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In all of Calcutta, I love Park Street the most. I don't like her official name - Mother Teresa Sarani - which was changed in 2004. I still prefer to call her Park Street. In the year 2000 I joined St. Xavier's in Class XI. Since then my love affair with Park Street began. St. Xavier's is the best place to be in Calcutta. I instantly fell truly, madly, deeply, hopelessly and helplessly in love with Xavier's. This deep-rooted love continues even today.
The top-floor balcony, the huge classrooms, the long corridors, the back-benches, bunking classes and then cooking up new schemes for getting an 'excuse-slip' from Father Eaton, who was the then Vice Principal of the Arts Department, and with whom I had a respect-disrespect relationship, and whom we jokingly called Father Satan, the professor-rockstar Bertie Da Silva (who was like the Bob Dylan of Xavier's), the huge playground, the adda at Green-Benches, table-tennis inside the Common Room, Office's Ratan da and Canteen's Srikanto da, and obviously the Grand-Old-Man of Xavier's, Arun da, who was rumoured to have been born even before the first Christian missionaries had come to India. Arun da's canteen was HEAVEN for us. And in those days we could smoke inside. Yes, thats right, you've read it correctly, smoking was allowed inside the canteen. Till 2002, smoking was permitted inside the College canteen. And here is a picture of the great-grand-father-like legend named Arabinda Acharya Chowdhury, whom every Xaverian generation has affectionately called Arun da.
I used to smoke Gold Flake back then. It was such a nice feeling to smoke inside the canteen with hot cups of tea and adda. Ours was a all boys class, so we used to check out the senior College girls. Some of the senior girls used to smoke inside the canteen too. Alas, today my Xaverian brothers and sisters are welcomed inside the canteen with this statement.
If Xavier's were a Woman then I would have made LOVE to her day in and day out. Infact I have always loved Xavier's more than all the Women who have come and gone in my life, combined together. Xavier's was like my second home and more often than not I have loved Her even more than my home. Inside Xavier's I have always been surrounded by a sense of calm, peace and nirvana.
And once you step out of the Main-Gate, you land on the realistically magical Park Street. Like countless others before me, I had my first Beer at Olypub. Beer with Beef-steak. What amused me the most was that at the very start of any day Olypub used to be already half-full. The only other place which overtook Oly in regards of first-hour footfalls was ShawBar or Chhota-Bristol, which is situated at Metro Gulli at Esplanade. In those days women were not allowed on the ground floor of Olypub. That seating area was reserved for men only. Women were allowed on the first floor. These days however women are allowed on the ground floor. Its nice to see a few pretty faces scattered here and there while boozing.
A few years back the general ambience of Olypub had gone from bad to worse. The alcohol prices were reasonable, but those irritating, impatient and ill-mannered waiters used to expect bigger tips each time. The service became poor. The quality of the food became absolutely crap. To cut the beef steak, one needed a hand-held mechanical wood cutting machine. Thankfully things have improved nowadays. But ever since the smoking ban, one has to get up and smoke near the toilets which always smells of puke. And those curious cockroaches keep on wondering what you are eating. Those unfriendly rats might just walk over your foot without a care of this world. These days I visit Olypub once in a blue moon only for the sake of nostalgia and nothing else.
In those days around 2000/2001, I used to spend a lot of time inside Music World. The concept of listening to 'free-music' was new to Calcutta and we made the most out of it as in those days words like limewire, bittorrent and piratebay were alien to us. Music World also had these 'lucky-drop-boxes' where names were picked randomly and gifts were announced every hour. Keeping in mind Probability Theorem and remembering the quote, "If you want to be successful then double your failure-rate", I used to drop in a lot of coupons with my name written on them, and in due course of time I was 'lucky' enough to win the various items at Music World : a t-shirt, a mouse-pad, a friendship-band, discount coupons as high as 50%, free cds/cassettes etc.
Yes, back then cassettes were still very much in use. I used to buy audio cassettes from Rashbehari's Melody and Esplanade's Symphony also. But Music World was my most favourite music shop. Even today I still have the 2002 A.R. Rahman album 'Bombay Dreams', which my first girlfriend had bought for me from Music World. That year I also bought the cassette of KAANTE and all the songs were very good. I used to spend atleast one hour inside Music World almost every day. In those days I did not have the money to buy the cassettes and cds of foreign bands therefore I used to listen to them free of cost at Music World. My Blog Post on Music World is here.
Inside Music World we also got those free baazee.com coupons which allowed free internet surfing at Junction Cybercafes throughout the city. In those days I didn't have a computer or internet connection at home so these coupons were prized items. Junction Cybercafes were spread in many parts of the city but my favourite one was at Ballyunge-phari. Mind you, in those ancient times there were no Orkut, Facebook or Twitter. To meet new people (read girls), what we had were Yahoo Messenger Chatrooms and a pre-historic chat-site strangely named MIRC32. Another favourite site was batchmates.com but its look was dull and boring. And to send e-cards to someone special, I always loved to use lakecards.com.
The first six months of 2000 belonged to 'Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai'. It was a phenomenal hit. On 5th April 2000, Hrithik Roshan touched Park Street with his extra lucky sixth-finger. It was like a Greek-God had descended straight on Park Street. That moment could only be compared with that psychedelic, mystical, ecstatic, G-spotting, divine-orgasmic and mass-Orgy-licious scene from the Tom Tykwer film "Perfume - A Story of a Murderer". Park Street saw its greatest traffic jam on that day. Hrithik Roshan was forced to walk from Park Hotel to Music World. Women of all ages went crazy, mad, hysterical and horny-licious at the sight of Hrithik Roshan on Park Street. All the men were pushed back. Park Street was captured by women on that day. I myself could not even catch a glimpse of Hrithik Roshan, it was so damn crowded.
There used to be a Cyber Cafe on Park Street, where today the M3 Music Shop stands. It consisted of two floors. One afternoon, around 2001, I went upstairs to surf the net and found that no one was there. Everyone was surfing below on the ground floor. Since no one was around, it gave me the confidence to open desibaba.com for the first time in my life. I had heard a lot about this site from my friends but had never visited it before. It consisted of some naked pictures of women. I don't remember whether any porn video was uploaded in that site. Anyways fearing that someone might come upstairs any moment, I closed it.
In those days I had a steady girlfriend and we used to tell each other everything. Later that evening I told her about the desibaba site over landline phone. She got offended a bit but later on forgave me. I promised her that I would never again open porn sites in my life. I obviously did not stick to my promise.
I had my first email address at rediff. I still use that email. Back in those days it was fun chatting with girls through Yahoo Messenger. Though sadly most of the time the girls turned out to be boys! The first line for initiating a chat with a stranger was always - a/s/l? - age/sex/location? Yahoo's Calcutta Global Chatrooms were very popular. I know a couple who had met at Yahoo Chat and later on they got married. MIRC32 was also fun but it looked a bit dated even in those days. Yahoo Messenger was the best.
On occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, our family along with our relatives used to dine out at either Peter Cat or Mocambo or Bar B Q. We never went to any other restaurants, I wonder why. Peter Cat used to be my favourite restaurant, it still is. I just love the name - Peter Cat. Its so cool to just pronounce the name. I love their Menu Cards, their seating arrangement, the lighting, and obviously the food. But whenever I go there, for the main course, I always have either a Chicken Sizzler or Chelo Kebab, nothing else. The prawn cocktails are yummilicious. Next time I will try something else at Peter Cat.
In 2013, for my birthday, me and my family went to Mocambo for dinner. I had Prawn cocktail, deviled Crab and Irish Chateaubriand Beef Steak. Mocambo was the first restaurant of its kind in India, with an Italian chef-manager (Prandhi), a German interior architect (Messerschmidt) and a six-piece live band (fronted by Anton Menezes) that played a heady mix of jazz, blues, pop and rock. And it had Pam Crain. What more could you ask for? Both Peter Cat and Mocambo are owned by the same owner - Nitin Kothari. Vikramaditya Motwane shot a scene at Mocambo for his film 'Lootera'.
I was not born in the era of the swinging sixties. I have only read about the musical night life of Trincas, Mocambo, Moulin Rouge, Sky Room, Blue Fox etc. Sky Room’s prawn cocktails used to be packed in ice and flown to Delhi for Indira Gandhi! No mercantile firm or corporate house — India’s biggest ones used to be headquartered in Calcutta — would hold its board meetings on Tuesdays because Sky Room used to be closed that day!
I have read about the names like Pam Crain, Usha Iyer, Louis Banks, Eve, Jenny, Benny Rozario, Molly Myers, Arthur Gracias, Anton Menezes, Linda Thomson, Carlton Kitto, Rubin Rebeiro, Joe Perreira, Delailah, Shirley, Ripsy, Marlene, Marie Samson, Shelley Myers, Nickey Kohlo, Dominic Fernandes, Johnny Edmund, Victor Shreeves, Clive Hughes, Bosco on the trumpet and Blasco on the trombone - together known as the Monserrate Brothers, Braz Gonzales etc. Gene Mac Ripsy was known as the 'Marilyn Monroe of Calcutta' and Shelley was a lookalike of actress Jane Mansfield.
In the 1920's, two Swiss gentlemen, Mr. Trinca and Mr. Flury opened two tea-rooms across the road from each other. They named it Flury's and Trinca's. In 1959 Mr. Om Prakash Puri and Mr. Ellis Joshua took over the reins at Trinca's and revamped the erstwhile tea-room into a restaurant. They also successfully acquired a liquor licence in 1961 and introduced the concept of live musical bands performing daily. It created a musical revolution in Calcutta. Other restaurants followed suit soon.
Anyways, here is a juicy piece of gossip. Rumour has it that Mr. Flury had ran away with Mrs. Trinca and therefore the friendship between the two Swiss gentlemen fell apart. This scandal had created quite a stir in Calcutta's social circles back then. In those days Park Street belonged to the upper crust of society. The street continued to swing merrily till the seventies. Then the Naxalite Revolution, militant unionism by the evil Communist Parties and a steep 30% Entertainment Tax took out the glamour from Park Street's musical night life. The Communist Scoundrels believed that singing and dancing were all bourgeois indulgences. Most restaurants closed their daily musical acts. Trincas is the only restaurant which continued with its musical tradition since day one.
Some Place Else opened in 1997. During my College years in Xavier's I used to go to Some Place Else a lot. Orient Express, Hip Pocket, Krosswindz, Span, Saturday Night Blues etc. used to perform there. I used to go to Tantra too, but more than DJ music, I loved live musicians making music. I went a few times to Trincas too, but I preferred Some Place Else. Trincas seemed a place for the old generation back in those days. During my College years, on saturday nights, I first used to go to Olypub late in the evening. From there I used to go to Some Place Else. Sometimes two bands used to play on one night. One from 10 p.m. to midnight and another band from midnight to 2 a.m. Also every now and then Skinny Alley used to perform there. I was and still am a huge fan of Amyt Dutt. A few years back I bought this book on Some Place Else from Oxford. It is a must-have for any SPE lover. Some Place Else is really SPEcial.
I used to walk up and down the entire length and breadth of Park Street, sometimes with friends, girlfriends or sometimes even alone. Park Street has changed so much. New shops have come up in place of old shops. The street constantly keeps changing. I really miss some of the old shops. More than a decade back there was a nice cosy coffee joint named Nescafe, where today the VIP shop stands. It was divided into two floors. Mostly couples used to go there and sit on the upper floor. If I remember correctly, the price of the coffee was sixteen rupees per cup. They used to pour the coffee from a vending machine into a paper cup. In those days I was dating this girl from Loreto College and we used to go to Nescafe a lot and sit upstairs. It was not expensive like the Baristas or the CCDs. And then we used to walk hand in hand throughout Park Street. When Nescafe closed down in Park Street, I really felt very sad.
Au Bon Pain is now my most favourite destination in Park Street. It opened on 23rd December 2013. I am going there from day one. Whenever I go to Park Street for some work or pleasure, I always make it a point to drop in at Au Bon Pain for atleast half an hour. I love their Mango Lassi very much. Also the Chicken Cream Soup is delicious. There is a comfortable laid-back ambience and I just love hanging out there. My Blog Post on Au Bon Pain is here.
A few weeks back Au Bon Pain closed for some more renovations and opened again with this new look. They have started a new promo scheme where one can have unlimited tea or cold drinks for a fixed price.
More than a decade back, Park Street Barista was my favourite coffee-joint. In those days Barista used to be on the Music World side of the road. These days it is on the other side, opposite to Au Bon Pain. Back then I used to go to Barista almost every weekend. Around 2004/2005 I had bought the coffee-mug shown in the picture below from Park Street Barista. I still have it. It says, 'I Don't Want A Raise, I Want Six Coffee Breaks'.
I had first entered Barista around 2002. I immediately fell in love with Barista. Back then CCD was on the Peter Cat side, but I never liked it. Barista was always my preferred choice. Barista used to have a black acoustic guitar on their wall. Anyone could take it down and strum it. Whenever I used to go there, I used to strum a few chords and play a few notes on this black guitar. Once I noticed that the first string was broken. The next evening I went there again after my Political Science classes got over at St. Xavier's College, and replaced the first string on my own and tuned it perfectly with my electric guitar tuner. The Manager of Barista was pleased with my effort. I always used to sit on the ground floor and watch the passing crowd on Park Street through the glass door. Only when I took my then girlfriend there, then we used to go and sit upstairs, which was like a more private place. Here are some pictures of mine at Barista, almost 12 years back, with my friend Abhishek Mukherjee.
These days Barista and CCD coexist side by side opposite to Flurys. I love the two new high cushioned chairs at Barista which are placed just beside the glass door. Here I am sitting on one of them. Recently I bought another Coffee Mug from Barista.
I used to love hanging out at Oxford Bookstore too. I still do. Love browsing through the countless number of books there. Whenever I go there I always talk to Mr. Satram Motwani, who has been looking after this shop since 1948. He is the grand old man of Oxford Bookstore. The Cha Bar is a bit expensive. I have had tea there only a few times. Oxford also organises various literary events throughout the year. Another beautiful thing about Oxford is that you can strike up a conversation with the foreigners (read foreigner girls) easily. A lot of foreigners usually hang out there and they are more than eager to talk to a friendly soul. I have done it so many times. Once I became friends with a Spanish girl at Oxford and later I took her to Barista for coffee. Had a lovely chat with her.
After coming out of Olypub if you walk towards the Metro Station, you will bump into a few pimps who claim that they can get any type of girls for you - school girls, college girls, house wives etc. There is one fat pimp who just sits there on a concrete raised platform, near the new Rajdhani restaurant, and waits for his customers. He always wears a half shirt and a lungi. I have been seeing him since the year 2000. Still today he has not lost a single kilo in his body. Still today he looks the same. Throughout the day people usually avoid him, but I have seen him doing brisk business on Saturday nights. The infamous Karnani Mansion lies nearby. Rumour has it that a few flats there indulge in sex trade. The Police have also raided the place a few times. I usually avoid eye contact with the pimps of Park Street. I feel uneasy around them. The fat pimp sits on this raised platform :
A few years back there was a mad man/beggar who used to lie down on the footpath near Oxford Bookstore. He used to look like Karl Marx and had a sort of serenity in his eyes. We used to call him the Karl Marx of Park Street. I never saw him ask anyone for money. He just used to lie on the footpath. Some people used to give him money and food. These days however I don't see him anymore.
Then there is another old woman who begs on Park Street. Her name is Bernadette Cranston. She speaks fluent English and is an Anglo Indian. I have been seeing her for the last 16 years. She walks on Park Street and strikes up conversations with random people and later asks for charity and help. Sometimes I give her money, sometimes I buy food for her. I really feel sorry for her. She is a nice person, but because of old age and poverty, she has just lost her mind a bit.
I also love Park Street Cemetery a lot, especially during winters. I have taken long walks inside the Cemetery on winter afternoons, sometimes with my girlfriend, sometimes alone. I just love the peace and tranquility of the place. The Caretaker Mr. Kenneth is a lovely gentleman. There is a rumour that there are ghosts in that Cemetery. I really want to have some sort of a supernatural experience there. So far I have never bumped into any ghost there. Bad luck!
A few years back there used to be a tea room on the ground floor of Park Mansions, diagonally opposite to Music World, which was called T3 (The Tea Table). It had a old world charm and did not have any modern over-the-top frills. I loved the place very much. The prices were reasonable and the service was good. When Flurys was being renovated, its old furniture along with its vintage waiters were shifted here. Thats how T3 was born. The Flurys' old timers started flocking to T3. I myself have seen many senior journalists and media personalities at T3. Sadly the restaurant closed down and in its place Pizza Hut came up in 2013. Within two years even Pizza Hut closed down there and a Maruti Suzuki showroom has come up there now. But I really miss the old T3 on Park Street.
Flurys reopened on December 2004, without the apostrophe. I still remember on the opening night there was a huge queue outside the gate. I did not get in there on the opening night because I hate standing in queues. That very week I went there during the day and had an English breakfast. The interiors are awesome. Love their chandelier. Love their rum-balls. The pastries, though a bit expensive, are really delicious. I love sitting on the window side. Over all these years I have been to Flurys so many times and each time I sat on the window side.
The first time I took a mobile connection was in 2003. I still use that number. It was an Airtel connection. There is this Airtel Customer Care branch at Park Street where I have been going since 2003. I have gone there so many times for various reasons that most of the guys over there know me by name. I even once dated a girl from Airtel. Our affair had lasted for over a year. I was then in first year College at St. Xavier's and she was working in Park Street Airtel. She was five years older to me. She was indeed a very sweet girl and had a soft heart. I really have fond memories revolving around this Park Street Airtel branch.
Near Park Street, there is the Dreamland Restaurant, at the mouth of Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road. I have been going to this restaurant since 2000. I always sit on the balcony. The prices are reasonable and the food is good. Here I am sitting at Dreamland at my favourite spot. I have always preferred this corner spot on their Balcony for the last sixteen years. So many years have passed but the charm of this corner chair is still the same. And whenever I go there most of the time I order mixed gravy noodles.
There is a salon on Park Street called A.N. John. When I was a child, one of my Uncles, who was very rich, used to go there for hair cut. Then when I grew up and started earning money, I once went there for a hair cut. It felt great. Though I still prefer my friendly neighbourhood saloon.
I have boozed at almost all the Restaurants and Bars in Park Street. Another favourite place of mine is Oasis. Whenever I go there I always sit upstairs. If the upstairs is full then I don't booze there. I go to some other restaurant. I must also mention here that The Tavern, which is on the basement of Trincas, is another favourite place of mine to booze. Not many people know about its existence. If you want a quiet place then go to The Tavern.
Some Calcuttans really felt proud when KFC and McDonald's opened in Park Street. It seemed like Calcutta has finally arrived on the world food stage with these poster boys of Globalization opening shops here. I myself was indifferent to this. I am not fascinated by these big names. On 12th August 2007 there was a mysterious blast at McDonald's and one man was killed in this freak accident. I remember the date perfectly because it was my birthday.
There are four main shops which sell chicken/mutton rolls on Park Street. They are Hot Kati Roll, Kusum's, The Roll Shop and Lucita Snacks Bar. Among these I think Kusum's is the best. There is one other restaurant, called Golden Spoon on the Peter Cat side, where the rolls are good too.
There used to be another restaurant named Peiping, which has closed down now. I still remember during the 2004 Durga Puja, me and my friends went there for lunch on Ashtami. The food was good and the prices were reasonable. After lunch we all went to Music World and then in the evening we all went to Maddox Square.
I really felt sad when the Metropolitan Book Store shifted to Loudon Street. Sixteen years back I used to buy all my note-books and other stationery from this place. I have a special soft-corner in my heart for this little shop.
Just at the mouth of Park Street, near Asiatic Society, there is Hanuman Ji.
Park Street's pin code is 700016. I love Anjan Dutta's album Kolkata 16, which is a reference to Park Street. So many times I have seen Anjan Dutta at Park Street, either coming out of Flurys or going inside Park Hotel. I am a huge fan of Anjan Dutta since my childhood days.
I have bought a lot of birthday greetings cards and gifts from Giggles. Over the years I have also bought a lot of Valentine's Day cards from here. I love this shop a lot. This shop has a great collection of gifts and other items.
Last year The Times Of India organised Happy Street on Park Street on four Sundays between February and March. It was a series of fun filled Sunday mornings. For more pictures of Happy Street, click here. The Happy Street area covered a rough quadrilateral covering Park Street, Camac Street, Middleton Street and Russel Street. Vehicular traffic was totally prohibited in the area from 6 a.m. to around 10 a.m. Children and young adults took part in various sports activities. Young boys sang and played music. The whole area was divided into various zones for various fun activities. I saw that the children were very happy with this Happy Street event on Park Street.
The real beauty of Park Street can be seen in the month of December, during Christmas and New Year. The whole of Park Street is lit up and decorated beautifully. There is a festive spirit all around. The restaurants and bars overflow with patrons. There are musical concerts held at Allen Park. Most of the famous singers and bands perform at Allen Park. Temporary food stalls are erected on the footpaths. They serve everything from momos to pastries. On Christmas evenings vehicles are prohibited from entering Park Street. The whole street gets full with pedestrians. Many people can be seen in Santa caps and wearing large goggles. A huge Santa Claus is also erected at Park Street. On New Year's Eve, Park Street gets choc a bloc full with revellers. Sometimes the Police even have to lathhi-charge!
Whenever I go to the restaurant Moulin Rouge, the Baz Luhrmann film comes to my mind. It was a fantastic film. I love the Duck-Festivals at this restaurant.
A lot of beggars beg on Park Street. Little children are forced to beg here. Poor young boys and girls try to sell balloons and chewing gums to passersby. Especially when a couple is walking together, these little persistent beggars follow them for quite some time. There is a little boy named Sheikh Umzan who begs there. I always give him money. I sometimes buy biscuits and cold drinks for him. He always gives me a sweet smile and a flying kiss.
I must not forget to mention the Stephen Court fire which happened on 23rd March 2010. I saw the news on TV and was horrified. So many people lost their lives.
By the way I somehow don't like the Park Street flyover. Its really an eye sore.
Amitabh Bachchan spent eight years in Calcutta when he was working here. He landed here in 1962 looking for a job. In his Blog he still reminisces about the old Calcutta and talks about Park Street, Moulin Rouge, Mocambo, Firpo’s, Flurys, Waldorf, Sky Room etc. He talks about the Prawn Cocktails from the restaurants in Park Street. Amitabh Bachchan's first job in Kolkata was in 'Bird and Co.', that had paper mills and coal mines and then in 'Mackinnon Mackenzie', 'Shaw Wallace' and later he worked for 'Blacker & Co.', a shipping and freight brokers' company, before making his debut in 'Saat Hindustani' in 1969. Recently in 'Piku', Amitabh Bachchan cycled in various parts of Calcutta. I loved the film very much.
If you walk from Park Street Metro Station towards Loudon Street then you will come across these landmarks on your left hand side :
Bestaste Momo
Asiatic Society
Singer Showroom
Central Bank of India
Central Bank of India ATM
Asiatic Society Publication Division
Family Book Shop
Hot Kati Roll
National Textile Corporation Ltd.
Peiping Restaurant (now closed)
Apeejay House
Trincas
Ming Room
Park Hotel
Oxford Bookstore (Junior)
Ali Joo Furriers
Oxford Bookstore
Kwality Restaurant
Ramjiram Paan Shop
Free Mason's Hall
Rajdhani Restaurant
Samsung
Olypub
R.P. Gupta Paan Shop
Patanjali
The Roll Shop
Starlit Garden Bar and Restaurant
Moulin Rouge
31 Park Street (Private)
Oasis Restaurant
Jubilee Stores Liquor Shop
Tata Do Co Mo
Toyota Showroom
Bar B Q Restaurant
Calcutta Carpets
Bhalla's Carpets
McDonald's
R.J. Shaw Paan Shop
Flavours Of China Restaurant
CCD
Barista
Vodafone
Nexa - Maruti Suzuki Showroom
iStore
Delsey Paris
Veda
GKB Opticals
Rajaniklal Sales (P) Ltd.
Samsonite
VIP
Victor Bros. (Auction House and Antique Shop)
India Post ATM
Park Street Post Office
Apsara Apartments
Gangaram Paan Shop
Petrol Pump
Park Plaza
World Of Titan
Bingsha Shatabdi Book Shop
Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd.
Manyavar
S.P. Shaw Paan Shop
Maggi Point
Turner Head Salon
West Bengal Board Of Secondary Education
Sandvik
Sarovar Sarees
B.P. Poddar Institute Of Management & Technology
Saarang Sarees
Petrol Pump
Shreyas Sarees
Rupraashi Sarees
Rajgharana
Police Station
Avani Signature
Metropolitan Book Store
Tanshi Bridal
Petrol Pump
Savera Sarees
Tres Loudon
Belong
Siddha Point
Ravi Auto House
If you walk from Park Street Metro Station towards Loudon Street then you will come across these landmarks on your right hand side :
Bandhan Bank ATM
Bandhan Bank
The Mobile Store
Airtel Customer Care
Interio
ICICI Bank
Oriflame
Punjab National Bank
Raymond
India's Hobby Centre
Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corp. Ltd.
SBI ATM
Axis Bank
Giggles Gift Shop
Barkat Ali & Bros.
Hakuna Matata
Harmony House
Chemould
Castlewood
A.N. John Salon
Satramdas Dhalamal
Mags
Pulpy Grape Juice
Magnolia Restaurant
Raza Stores
One Step Up Restaurant
Jet Airways
Silver Grill
Flurys
Au Bon Pain
Peter Cat
Times Furnishing
Tresstalk Salon
MI Service Centre
Gossip
Foreign Money Changer
DBS Bank
Goel Furnishings
Lawrence & Mayo
Fast Track
SBBJ ATM
Blue Heaven Salon
State Bank Of Bikaner & Jaipur
South Indian Bank ATM
South Indian Bank
Badruddin Paan Shop
Arshad Salon
Sk. Akhtar Ali Paan Shop
Sugar & Spice
Paan Mahal Paan Shop
Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick Sweet Shop
A small tea/coffee/snacks shop
Magma House
Lucita Snacks Bar
Marco Polo Restaurant
UBI Bank
UBI ATM
Magma
HP World
Compaq
Superlite
Intex Smart World
Falcon
Paan Shop
Barbeque Nation
Park Centre Market
Tantuja
Dreamlite
Moumita
Computer Exchange
Wadhwana
Mother Teresa Statue
Allen Park
Geological Survey Of India
St. Xavier's College
Archbishop's House
Office Of The Deputy Commissioner Of Police
Seventh Day Adventist Church
Seventh Day Adventist School
Lastly listen to this :
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In all of Calcutta, I love Park Street the most. I don't like her official name - Mother Teresa Sarani - which was changed in 2004. I still prefer to call her Park Street. In the year 2000 I joined St. Xavier's in Class XI. Since then my love affair with Park Street began. St. Xavier's is the best place to be in Calcutta. I instantly fell truly, madly, deeply, hopelessly and helplessly in love with Xavier's. This deep-rooted love continues even today.
The top-floor balcony, the huge classrooms, the long corridors, the back-benches, bunking classes and then cooking up new schemes for getting an 'excuse-slip' from Father Eaton, who was the then Vice Principal of the Arts Department, and with whom I had a respect-disrespect relationship, and whom we jokingly called Father Satan, the professor-rockstar Bertie Da Silva (who was like the Bob Dylan of Xavier's), the huge playground, the adda at Green-Benches, table-tennis inside the Common Room, Office's Ratan da and Canteen's Srikanto da, and obviously the Grand-Old-Man of Xavier's, Arun da, who was rumoured to have been born even before the first Christian missionaries had come to India. Arun da's canteen was HEAVEN for us. And in those days we could smoke inside. Yes, thats right, you've read it correctly, smoking was allowed inside the canteen. Till 2002, smoking was permitted inside the College canteen. And here is a picture of the great-grand-father-like legend named Arabinda Acharya Chowdhury, whom every Xaverian generation has affectionately called Arun da.
I used to smoke Gold Flake back then. It was such a nice feeling to smoke inside the canteen with hot cups of tea and adda. Ours was a all boys class, so we used to check out the senior College girls. Some of the senior girls used to smoke inside the canteen too. Alas, today my Xaverian brothers and sisters are welcomed inside the canteen with this statement.
If Xavier's were a Woman then I would have made LOVE to her day in and day out. Infact I have always loved Xavier's more than all the Women who have come and gone in my life, combined together. Xavier's was like my second home and more often than not I have loved Her even more than my home. Inside Xavier's I have always been surrounded by a sense of calm, peace and nirvana.
And once you step out of the Main-Gate, you land on the realistically magical Park Street. Like countless others before me, I had my first Beer at Olypub. Beer with Beef-steak. What amused me the most was that at the very start of any day Olypub used to be already half-full. The only other place which overtook Oly in regards of first-hour footfalls was ShawBar or Chhota-Bristol, which is situated at Metro Gulli at Esplanade. In those days women were not allowed on the ground floor of Olypub. That seating area was reserved for men only. Women were allowed on the first floor. These days however women are allowed on the ground floor. Its nice to see a few pretty faces scattered here and there while boozing.
A few years back the general ambience of Olypub had gone from bad to worse. The alcohol prices were reasonable, but those irritating, impatient and ill-mannered waiters used to expect bigger tips each time. The service became poor. The quality of the food became absolutely crap. To cut the beef steak, one needed a hand-held mechanical wood cutting machine. Thankfully things have improved nowadays. But ever since the smoking ban, one has to get up and smoke near the toilets which always smells of puke. And those curious cockroaches keep on wondering what you are eating. Those unfriendly rats might just walk over your foot without a care of this world. These days I visit Olypub once in a blue moon only for the sake of nostalgia and nothing else.
Yes, back then cassettes were still very much in use. I used to buy audio cassettes from Rashbehari's Melody and Esplanade's Symphony also. But Music World was my most favourite music shop. Even today I still have the 2002 A.R. Rahman album 'Bombay Dreams', which my first girlfriend had bought for me from Music World. That year I also bought the cassette of KAANTE and all the songs were very good. I used to spend atleast one hour inside Music World almost every day. In those days I did not have the money to buy the cassettes and cds of foreign bands therefore I used to listen to them free of cost at Music World. My Blog Post on Music World is here.
Inside Music World we also got those free baazee.com coupons which allowed free internet surfing at Junction Cybercafes throughout the city. In those days I didn't have a computer or internet connection at home so these coupons were prized items. Junction Cybercafes were spread in many parts of the city but my favourite one was at Ballyunge-phari. Mind you, in those ancient times there were no Orkut, Facebook or Twitter. To meet new people (read girls), what we had were Yahoo Messenger Chatrooms and a pre-historic chat-site strangely named MIRC32. Another favourite site was batchmates.com but its look was dull and boring. And to send e-cards to someone special, I always loved to use lakecards.com.
The first six months of 2000 belonged to 'Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai'. It was a phenomenal hit. On 5th April 2000, Hrithik Roshan touched Park Street with his extra lucky sixth-finger. It was like a Greek-God had descended straight on Park Street. That moment could only be compared with that psychedelic, mystical, ecstatic, G-spotting, divine-orgasmic and mass-Orgy-licious scene from the Tom Tykwer film "Perfume - A Story of a Murderer". Park Street saw its greatest traffic jam on that day. Hrithik Roshan was forced to walk from Park Hotel to Music World. Women of all ages went crazy, mad, hysterical and horny-licious at the sight of Hrithik Roshan on Park Street. All the men were pushed back. Park Street was captured by women on that day. I myself could not even catch a glimpse of Hrithik Roshan, it was so damn crowded.
There used to be a Cyber Cafe on Park Street, where today the M3 Music Shop stands. It consisted of two floors. One afternoon, around 2001, I went upstairs to surf the net and found that no one was there. Everyone was surfing below on the ground floor. Since no one was around, it gave me the confidence to open desibaba.com for the first time in my life. I had heard a lot about this site from my friends but had never visited it before. It consisted of some naked pictures of women. I don't remember whether any porn video was uploaded in that site. Anyways fearing that someone might come upstairs any moment, I closed it.
In those days I had a steady girlfriend and we used to tell each other everything. Later that evening I told her about the desibaba site over landline phone. She got offended a bit but later on forgave me. I promised her that I would never again open porn sites in my life. I obviously did not stick to my promise.
I had my first email address at rediff. I still use that email. Back in those days it was fun chatting with girls through Yahoo Messenger. Though sadly most of the time the girls turned out to be boys! The first line for initiating a chat with a stranger was always - a/s/l? - age/sex/location? Yahoo's Calcutta Global Chatrooms were very popular. I know a couple who had met at Yahoo Chat and later on they got married. MIRC32 was also fun but it looked a bit dated even in those days. Yahoo Messenger was the best.
On occasions like birthdays and anniversaries, our family along with our relatives used to dine out at either Peter Cat or Mocambo or Bar B Q. We never went to any other restaurants, I wonder why. Peter Cat used to be my favourite restaurant, it still is. I just love the name - Peter Cat. Its so cool to just pronounce the name. I love their Menu Cards, their seating arrangement, the lighting, and obviously the food. But whenever I go there, for the main course, I always have either a Chicken Sizzler or Chelo Kebab, nothing else. The prawn cocktails are yummilicious. Next time I will try something else at Peter Cat.
In 2013, for my birthday, me and my family went to Mocambo for dinner. I had Prawn cocktail, deviled Crab and Irish Chateaubriand Beef Steak. Mocambo was the first restaurant of its kind in India, with an Italian chef-manager (Prandhi), a German interior architect (Messerschmidt) and a six-piece live band (fronted by Anton Menezes) that played a heady mix of jazz, blues, pop and rock. And it had Pam Crain. What more could you ask for? Both Peter Cat and Mocambo are owned by the same owner - Nitin Kothari. Vikramaditya Motwane shot a scene at Mocambo for his film 'Lootera'.
I was not born in the era of the swinging sixties. I have only read about the musical night life of Trincas, Mocambo, Moulin Rouge, Sky Room, Blue Fox etc. Sky Room’s prawn cocktails used to be packed in ice and flown to Delhi for Indira Gandhi! No mercantile firm or corporate house — India’s biggest ones used to be headquartered in Calcutta — would hold its board meetings on Tuesdays because Sky Room used to be closed that day!
I have read about the names like Pam Crain, Usha Iyer, Louis Banks, Eve, Jenny, Benny Rozario, Molly Myers, Arthur Gracias, Anton Menezes, Linda Thomson, Carlton Kitto, Rubin Rebeiro, Joe Perreira, Delailah, Shirley, Ripsy, Marlene, Marie Samson, Shelley Myers, Nickey Kohlo, Dominic Fernandes, Johnny Edmund, Victor Shreeves, Clive Hughes, Bosco on the trumpet and Blasco on the trombone - together known as the Monserrate Brothers, Braz Gonzales etc. Gene Mac Ripsy was known as the 'Marilyn Monroe of Calcutta' and Shelley was a lookalike of actress Jane Mansfield.
In the 1920's, two Swiss gentlemen, Mr. Trinca and Mr. Flury opened two tea-rooms across the road from each other. They named it Flury's and Trinca's. In 1959 Mr. Om Prakash Puri and Mr. Ellis Joshua took over the reins at Trinca's and revamped the erstwhile tea-room into a restaurant. They also successfully acquired a liquor licence in 1961 and introduced the concept of live musical bands performing daily. It created a musical revolution in Calcutta. Other restaurants followed suit soon.
Anyways, here is a juicy piece of gossip. Rumour has it that Mr. Flury had ran away with Mrs. Trinca and therefore the friendship between the two Swiss gentlemen fell apart. This scandal had created quite a stir in Calcutta's social circles back then. In those days Park Street belonged to the upper crust of society. The street continued to swing merrily till the seventies. Then the Naxalite Revolution, militant unionism by the evil Communist Parties and a steep 30% Entertainment Tax took out the glamour from Park Street's musical night life. The Communist Scoundrels believed that singing and dancing were all bourgeois indulgences. Most restaurants closed their daily musical acts. Trincas is the only restaurant which continued with its musical tradition since day one.
Some Place Else opened in 1997. During my College years in Xavier's I used to go to Some Place Else a lot. Orient Express, Hip Pocket, Krosswindz, Span, Saturday Night Blues etc. used to perform there. I used to go to Tantra too, but more than DJ music, I loved live musicians making music. I went a few times to Trincas too, but I preferred Some Place Else. Trincas seemed a place for the old generation back in those days. During my College years, on saturday nights, I first used to go to Olypub late in the evening. From there I used to go to Some Place Else. Sometimes two bands used to play on one night. One from 10 p.m. to midnight and another band from midnight to 2 a.m. Also every now and then Skinny Alley used to perform there. I was and still am a huge fan of Amyt Dutt. A few years back I bought this book on Some Place Else from Oxford. It is a must-have for any SPE lover. Some Place Else is really SPEcial.
I used to walk up and down the entire length and breadth of Park Street, sometimes with friends, girlfriends or sometimes even alone. Park Street has changed so much. New shops have come up in place of old shops. The street constantly keeps changing. I really miss some of the old shops. More than a decade back there was a nice cosy coffee joint named Nescafe, where today the VIP shop stands. It was divided into two floors. Mostly couples used to go there and sit on the upper floor. If I remember correctly, the price of the coffee was sixteen rupees per cup. They used to pour the coffee from a vending machine into a paper cup. In those days I was dating this girl from Loreto College and we used to go to Nescafe a lot and sit upstairs. It was not expensive like the Baristas or the CCDs. And then we used to walk hand in hand throughout Park Street. When Nescafe closed down in Park Street, I really felt very sad.
Au Bon Pain is now my most favourite destination in Park Street. It opened on 23rd December 2013. I am going there from day one. Whenever I go to Park Street for some work or pleasure, I always make it a point to drop in at Au Bon Pain for atleast half an hour. I love their Mango Lassi very much. Also the Chicken Cream Soup is delicious. There is a comfortable laid-back ambience and I just love hanging out there. My Blog Post on Au Bon Pain is here.
A few weeks back Au Bon Pain closed for some more renovations and opened again with this new look. They have started a new promo scheme where one can have unlimited tea or cold drinks for a fixed price.
I had first entered Barista around 2002. I immediately fell in love with Barista. Back then CCD was on the Peter Cat side, but I never liked it. Barista was always my preferred choice. Barista used to have a black acoustic guitar on their wall. Anyone could take it down and strum it. Whenever I used to go there, I used to strum a few chords and play a few notes on this black guitar. Once I noticed that the first string was broken. The next evening I went there again after my Political Science classes got over at St. Xavier's College, and replaced the first string on my own and tuned it perfectly with my electric guitar tuner. The Manager of Barista was pleased with my effort. I always used to sit on the ground floor and watch the passing crowd on Park Street through the glass door. Only when I took my then girlfriend there, then we used to go and sit upstairs, which was like a more private place. Here are some pictures of mine at Barista, almost 12 years back, with my friend Abhishek Mukherjee.
These days Barista and CCD coexist side by side opposite to Flurys. I love the two new high cushioned chairs at Barista which are placed just beside the glass door. Here I am sitting on one of them. Recently I bought another Coffee Mug from Barista.
I used to love hanging out at Oxford Bookstore too. I still do. Love browsing through the countless number of books there. Whenever I go there I always talk to Mr. Satram Motwani, who has been looking after this shop since 1948. He is the grand old man of Oxford Bookstore. The Cha Bar is a bit expensive. I have had tea there only a few times. Oxford also organises various literary events throughout the year. Another beautiful thing about Oxford is that you can strike up a conversation with the foreigners (read foreigner girls) easily. A lot of foreigners usually hang out there and they are more than eager to talk to a friendly soul. I have done it so many times. Once I became friends with a Spanish girl at Oxford and later I took her to Barista for coffee. Had a lovely chat with her.
After coming out of Olypub if you walk towards the Metro Station, you will bump into a few pimps who claim that they can get any type of girls for you - school girls, college girls, house wives etc. There is one fat pimp who just sits there on a concrete raised platform, near the new Rajdhani restaurant, and waits for his customers. He always wears a half shirt and a lungi. I have been seeing him since the year 2000. Still today he has not lost a single kilo in his body. Still today he looks the same. Throughout the day people usually avoid him, but I have seen him doing brisk business on Saturday nights. The infamous Karnani Mansion lies nearby. Rumour has it that a few flats there indulge in sex trade. The Police have also raided the place a few times. I usually avoid eye contact with the pimps of Park Street. I feel uneasy around them. The fat pimp sits on this raised platform :
A few years back there was a mad man/beggar who used to lie down on the footpath near Oxford Bookstore. He used to look like Karl Marx and had a sort of serenity in his eyes. We used to call him the Karl Marx of Park Street. I never saw him ask anyone for money. He just used to lie on the footpath. Some people used to give him money and food. These days however I don't see him anymore.
Then there is another old woman who begs on Park Street. Her name is Bernadette Cranston. She speaks fluent English and is an Anglo Indian. I have been seeing her for the last 16 years. She walks on Park Street and strikes up conversations with random people and later asks for charity and help. Sometimes I give her money, sometimes I buy food for her. I really feel sorry for her. She is a nice person, but because of old age and poverty, she has just lost her mind a bit.
I also love Park Street Cemetery a lot, especially during winters. I have taken long walks inside the Cemetery on winter afternoons, sometimes with my girlfriend, sometimes alone. I just love the peace and tranquility of the place. The Caretaker Mr. Kenneth is a lovely gentleman. There is a rumour that there are ghosts in that Cemetery. I really want to have some sort of a supernatural experience there. So far I have never bumped into any ghost there. Bad luck!
A few years back there used to be a tea room on the ground floor of Park Mansions, diagonally opposite to Music World, which was called T3 (The Tea Table). It had a old world charm and did not have any modern over-the-top frills. I loved the place very much. The prices were reasonable and the service was good. When Flurys was being renovated, its old furniture along with its vintage waiters were shifted here. Thats how T3 was born. The Flurys' old timers started flocking to T3. I myself have seen many senior journalists and media personalities at T3. Sadly the restaurant closed down and in its place Pizza Hut came up in 2013. Within two years even Pizza Hut closed down there and a Maruti Suzuki showroom has come up there now. But I really miss the old T3 on Park Street.
Flurys reopened on December 2004, without the apostrophe. I still remember on the opening night there was a huge queue outside the gate. I did not get in there on the opening night because I hate standing in queues. That very week I went there during the day and had an English breakfast. The interiors are awesome. Love their chandelier. Love their rum-balls. The pastries, though a bit expensive, are really delicious. I love sitting on the window side. Over all these years I have been to Flurys so many times and each time I sat on the window side.
The first time I took a mobile connection was in 2003. I still use that number. It was an Airtel connection. There is this Airtel Customer Care branch at Park Street where I have been going since 2003. I have gone there so many times for various reasons that most of the guys over there know me by name. I even once dated a girl from Airtel. Our affair had lasted for over a year. I was then in first year College at St. Xavier's and she was working in Park Street Airtel. She was five years older to me. She was indeed a very sweet girl and had a soft heart. I really have fond memories revolving around this Park Street Airtel branch.
Near Park Street, there is the Dreamland Restaurant, at the mouth of Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road. I have been going to this restaurant since 2000. I always sit on the balcony. The prices are reasonable and the food is good. Here I am sitting at Dreamland at my favourite spot. I have always preferred this corner spot on their Balcony for the last sixteen years. So many years have passed but the charm of this corner chair is still the same. And whenever I go there most of the time I order mixed gravy noodles.
There is a salon on Park Street called A.N. John. When I was a child, one of my Uncles, who was very rich, used to go there for hair cut. Then when I grew up and started earning money, I once went there for a hair cut. It felt great. Though I still prefer my friendly neighbourhood saloon.
Some Calcuttans really felt proud when KFC and McDonald's opened in Park Street. It seemed like Calcutta has finally arrived on the world food stage with these poster boys of Globalization opening shops here. I myself was indifferent to this. I am not fascinated by these big names. On 12th August 2007 there was a mysterious blast at McDonald's and one man was killed in this freak accident. I remember the date perfectly because it was my birthday.
There are four main shops which sell chicken/mutton rolls on Park Street. They are Hot Kati Roll, Kusum's, The Roll Shop and Lucita Snacks Bar. Among these I think Kusum's is the best. There is one other restaurant, called Golden Spoon on the Peter Cat side, where the rolls are good too.
There used to be another restaurant named Peiping, which has closed down now. I still remember during the 2004 Durga Puja, me and my friends went there for lunch on Ashtami. The food was good and the prices were reasonable. After lunch we all went to Music World and then in the evening we all went to Maddox Square.
I really felt sad when the Metropolitan Book Store shifted to Loudon Street. Sixteen years back I used to buy all my note-books and other stationery from this place. I have a special soft-corner in my heart for this little shop.
Just at the mouth of Park Street, near Asiatic Society, there is Hanuman Ji.
Park Street's pin code is 700016. I love Anjan Dutta's album Kolkata 16, which is a reference to Park Street. So many times I have seen Anjan Dutta at Park Street, either coming out of Flurys or going inside Park Hotel. I am a huge fan of Anjan Dutta since my childhood days.
I have bought a lot of birthday greetings cards and gifts from Giggles. Over the years I have also bought a lot of Valentine's Day cards from here. I love this shop a lot. This shop has a great collection of gifts and other items.
Last year The Times Of India organised Happy Street on Park Street on four Sundays between February and March. It was a series of fun filled Sunday mornings. For more pictures of Happy Street, click here. The Happy Street area covered a rough quadrilateral covering Park Street, Camac Street, Middleton Street and Russel Street. Vehicular traffic was totally prohibited in the area from 6 a.m. to around 10 a.m. Children and young adults took part in various sports activities. Young boys sang and played music. The whole area was divided into various zones for various fun activities. I saw that the children were very happy with this Happy Street event on Park Street.
The real beauty of Park Street can be seen in the month of December, during Christmas and New Year. The whole of Park Street is lit up and decorated beautifully. There is a festive spirit all around. The restaurants and bars overflow with patrons. There are musical concerts held at Allen Park. Most of the famous singers and bands perform at Allen Park. Temporary food stalls are erected on the footpaths. They serve everything from momos to pastries. On Christmas evenings vehicles are prohibited from entering Park Street. The whole street gets full with pedestrians. Many people can be seen in Santa caps and wearing large goggles. A huge Santa Claus is also erected at Park Street. On New Year's Eve, Park Street gets choc a bloc full with revellers. Sometimes the Police even have to lathhi-charge!
Whenever I go to the restaurant Moulin Rouge, the Baz Luhrmann film comes to my mind. It was a fantastic film. I love the Duck-Festivals at this restaurant.
A lot of beggars beg on Park Street. Little children are forced to beg here. Poor young boys and girls try to sell balloons and chewing gums to passersby. Especially when a couple is walking together, these little persistent beggars follow them for quite some time. There is a little boy named Sheikh Umzan who begs there. I always give him money. I sometimes buy biscuits and cold drinks for him. He always gives me a sweet smile and a flying kiss.
I must not forget to mention the Stephen Court fire which happened on 23rd March 2010. I saw the news on TV and was horrified. So many people lost their lives.
By the way I somehow don't like the Park Street flyover. Its really an eye sore.
Amitabh Bachchan spent eight years in Calcutta when he was working here. He landed here in 1962 looking for a job. In his Blog he still reminisces about the old Calcutta and talks about Park Street, Moulin Rouge, Mocambo, Firpo’s, Flurys, Waldorf, Sky Room etc. He talks about the Prawn Cocktails from the restaurants in Park Street. Amitabh Bachchan's first job in Kolkata was in 'Bird and Co.', that had paper mills and coal mines and then in 'Mackinnon Mackenzie', 'Shaw Wallace' and later he worked for 'Blacker & Co.', a shipping and freight brokers' company, before making his debut in 'Saat Hindustani' in 1969. Recently in 'Piku', Amitabh Bachchan cycled in various parts of Calcutta. I loved the film very much.
If you walk from Park Street Metro Station towards Loudon Street then you will come across these landmarks on your left hand side :
Bestaste Momo
Asiatic Society
Singer Showroom
Central Bank of India
Central Bank of India ATM
Asiatic Society Publication Division
Family Book Shop
Hot Kati Roll
National Textile Corporation Ltd.
Peiping Restaurant (now closed)
Apeejay House
Trincas
Ming Room
Park Hotel
Oxford Bookstore (Junior)
Ali Joo Furriers
Oxford Bookstore
Kwality Restaurant
Ramjiram Paan Shop
Free Mason's Hall
Rajdhani Restaurant
Samsung
Olypub
R.P. Gupta Paan Shop
Patanjali
The Roll Shop
Starlit Garden Bar and Restaurant
Moulin Rouge
31 Park Street (Private)
Oasis Restaurant
Jubilee Stores Liquor Shop
Tata Do Co Mo
Toyota Showroom
Bar B Q Restaurant
Calcutta Carpets
Bhalla's Carpets
McDonald's
R.J. Shaw Paan Shop
Flavours Of China Restaurant
CCD
Barista
Vodafone
Nexa - Maruti Suzuki Showroom
iStore
Delsey Paris
Veda
GKB Opticals
Rajaniklal Sales (P) Ltd.
Samsonite
VIP
Victor Bros. (Auction House and Antique Shop)
India Post ATM
Park Street Post Office
Apsara Apartments
Gangaram Paan Shop
Petrol Pump
Park Plaza
World Of Titan
Bingsha Shatabdi Book Shop
Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd.
Manyavar
S.P. Shaw Paan Shop
Maggi Point
Turner Head Salon
West Bengal Board Of Secondary Education
Sandvik
Sarovar Sarees
B.P. Poddar Institute Of Management & Technology
Saarang Sarees
Petrol Pump
Shreyas Sarees
Rupraashi Sarees
Rajgharana
Police Station
Avani Signature
Metropolitan Book Store
Tanshi Bridal
Petrol Pump
Savera Sarees
Tres Loudon
Belong
Siddha Point
Ravi Auto House
If you walk from Park Street Metro Station towards Loudon Street then you will come across these landmarks on your right hand side :
Bandhan Bank ATM
Bandhan Bank
The Mobile Store
Airtel Customer Care
Interio
ICICI Bank
Oriflame
Punjab National Bank
Raymond
India's Hobby Centre
Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corp. Ltd.
SBI ATM
Axis Bank
Giggles Gift Shop
Barkat Ali & Bros.
Hakuna Matata
Harmony House
Chemould
Castlewood
A.N. John Salon
Satramdas Dhalamal
Mags
Pulpy Grape Juice
Magnolia Restaurant
Raza Stores
One Step Up Restaurant
Jet Airways
Silver Grill
Flurys
Au Bon Pain
Peter Cat
Times Furnishing
Tresstalk Salon
MI Service Centre
Gossip
Foreign Money Changer
DBS Bank
Goel Furnishings
Lawrence & Mayo
Fast Track
SBBJ ATM
Blue Heaven Salon
State Bank Of Bikaner & Jaipur
South Indian Bank ATM
South Indian Bank
Badruddin Paan Shop
Arshad Salon
Sk. Akhtar Ali Paan Shop
Sugar & Spice
Paan Mahal Paan Shop
Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick Sweet Shop
A small tea/coffee/snacks shop
Magma House
Lucita Snacks Bar
Marco Polo Restaurant
UBI Bank
UBI ATM
Magma
HP World
Compaq
Superlite
Intex Smart World
Falcon
Paan Shop
Barbeque Nation
Park Centre Market
Tantuja
Dreamlite
Moumita
Computer Exchange
Wadhwana
Mother Teresa Statue
Allen Park
Geological Survey Of India
St. Xavier's College
Archbishop's House
Office Of The Deputy Commissioner Of Police
Seventh Day Adventist Church
Seventh Day Adventist School
Lastly listen to this :
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As an old acquaintance(Xaverian) of yours who's only found out your blog today I should congratulate you on a very good read. I do appreciate your Park Street-philia and hope you prosper without ever outgrowing your love. চরৈবেতি!
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