[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by the_skyliner

One universal truth: no matter how much one badmouths Pune, once you live here for a couple of years you would not want to live anywhere else in India.

Lol - not that universal From an ex-Punekar who spent over a decade living there and then the next (/current) decade living away from the city; and not planning to go back.

[aniketi]

Welcome to Pune.

I am sure you are working in IT (correct me if I am wrong), make sure to get place near your office only. Nowadays traffic in Pune is not that good. It can take long time for you if you are travelling more than 10-15 kms. Public transport in Pune is not good, so better have your own vehicle. Having 2 wheeler is kinda must in Pune. It's cheap & very convenient as lots of places has parking issues and have narrow roads.

Vimannagar, Aundh, Kothrud, Kalyaninagar, Deccan, etc. are some of good areas to live but are costly. If your office is at Hinjewadi or Kharadi, better take some space nearby only.

[nks81]

I live in Pimple Nilakh, and if you work in Aundh there are a few upscale societies here where you will love it. It also helps to avoid the traffic situation on the main baner road.

Aundh, Baner, Pimple Nilakh are good options to find good societies near your workplace.

Better to have a car, start with a small car. Bikes/big SUVs drive here bindaas, break signals a lot. be aware of all that.

Weather is excellent.

[DevilzzzzOwn]

Welcome to Pune.

If it's Peace and Tranquil you are after for your home, might I suggest Sus. This is a primarily hilly region about 10 kms by road to Aundh. There are many societies which have popped up within the last 10 years and most of them are on the mountains/hills. And it comes under PMC now.

Best part about living in Sus is you frequently get to explore the proper Forest areas, Dams, Lakes, Beaches and fast Ghat sections

Others have already highlighted pretty much all I wanted to say.

Reminder: The Pagadi/Deposit in Pune for an apartment is 2 months rent unlike other cities where it might be as much as 10 months.

[GoBlue]

Welcome to Pune!

Please visit Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale's Deccan Gymkhana outlet by commuting in an auto rickshaw. While there, do ask them if the Bakarwadi is "fresh".

That combined experience is all that's needed to understand Pune inside-out.

On a serious note, Pune is a lovely place to call home. You will enjoy your time here.

[cdrajeevkumar]

Hi,

While Pune is a nice city, people are a bit boorish (no offense intended). During my stay in Pune about 5 yrs ago, I encountered many people who insisted that I speak / respond in Marathi only. They would refuse to help me unless I learnt / spoke Marathi. I did have some challenges navigating inside the city but Mr Google Maps helped me out.

Post that experience, I've moved on & currently in Mumbai, which is more vibrant than Pune. If you are a Marathi speaker, rest assured, you would have a good time. Else, time to open those self-help books & learn Marathi to enjoy your stay there

Cheers

[yatesh.92]

Hello jimmyjagga. First of all, a very warm welcome to Pune!!!

As someone who has been born and raised in Pune and spent ~27 years in the city, I can surely say that the city has a unique charm of its own. You would definitely love the vibe. Since your work would be based out of Aundh, I'd suggest you stick to Aundh for an accommodation as it's a great locality and stuff like grocery stores, restuarants, hospitals, mall, etc. would be well within reach. You won't need to travel much. Tons of options for accommodation available in Aundh itself. 2 of my team mates and a lot of my office staff are staying on rent in Aundh and they are quite happy. My office is in commerzone IT park (Yerwada), which is ~30 minutes commute from Aundh when it isn't rush hour. During rush hour it's 15-20 mins more.

Public transport is absolutely pathetic and Ola/Uber can be a hit or a miss. So I would suggest you get a used two wheeler for the initial time of your stay so as to get familiar with the city. It will be very handy for short distance travels. You can think of bringing your car to Pune later. Even the driving manners of the people here are no good. Be extra cautious when driving/riding. Traffic is a total mess and is expected to stay the same atleast till metro work is going on. If possible, do get familiar with Marathi language.

[ScorpWarp]

Hi, welcome to Pune. Most points have been covered in eariler posts but I would suggest stay in Aundh. It is a good suburb, good infrastructure, leafy, commute to office and schools would be easy. For a non marathi speaker it would also be easier to 'fit in' than in Kothrud. Also connectivity to Mumbai and getting to most tourist spots would be easier. There are good options for food and drinks but not as much for night life. If you fancy vibrant night life then KP side of Pune would be better. If you are into running or any fitness activities then proximity to Pune University and several hills for early morning exercise is a bliss. You would not get that on KP or Viman nagar side of Pune. Bike or Scooty is a must. Also note that non MH number plates are easy target for police, so plan accordingly. Good luck.

[TDIRaghav]

Originally Posted by jimmyjagga

Hi Everyone,
I am relocating to Pune for joining a new job. Living in North India (NCR) and US my whole life, I need to understand how is the city, which places to live and enjoy. Most importantly which places to avoid.
Initially I will be there by myself for six months to year. Any insights that can be provided, Do's & Don'ts would be hugely appreciated.
What does a nice furnished 1 or 2 BHK in Pune, located in an upscale society cost to.How is the traffic and commute in Pune, what are the mode of transport available, if I do not drive my car down to Pune from NCR.

Looks like we’re in the same boat. I also need to relocate to Pune from Noida as my spouse’s office will soon move from work from home model to hybrid model and the office is in Pune. I will not be called to office anytime soon . I will be sending my car to Pune via some mode of transport but haven’t finalised anything yet. We would need at least a 2 bhk. Her office is somewhere near Magarpatta, any suggestions where can we find a good and safe accommodation? Also, if I plan to drive to Pune then what would be the best route driving alone?

[ranjitnair77]

Originally Posted by ScorpWarp

There are good options for food and drinks but not as much for night life. If you fancy vibrant night life then KP side of Pune would be better.

The nightlife and restaurant scene in Baner/Balewadi is pretty incredible, especially the Balewadi High Street Area. So much so that a lot of residents have been pretty upset with by the excessive nightlife boom. The good thing about Aundh is that it's much quieter and 10 minutes away from all the nightlife. The water situation is far better there as well as many areas in Baner/Balewadi rely on tankers. So Aundh would be my #1 choice as so many here have suggested.

Here's a slightly left field option. Take a look at this area called Panchvati, behind CDAC in Pashan. It's a lovely, quiet, leafy neighbourhood and has one of my favourite waling trails into the Vetal hills. Not too far from Aundh too.

+1 to all the recommendations on getting a two wheeler. It's tough in Pune without one. Get a scooter rather than a motorcycle as that's more practical. I've also driven a car with an AP registration for several years in Pune and I have been fined twice, so the out of state checking is not that stringent if you want to get a car over.

[ishan12]

I came to Pune as a teenage small town college student in 2007 and have been living here since then. Got job, got married, bought property, had a kid, so this is very much my home city now.

Not categorizing below as pros and cons, since that's subjective. But these are what comes to my mind when someone compares Pune with other cities.

- Awesome weather, specially you will notice this coming from NCR. Not so hot summers and not so cold winters.

- Relatively pollution free and lot of greenery around.

- Heavenly beautiful monsoons. Lots of places for a weekend outing within 200km radius.

- Continuous rains in monsoon season, that may last for 5-6 months and days at a stretch. Fully overcast sky for weeks at end. We joke about Pune rains, that when June arrives, the Sun god says; Wake me up when September ends. These days its usually when October ends.

- Its a city that's moving from being a big tier 2 city to a proper metro. Its somewhere in between. So you have the best of both.

- Great city for kids education, the reason why I came to Pune at the first place.

- Own car and two wheeler are necessary, as comfortable Public transport is practically non existent unlike Delhi/ Bangalore/ Mumbai.

- Dwindling state of infra/ traffic/ roads, but still better than many other cities.

- Better traffic sense among people, second only to Mumbai. You would notice this specially coming from north India.

- At times you would be made to feel like an outsider given that you are a non Marathi speaker and you would also feel you are at a disadvantage because of this. Unlike proper metros like Delhi/ Mumbai where no one cares who speaks what language. But still way way better than cities in the south.

- People tend to keep to themselves, and no poking around in others personal lives. Usually with a conservative mindset. No shoshe baazi at all.

- You will miss the thriving street food culture that the North has, people here don't eat out as often as in the north. But you will surely develop a taste for the vada pav, misal pav, pav bhaji, pandra/ tabda rassa etc just like I did.

- Very well mannered, well spoken, honest and helpful people in general, not as eager to pickup a fight.

- Very safe city in comparison to NCR. Women folk in your family would love this aspect. People have a fear of the law and police. Things like eve teasing, petty crime are practically zero when you compare with Delhi. Also, people not as eager to introduce their "Chacha Vidhayak/ Papa MLA".

- Cost of living not as high as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, but its going up with each passing year.

- Very culturally rich city with proud people. You will find Diwali, Dussera and Holi as dull compared to the north, but Ganpati is just at another level

In summary, its a great place to live and one of the better cities in the country in terms of standard of living. In all these years, I am yet to meet anyone who had lived/ visited Pune and not liked it here.

[Meer]

Hi Jimmyjagga,

Welcome to Pune. As someone who calls Pune city home since last 20+ years, let me give my 2 paisa worth of inputs. Also I have had stints outside India in multiple countries and also a short 1 year stay in Bengaluru for work during this time.

Area to live (as your office is in Aundh):
As majority of friends have pointed out, I will suggest you live in Aundh, there was a time when Aundh used to be congested, crowded and lot of traffic, but now it is better as other suburbs have come up. And there will be lot of options available based on your budget, quieter ones near Parihar chowk / ITI road / Sanewadi (though they are mostly old construction / societies) or newer ones near the DP road connecting to Baner. Baner, Pimple Nilakh and Aundh Road (though not many residential options here) are good options but will require commute of 15-20 mins at least or more.

What you will like:
1. Weather is amazing, hardly few days of the year you need to use the Aircon. AQI is also not as bad as the larger cities.
2. Paradise for drives / rides / treks - any direction, especially in monsoon
3. Cosmopolitan culture - of course depends in the area you live in
4. Not too large or small a city - still does not have the traffic woes of other big cities but recent infrastructure work is creating bottlenecks
5. Food scene has improved tremendously over the last 5+ years, however not to the level of Delhi, Mumbai etc.
6. Proximity to Mumbai, especially if you have international travel.

What you will not:
1. Public transport is no way near any of the large metro cities, there is belated attempt but right from the airport to the buses infrastructure, it has long way to go. And getting cabs from certain areas and during certain times is not guaranteed, so you need your own vehicle.
2. Pune traffic even before the current metro/road work related issues, is peculiar, e.g. famous "Pune creep", 5 seconds before the signal turns to green everyone starts moving slowly. Can create issues when the other side are accelerating to beat the red.
3. Some areas in Pune have the boorish attitude which others have mentioned, NOM to anyone. But will not be difficult to avoid most of the time. Language is not an issue mostly, though I am from Maharashtra but I don't speak Marathi and have survived.
4. Service levels are again no where near metros like Mumbai, Bangalore - its substandard both from response times as well as attention to details / professionalism, so you need to temper your expectations and also keep the provider on a tighter leash by holding the money or part of it till the work is done and slowly create your network / contacts.
5. For car / bike enthusiasts, not many good options for modifications / accessories / mechanics compared to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore etc.

Peculiar aspects:
1. There are twin cities - Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. Aundh is right on the border of both the cities.
2. I read somewhere that Pune has the highest concentration of 2 wheelers in the country, so you know what it means, lots of 2 wheelers on the road. Steer clear of the left most lane.
3. Some shops close for lunch - especially in the old city area.

[NiInJa]

My wife is from Haryana and she has been here since post graduate days, collectively, we have experience of following cities as we have frequently been there: Gurgaon, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Thane and Pune.

She summarized her love for Pune in one sentence. "Pune is the only place where I can dance on roads with my friends during Ganapati/Dahi handi festival without worrying about men taking advantage of us"

If you are aware of the idiosyncrasies of general public of North India (esp. Delhi NCR, Haryana etc), you will be surprised to see that its the exact opposite in Pune.
I'll summarize my take depending on locations and assuming you are young and single:

- Aundh: Is a place that sits between PMC and PCMC boundary (Pune municipal Corporation and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation) and also Defence area. This place got developed later, so you get best of roads, places to hang out and one multiplex with IMAX capabilities and lot of greenery.

The best part of Aundh or staying close to Mumbai Bengaluru highway is you can go to Mumbai faster than going to the opposite end of the city. You will realise this when you have to go to Mumbai airport to catch a flight.

Places extremely close:
- Baner, Balewadi are places that are close to Aundh which you can visit on scooter. Baner high street is the 'happening' place on western side of Pune. If you have a girl-friend, better to find a house close to it :P (Highly recommend if you are in your early 20s. Thank me later)
Balewadi's Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports complex also hosts live performance / entertainment shows along with pro-kabaddi and other relevant sport events, so that is an added advantage.

Places a little far but on the Western side:
- Hinjewadi/Ravet: Phase 1 is having some nice places for food. Phase 2 and 3 are little deep so you will need a car or bike to go there to visit friends who will be staying there.

Little ahead of Ravet is the famous cricket ground at Gahunje that hosts IPL and other matches. The road towards it is straight from Aundh with not many signals.

All above places were at some point, fringe areas of Pune, so you will find mostly young people from all parts of India settled here, hence language will not be a problem. Also, these are the places where you will find societies with all amenities etc. Ravet and the area around it is a new small city in the making. The roads in PCMC area are generally wide and nicely maintained. But do note that traffic is unruly here. Inside joke: people from Pune (MH-12) usually stay away from MH-14 registered cars. Also, many IT offices on the Western side of Pune are in the above areas.

- Pashan is mostly defence area so you will find lot of greenery, but not many options to stay.

- Bavdhan: after crossing the greenery of Pashan, this is the place for good food options, local cafes etc. Many upcoming societies and all, but there is only one road that connects it with other parts of the city, so when situation is bad, you can get stuck in traffic real bad. This place is mostly filled with Marathi speaking public which moved from Kothrud or Mumbai with its proximity to Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway.

- Kothrud, Kothrud Annex (towards Mulshi and Warje). Mostly marathi speaking public who moved from city to outskirts in 1990s. Mostly retired educated people whose kids are abroad. You will find good hospitals, clinics in this area (Deenanath Mangeshkar, Sahyadri etc) Good in the sense of specialists. Kothrud is the place for trying all things Marathi (food, theatre, cultural activities), if you are not ready to go downtown. People are generally warm towards non-marathi speaking public here as it is a mix of educated people who have experienced the world themselves. There are some nice upmarket restaurants with various themes here.

Above locations are currently infested with metro related works, so commuting during peak hours can be a problem, but not as bad as heading towards city and the eastern side. Read on...

Heading towards central city...
- Shivajinagar, JM Road, Fergusson College Road: Full of youth and mix of cheap and expensive shops. Too many restaurants and joints to try. Just be ready to park your car somewhere far and walk on weekends. Many people don't know this, but there are some parking places owned by PMC which you can use, just have get there early. Balgandharva Rangamandir is one place to go if you are into drama and arts.

- Senapati Bapat Road: Expensive car showrooms and an upmarket pub (JW Marriot). There is a place called German Bakery at the start of the road which is a good place to kill time before you head for the late night party. Do note that Police patrol these areas, especially drunk drivers during weekends.

- Central City: Mandai, Shaniwarwada, Dagdusheth Halwai Mandir, Bohri aali (lane) etc.
Downtown Pune. Have some serious will power if you plan to take your car here. You will probably never need to go these places, but if you want the best bargain for anything: clothes, footwear, books, electronic items, electrical items like Fans, bulbs, LED lights etc. this is the place to go. All your DIY needs will be fulfilled here. You will probably need to do a one time expense to get these things set up at your new place.
Mandai and Ganesh Peth markets are for vegetables, fruits and fish. You will get best deals if buying in bulk from here (many people get veggies from here directly during any functions like Marriage, havan etc.)
Downtown city is the best place for elders to take. especially the temples and old 'Wada's. It is the place to go during festivities, be it Ganapati or Muharram, the processions are a delight for street photographers. All 'Peth' areas are famous for one thing or another, you will find it out when you get there. Nana Peth is the home for second hand vehicles and spare parts. If you ever need a used scooter, this is the place.

Some Peth areas are home to the original Punekars. It is filled with conservatives. Non-Marathi speaking people will have some awkward situations when the speak to them, but you will find it funny and slowly outgrow it.

- Pune Station: The best part of staying in Aundh is that the road to Pune railway station is straight as an arrow, once the Metro work is done, it will be much faster to reach here. The second best part is the new happening place called 'The Mills', if you are the 'have money, will party' type, this is the best place easily accessible from Aundh after Baner High Street. Do check the entry rates though, stags like me usually end up standing next to the bouncers at the gate (My wife is not the party animal she used to be once)

Ok, from here things get a little too difficult for Aundh people.

- Pune Camp and area around main entrance of Pune Railway station:
Lots of old and famous restaurants and once famous bakeries. Few churches in this place make Christmas happening. The main street is again worth visiting during festivities. Parking is a huge problem though, you need to be ready to park your car far away or arrive early. Many Government offices and main branches of major Banks like SBI, ICICI are here, you wont need to go there except maybe some special cases. The famous Sassoon hospital is here, why you ask? well, some countries like Kenya ask you to get some vaccines from registered government hospitals for visa purpose, so this is the place to go and get your certificate. Also, this is the best bet to find medicines for snake or animal bites or poisoning of any kind.

- Koregaon Park (KP) , Kalyaninagar and Viman Nagar:
Heading eastwards from Aundh can be a problem as you have to pass through central city. But if you are all game for it, these are the places to flaunt your stuff. You will find rare, exotic cars, spot some celebs or businessmen/businesswomen at some nice places in KP and Kalyaninagar. There are quite a few pubs on this stretch.

- Airport: Well, the Air Force owned airport is neither too far, nor too close, but the good thing is there are multiple ways to get there from Aundh, so you can plan accordingly, rest assured, you wont miss a flight stuck in traffic. I never have, though I have missed one in Bengaluru due to traffic. Once the Purandhar Airport is built, we will have a separate thread to discuss and rant about it, as that is going to be extremely far for all of us.

- The biggest mall of Pune is in Viman-nagar and there are some good restaurants etc around here. This one also hosts live performances once in a while.

- Kharadi: The far end of Eastern Pune, you don't need to go there unless you have some friends OR your office is here. But lets be honest, Eastern Pune has less greenery and is not as practical as western side. Heading towards Goa, Mumbai, Mahabaleshwar or even closer biking locations like Mulshi, Lonavala etc are easily accessible from western side. Eastern side is mostly flat land with unsafe road infrastructure. To give a perspective, Kharadi, Hadapsar annex has the same issue as Noida. Native people staying there got rich overnight by selling their lands to developers, but that did not essentially translate to better behaviour. Crime/accident rates are higher on the eastern side of Pune and on north western fringe areas like Talegaon, Akurdi, Chakan (which falls under PCMC jurisdiction)

Did you know? : It takes 2 hours to go to Ikea in Navi Mumbai from Baner, and two hours to go from Baner to Kharadi on a weekend.

- Magarpatta and Hadapsar side: Nothing much to write about, if you are having your office in Magarpatta, makes sense to get a house there. But everything else is far time-wise. You will spend most of your time in the car. Also, Hadapsar and places beyond Kharadi are not safe for bikes, people don't drive sanely in the outskirts.

- Kondhwa, Katraj, Bibwewadi area: Why do you ask ? Seriously no reason to go there, it is majorly residential area for humans, and snakes and birds and some reptiles. The Rajiv Gandhi Snake Park is in Karaj.

Pune is, in general, a nice, laid-back city and the western side has easy access to weekend getaways which there are aplenty. I, myself had an opportunity to move to Dubai, but dismissed it rather vehemently. Even after 35 years, I am still exploring places around it. I see negative comments on traffic and mismanagement etc, but once you live or experience other Indian cities, you will realize Pune is a much better package.

If you are planning to stay for a long period, try getting a house which is close to metro station, it is going to be a reality sooner than later. Also, keep a watch on which good schools are close to your house for future. I would suggest getting a small hatchback if possible, along with a scooter. You will be amazed how Pune has so many small lanes and tight parking spaces where you can drive and park an Alto/Wagon-R easily but not a sedan.

Welcome!

[three10]

Imagine the pleasant surprise I got when I was browsing google maps and i noticed that Lonavla was just about 50 km (and less than an hours’ drive from my doorstep). Welcome to Pune.

Bit of a background. Moved to Pune late December 2020 (Dec 29th actually) due to a hurried transfer at office. I had less than 3 weeks to find a place and shift. Office was at Kalyani Nagar (now Yerwada). Since we knew no one at Pune at that time, the only option was nobroker. I actually shortlisted around 10 houses all within Magarpatta city. We lived there for about a year and 4 months.

To the person who was asking about Magarpatta, make sure you locate a society near the DC (which is the main shopping Center for Magarpatta city as a whole). I took up a flat on rent in Cosmos society which was practically next door.

All of the offices are located in the inner ring, and walking there took less than 10 min. The township is well planned and has lots of greenery / open space. You would not need a car / vehicle for daily commutes.

For social life, Koregaon park is an ~15 min drive. There are two big malls (seasons mall and Amanora mall) at one corner of Magarpatta.

For the person moving to Aundh,

We moved to Baner in May due to my kid’s school and we are now in an apartment near Jupiter hospital. I have a clear view of the Baner-Aundh Link Road from my balcony. And it never gets jammed. Your best stay options would be

1) Aundh itself, Balewadi high street is less than 5 km away, and you can avoid all of the metro construction.
2) Baner, it’s an easy commute to Aundh. In fact I’ve seen many people do Aundh- Baner as their morning walk. Balewadi high street is closer by a couple of km.
3) pimple nilakh, more greenery, more peaceful, add a km to both commutes.

If you need anything else, please feel free to post.

P.s - born, brought up and lived 40 years in Hyderabad.

[yesyeswe]

To find an apartment you can join the various groups called "flat and flatmates Pune" once you have joined just post there your requirements and many house owners will contact you directly. I was able to find a good flat a year ago through that without brokerage.

And like others have mentioned a 2 wheeler is a must in pune, and instead of a bike a scooter is way better, crawling traffic, under seat storage, automatic transmission, ability to keep your legs dry, there are so many pros.