Newsletter Dec 14 - A Week in Your Life...

In seven days, we probably live through a spectrum of events, emotions, activities, experiences in our day-to-day life. So this time, the idea was to weave a week of our life with what MetroMela offers (which is usually a whole lot of time-saving guides, tips and info!)

So, this is MetroMela's take on what your week would look like. Ofcourse to cover seven reviews was possible only because dear Trupti wrote as many! Also, every week, we see huge additions to our Metro's Best, all thanks to Prashant, our good 'ol reliable MRA. Hmm, I think my next blog is going to about our team. Oh yes, that sound good.

Ok ok, without further ado, here is...

Greetings!

From mundane chores to exciting events, your week sees it all.We at MetroMela decided to have some fun and do a run-through of such a week, with our special reviews...

Monday: Annual health check-up? We reviewed Pune's trusted Ruby Hall Clinic. Read about it here

Tuesday: Some essential kids' shopping at the Embroidery House

Wednesday: Need to buy a gift for a colleague's b'day? Try the unique eastern artifacts at Soul

Thursday: Shake a leg or two at the Sumeru School of Dance which offers jazz, salsa, tango, ballet, waltz classes and more..

Friday: Begin unwinding for the weekend with a relaxing dinner at Sigree. North Indian cuisine never tasted so good. Read all about it here

Saturday: Treat yourself to some special wraps and body treatments at the Four Fountains Spa

Sunday: Away from the maddening crowd, enjoy a leisurely day at the Corinthians Club with friends or family Read on

Newsletter Dec. 6 - So How Cool Are You?

Tattoos and bikes. If cool was the look you wanted, then definitely these two would make a killer combination. Trupti got a nice Dos and Donts list for getting a tattoo and also reviewed a 'cool' place for bike-shopping. Read on...


Greetings!

Most of us, at some point in our lives, have contemplated getting a tattoo. For those of us who want to take the plunge, here's a guide with tips, precautions and insights into getting one done with inputs from Sabby, Pune's well-known tattoo artiste.

No matter what your age, riding a bicycle always makes a statement. It means you care about your health and the environment. Here's our review of Rider Owned Bicycles - where every cycle stocked is special and stylish.


SHOP TILL YOU DROP

As the winter gets cooler in Pune, so do the discounts and deals brought to you by MetroMela:

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  Malls/Supermarkets Spencer's Daily 50% Off


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  Men's Clothing Spykar Jeans 40% Off


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  Women's Clothing Vibez 30% Off


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  Gyms Fab - The Gym 7% Off

Visit us for updates and uploads of your favorite stores. And if we're missing any, be sure to earn your reward points by suggesting vendors.

Till next time folks! Have a great weekend.

Newsletter Nov. 29 - Living Well, Keeping Fit and Shopping Cheap!

One of the oldest, most popular best-buy markets in Pune goes by the name of Hong Kong Lane near Deccan. Its a tiny lane, 6 feet wide and half a km long, with shops on either side. Here you find everything from bags to bangles, shoes to CDs. Its always packed and well-lit and on entering a sensing of excitement fills one up from the sheer choice, variety and prices!

One of the newer concepts to hit Pune has been that of service apartments. Given the large in and outflow of business travelers in Pune, these homey places with high-quality service have mushroomed everywhere.

MetroMela reviewed the old and new age trends in Pune - here's a peek into our newsletter:

Greetings!

If you're a frequent traveler, then here's a chance to combine the facilities of 5 star hotels with the comfort and feel of home. MetroMela brings you a list of the best service apartments in town.

While in Pune, the tiny Hong Kong lane is a must-visit with its fascinating range of artificial jewelry, belts, shoes, bags, paintings, CDs, books, mobile accessories and more. Read all about it here.

For the fitness and health lovers, we've reviewed Abs - the gym and Ruby Hall Clinic - Pune's one-stop hospital.

Our Metro's Best list has 50 new additions, including The Four Fountain Spas, Soft Touch, DVD Express and many more. Check them out here!

MetroMela on Webyantra

Webyantra, the tech blog that profiles tech products and services in India (I like to call it the Indian version of TechCrunch), has ahem! blogged about MetroMela. You can read all about it here

Reward Points for User ratings and comments

Good news for those who have strong opinions - this way or that!

MetroMela is also going to reward points for quality comments about vendors.

Now, 'quality comments' is slightly open-ended isn't it? Here's some clarity:

These comments need not be necessarily 'good' ones, praising this restaurant or that store. These comments need to have utilitarian value - will another viewer get a better idea about the place after reading your comment? Yes? Good then you've just earned 25!

Take a MetroMela member called Anuj for instance. Read his comments and you will know instantly if this is your kind of place or not. Being a foodie, he, however only rates restaurants. Check out his exhaustive, informative comments on Flag's and 1000 Oaks

And no, they don't necessarily need to be that long!!

Its simple really - comments that give a real, inside idea about things - the good, bad, ugly...
If you write 'awesome place' or 'i love shopping here'.. then it doesn't offer much insight does it?

We'd like that apart from the content we're putting forth, our users add to that and make MetroMela a full-fledged one-stop source for quality info!

So tap away! And get your voice heard :)

Newsletter Nov. 22 - Activity Clubs & Hobby Haunts

Hop, skip and jump! And trot and para-glide and bird-watch... ahhh. You get the drift huh?

This time we did a 'things to do' special. I added reviews of bookstores coz reading is a huge hobby amongst many.

Here it is!

Greetings!

MetroMela ensures that you don't spend a single dull moment in Pune. If you're looking for meaningful activities to pursue in your free time, then we've done some homework for you!

Here's a list of activity clubs that you could join - from paragliding to chess - take your pick!

For ardent book lovers, MetroMela has reviewed three of the most renowned bookstores in Pune, namely Manneys, International Book Service and Popular Book House.

Not for the weak at heart, but another exciting option to explore is horse riding. Check out MetroMela's reviews of Equinox Sports Academy and Nimbalkar Riding School.

Wisdom comes - through MetroMela

Ajith, our Marketing Manager for Bangalore is always up to some creative fun!

He designed this cool creative (tweaked) about what we do. Here it is...

Newsletter Nov. 15 - Foodie Special

Sent out yesterday. Some very special stuff by Trupti on the old and popular eat outs in Pune. And also some new entries to the Pune eatery landscape.

Burp! :)


Part of Pune's culture includes eating out. Today this trend is stronger than ever as we're spoilt for choice with specialty restaurants all over town.

MetroMela has a lip-smacking compilation of Pune's old and popular restaurants for you. Visit them here.

We also have three delicious additions to Pune's eatery scene:

• The Patio - a unique bookstore-cum-eating joint
• Post 91 - from the owners of Malaka Spice
• Il Fungo Magico - another branch opened

MetroMela now has a whopping 114 restaurants listed! Check them out and share your views here.

Newsletter Nov. 8 - Diwali Special

This one I really liked, because Trupti, our content writer got a super-slick write-up on tips for Diwali dressing. The events list was huge too. Unfortunately this one was missed by many who were on holiday :(

The streets are lit up with lamps and lights, people are out - shopping and planning for the celebrations. Yes, Diwali is here!

So what are you wearing during the festivities? We have an interesting guide for you, developed with the help of a renowned dress designer.

Here's what Mayur, a member had to say about it:

"Good and useful information.Keep up the good work..."

Interested? Here're some tips about What to Wear This Diwali

Newsletter Nov. 2 - Koregaon Park Special

The format of the newsletter is usually

1. Introduction highlighing some special reviews and decision guides
2. Events this week - live music/concerts, film festivals, launches, plays, exhibitions
3. Deals and discounts

I'm deleting 2 and 3 because they're outdated. From next week on, will add those too.

Enjoy!

Here goes:

Greetings!

Picture Koregaon Park and the first thing that comes to mind is the mystical Osho ashram. We decided to unravel the mystery and get you the real story. Here it is.

But that's not all that KP is famous for. The array of exquisite silver jewelry shops is also a treat for the shopper. Read more here.

Just so the kids don't feel neglected, we reviewed Kangaroo Kids nestled in Lane 3. Read about it here.

Then there's the famous restaurants. La Pizzeria, Koyla, Shisha Cafe, Soul, The Great Punjab, Malaka Spice... the list is endless. If you've been there, why not share your expriences with other members? Rate away, we say!

Late Update

I'm guessing its evident that we launched, because we've been underground since then!

So YES we did launch and the new site looks super.

Some new (exciting features!)

1. Newer, cleaner look
2. Over 450 places listed from pubs to meditation centers!
   
3. Sorting possible - right now by views, recency and ratings. Pretty soon by alphabet and area too
4. REWARD POINTS - yes this is our most special offering - MM will reward users for participation - when you invite a friend, suggest a business to be listed, submit some super valuable comment etc etc. Just to keeps the fun element in being an online city guide

One thing that makes my job lovable is the weekly newsletter! I think I'm going to put some up here so people can view it. It needs registration to receive it right now.

Ok then, bye for now. More when I surface again.

Pre-launch Excitement

We're just a few days short of launching our new-and-improved site and Hyderabad (MM HQ) and all other cities are buzzing with excitement. The site has been released internally for testing and feedback. Some bugs, some formating issues, but overall the site looks fantastic! Really worth talking about. I was talking to our VP yesterday and he was telling me that some features which were scheduled for release later in the year will happen now in a few weeks! WOW! Are we cool or what? I also dig the idea of MM not being solely an online service but being available on other platforms such as print and mobile as well. I think that's a sure-shot way of making good, quality info available to any one, any way they want it.

And ofcourse, the city I love so much Pune is going to be presented in all its capacity! I'm very happy to be part of this. I don't want to be doing anything else right now.

Ok that's my first post!

More as the story evolves :)

Till then, stay tuned!