bpb Freebie: Start the new year on a sweet note with a discount on artisan honeys by Under the Mango Tree. For this and other discounts, along with a FREE weekend guide in your inbox every Friday, enter your email address in the subscription box.As midnight approaches, we recap the biggest lifestyle trends of 2009 and ring in the New Year.
Back: In 2009, Mumbai became Miami. It was the year of big clubs and bigger tabs, when we donned our fanciest shoes and partied the night away with the chic throngs (and throne) at Valhalla, Tote, Aer.
Forth: Next year, the party gets smaller and hopefully, smarter. Gallery cafes will be the new hangouts, with culture replacing cocktails and designer coffee trumping handbags. BMB art gallery has just opened an outpost of the Banyan Tree Cafe, and Volte will launch its restaurant in early January, complete with sandwiches, cupcakes (another 2009 hit – find our best of list here) and a collection of hard-to-find arty books that you can browse through or buy.
Getting there: Volte Gallery, 2/19 Kamal Mansion, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba, visit www.volte.in or call 22041220.
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Back: Stars stepped out of the silver screen and crept onto walls, planners, belts. Retro Bollywood art became a symbol of kitschy-cool, with everyone from environmentalists to former film poster artists jumping onto the bandwagon.
Forth: Time to go global. Swap Bachchan for Bono and Himesh for Hitchcock with classy, cool laptop bags by Fungus Designs, which brings together the best international artists to give your accessories a New Year facelift.
Getting there: Shop online at www.fungusdesigns.com or at Taxxi and Vitamin K, Kusum Kunj, next to Mango, Linking Road, Khar (W), Rs 5,300.
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Back: The city’s entertainment circuit went live in 2009, electric with stand-up comedy routines, poetry slams and indie music acts from across the globe.
Forth: 2010 will take live entertainment a step further - underground MMA fight nights and bpb's make-shift restaurants are already giving the city a taste of the thrills to come. Look out for racing of radio-controlled cars, super hot and recently launched onto the market. In the face of these power- packed boy toys that go faster than 150 kmph, ennui will be gone in 60 seconds! Next race on January 10.
Getting there: Tritech International, visit www.tritechgroup.net or call Siddharth on 9820164938, cars start at Rs 10,000.
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Back: 2009 had Mumbai’s name written all over it. Literally. This year, we were obsessed with personalising everything from jigsaw puzzles and golf balls to nails and sneakers.
Forth: Get a fresh lease of life with the new (and growing) rental asylums. Can't afford a Gucci tote? Hire one for a week. for just three months? Rent a four-poster bed. And if you're out of office space, hot desk in a community work hub. The newest landlord in town is Crezca toy library which, with its mini roller coasters, springy trampolines and vertigo-afflicted giraffes will make you feel like a kid again.
Getting there: Shop no 48, Link Square Mall, 33rd Road, opposite KFC, off Linking Road, Bandra (W). Call 32255222 or check out the Facebook page here. Membership is Rs 600 per month
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Back: Avowed urbanites dipped their toes into the wilderness, gingerly participating in daytrips with fishing clubs and luxury camping in Mumbai's backyard.
Forth: Go faster, further, higher. Connect with Himalaya organises exploratory treks to remote, astonishingly beautiful destinations high up in the mountains, with fluid itineraries, unmarked trails and few luxuries. No showers, no cabs, no Blackberry service. Can you handle it?
Getting there: Visit www.connectwithhimalaya.com or call Gaurav Punj at +919833829240, trips start at Rs 8,000 per person
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