A bustling Khader Nawaz Khan Road on a Sunday evening
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Road
If you are a Chennaiite, you would have seen the metamorphosis of the city over the decades. And when you stroll through the ‘cobblestoned’ Khader Nawaz Khan (KNK) Road or participate in the community activities at Pondy Bazaar, you can, perhaps, see a new side of the city playing out before your eyes.Around 5 p.m. on a Sunday, the many benches on KNK Road were full, with a younger crowd swarming around and singing along to an impromptu music jam. While the pedestrian plaza makeover has been described as Chennai’s version of Bengaluru’s Church Street, some are not fond of the comparison.“There is no point of comparison because Chennai has its own culture, and it is not overwhelmingly noisy here. My friends and I have been coming here every weekend ever since it reopened. We grab something to eat and sit on the benches along KNK Road,” says CA student Abinaya R. “It is better than just sitting in my hostel. We like the vibe here because everywhere you turn, it is like a fashion statement,” she adds.Growing busking sceneThird places are essentially spaces where communities gather and connect, with home being the first place and work the second. Engineering student Swaminath P.G. was singing while his team was strumming their guitars nearby. He says busking in Chennai was rarely seen a few years ago but is now becoming more common on KNK Road, at Anna Nagar Tower Park, Pondy Bazaar, and elsewhere.
