Know your neighbourhood: Besant Nagar

Besant Nagar, which is a well-known area is located in south Chennai. It is named after the famous theosophist Annie Besant. It is a planned locality developed by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB). The establishment of Central Government Staff Quarters (CPWD) has contributed to the locality’s development.
Accessibility:
Besant Nagar is surrounded by Elliot’s Beach in the east, Adyar in the west, Thiruvanmiyur in the south and Adyar Estuary in the north. The airport and central railway station are located at a distance of 16 km and 13 km from this area respectively. In terms of accessibility, it is well connected to all the major locations in the city via bus and train.
Education:
Besant Nagar has some of the finest schools with which provide quality of education. It has pre, primary, high and higher secondary schools. Some of the schools present here are St. Johns English School and Junior College, Little Millennium, Besant Theosophical High School, Olcott Memorial High School, and Gurukulam Ben Kids-International Preschool. Some of the colleges which are located in and around this area include Maharaji College of Pharmacy, Sharmila College of Nursing, Asian College of Journalism, and Central Polytechnic College. It is home to several coaching centres and training institutes for art, dance, yoga, music, and foreign languages.
Hospitality:
Hotels like Dee Cee Inn, Esthell Hotels, Asiana Place, and Ginger are located in close proximity to the locality. Besant Nagar has number of restaurants. Most of the restaurants are located along the beach. Mash, Cozee restaurant, Tasty Jones, Little Italy, Domino’s, and Subway are just some of the eateries located there. It also has serviced apartments and guest houses. Some of the serviced apartments include Lifestyle Residences, Anand Serviced Apartments, and Orchid Serenity Serviced Apartment.
Retail:
Besant Nagar has retail outlets for accessories, footwear, clothing, footwear, furniture, sporting goods, and lumber. Some of the brands include Puma, Dora bags, Words & Worths, Reebok, Hi-style, Fashion Folks, and Just Casuals.
Entertainment:
The Elliot’s Beach popularly known as “Besant Nagar Beach” or “Bessie” is located here. This is one of the cleanest beaches in Chennai and is well suited for long walks. The beach is littered with restaurants and eat-outs and this attracts a number of tourists and locals to this area. Besant Nagar houses theatres like S2 Theyagaraja, and Ganapathyram Theatre. It has a lively nightlife with pubs and bars. Some of them are the Pirate’s bar, Key Café, and Unlock. This locality is in close proximity to the ECR which is considered to be the entertainment corridor of Chennai.
Healthcare:
Besant Nagar has good healthcare facilities. The multi-speciality hospital, Fortis-Malar is located in close proximity to the locality. The locality itself has a number of hospitals and clinics. Santhosh Hospitals, Elite Asian Hospital, and Meera Maternity Clinic are a few of the hospitals present here.
Places of worship:
Besant Nagar is home to some of the famous temples and churches in the city. The famous Annai Vailankanni Church is located here. Some of the famous temples includes Ashtalakshmi Temple, Arupadaiveedu, and Aru Padai Veeru Murugan Temple.
Real Estate:
Besant Nagar is one of the most preferred residential localities in Chennai. It is one of the most expensive localities in the city. Factors such as the beach and the increasing interest to own a home here have contributed to the growth of the retail and residential markets in this part of the city.
Image: “Besant Nagar Beach” by Mathanagopal – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Besant_Nagar_Beach.jpg#/media/File:Besant_Nagar_Beach.jpg
By: indiaproperty.com