A condo in the centre of activity
CARLTON ESTATE Schools and offices have sprouted nearby and residents don’t worry about their shopping needs as there are two stores and a pharmacy inside
GURUGRAM:When Carlton Estate in DLF5 first came up in 2003, not much was around. Long-time residents said all adjacent plots were empty, except for a couple of newly built condominiums, and that the only nearby landmark was the Genpact building.
“The nearest market was at Arjun Marg in DLF Phase 1. We used to feel like we’re living in a vast, open area, which also made us very lonely at times,” recalled Sachin Jain, who moved to the condominium in April 2003.
But the area has seen rapid development and urbanisation since. Schools and corporate offices have sprouted only a few steps away, and residents said they don’t have to worry about their shopping needs anymore as there are two stores and a pharmacy inside the society.
Carlton Estate shares a club with several other condominiums in DLF5. The club has a swimming pool, badminton courts and other recreational facilities, and members can pay a certain amount to use those. However, residents of Carlton Estate wanted another separate space where they could hold shows and competitions.
“Children didn’t have space to practice dance for various functions. We thought why not open a new recreational room inside the condo,” said Jain, who is also the president of the residents’ welfare association (RWA) of the condominium.
In 2017, a small part of the land was taken up by the RWA, which was cleaned and turned into a room for such activities.
People of the condominium also wanted a small space to read and discuss books. A library too was created in 2017 which now houses more than 1,000 books on various topics – all donated by the residents.
A group of about 10-15 people often get together to manage the library, segregate book, put name tags etc. The library is open all evenings and the whole day on weekends.
People living in Carlton Estate have made health and fitness their priority. They attend a free yoga class by a yoga professional on Saturdays and Sundays at 7 am.
The classes see at least 25 people most days. Children too have karate classes, football classes and cricket classes in the evening.
“Children of different age groups would sometimes get into argument about space while playing earlier. So it was mutually decided that there would be different zones for children of different age groups to play,” said a resident, adding that the toddlers play near the swings where senior citizens also walk while the older children have a designated space to practice cricket or play basketball.
The condominium also has an outdoor gym installed in 2017 besides a walking track. Beneath all of the six towers in the condo are cycle stands which can fit around 70 cycles.
According to residents, the condominium’s horticulture has had a recent makeover.
Earlier, the condo had many vast, barren spaces. But recently all were turned into green patches with seasonal plants and flowers, thanks to residents who took charge of doing so.
The condominium is tight on security with more than 60 CCTV cameras and RFID boom barriers at the entrance.
THE CONDOMINIUM ALSO HAS AN OUTDOOR GYM INSTALLED IN 2017 BESIDES A WALKING TRACK. BENEATH ALL OF THE SIX TOWERS ARE CYCLE STANDS THAT CAN HOLD AROUND 70 BICYCLES