Chowringhee is the busiest area of the city that is replete with fashionable theatres, hotels and restaurants. It bears the name of a sage of olden days, Chowringhee Giri. The crowd can always overflow to the other side of the road—into the grassy meadow popularly called the Maidan. Sophisticated shopkeepers as well as humble vendors do brisk business, and customers who know the art make satisfactory bargains. The long impressive but crowded promenade is relieved by the vast meadow opposite it.