The bustling shopping district of Chennai, T. Nagar is a junction of packed streets that attracts locals and tourists alike, especially during the wedding and festive seasons. Home to multi-storeyed stores selling the most colourful and latest designs of saris, gold jewellery and narrow lanes with regular everyday shopping bargains especially on Ranganathan Street and Pondy Bazaar, it is one of the liveliest market places in the city. Just a stroll around the place dotted with street food stalls and eateries offering traditional South Indian meals is good enough to capture the life at T. Nagar and you will surely be tempted to buy something that you might not have planned to. Most of the residential bungalows were built in art-deco style and till today, have been maintained well on G.N.Chetty Road.

Being one of the oldest areas of Chennai, Nugambakkam is not just a commercial hub with various educational institutions, premium hotels and government offices, but the Rutland Gate Road here is one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in the city. The shopping here is promising with international retail brands and a variety of Indian designer boutiques lined up in the locality with plenty of cafes and restaurants to give good company. An epicenter of Chennai’s vibrant nightlife, Nungambakkam is the gateway to the city’s most favourite stroll at Marina Beach. The long stretch of the promenade and beach at Marina includes historic monuments and public buildings, reflecting Chennai’s Portuguese, British and Indian heritage and is Chennai’s most popular choice for a relaxed evening.

The religious and cultural epicenter of Chennai, Mylapore is highly revered by the locals and tourists for the rich history and architectural marvels that line its narrow alleys and markets and is one of the oldest residential neighbourhood of the city. Home to a cluster of tree-lined avenues full of popular churches and the renowned Kapaleeswara Temple soaked in Dravidian architectural vibes, Mylapore is filled with small lanes with old-style homes, music auditoriums and stores selling music and religious memorabilia. The bazaars selling jewellery, fresh produce and flowers that surround the streets of this neighbourhood provide a colourful backdrop to the temple. Aimless strolls through the small lanes lead you to hidden corners of some mouth-watering south-Indian dishes served at local places like Maami’s mess, Jannal Kadai and Kaalathi Stall.

A densely populated neighbourhood of the city, Vadapalani is an important junction for all local travellers since one of the main bus terminals of Chennai is located here. Most popular for the city’s prolific film studios and the Vadapalani Andavar Temple, the busy streets here are a great spot to bump into some of the big stars who visit the temples here whenever a film is going to get released. Studded with some of the oldest schools, hospitals and colleges, this residential area with a strong pilgrim vibe is popular among the locals for some of the best mall shopping and as an entertainment hub with the biggest multiplexes in the vicinity.

One of the costliest quaint neighbourhoods of Chennai is Adyar, that gets its name from the Adyar river that flows nearby. It has rich historical and cultural roots and is sprinkled with some of city’s oldest residential houses. Home to the IIT campus and with the Guindy National Park close by, it is considered to be one of the hottest spots in the city with the best of eateries, an easy access to the beach and a shopping hub. It’s worth taking a walk in the quiet bylanes to sample traditional south Indian dishes at well-known local family-run establishments especially the rural food from Tamily Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. A visit to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple keeps the flavor of the temple town intact.

Named after the noted lady theosophist Annie Besant, Besant Nagar is one of the most preferred areas to reside in Chennai due to the presence of the beach. The extremely calm and serene area with its colonial hangover is studded with sea- facing homes owned by the affluent families and has a string of restaurants, cafes, shops and boutiques around it. Home to Elliot’s Beach, The Theosophical Society and Kalakshetra, the world famous dance school along with beautiful temples and churches, this is where Chennai loves to chill. The confluence of best of nature, art and history within the greenest parts of the city limits is evident in the culture of this neighbourhood, which makes it one of the most favourite hangout zones for all the locals.