[Karthik1100]

laluks: You actually know nothing of M.G Road!

Originally Posted by laluks

Thanks Visran.
Where is this airlines hotel? Probably I might gather enough courage to do a drive once more

Airlines is on Lavelle road.

Airlines now shares the compound with the BMW showroom. Started way back in 1965, Airlines is now the only surviving Garden Restaurant. Famous for driven in - Park restaurant, now also known for Corner house ice cream and Italian Pizza shop.

I have no clue about Lakeview, probably the MG Road regulars can clarify.

Sharing your own pic, Lakeview was a very famous Icecream shop a till few years ago, along with Richie Rich before Corner house n others took over. The old Building which housed the Lakeview was demolished and new structure was built two years ago and Lakeview is back now in the new building as seen in the pic.

I remember those old days when we were regular there for icecream after dinner.

Some old pics of M.G Road. M.G Road was known as South Parade back then.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Karthik1100

I remember those old days when we were regular there for icecream after dinner.

+1. Dinner at any of those hotels and then ice cream at lakeview! And last but not least followed by a movie at Plaza,Galaxy, Symphony or Rex !
And infact after that late night movie it would be a long walk back!

During day time instead of lake view, it would be the India Coffee house.

Lalu, Nice reminder for all. I already feel very old !

[laluks]

Originally Posted by Karthik1100

laluks: You actually know nothing of M.G Road!

. I was never a regular there any time.

Originally Posted by Karthik1100

Airlines is on Lavelle road.

Airlines now shares the compound with the BMW showroom. Started way back in 1965, Airlines is now the only surviving Garden Restaurant. Famous for driven in - Park restaurant, now also known for Corner house ice cream and Italian Pizza shop.

That's nice to know.
Should check this out.

Originally Posted by Karthik1100

Some old pics of M.G Road. M.G Road was known as South Parade back then.

Thanks for the pictures

Originally Posted by ampere

+1. Dinner at any of those hotels and then ice cream at lakeview! And last but not least followed by a movie at Plaza,Galaxy, Symphony or Rex !
And infact after that late night movie it would be a long walk back!

During day time instead of lake view, it would be the India Coffee house.

Lalu, Nice reminder for all. I already feel very old !

I once saw a movie at Symphony, btw is that the one near to Public Utility building facing MG road?

What was the one facing Residency Road?

There was one near the end of Brigade road? Which was that?

[Karthik1100]

Originally Posted by laluks

. I was never a regular there any time.

I once saw a movie at Symphony, btw is that the one near to Public Utility building facing MG road?

Yes. Now it's called Fame Shankarnag.

What was the one facing Residency Road?

Galaxy, demolished a decade ago and now a Mall is being built!

There was one near the end of Brigade road? Which was that?

Rex and Opera(non-functional), still exists.

BTW, do anybody remember what was in the place of M.G Road's Bangalore Central?

[Hurrycane12]

Originally Posted by laluks

I think some one drove me here for a dinner many years ago. Is there any restaurant up there?

Lalu - You are right Barton Center still has the top floor restaurant called "13th Floor" I guess

Brilliant pictures and write up as usual, you brought a lot of memories back specially seeing the photograph of the TOI Building. I worked in the TOI building for 7 years and the day used to start very early to ensure I get parking either at Church Street or Rest House Road.

Frequented most of the restaurants around the place and every new joint was a must try. Lakeview apart from ice creams used to serve baked beans on toast and other delicacies during lunch hours.

Missing the Plaza Theater Building which is now the New Metro Station Building. TBHPian's family owned the "Phoenix Watch Company" which was situated at the entrance of Plaza Theater.

Wish the entire Bangalore city roads had the surface which MG Road has

Originally Posted by Karthik1100

BTW, do anybody remember what was in the place of M.G Road's Bangalore Central?

It was Victoria Hotel, lovely place, had colonial styling and the food was very good.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by Karthik1100

Yes. Now it's called Fame Shankarnag.

Originally Posted by laluks

I once saw a movie at Symphony, btw is that the one near to Public Utility building facing MG road?

Saw quite many movies at all the 4 theaters before they started closing down one by one.

Originally Posted by Karthik1100

BTW, do anybody remember what was in the place of M.G Road's Bangalore Central?

He He! Victoria. The place for "High Tea" with Silver Cutlery. Never went to it. But always fancied having break fast there some time. Poor students were not supposed to go in there you see!

[NPV]

Originally Posted by laluks

Where is this airlines hotel? Probably I might gather enough courage to do a drive once more

Airlines hotel is another landmark place, has a Corner House outlet as well in their campus. Easiest way to reach the place is to reach MG Road, Queen's statue/Chinnaswamy Stadium/Cubbon Park junction (aka Anil Kumble Circle) and turn left at Jewels De Paragon (it's the left turn after St Marks Road junction on MG Road). Then take the right turn (going straight will go back to Koshy's!) onto Lavelle Road. At the next junction, turn left and first campus to the right is Airlines - it has smaller buildings inside and lot of open space where cars are parked - usually jam-packed during peak visiting hours/weekends but worth a dekho if you've never been there

In fact the place is just about 5 minute walk from the Yusuf Arakkal art work, the Book/Bible society buildings, Hard Rock Cafe and Koshy's where you were on that Sunday, so give us another good read with nice pictures of this place as well

[BeantownThinker]

Originally Posted by laluks

I once saw a movie at Symphony, btw is that the one near to Public Utility building facing MG road?

What was the one facing Residency Road?

There was one near the end of Brigade road? Which was that?

Ok. Let me help out here on the movie theatres in this area.

On MG Road, where the stairs to the Metro are we had "Plaza". Next door, where there is some construction going on, we had the bigger "Blue Moon" and the smaller "Blue Diamond".

"Symphony" still continues to be there at the PU Building. Now it is known as "Fame Shankar Nag", which is named after a very popular actor Shankar Nag, brother of another actor Anant Nag.

Down the road on Brigade road we still have "Rex" and opposite to that was another popular cinema of the 60s and 70s "Opera".

The one on Residency road you are refering to was "Galaxy", which has been demolished and a new luxury mall coming in its place.

The other end of MG Road, near Trinity Circle, we had "Lido", where we now have the buildings of "Fame Lido" and now the Hyatt Hotel.

Of all these the only ones left now are Rex and Symphony.

[Karthik1100]

Originally Posted by Hurrycane12

Wish the entire Bangalore city roads had the surface which MG Road has

MG Road is no more smooth like before. Metro works and subsequent leakages from the tracks has screwed up the road. Not to forget the uneven dividers and temporary widening of one side of the road till the Anil kumble circle.

It was Victoria Hotel, lovely place, had colonial styling and the food was very good.

Originally Posted by ampere

He He! Victoria. The place for "High Tea" with Silver Cutlery. Never went to it. But always fancied having break fast there some time. Poor students were not supposed to go in there you see!

Thanks a ton guys! Wanted to know this from so many years.

A quick Google search resulted in this art work!



http://blog.travelnride.com/journey-...paul-fernandes

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by ampere

+1. Dinner at any of those hotels and then ice cream at lakeview! And last but not least followed by a movie at Plaza,Galaxy, Symphony or Rex !
And infact after that late night movie it would be a long walk back!

During day time instead of lake view, it would be the India Coffee house.

Lalu, Nice reminder for all. I already feel very old !

Lakeview was the one where you can order icecream from your car right?
My regular movie place used to be Lido – for the regular dose of Bollywood and Malayalam movies. Someone told me that Lido also is history now.

This is turning to be a nostalgic trip

[abirnale]

Wow, Laluks and Karthik1100! You guys have refreshed an old page in the memory! I remember my evenings 12 years ago when I used walk from Domlur cycle to MG road at least once a week to roam around MG road. Those were good old days. For past so many years due to distance from my current residence (at the end of south bangalore) and increased traffic at heart of the city, never visited this boulevard. Just few meetings at one of those hotels on MG road, that too chauffeur driven, did not make me realize the MG road charm as much as your write up did!

So, tons of thanks for taking us back into the past and making us realize the fresh new look MG Road boulevard wears today! Seems like its time to go back here with probably the little ones on early weekend morning

[noopster]

Originally Posted by Hurrycane12

It was Victoria Hotel, lovely place, had colonial styling and the food was very good.

Originally Posted by ampere

He He! Victoria. The place for "High Tea" with Silver Cutlery. Never went to it. But always fancied having break fast there some time. Poor students were not supposed to go in there you see!

You missed something, Amp! I was fortunate to have my first stint in Bangalore at the early part of my career during the late 90s. Pre IT megaboom, you could get from one end of town to another in half an hour, plus I was staying with my sis at their beautiful apartment in Coxtown. A friend and classmate worked at Andersen and we would do Victoria long breakfast at least once a month, not to mention spending evenings at Oberoi Grand or Taj Residency, feeling like bosses!

When I went back to Bangalore after a few years something had changed; the magic was gone. It feels good that some things still stay the same!

[ratsharm]

Few would remember Liberty and Empire Cinema Halls on MG Road aside from Blue Moon/ Blue Diamond, Plaza and Symphony. Even fewer will remember "Popats" opposite TOI now a Car Park. Yester years restaurants- Funnels now Deccan Herald is oft repeated by my dad who owned Phoenix Watch Works on Plaza Theatre Building. The famous saying from Julius Ceaser - "the evil that men do, lives after them, the good is oft interred in their bones". So, is Bangalore. Some great places have gone, new ones have come...life goes on!

[NPV]

Wow, this is turning into a Bangalore Nostalgia thread.
Talking of theatres in that area:

• BRV Theatre was nearby as well on Cubbon Road/Central Street junction. Remember watching movies there.
• There was a Liberty theatre on MG Road but I think it made way for Blu Moon and Blu Diamond where I remember watching movies but not Liberty.
• the picture titled "This guy was playing cricket on MG Road!" in Post #3 - you can see Arya Bhavan sweets/Classic Business Centre - that also used to be a movie theatre called Empire. I don't remember going to a movie there, probably closed in 70's or 80's not sure.

.

Also, can't forget Dosa and coffee at India Coffee House and Premier Book House (Plaza theatre complex), Gangaram's book store nearby where we spent a lot of time.
And on Residency Road, anybody remember Hotel Sapna ? Another good place for Idli/Dosa!

[ratsharm]

Incidently, MG Road was earlier name "South Parade".