Community Living In India: Birds of the same feather, live together

All those who visit Chembur area in Mumbai will see how different it is from the rest of the city. The shopkeepers speak in Tamil and sell appadams that are specific to Tamil Nadu. However, those who label it a Tamilian area would be very wrong in their assumptions. It is actually called mini-Palghat, a quasi-Tamil area that is situated in Kerala.

Chembur is a very broad example of themed, or community living in cities. All those, who move in that part of the geography, find it easy to blend in. Themed living is a much more famous concept in the US, especially among college students. Those who belong to either a single stream of education, or a book club or those with similar interests and hobbies, live together.

Research suggests that students who stay in such clusters are better with grades. They also cross-exchange information like college courses and admissions, gaining a better perspective on things.

Back home, here are the most popular trends in themed communities:

• Jain vegetarian theme: A number of residential complexes already house a Jain building, where not even a single non-vegetarian piece enters the building. As suggested, Jain buildings offer flats only to staunch vegetarians so that others in the apartment complex would not have to endure the aroma of non-vegetarian cooking around them. Those who would want to rent a home in such buildings should either belong to the same community or adhere to the strict food code. There are many residential complexes dedicated to this theme.
• Parsi community living: If you see large tracts of land with elegant, yet old buildings in the middle of a big city like Mumbai, you are probably in the Parsi area. You can also see millionaire owners of these homes walking around with a bread and egg basket dressed like any other. This extremely successful community prefers simple living with no perks included.
• Anglo-Indian homes: Anglo-Indian communities too have come together to live in close quarters. The areas dominated by this community are a lot more inviting to tenants and well as residents. Over the years, many Anglo-Indian homes in Delhi and Mumbai have become rental hubs for single women and men into their first jobs. Many redevelopment projects too tend to stick to the theme in areas, where several legacy buildings exist.

1. Senior citizen & retirement living: The most popular theme that builders are now targeting is senior living or retirement living. A number of retired people prefer to stay a little far away from the city in airier homes and locations. The main USPs of these areas are large parks and walking areas and healthcare facilities. Some even go as far as assisted living. A number of such retirement themed villages come with cleaning and cooking services.

(Katya Naidu has been working as a business journalist for the last nine years, and has covered beats across banking, pharma, healthcare, telecom, technology, power, infrastructure, shipping and commodities)