SOMA Living October 2021

MEET THE FAMILY

Photography by Jamie Meier

Like so many South Orange and Maplewood residents, Ritu Pancholy and Darshan Bachhawat made the natural migration trend from the boroughs ten years back. “As soon as we found out I was pregnant, we decided to leave the city and were considering either Jersey or Brooklyn. But being a Jersey girl (exit 5 off the Turnpike!) along with having friends at Gaslight Commons in South Orange Village, it only made sense for us to move there as well. Already drawn to South Orange, we liked that the apartment building was in the middle of town next to the train station and would be an easy place for our parents to visit. We ended up staying for a few years and met so many fabulous people. There were a handful of us who were pregnant at the same time and we’ve continued to be friends through the years. We recently reconnected with a family through soccer and another couple we always saw on the elevator and train now live across the street,” Ritu shared. Darshan added, “It ended up being really helpful that we rented before buying our home because we realized that walkability into town was a necessity for us. Going to Jackie & Sons, the Yellow Rose and the Order are a few of our favorite destinations and we love seeing familiar faces wherever we go. We also got lucky when we moved into our home because so many of our neighbors had also just moved in. Our kids – Devan who’s in fourth grade and Simran who’s in second grade at South Mountain Elementary – had made friends before we finished unpacking.” Ritu and Darshan have since become immersed and involved in the community in various ways. “This is one of the many things I love about our town and the brilliance of our community. Back in 2016, a group of SOMA residents met in someone’s living room to discuss ways to create

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