What you see - The latest addition to the burgeoning list of malls in the twin cities is the City Center at Banjara Hills. Centrally located, this five-storied mall is a one-stop destination for all your needs - from basics to luxury. A striking point of the mall is the existence of quite a many factory outlets and a combo of high and reasonably priced stores. So you can rest assured that you will get variety without burning a hole in your pocket. Moreover, the vendors here are trying their best to lure buyers with gifts and discounts.
When we visited the mall, the shooting of a movie was in progress in the open area. The brouhaha had set the otherwise serene (on weekdays) mall abuzz. Even the sales personnel from some of the stores didn’t mind missing their duties so as to catch a glimpse of the actors.
What you get – In terms of the things that you can get at City Center, there is Food Bazaar on the ground floor for your kitchen needs and toiletries and then there is Dollar Store on Level 1 that sells most of its extensive range of imported goods for Rs. 99. Believe us; they even have vacuum cleaners for Rs. 99!
Then you have Globus that extends to the Level 2 as well. As far as men’s wear goes, they have a wide range of ethnic and western formals and casuals from popular brands apart from accessories. And for kids, you have everything ranging from frocks with zari and bead-work to plain skirts. Kurtis, trousers and stoles for formal dos are worth a look as far as women’s wear is concerned. All in all, the clothes sport a stylish look but are high on the cost.
One of the popular hubs at City Center is Crossword. Now this book store seems to not just attract book-lovers but others as well, thanks to the coffee shop, Brio. And Max that stocks trendy stuff at reasonable prices is another popular destination at the mall as well. T-shirts here are priced from Rs. 299 onwards and kurtis start from Rs. 399. It’s more of mix-and-match here and if you follow fashion closely, their accessories section houses the stuff that’s currently in vogue.
Apart from that, all popular brands like Ven Heusen, Reid & Taylor, Adidas and Pepe have set up exclusive stores at the mall. Other apparel stores here include Biba and Fi. There’s a lot for your electronic and home needs too with stores like Collection I, e Zone and even a factory outlet from Welspun. For footwear, it is undoubtedly Shoe Factory that you should visit.
City Center also has great food and beverage outlets from the BJN Group on Level 5. These include Indi Joe, Sahib Sindh Sultan, Aromas of China and Firangi Paani. And how can we forget McDonald’s that’s crowded at any and every time of the day?
Our verdict - The mall is a breather for the Banjara Hills residents who need not move from one store to another for all their needs. Visit it - for clothes, footwear, groceries or even the scrumptious food at BJN’s restaurants. But make sure you don’t park your vehicle right outside it, like many others do (in spite of the “No Parking” signs right there).
Drive to – City Center,
Junction of Road No. 1 & 10,
Banjara Hills,
Hyderabad - 500034.
Anytime between - 11 AM – 10 PM
Posted on: May 25, 2007
