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A summer day in Philadelphia can start with a few children and a spray from a hydrant, which quickly turns into a community street party.
Heartbeat of a city
S
oon after I moved from Mumbai to Philadelphia to go to college aged 21, I developed a fascination for exploring a city by walking its streets. It was the 1990s and much of Philadelphia was a mess of abandoned buildings, factories, residences. I would walk alone, somewhat aimlessly, in every direction I thought safe. Even though it was in a state of urban decay, I grew to love Philadelphia’s nebulous tones, its intense textures, its dishevelled character. However run-down it was, its strong history was visible in its architecture, streets and neighbourhoods—the Italian Market area, Chinatown, West Philly. In the summer, families sat out on their stoops, musicians played in parks, children rode bikes, some even opened water hydrants for a grand public shower. The more I travelled, the more my love of exploring a city on foot grew; I liked the way it allowed me to feel the city’s heartbeat. A few years later when I returned to Mumbai, I felt I had hardly explored the city in which I had lived most of my life. I had by then a good friend who shared the same passion. When she started working in the Lalbaug area, we would meet at lunchtime and walk that neighbourhood. We met the priest of the Parsi fire temple and listened to his woes, ate Malwani fish at Shri Datta Boarding House, and explored backstreets selling pickles, flowers, chivda, and mounds of red chillies. For the sheer sensory adventure of it, I still like to go to Lalbaug’s masala galli, where the spice pounding machines are at work. The air is always thick with the aroma of grinding spice blends, and I have to
However run-down it was, its strong history was visible in its architecture, streets and neighbourhoods
watch at a safe distance or it’s difficult to breathe. Winter is perfect for exploring Mumbai’s bylanes and when I can, I like to experience life there. At night, nothing beats the Minara Masjid area’s street food stalls, especially during Ramzan, though it is active all year round. The kebabs, desserts and throngs make for a fantastic experience of local life, even if you eat nothing. Another favourite is Chor Bazaar’s (thieves’ market) Mutton Street in the day time. It is lined with shops selling antiques and restored old furniture. When I manage to rise at dawn, I also like a trip to the Dadar wholesale flower market with its mountains of marigold, jasmine, roses, and all the accompanying colour and cacophony of an Indian bazaar. Two years ago I visited Philadelphia after a decade, and was in for a surprise. Urban renewal projects had turned this city of police sirens and broken glass into an arts and tourist hub. The Mural Arts Project had converted random graffiti into an art form with 3,000 fabulous murals adorning city walls. East Passyunk Avenue, once a mostly abandoned street, was lined with cafés, gourmet food stores, and lively restaurants. South Broad Street, where years ago my friends and I would run several blocks because it was so deserted and derelict, is now part of Avenue of the Arts. Beautiful historic buildings, theatres, and performance spaces have been restored. My old favourite, an abandoned Parthenon-like structure covered in black graffiti is now the University of the Arts building. I was excited to be back in a city whose streets I’d walked for years, but the excitement was compounded now that I could rediscover it all over again. n
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NOVEMBER 2012 | national Geographic Traveller INDIA 9
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