There are numerous places of interest along the East Coast Road that stretches down to Pondicherry and further South too from places of antiquity to world class resorts, beach villas , Amusement Parks and party places!. Folks from all over the world from Arab/European potentates, entertainment stars and business magnates own beachfront properties and some of them have found mention in International decor magazines et al. Ronald Reagan loved the fresh seafood in this area and was a frequent visitor even before he became President. Pondicherry is the best place to see some beautiful homes(in Auroville mainly) as many French and other Europeans people own homes there. French citizens get automatic residency in Pondy as even today the territory has a seat in the French Parliament and Pondicherry citizens can migrate to France easily too. One other place i want to visit is a colony of silk weavers who have transplanted traditional and ancestral homes from all over the South and have restored them to original and showcase ancient tools used to weave silk, also situated off the East Coast Road. The town of Kanchipuram approx 100km from Chennai is one of the largest silk producing centers in India.
Here's a link to pics of my fav East Coast Road resort, GRT Temple Bay
http://www.grthotels.com/GrtTemple/PhotoGallery.aspx?culture=en-US