[akshay_ritz]

Don't mind the opinions posted here. These are just my personal thoughts based on my likes and dislikes.

I was brought up in Delhi and lived there for 23 years before shifting out to Pune and eventually settling in Hyderabad. We lived in South Delhi and now parents and brother are also settled in Hyderabad. I have always advised everyone I know to sample life outside Delhi. Delhi is no longer the city it was when I was growing up and I do not like the character of the city every time I return to it. I lived in Bangalore for a few months and recently visited my uncle in Malleshwaram. I absolutely loved that area. Some reasons I would suggest to move outside Delhi are:

1. Air Pollution: I was horrified to read this article that talked about the average reduction of the life span of a typical Delhiite due to air pollution. It peaks during winter but its pretty high throughout the year.
2. Overall aggression in the city: Delhi is now a very aggressive city. I see it from the moment to the flight lands to observing daily interactions of people with each other. That toxic masculinity does not work for me at all. It's so deep-rooted that most people don't even realize that its there.
3. Safety for Women: While it's not as bad as portrayed by the media it is still a pretty pathetic situation. Women have a tough time using public transport and the metro has been a boon.
4. Schools make very little difference: I saw a fantastic video by Malcolm Gladwell where he talked about how educational institutes don't make as much difference as people imagine. As long as the basic facilities are met, which would be true for any international school, it makes very little difference. A good environment at home and encouraging parents are far more important factors.
5. General Culture: I loved the vibe in Bangalore. People are less judgemental of how you present yourself and most people are well-read and interested in various activities. Garbage segregation actually works in the city vs Delhi where I have seen people empty cans from their balconies onto the road.

What you will surely miss

• Food: Delhi's street food is unrivaled in India. Delhi has a melting pot of all kinds of Indian cuisine and the chaat/chaap culture is unmatched.
• Travel to the Himalayas: Delhi has amazing getaways that lead you straight to the mountains.
• Cottage Cheese - Never had better quality paneer anywhere in India except Amritsar.

I got my brother's family and parents to come and settle down in Hyderabad and am trying to get my in-laws to do the same thing. They are all really happy with their decision. Hope you make the right choice for your family.

[revv_maniac]

Originally Posted by N33raj

Cons:
1. The pollution! Yes yes we all know about it. The only exception is now when the AQI is in 2 digits and that too below 50! i can see the blue sky so clear and the air feels better to breathe.

So what should i do??

I am from Chennai and have two kids, one is 5 yrs old and the other 1 yr old. Both have had respiratory problems (because of the pollution), Metro rail construction for years being a big contributor. we had to Nebulize my elder one, did not like it a bit. we have moved onto alternate medicine and it has reduced a bit but cold, flu, breathing issues and fever either one has been a constant every month.

its been more than 30 days since both of my kids had any sign of illness, especially breathing related stuff, only good thing happened due to the Covid is less pollution, plays a big role in a kid's growing stage.

Better air quality goes a long way in one's quality of life.

Just my two cents.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by akshay_ritz

p
Overall aggression in the city: Delhi is now a very aggressive city. I see it from the moment to the flight lands to observing daily interactions of people with each other. That toxic masculinity does not work for me at all. It's so deep-rooted that most people don't even realize that its there.

+1 to the aggressiveness of Delhi's people.

I stand 6'4" tall and even more in my footwear. I remember spending a week touring Delhi and having numerous random men walk past me only to glare back at me or even say something out aloud.

My Hindi is quite textbook and not of the street variety; but I could still understand one guy saying to me near Qutb Minar - "hey you, do you want me to prove myself? How dare you elbow me?". But I had gone nowhere near him!

Super hyper masculinity is what I surmised. Every other man is a challenger.

[karan0009]

I would suggest you to consider Delhi solely from traffic point of view.

I was in B’lore for a week in January 2020 for office work. Hotel to office commute was a pain everyday.
Infact, one fine day I left office at 6:00 pm for hotel & informed my manager that I’ll login again once I reach hotel. My manager called me up after 1 hr to check if I have reached or not & guess what I was still in front of the office (opposite side) all thanks to insane traffic in the U-turn

[SLK]

Being a BHPian and of all the sources of advise you sought this on Team-Bhp?

I don't think it should be anything other than Delhi.

If you live in this City like your own, you'll find ways to deal with the shortcomings.

I think there is a cultural difference as well, Delhi is a mix of all types of people/ communities, Bangalore is mostly 2 types. Without getting into too much detail whatever type of community you need, you'll find it between Delhi-Gurgaon-Noida.

And then its a much better place to own cars and drive them at 50kmph with the 1000s of cameras now.

Plus one more thing, touring in a city and investing and living in one are very different things. I will discount every experience that is based on touring!

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by chieftain

6. There is a sense of community. Not so sure about BLR but I imagine as a city largely populated by professionals it is probably less homely than Delhi.

This is a valid point you have touched upon. I have also felt that people just treat Bangalore as a stepping stone/temporary abode during their corporate career and not home.

A few points which (are more pronounced in the newer parts/IT belt of Bangalore) I observed:-
1. Many of my colleagues already have and/or are investing in properties back home and don't seem keen on settling here. This is even true for the folks who have bought a flat here.
2. Take any festival and you see people (Kannadigas from other parts of the state as well) rushing back to their hometowns leaving the city almost empty.
3. People are not very keen to invest in civic issues, politics, and even learning the local language.

PS: Before the Bangalore fanboys start attacking me, let me add a disclaimer. This is entirely my observation and I am equally guilty in contributing to this culture.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by revv_maniac

I am from Chennai and have two kids, one is 5 yrs old and the other 1 yr old. Both have had respiratory problems (because of the pollution), Metro rail construction for years being a big contributor. we had to Nebulize my elder one, did not like it a bit. we have moved onto alternate medicine and it has reduced a bit but cold, flu, breathing issues and fever either one has been a constant every month.

its been more than 30 days since both of my kids had any sign of illness, especially breathing related stuff, only good thing happened due to the Covid is less pollution, plays a big role in a kid's growing stage.

Better air quality goes a long way in one's quality of life.

Just my two cents.

That sucks, I am sorry your kids have to go through that. Construction is a large part of urban air pollution in India.

OP - if you have kids, DEL is toxic for them. About half of all children in DEL have irreversible lung damage. Sadly the causes of this pollution aren't going to go away anytime soon. BLR fares better in this respect. Some illuminating data: https://yaleglobalhealthreview.com/2...ldrens-health/

Food, infra, artistic and cultural activities, international connectivity - DEL is far better. Otherwise BLR would possibly be the better choice.

[swiftnfurious]

I have spent 5 years in Bangalore (2006-2011) and now travel from Chennai to Bangalore atleast once in 3 months for a weekend. To cut short, Bangalore has gone to the back of my preference queue (to land a job). I live in Chennai for the last 3 years in a row (while I have spent another 2.5 years over the last 10 years) and prefer this city over Bangalore. Been in Mumbai for 2.5 years and will anyday pick that over Bangalore as well.

Bangalore no longer has any charm left about the climate I think - the heat has raised over time (loved Bangalore when I visited in 2003, for the first time), pollution and dust levels are B-A-D and the traffic is insane. I find people extremely hostile towards a non-Kannadiga - this is my top problem. I love the microbreweries though and the only thing makes me go there.

Chennai is H-O-T for 5 months and rest are manageable (by Chn standards) & havent degraded like Bangalore. Life's laid back and traffic flows - most important. Rent is not so high and people arent troublesome.

Mumbai is busy, traffic is a problem and rent is crazy expensive in Old Mumbai - I hear Navi Mumbai is lot cheaper and I kind of like the place whenever I have gone to that side. The best part is, people mind their own business and they let you live!

Was in Hyderabad in 2014 for 6 months and loved the place. Occasionally visit and hear the traffic is crazy now a days. Loved the food always and the place in general. Wouldnt mind going back if I get another stint there.

[amitayu]

HI

A lot will depend on your daily life cycle like; a good school for your kids and how far it is from where you stay, ease of access and travel time for you and your spouse (presuming she is working), daily expense levels, rentals, etc. This takes away most of our week. Weekends are pleasurable in any city as long as you have the means!

Every metro in India has its own challenges, and its own USP. Delhi is more cosmopolitan, more aggressive on your face, more polluted but then being a country capital always has an edge over others in terms of infrastructure.
Bangalore is trendy, but there is a strong anti-North Indian undertone, it is modern but clearly stretched to its limits, the weather is pleasant, but was better 10 years ago!

I would suggest you decide on the basis of day-to-day cycle and which city would be more convenient.

[vibbs]

I was born and brought up in Delhi.

Relocated to Pune when I was 31. Last year relocated to Singapore after 6 years there.

My wife is from Bangalore so I visit very often. Have driven down from Pune a few times as well.

I think Liveability in Bangalore has degraded at a faster rate than Delhi but it is still quite a distance away from matching Delhi.

Infrastructure wise Delhi Trumps not only Bangalore, but all other cities in India. But end of the day, the air you breath, the weather, the general aggression you have to put up with (hits me despite being born and brought up there) etc just does not make it worth in my opinion.

I am a hard core Delhiite. Love it to the core. But still if I am to choose between Delhi and Bangalore today, I will pick Bangalore if there are no work related commitments mandating me to stay in Delhi.

For sure you will miss the food, accessibility to the mountains and larger than life feeling (everything in Delhi is about being big and lavish).

If I have another option apart from these two, my selection would be Pune. It beats even Bangalore IMO.

[snan]

As someone who has lived in both cities, I must confess even with all the issues I still prefer Bengaluru. Delhi food is better, roads are better / and hence traffic is better. You can drive to big mountains (something that I sorely missed in Blore being an avid climber and trekker). Bengaluru matches up on the wildlife/forest front (another important thing for me since I just can't live long without driving to a forest, smelling it and being one with nature)

All in all, for me the two issues with Delhi are both more philosophical - one is the toxic masculinity about which many others have also remarked. I'm by nature "conflict avoider" and driving in Delhi, that was impossible. Second is wanting a just/equal society, at least as perceived by next generation. I want kids to live in an atmosphere of mutual respect, cooperation and "oneness" across class and religious lines - this is super critical for me. This I found to be slightly better in Bengaluru (whether it is truly real or make believe, I dont know)

YMMV across these but thought would lay it out !

On pollution, Bengaluru is almost as bad - unless it rains ; you can do an analysis of AQI variance across the two cities and outside of the infamous Diwali times, Delhi doesn't do that bad. On safety of women, we never felt an issue in Delhi - I think it depends a bit of where exactly you stay / where and how you commute.

[HKP]

After living in Bangalore for decades, I had to move to Hyderabad in 2016 due to a job change. I have only visited Delhi, so I don't know much. But many things that I loved in Bangalore like weather, the IT crowd, the cosmopolitan crowd of 3-4 mother tounges mingling together peacefully - All of them look hype now. Hyderabad has better infra, I can reach from one point to another predictably, the government is keen on development, there are many good gated communities for you to find a house and there are many jobs. You don't have these in Bangalore. It's hot in summer is the only drawback that I can see. So, if the choice is between Bangalore and Delhi - Delhi it is. Alternatively, consider Hyderabad.

\\hkp

[akshay_ritz]

Just read this horrifying story about Delhi schools.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/boys...=home-bigstory
We had the DPS incident during our childhood and now this. Not saying all other cities are perfect but the main mard Hun attitude of Delhi scares me.

[qaqa]

As a Bangalorean, I am biased towards Bangalore. For me the most important factor is the general culture. While this may seem to be a cliche, I feel that people are non-aggressive and accommodating in Bangalore. It's very cosmopolitan and will make anyone comfortable in no time.

As against this, the infrastructural challenges in Bangalore are enormous. The present situation is bad; there are no far sighted plans to improve things either. Most commutes are horrendous. Most of the newer extensions have erratic water supply. All this adds to the stress of daily life considerably.

I feel that at present, a Delhi is a far better candidate for putting down roots

[Repsol]

I think others have already listed out the Pros and Cons of staying in both Delhi and Bangalore. So, I am no going to again put a comparison of both (as I have stayed in both these places). But let me share my experience and thought process behind relocating to Bangalore.

I have been in Delhi for almost 30 yrs (birth, schooling, college and job). But 3 yrs back, I shifted to Bangalore. The main reason for that was my parents decided to settle down in our native place (Kerala). This means, if I continue to stay in Delhi, my travels to my parents will be reduced due to various factors (leaves, flights expenses, etc). So, it made sense to move to Bangalore, from where I can drive to my hometown, whenever I want.

So, I would suggest, while you make a decision on which place to move to, do keep in mind your native too.