If you're new to Vizag and are looking for places to get things done, here are a few tips to help you out - in no particular order:

For men, good old Oxford tailors in the old town has been around for probably about half a century. One of the few tailors with whom you can converse in English, Oxford doesn't claim to be a specialist in anything but will undertake any job from "suits" to "boiler suits" to alterations. Sundar Tailors in Jagadamba junction is supposedly a suit specialist, but will do almost any kind of tailoring entrusted to him. He is also quite reliable. Shops like Raymonds and Hirawat will stitch your clothes only if you buy material from their shop.

No more the preserve of the "fairer sex" (notice the number of unisex saloons) although it is still more frequented by them. Parlours of repute include Senor` Senora` in Dolphin Hotel, Do Up close to CDR Hospital, Asha Jain's parlour in Siripuram junction, Well Groom in the Vuda Complex, in Siripuram to name a few.

Slim Gym on the beach road has been around for quite some time. Most of the big hotels have health clubs but these are sometimes for their guests only. We do know that you can go in for membership of the health club of the Dolphin Hotel. The YMCA has a fairly decent health club which is for members only but since membership is open to anybody and they charge a pittance for it, it makes sense to become a member even if only for the health club. If you can't afford any of these or if organised workouts are not your scene, you could do what many Vizagites do - go for a brisk walk on the beach road !

Forget about detectives and cloak and dagger stuff (although they will do it if they have to). The main stay of these outfits is providing industrial security forces and pre-marital screening. If you are going out of town and would like to entrust your house/flat to a security agency they will. Globe Detective Agency and Safeguard Security Services are probably the best known and oldest.

Wish there was some professional agency dealing in the above. Until then, they are to be got by word of mouth. People in this city are usually very willing to help and will go out of their way to lend a hand to find somebody.

Everyone we spoke to, said they got their dry cleaning done in Madras or some such place. Seems ridiculous to hear this in "the fastest growing city in Asia" where people wear a lot of Kancheepuram silks and Gadwals which have to be dry cleaned, but that is the situation. There is a Rose Dry Cleaners in Jagadamba junction however, which is supposed to be reasonably good. Another Dry Cleaner and Darner worth mentioning is Jasmine Whites, situated near the Officers Club, Pandurangapuram in MCV Complex. They specialise in the polishing and rolling of sarees.

An excellent place for darning clothes which have been damaged for some reason or the other is there on the Main Road called Kumar Darning & Embroidery located opp. St. Anthony's Church, just before Jagadamba Junction.

For this you will have no difficulty whatsoever. Outside almost every apartment block or building, or in every locality, you will almost certainly find a man/woman who has set up shop.

Not too long ago it was very evident that Vizag was in a Third World Country as you had to do all kinds of things (not to mention wait for a few years) to get a cooking gas connection. This is no more the case and you can get one immediately. Contact the nearest oil company (Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum) for the location of the nearest outlet. Private players include Super Gas which has an outlet just next to Hot Breads in Siripuram junction.

However, if you are a little adventurous or if you drive one of the older cars that no one else will touch, there a number of skilled mechanics/tinkerers who charge much less than they ought to. There are a few of them in Ramnagar in the lane behind the office of the Municipal Corporation. Also on the road from Siripuram to Pedda Waltair (Lazarus Marg ) near Polambama temple.

Quite a few in Vizag. The leading one is undoubtedly Frontline Travels in the VUDA complex near the RTO office. Smaller ones include Gateway Travels in Ratnaveni Complex (Dwarakanagar), Sahir Travels in Seethamadara, Paragon Travels in Siripuram.

There is a reading room close to Asilmetta junction and a Lending Library that is still managing to stay afloat even though the reading habit is nearly dead in this audio-visual age.

For all you working mothers/mothers who need a break. Some of the more popular ones are Hugs and Tugs - in Uplands, Playmates - in Kirlampudi, Jack and Jill - in Balaji Nagar, Chippendale - in Uplands, Humpty Dumpty - in Kirlampudi.

The American "throw away" culture has not yet caught on in a big way in Vizag (which probably makes it so charming) and not too many people look down on you if you get things mended.

COBBLERS :

Cobblers range in size and status from those with nothing more than an awl seated on the pavement to those who have shops. The former can be found all over the city. For the latter - there are a few near T.S.R Complex and a few more scattered over Dwarakanagar -- very close to Chandu Sweets, in Dabagardens; close to the big shops like Louis Phillipe and Arrow. You will also find them in the Jagadamba Centre and, along the main road towards the main Poorna Market.

WATCH  REPAIRS :

The oldest watch/clock repair centre in the city probably is Watch House in Jagadamba junction. They also undertake the repairs of household items like irons, mixies, grinders, torches, etc. For Titan Watches, there are the Titan Showrooms, which have Watch Care Centres. There is one close to Jagadamba and also one in Dwarakanagar very close to HDFC Bank.

PLUMBERS :

A good place to locate them are the sanitary ware shops where they tend to hang out. Also apartments under construction (and Vizag has no shortage of those).

ELECTRICIANS :

Here too, we have found that if you don't have a "regular", a good place to find them are shops selling electrical goods/fittings.

REPAIR OF "ELECTRONIC" ITEMS INCLUDING  CELLULAR  PHONES :

Apart from the "authorised" service centres, such as those of Sony in Dabagardens and LG in Dwarakanagar, Asian Electronics in Dwarakanagar (Subhadra Complex) is quite good. There is also a good person (good at his work, that is) at Videocrafts in Suryabagh. However, he has no sense of time and in his case, "tomorrow" almost never comes. There are also a couple of shops that repair cellular and cordless telephones in Dabagardens close to Jyoti Book Depot .

SUITCASE / LUGGAGE  REPAIRS :

Main Road :There is a shop (a little difficult to find) in the complex next to Nagraj on the main road between Poorna Market and Super Bazaar. Now that we have told you about this, there is no need to throw away those slightly damaged suitcases.

REPAIRS TO MIXIES :

In the same complex mentioned above, there are any number of shops repairing mixies and who sell spares for the same.

HOUSE HOLD GOODS :

Goods like mixies, grinders, irons, watches etc. can be serviced at two main places - Bombay Gas light, very close to Asilmetta junction, Nagraj on the main road between Poorna Market and Super Bazaar and Watch House in Jagadamba junction.To repair your fridge, T.V. ,V.C.R, A/c, Washing Machine etc, it would be best to go directly to the Company Service Centres. Their location, if not known can be had from the shop where you purchased your goods.

REGISTAR'S  OFFICE :

The place where Property and Marriages are registered. The city is divided into two sections  - one office in the old town (near the Old Post Office) handles the more established areas of the city. The other, in Akkayypalem. These offices have become "high tech" now and use computers and micro film to store records. Computers not withstanding, be prepared to pay a "mamool" or "formalities" as it is euphimistically referred to, to get things done.

STAMPED PAPER / JUDICIAL  STAMPS :

Used for signing all those "agreements". Can be purchased at the District Court where a few helpful gentlemen will help you submit an "application" for the same (for a small fee, of course). Apart from this there are few vendors (one in the lane where Hotel Sarovar is located) who sell stamped paper/judicial stamps at a slight premium.

PASSPORT OFFICE :

Located in Subbalakshmi Nagar, the passport office, we have found, is reasonably efficient. There is no need to go through all those "agents" which have sprung up around the place.

RTO OFFICE :

Located in Madhavdhara close to the R&B (Roads and Building) Bhavan, for the issue of driving licences etc. and for registration of motor vehicles. Our advice regarding brokers/agents given for the Passport Office doesn't hold good here. They (the agents) seem to run the place.

MANDAL REVENUE OFFICE :

More commonly referred to as the MRO. The place to obtain "Legal Heir Certificates" among other things. Even with brokers (just outside the premises), it is a little hard to get things get done here. Located in Seethamadara.

AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATIONS :

The Southern India Automobile Association is run by Mr. Madhu and has its office opposite the Lepakshi Handicrafts Emporium

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