Lower Parel and Worli

Industrial wasteland-tuned luxe hangout
Noteworthy for: Opened in 2009, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link has made it immeasurably easier to trapeze from Lower Parel and Worli's hip boutiques to Bandra's chic bars and restaurants.

Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, Lower Parel was an upmarket British residential area. But when cholera hit Mumbai in the 19th century, the Brits bailed out and the cotton mills moved in. Following a strike in the 1980s, the mills closed down, too. Sniffing a bargain, developers snapped up this prime real estate in the heart of the increasingly-cramped city.
Two decades on, Lower Parel in one of the Mumbai's most hip and happening suburbs; its old mills replaced with premium housing and luxury malls like Phoenix Mills. Artists, musicians, fashion designers and restaurateurs have all set up shop, attracting cool crowds in droves.

Nearby Worli has long been a commercial hub, and the Sea Face is still a particular draw for visitors. Peppered with restaurants, bars and envious luxury homes, it's a great place to take an evening stroll.