CHENNAI : Vibrant and aesthetically placed furniture, pleasant lights, racks filled with books and board games are what we notice as we enter Utopia, a quaint activity centre located in Abhiramapuram. Deepa Vijay, one of the co-founders of the centre which completed one year last month, says, “Parenting can sometimes get stressful, and there is a huge void in the city for an ecosystem where both parents and kids together get to unwind, get fit, play and eat — all under one roof.”
Five friends — Deepa Vijay, Anu Sriram, Badri Narayanan, Haripriya and Anupama — who are also parents, stepped up and decided to create a stress-free space, and converted a house into a family centre. “We wanted to fill the void especially considering we’ve all travelled through the very same path where we couldn’t find such a safe space, where parents get to relax while the children play and are taken care of,” explains Deepa.
“We have all known each other for about seven to eight years now. During the formative years, when our children were growing up, we really didn’t have such a space. I think that’s where this came from. We were able to design the centre with respect to the various needs of a child only because we had the experience,” shares Anu.
The idea is for parents to sip a cup of coffee in peace, watch a movie, work out or simply hang out with friends while their child is taken care of by professional caretakers within the premises. “We are in a day and age where concerns on child safety has increased. Parents are in a constant state of paranoia and for them to leave their child in an unknown place and to spend time on themselves has become close to impossible. Here, everything they might want to do including a workspace is available. So, they can be in the same premises, and take their mind off their children for a while,” explains Deepa.
Anu, Deepa and Badri walk us through the sprawling activity centre that offers facilities for dance, art, fitness, play, adventure and work. From a co-working space, cafe, feeding room, boutique, day care space, soft play area, outdoor gym to Dolby Atmos sound equipped media room-cum-dance hall and karaoke space, the centre houses it all.
The visitors can stay as long as they want in the activity centre and pay by the hour. “We charge `200 per hour and the other facilities can be used on a registration basis. We also conduct dance, Zumba and vocal training classes twice a week. We have free wi-fi. What’s interesting about all this is, the adult and child can do it together if they want to! Isn’t it more fun that way?” asks Deepa.
So, is the centre exclusively for parents and kids? “Not at all,” clarifies Badri. “Anyone can visit the centre. The co-working space has become a hub of sorts for start-ups to conduct interviews. So, it’s not parent-child exclusive, but they are our target group,” adds Deepa.
For details, call: 9884532222 or write to enquiry@utopiaworld.co.in