[Krishnan83]

I guess I'm the only one who can proudly say, Been There Done That for this question. I moved to a no-tier rating itself available town 5 years back for better quality of life and safe & environment friendly place for my kids to grow up -- in fact, I myself grew up here, so why rob my offsprings of those same benefits. I worked for an American startup sitting at the confines of my individual mansion with clean fresh air, everything available in a 5km radius, fresh well water, etc. So, to all those who voted "YES", it's very much possible to move to a smaller town and still earn and live well thanks to technological shifts.

[haneeshN]

I am from a Tier 2 city (Erode) and been living in a Tier 1 city (Bangalore/Chennai) for over fourteen years now. I would definitely like to move back to a Tier 2 city before I turn 40. This has been my plan since my career started and I believe I can achieve this.

My biggest reason to move back to tier 2 city is to be closer to the family. Of course, cost savings and reduced pollution levels are added advantages. One thing which I will mainly miss if I move to a tier 2 city (Erode/Coimbatore) will be the awesome Bangalore weather. Other than this I don't think I'll miss the Tier 1 city as everything else is easily available from tier 2 cities. I don't think I can live in a Tier 3 town (would like to spend time regularly in a mountain though) as I am so used to easy accessibility to everything which could be a challenge in a tier 3 town.

[Subby]

Thanks for this interesting topic !

Voted "Yes"

Yes for those who prefer to live a spartan life!

In today's era where communication, net connectivity, education and health facilities have improved so much, that living in smaller town does not make much difference.

All your requirements are available at stone throwing distances, neighbors are more freindly, more personal time instead of spending in road traffic congestion, lesser pollution, lesser competition, fresher consumables and more green in your life!

And one can manage life with a bicycle also!

[hkborah]

Don't you guys think answer will change depending on the persons home base?
A person who calls a Tier 1 city his home may not be comfortable moving out for due to his"ties" - family, career, familiarity or history.
A person from a Tier 2 city might have other preferences. It's always a trade off between being closer to home and enjoying a good career or conveniences of a bigger city.
Also do note that different Tier 2s are very different. The basket of offerings is very different in Tier 2 cities.
Tier 3 - haven't lived in one. But Pondicherry would be awesome.


We probably can't have a meaningful conclusion without assumptions. My point is simply the non homogeneity of the surveyed people.

I'm a Tier 2 city guy who lived in Mumbai Delhi Bangalore. I love Mumbai and I love Delhi, but for very different reasons

[King_pin09]

Voted No.

Albeit, some tier II cities such as Visakhapatnam, Lucknow, Pune, Mysore, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Jaipur, Indore etc., have come a long way and stand at par with any of the so called, Big Cities when it comes to infrastructure, medical facility, education, recreational facilities, lifestyle, transportation, connectivity, business opportunities, trade, etc. The public amenities such as malls, multiplexes, gardens, etc are also available at ease.

Whilst this being one side of a coin, the fact that such well provided tier II cities are sparse and far in-between, is also worthy of attention. Besides, the density and variety of establishments (and hence the employment opportunities) in these cities is also not as high as the Big Cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore or Delhi. The Big cities are usually the Blue Eyed boys, and the tier II cities usually get the left over treatment when it comes to implementation of Government schemes. One for eg: Mumbai gets its Metro implemented prior to Pune. While few cities such as Pune, Hubli-Dharwar etc have got bus based MRTS, the same is distant dream for many other tier II cities, as yet.

In nut shell it is a fact that Tier II cities do not enjoy the same prioritization in the same manner as the Big City does. This situation is going to remain as long as there do not occur any major policy change in the administration which distributes equal opportunity and responsibility to the citizens of upcoming/ emerging cities as well.

In order to get maximum return for the taxes paid, it makes perfect sense (as of today) to embrace a Big City as long as no strings in terms of ‘motherland sentiments’ are attached to oneself.

[srikrishna717]

Voted Yes.
As you grow older, you are better off with less traffic jams, cleaner Air, a moderate expenditure life style !

[Ragavsr]

Voted yes but only if I am moving to a place with 4 seasons and cold weather / snow being the human polar bear that I am.

I am seriously considering doing my PG Medical Residency in a Tier 2 city as an experiment a couple of years from now. My reasons are below:

1. The government provided stipend / salary is average and would go a lot longer in a Tier 2 City.
2. Having been born and brought up in Chennai, I want to try out living in another city even if it's another tier 1 city like Delhi, Bangalore or Bombay.
3. Risk free move considering I can move back to Chennai after my residency if I don't like the place.
Having said that, I wouldn't move to a place like Madurai ( grand parents place ), Trichy or Coimbatore or even Mysore. If it has to be a Tier 2 City, it better have pleasant weather.

The only cities that fit my criteria are Srinagar (too dangerous) and Shimla. Have to expand the list to places on the foothills of mountains like Chandigarh or Jammu or Dehradun (though they get pretty hot in summer far more than even Chennai).

The only thing I hate about Chennai is the weather. I live in the suburbs which is pretty laid back and green, no pollution and can reach anywhere in the city in 45 mins to 1 hour.

[vishnurp99]

IMHO the standard of living is generally much higher in a tier 2 city versus the so called tier 1 cities. The housing is generally much better, the public transportation much more usable and the cost of living/services are cheaper.

Then why are so many non-local folks still stuck in tier1 cities? The answer is opportunities and visibility. Generally the better projects and professional opportunities are based in tier 1 cities. The more enterprising folks may be able to set up a parallel career in the tier 2 city but the chances of forced unemployment is much higher if you are above 40 and living in a tier 2 city.

The other observation is - Kerala actually has no tier 1 city but has a big list of tier 2 cities (around 6-7).

[DevilzzzzOwn]

Heart gave a Resounding YES while Brain said NO. I went with the Heart for the following reasons:
1. Peace of mind in Tier 2/3 cities, esp. home town. No rat race. No bringing others down in the corporate world.
2. Quality of food is much better when compared to Tier 1 cities due to less adulteration.
3. Cost of living is much lower.
4. Time spent is commute is less than half or a quarter in some cases.
5. Crime rate is very low.
6. Everyone knows everyone.
7. Homes are huge especially when compared with those in Tier 1 cities.

Brain's main arguments:
1. Salary is nowhere near a Tier 1 city.
2. Home EMIs have tied me down.
3. No exposure to latest trends and market cultures.
4. Everyone knowing everyone can be a negative too!!

Others have almost covered all the other important stuff..

[C300]

Voted Yes. We moved to tier II city in 2015 and enjoying every bit of it.
Reasons:
- Much Better quality of life
- More greenery, gardens and lakes around
- less pollution
- minimal traffic
- Overall better mental and physical health
- better connected with local community (IMO the massive apartments in big cities are disconnected from local community)
- Hard to explain but there is a civility and trust while interacting with locals in smaller towns. Cant say the same for Big cities

[yogeshsom29]

Voted No - A very contextual question this. You ask me this question when I am back from a hard day’s work beating the deadlines & traffic, the answer will be resounding yes & the response will surely change if I reattempt the question after 3-4 hours of family & friends time.

A lot of these can be emotional & top of the mind responses that people give to surveys but try giving a deep thought & it does not make a lot of sense to move to a tier 2/3 city as per me.

Yes, I want good quality living with well managed administration but moving away is a temporary solution to a permanent problem

BTW I am born & brought in Bombay (stayed in Blr for 2 years + travel a lot to other places for work) & shall not move anywhere as I am too addicted to this city & everything that it offers.

Want to feel what a real turbo kick feels like, stayover for sometime in this megacity

Why I say this is because;

- What’s the guarantee that the city I plan to shift will continue to remain such for a foreseeable future? Even the so called metro/mega cities where we live today were blissful sanctuaries not very long ago but with population explosion/influx it puts pressure on resources leading to crazy development cycle leading to drop in quality of living.

- With lot of people preferring to migrate to such cities or going back to their base locations will lead to influx there & starting off the vicious cycle of development to meet the demands of this growing population.

- Also, it is difficult to move back to the life of lesser conveniences (mall’s, multiplexes, Uber’s, Ola’s Swiggy’s & grofer’s of the world & the city nightlife) if you’ve stayed over in a big city for long time & if these conveniences have reached that small town then be rest assured that the city classification is only for government records; you are well on your path to stay in a chaotic city in max couple of years.

- I am all in for settling in a town that offers good quality of life as it is indeed pretty frustrating to put up with the concerns or pressures of a big city but I am sure it is equally taxing to settle in a new city (Exception being if you are moving to your hometown & plan to takeover a well set business without worrying for the professional opportunities available.)

My job requires me to travel extensively within India & I already see some of these small towns are already in the race to be the next hot metro & the locals do detest this vocally.

However, I would certainly prefer a couple of months of solitude sabbatical every year (may be 1 month on half yearly basis ) & wander around the hills, forests, seas & what not that our country offers for a reboot.

*These are strictly my personal view with no intent to disrespect other’s views or hurt any sentiments.

[livetodrive]

Might be after retirement, but not now. Few major factors :

1. Out of my hometown, Kolkata since 2001. As parents are growing old, its important to be reachable to them. For 4 years I was in Pune, and many times I had to go to Mumbai to catch a flight for Kolkata since there was only 1 direct flight from Pune to Kolkata in the morning and price wise even reaching Mumbai was coming cheaper. Don't want to be in the same mess again.

2. Generally friends and acquaintances travel to big cities for work and we easily catch up. Its an important point because as we grow up, the friendship line remains almost constant and we eagerly look for a quick meet up.

3. Facilities is one more major aspect which I fear is seriously compromised in Tier 2 and below cities. Whether its medical, connectivity, several more options in groceries, more car sales and services and what not, Tier 1 city is still the winner.

4. Dynamism and environment affects the work culture too. My personal observation is lower tier cities have a laid back attitude and have more non productive time which I hate.

5. My job opportunities are confined to few Tier 1 cities, and job is also volatile (semiconductor). So, Tier 2 is not an option.

[Sunil2307]

Voted Yes. Few of our Tier1 cities are just becoming uninhabitable. In my opinion some of our cities have just become too big for their own good. I think it is time we start spreading out into the Tier 2 and 3 cities.

[Santoshbhat]

Interesting discussion. I am quite surprised by the number of people who have voted yes. Outnumbering 'No' by almost 3 times!

Well, I belong to the minority who voted - No. I've lived all my life in big metros - Mumbai during early childhood and Bangalore ever since. I actually have one foot in a non metro or tier II city as we call it - Belgaum. Belgaum is an important base for me work-wise and I travel there very often. Even have a home there. Wonderful city too, no complaints at all. Unlike many, moving to the tier II city is actually a good move for me work-wise. It's the family that is not ready! We live in a quiet part of the city away from the IT crowds. Our office (wife's and mine) , children's school are all within a km's radius. Parents have lived here for decades and have a good social circle here and don't want to move anywhere. And of course all of us love this city!

[RaviK]

Originally Posted by Eddy

I would definitely like to move out from Delhi, provided me and my wife can both find equivalent job options...

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

This is something my wife and me though of occasionally - move to a smaller city or move to the mountains with the closeness to nature, clean air etc. ..The social circle, the business network (very critical for she & me)...

Yes, the lack of job opportunities in smaller towns is a trade off we have to learn to live with when moving to smaller cities. I moved to CHD in 2012, from Delhi NCR and while its great to be able to reach office in <30 minutes, or to reach pretty much everywhere in the city in <1 hour, or the ability to be in the hills in no time, the options for growth are very limited for experienced folks (in IT at least).

This has given birth to an interesting phenomenon in my office. Every Friday evening, few hundred folks travel to Delhi by train, bus or car (pool) who return back on Monday morning, to stay here for next 5 working days. Apparently, this allows them to maintain their household/kids/spouse job/social circle in NCR while still allowing to work in CHD.