bhavan, or Stuffed Parotta, Podi Dosas dripping with ghee from the stalls around Natesan Park, in the evenings.
Many cultural associations are located in T Nagar where you can catch up on the latest Katcheris and Dance recitals in the evenings. People living in the Gated community in TNagar have easy access to these cultural escapades.
Lifestyle Housing has new residential projects in T Nagar, Chennai. We are well known for our luxury flats in prime locations within Chennai, and in T Nagar too. If you love shopping and are open to multi-cultural experiences, check out our upcoming projects!
