There are a few classic areas in Bangalore that have never lost their charm. One of them is R.T. Nagar or Rabindranath Tagore Nagar. An important area in North Bangalore, it is divided into I and II blocks and is a vast layout with classic living atmosphere still prevalent. The area stretches from Bellary Road Junction all the way to the Hebbal Junction and has a part of Sanjaynagar or Dollar's Colony area as another important section of it.
This area was originally set up by the BDA authorities in the 70s' and was surrounded by a number of villages on all sides. What gave an impetus to its growth is its proximity to areas that were considered high profile such as Sadashivnagar and Dollar's Colony. As a result, R.T. Nagar began to see rapid development.
The setting up of the R.T. Nagar head post office on the main road of the area gave it the further boost it needed. Some of the prominent areas of R.T. Nagar today are MLA Layout, Ganganagar, Dinnur Road, Sultanpalya, Kanakanagar, Manoranpalya and Kavalbyrasandra. These places have gained prominence, thanks to the head post office.
Today R.T. Nagar has grown to be a residential hub with an interesting mix of old world and modern day cosmopolitan charm. It is interesting to note that this area has an increasing Bengali population, keeping the area especially known for its Durga Puja celebrations. There is also a sizable population of people from the southern States.
Migrants & builders
Of late, thanks to the setting up of a number of commercial establishments, R.T. Nagar is home to several migrants from the North-east as well. Its proximity to Manyata Tech Park has resulted in a huge influx of IT professionals from all over the country.
The area has largely been developed by small-time builders and is quite saturated at present. However there is scope to buy and rent homes in the place.
An interesting area would be the MLA Layout which was set up to house MLAs and MPs, many of whom went on to rule as Chief Ministers and Ministers.
In terms of infrastructure, R.T. Nagar does fairly well. Though it was once considered the end of town for Bangalore, today it has become a central connecting point to the CBD areas.
Its main commercial and business hubs are around R.T. Nagar Main Road (80 Ft. road), Dinnur Main Road as well as the Sultanpalya Main Road and Ganganagar 5th Main.
This is one area with a sizable number of commercial establishments from the Marwari community.
There are several educational institutions here such as Modern Public English School, Florence Public School, Mac Nay Doon's English School, and Adarsha Vidyalaya School. Hospitals including Chaitanya Hospital and Geetha Nursing home serve the medical requirements of the residents of this area. Though there is a bit of a water-logging in some low-lying areas, the water table itself is rather good.
(The author is Head, Sattva Real Estate Solutions, a real estate market research group, and can be reached on mahesh@sattvagroup.in)
