Most Interesting Neighbourhoods to Live in Colombo – Ancient City; Modern Splendours

Denoted as Colombo 05 on the grid Thimbirigasyaya was once a hard to navigate a narrow stretch of road. However, with some drawn out construction, the road was widened giving the entire area a marvellous facelift. This neighbourhood is now home to a fine selection of shops and restaurants as well as institutes of learning and religious places. Thimbirigasyaya is central to greater Colombo; turn down Jawatta Road and you are in the plush neighbourhood of Colombo 7 while prominent suburbs of Nawala and Nugegoda are a few minutes' drive down the road.

This is a throughway that connects Colombo to the Rajagiriya and Battaramulla areas. Horton Place falls under Colombo 7 and is one of the oldest plush neighbourhoods in the city. Head further up the road and you are connected to Colpetty the busy hub of Colombo 2. Horton Place was and is a charming neighbourhood of well laid out residential neighbourhoods; today the area is evolving as a centre for arts and fine dining businesses such as the gourmet chocolatier and designer art studio located there.

Marine Drive is a fairly new stretch of road that runs along the coast. One can enjoy amazing vistas of the ocean from this stretch which is thriving since the road was widened not too far back; the area is famous for its selection of eateries that stretch from Colombo 3 all the way to Wellawatta which is Colombo 6. If you are looking for a luxury apartment, Colombo 2 district and its surrounding areas would place you within the heart of the Commercial Capital while Marine Drive will give you quick connections to the southern points of the city.

Part of the bustling Colombo 2 metropolis Gangaramaya is a more laid back neighbourhood surrounded by the Beira Lake. A hop step and jump away from Capitol TwinPeaks the area is close to Staples Street where you find a bevvy of high-end restaurants, top notch hospitals and popular supermarket chains. With the likes of Park Street Mews and the very popular Café Francois being located in this area many expats and cosmopolitan locals favour residence at one of the luxury apartment complexes located in Colombo 2.

Liberty Roundabout is a much-commercialised neighbourhood; the place is home to a huge mall, iconic cinema and many fashion stores as well as high-end designer boutiques. The interconnecting lanes though offer charming neighbourhoods while access to the Galle Road is a synch from this location. Five-star hotels are a few minutes away while vintage attraction the Galle Face Green is easily accessible from here. It is, in fact, a short stroll along the Galle Road if you are up to it. These are some of the best neighbourhoods of Colombo and as you can see despite not having proper infrastructure the place is well connected offering easy access to its locales.