Marine Drive

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See also Marine Drive, Kochi or Marine Drive (Nova Scotia).

Marine Drive is also a senic byway in Snohomish County, Washignton. See Marine Drive (Washington)

Marine Drive

Marine Drive skyline, sunset looking at Nariman Point.

Marine Drive (Marathi:मरीन ड्राईव) is a 3 km long boulevard in South Mumbai in the city of Mumbai. It is an inverted 'C'-shaped six lane concrete road along the coast which is a natural bay. The road links Nariman Point to Babulnath and Malabar Hill. Marine Drive is situated over reclaimed land facing west-south-west. The bay is part of the Arabian Sea.

[edit] The Promenade

The official name for this road, though rarely used, is: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road. It was earlier known as Sonapur to local Marathi people. The highlight of Marine drive is the beautiful promenade along the road where many of the citizens take in a breath of fresh air and view the daily sunsets. The promenade is lined with palm trees. At the northern end of Marine Drive is Chowpatty Beach. This is a popular beach famed for its Bhel puri (local fast food). Many restaurants also line this stretch of the road. Further down this road lies Walkeshwar, a wealthy neighbourhood of the city, also home to the governor of Maharashtra.

Most of the buildings which were built by wealthy Parsis sport an art deco look that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Miami in the United States is the only city in the world that has more art deco buildings along the seafront than Mumbai.

Real estate prices along the esplanade are among the highest in India. A lot of celebrities live here. Many hotels dot the drive, most prominent among them being The Hilton Towers (formerly the Oberoi), The Intercontinental, Hotel Marine Plaza and a few other smaller hotels. Marine Drive is the preferred connecting road between the central business district located at Nariman Point and the rest of the city.

Marine Drive is also known as the Queen's Necklace because if viewed at night from an elevated point anywhere along the drive, the street lights resemble a string of pearls. It is also the worlds largest viewing gallery and hence has been a host to a number of events that take place along the promenade.

[edit] Major Events

Marine Drive has hosted the following major events in recent times.

IAF airshow, October 17, 2004
Mumbai Marathon 9 February 2004 — an international marathon.
International Fleet Review 19 February 2001 — The world's major navies took part in the IFR.
French Festival 1988.