The neighbourhood stays in Bengaluru that worked better than the city centre

The first time I looked for a place to stay in Bengaluru, I went straight for the centre. It seemed like the sensible thing to do. Stay close to MG Road, keep the main parts of the city within reach, and save time getting around.

At least, that was the plan.

The first day made me question it. A short distance on the map did not always feel short on the road, and I spent more time in traffic than I had expected. By the second morning, I was already wondering if being close to everything was actually making the trip easier. So I started looking at the neighbourhoods differently.

Bengaluru felt easier to explore from Indiranagar

I had only planned to look around for a while before moving on. It was simply one of the places I had heard about while looking for somewhere to stay. Then I spent a morning there.

I walked out looking for breakfast and ended up walking much farther than I had planned. There were cafes, little shops and residential lanes opening up behind the busier roads. I could stop when something caught my attention instead of watching the time because I had another place to reach.

The Purple Line metro helped too. Getting towards central Bengaluru did not feel like a major outing, so I never really felt cut off from the rest of the city.

One morning, I had breakfast at a small vegetarian place and then found a café for coffee. That was it. No packed schedule. No rushing back to get ready for the next cab ride. It was a small change, but I liked it.

Bengaluru felt less hurried when I stayed in Jayanagar

I ended up spending an afternoon in Jayanagar a couple of days later. The first thing I noticed was how many trees there were along the road. The roads had a more residential feel, and I could spend time outside without feeling I was constantly near Bengaluru’s traffic.

I walked around for most of an afternoon. There were local shops, familiar South Indian food places and plenty of corners where I could simply stop for a while. Lalbagh was close enough to visit without having to plan the entire day around it. I had gone out thinking I would stay for an hour or so.

I stayed much longer. I found myself doing the same thing again the next day. I would make a small plan and then forget about it because there was no real reason to hurry.

There are also established accommodation options in the area, including La Marvella – Bengaluru and Lilac Hotel, 3rd Block Jayanagar. So when I was comparing hotels in Bengaluru, I did not have to choose between a quieter neighbourhood and having a comfortable place to stay.

Bengaluru looked a little older in Malleswaram

Malleswaram was almost left off my list. I was looking at Bengaluru through the places I wanted to visit, and Malleswaram did not seem like an obvious stop. After walking around for a while, I wondered why I had not included it in my original plan.

The streets felt different from the newer commercial parts of the city. There were traditional markets, temples, local stores and old homes. It felt ordinary. That was probably what I liked about it. I went out in the morning, stopped for a vegetarian breakfast and walked around without looking up what I should see next. 

Bengaluru changed the way I chose where to stay

A few days into the trip, my hotel search had changed completely. Would I actually enjoy coming back to this neighbourhood after a day out?

For me, the answer was easier in Indiranagar, Jayanagar and Malleswaram. They were all different. Indiranagar made getting around simple. Jayanagar gave me slower mornings. Malleswaram brought me closer to the older, everyday side of Bengaluru. They would still choose the city centre for a trip focused on MG Road and the surrounding areas.

But I had started the trip thinking that central meant convenient. I left Bengaluru thinking that convenience could also mean having a breakfast place downstairs, being able to walk for a while without a plan, and coming back to a neighbourhood that still had some activity going on. Turns out this worked better for me.