[Malyaj]

There is no point bombarding the OP with rants about Bangalore traffic. It will not help him in any way.

Slightly long post, but something I hope will help you. I would not base a career choice solely upon one element, in your case traffic. I would reject a city as a whole if it does not match my expectations on many fronts. Bad traffic is not a Bangalore specific problem, and when tested on a more wholesome set of parameters, no city in India is perfect. I say this from experience and not from hearsay. I am 40 years old and have lived in the following cities:

Mumbai - 14 years
Delhi / NCR - 7 years
Bangalore - 8 years (I currently live here)
Kolkatata - 5 years
Muzaffarpur - 3 years (was born there, so the experience doesn’t count as much)
Indore - 2 years
Hyderabad & Mangalore - 1 years split between the 2 cities

Travelled extensively to Chennai and Cochin for work when I was a salaried professional. I am as Indian as it gets and do not favour one city or culture over the other.

Decide on the priorities of your family as a whole. What is really important for you. Children’s education? A nice locality to live in which does not burn a hole in your pocket? Professional growth? Entertainment avenues? Do you like to travel often on weekends with your family? Do you enjoy outdoor activities? There could be many more questions.

Bangalore is a traffic mess, but unlike say Delhi or Mumbai, you can choose to rent an apartment closer to your place of work. Except for the western side, Bangalore is dotted with IT parks all over and there is no real city centre. As a result residential clusters have developed throughout the city. Budget accommodation in Bangalore tends to be of better quality than most other cities. If you are willing to shell out out more, you can find really nice apartments in gated communities.

Events wise, Bangalore is as happening as it gets. There is an enormous amounts of things to do - workshops, comedy acts, live music, theatre, lit fests, movie fests. You cannot have enough time to catch up with it all. I absolutely love visiting Cubbon Park and Lalbagh Botanical gardens when I can, followed by breakfast in one of the age old eateries that can be found around these parks. And I don’t live anywhere near these parks. But driving to these places on a Sunday is a breeze and worth it. I love randomly driving around in old parts of Bengaluru on Sundays and relishing south Indian food. It has a charm that can only be paralleled by South Mumbai.

For weekend travel, Bangalore is arguably the best place to be in India. It is centrally located in South India and surrounded by some of the most lush and beautiful environments - Coorg, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Kerala, Bandipur, Pondicherry. If you are willing to stretch it, Goa, Madurai and Rameshwaram are doable. I am not even talking about the little places which are just a few hours drive away and can be done in a day.

Food wise again, the choice is just mind boggling. You can eat a a different place every day and still not run out of places to eat. I prefer Chennai dosas and sambhar over the Bangalore variety, but once you get used to it, you will start looking forward to it.

I can’t talk about children’s education because I don’t have any children. But my friends who have, aren’t exactly struggling or complaining much (may be their kids are).

The start up culture and the whole entrepreneurial vibe that the city has developed comes across as uplifting. It feels like a city that is alive and in sync with what the world is trying to embrace and not a city that has got left behind. The infrastructure hasn’t kept pace, but not all is doomed.

And finally the weather. It just smothers you. Don’t underestimate the impact it can have on your mood and consequentially your overall demeanour and your enthusiasm to do things. You can be outdoor more often, even cycle to work (I see this trend increasingly in Bangalore, though it’s not without its dangers).

Bangalore is not without its ills. Traffic discipline is the worst in India, the cabs and tempos are a real menace. Power cuts are more frequent, though this can be made bearable if you rent an apartment with power back up. It is getting warmer but not unbearable. Crime is low but hostile incidents have grown over the years. Chennai is still the safest Tier 1 city in my opinion. Locals can sometimes seem rude to newcomers. But if you have lived in Chennai I guess you are culturally not too disconnected. Having said that, the real old time Bangaloreans are a friendly and cultured lot and their hostility is limited to resentment of how much the city has changed in the last 2 decades. The aggressive types are mostly the cabbies and tempo drivers and small business owners who have set up their shop recently. They remind me of the newly come-into-money Jats of Gurgaon who never bothered much with education and got into easy to set up business like taxi services and real estate. Even with them, it helps to blend in and not wear your different identity on your sleeve. Newly arrived north Indians (disclaimer : I am a North Indian myself) can demonstrate peculiar behaviour which can annoy the locals.

There are a lot of people here talking about fights with Kannadigas and how other Kannadigas did not come and help them. Well, who in this country helps anyone? There are people getting shot and having their throats slit in this country, all in the middle of busy road. People from the North East have been targeted in Delhi repeatedly and we all know where Shiv Sena stands on outsiders. If there is one thing we do uniformly, it is not to help anyone in distress. Here in Bangalore mostly its arguments on the road. In Delhi you might get shot in the same scenario.

I don’t know how old you are and what your priorities in life are, but please think holistically. When in my more eccentric moods, I have even fantasized about moving to Varanasi (my wife’s hometown) or to old Kolkata to write a colonial era murder mystery. Of course I can’t afford any of this. But one should not stop dreaming. One should definitely not be scared and carry the stress all the time. Bad things can happen to anywhere any time. By this logic Delhi and Gurgaon would have been evacuated long back.

[Nits83]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

Rent near tech parks are quite high. 3BHK near Manyata Tech park rents at 60-65 k /month. Furnished apartments go at about 1 L/month. Of course you can get PG accommodations for 15-20 k /month. Plus factor in the Cost of Living in Bangalore is very high. My monthly expenses doubled when I shifted from Chennai to Bangalore. And there are no cheap good schools, most charge 1 L plus /year. Plus there's the traffic to contend with.

I don't agree with this i lived next to Manyata HBR Layout 5th Block and I got a fully furnished 2 BHK for 26K and one of My friends has an unfurnished 3 BHK at 22 K and I am talking about gated society.

Regards,
Nitin

[GrandTourer]

Originally Posted by Nits83

I don't agree with this i lived next to Manyata HBR Layout 5th Block and I got a fully furnished 2 BHK for 26K and one of My friends has an unfurnished 3 BHK at 22 K and I am talking about gated society.

Regards,
Nitin

True... I have lived almost 3 years in a large gated community, AWHO, in Kadugodi and the rent went from 21k to 26k for a semi furnished 4BHK. While one of the leadership guys from my company used to live in one that costwd close to 2L a month.

The point being, based on your appetite, you'll find decent places to rent on almost any budget starting 20k.

[Pratyush2407]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Ahem!! Someone from Mumbai feel like chipping in here about rents or real estate costs?

You mean how it costs about 20 lakh rupees to rent a 750 sq ft semi-furnished 2bhk in an apartment complex in Parel for a year? It’s truly ridiculous


Coming back to the topic, I feel it’s definitely wiser to adapt to your work requirements than expecting your work to revolve around your comfort. We recently had to choose whether to let go of our Malabar Hill apartment or our Parel apartment and we chose the former simply because the latter suits my dads work better. It saves a lot of travel time resulting in more family time and at the end of the day, what are we even working for if we cannot enjoy the simpler joys of life?

On a side note for people who are going to migrate to another city, I feel quality of life on the outskirts is MUCH better than a normal city neighbourhood and would highly recommend to consider such options.
Have only realised this after living at a hill station for the last 2 years and seeing the state of the metro cities when I go home or to Pune

[Caadmara]

Interesting thread...I drive 20kms (BSK 3rd Stg to Bellandur) and wife drives even further (BSK3rd Stg to Marathahalli) and both use the infamous Silk board Junction/ORR so I am well qualified to make a few suggestions . Some more data points for context, I drive a Creta 1.6 and wife drives an Ertiga ZDI both manuals by choice. I leave home by 7:20 am and am in office by 8:40, wife leaves by 7:45am and reaches by 9:30 most days. I leave work by 4pm and generally am home by 5:15, wife leaves by 4:30 and is home by 6. She car-pools I do not.

I do not wish to get into a debate "defending" bangalore but will say that having visited multiple cities globally on work assignments,traffic is generally a global problem that most major cities struggle with and i suspect will get a lot worse in the future. So given that we are stuck in this situation, what can you do make your commute more bearable?


Use Technology:
Bangalore may have lousy physical infrastructure but we seem to have some of the best mobile/data connectivity in the country, use that to your advantage...

1. Google Maps/Bing Maps: Have become incredibly precise in providing accurate commute times/best route. Use them! In fact you can set up your Siri/Cortana/Alexa/Google to prompt you on the best time to leave work/best route etc. The minute that it will take for you to plan your commute may save you a lot of time

2. Use Commute Time productively: There are many ways to productively use your commute time (provided you do it safely and not endanger other road users). I have apple carplay on the Creta but it makes sense to invest in a blue tooth device like a Jabra if your drive does not come with one

(a) The cell phone connectivity is strong enough through out my route to support a Skype for Business/phone/Conference calls. I generally have my softer meetings/quick catch-up's on the go during my commute.

(b) Upgrade Yourself- There are tons of things to learn that you can do on the go and multiple apps that help with this. I listen to TED Talks, PodCasts, tech blogs etc. If you subscribe to services like audible if audio books/selfhelp interest you as well as technology content in pluralsight/linkdin learning etc. I picked up fundamentals of DevOps recently only on my commute!

(c) Music: Carry your favorite music on your device. Choose stuff that keeps you calm and in a good mood as music you listen to while driving directly impacts your driving style. I personally avoid listening to the FM channels as they pretty much only play ADs during peak hours and this adds to the aggravation


3.Keep things in Perspective: Its only traffic! Develop a magnanimous mindset on the road. You are sitting in airconditioned comfort insulated from most of the madness outside.Try and connect with folks around you when stuck in a gridlock, you will be surprised at some of the stories you will hear from cabbies/auto drivers...most of these guys are just trying to survive. Try and do what you can to be part of the solution, try use public transport, car pool, ride your cycle etc.

Hope this helps!

Cheers

[vivekrvcse]

Originally Posted by Caadmara

Interesting thread...I drive 20kms (BSK 3rd Stg to Bellandur) and wife drives even further (BSK3rd Stg to Marathahalli)

..

3.Keep things in Perspective: Its only traffic!... the solution, try use public transport, car pool, ride your cycle etc.

Hope this helps!

Cheers

I would also add Quick Ride app to the above. An absolute blessing for those who travel 10kms or more and don't want to spend a bomb. I think 15kms trips cost Rs. 60-70

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...isha.quickride

[sharatravan]

Originally Posted by mohansrides

Ahem!! Someone from Mumbai feel like chipping in here about rents or real estate costs?

Seriously, the silence of the Mumbai guys in this thread is hard to fathom. Metro construction has wrecked havoc on this town and affected many lives very deeply. I know two colleagues who moved to the US because of their 2 hour commute (one way) due to Metro construction.



Cheers

I don’t even want to get started on life in Mumbai. Words are not enough to express the misery a long distance commuter such as myself has to go through, everyday, travelling almost 50kms, spending almost ~4hrs on road. This is when I started travelling by 2 wheeler to cut down on travel time as much as possible. I’m sure the situation is far worse for people taking their 4 wheelers out.

Not a day goes by when I don’t compare my daily life to the one I had when I was in Bangalore. My office was in E City and I used to stay at a stone’s throw from my office. Traffic jams only used to be a weekend affair when I was pottering around IN the city. Life was nice, I miss those days now.

I think cities like Pune and Bangalore still offer the luxury of stay options close to the work locations, since there’s no ‘central’ location where the offices are located and are pretty much scattered across the city. This is totally unlike Mumbai, when the entire workforce travels North-South in morning and in the opposite direction in the evening. To make matters worse, staying close to the offices is just not an option here, the real estate arrangement is atrocious. The final nail in the coffin is the metro work now, which has exacerbated the traffic problem to an altogether different level.

I personally know quite a few people who are desperately trying to get out of Mumbai, to either a different city or outside India, because of the daily struggles involved. I too, have been proactively trying to relocate to Pune/Bangalore. Compared to say Hyderabad or Chennai or say even Pune, Bangalore’s traffic might seem daunting but believe me, for a Mumbaikar, any other city will feel like heaven.

[anand_hc]

Originally Posted by wildsdi5530

Rent near tech parks are quite high. 3BHK near Manyata Tech park rents at 60-65 k /month. Furnished apartments go at about 1 L/month. Of course you can get PG accommodations for 15-20 k /month. Plus factor in the Cost of Living in Bangalore is very high. My monthly expenses doubled when I shifted from Chennai to Bangalore. And there are no cheap good schools, most charge 1 L plus /year. Plus there's the traffic to contend with.

Really ? Rents in prestige shantiniketan are not that high. Not sure which apartment you are referring to. Rents are higher than Chennai but reasonable. you will find your range and make peace with. Being resident of Brigade metrolis - no one pays that kind of rent more than 50 K for fully furnished 3 BHK here. There are lot of other things you need to research and traffic should not be reason for choice.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by locusjag

@ All

Thank you so much for putting me on the right track. I'm going ahead with my interview process with the recruiter. Even if things work out, the pursuant discussion here with tips and tricks will help me. I know i'll come back here, maybe even PM few members who've provided the tips...

Speaking of VFM options when it comes to accommodation and schooling, that's the exact approach I've taken here in Chennai.

And - I owe an explanation as to why I am so Bangalore-phobic, or actually traffic-phobic. It is something inborn in me maybe. I just detest traffic. I feel it is a waste of one's lifetime and energy. And it brings out the worst in humanity...

Good decision mate. I have been critical a couple of pages earlier, but happy to hear about your decision. Trust me I detest traffic as much and although having been here for almost 9 years(ok 3 years abroad but still 6 years in Bangalore) , haven't come in terms with traffic yet. Have been letting go of offers for last two years just to avoid traffic. But now I realised I just can't be in a cuccoon and sacrifice my career. My biggest issue is I have a home here and can't change it so easily. So I did bite the bullet and finally took up an offer in ORR. Will have to cope up with traffic but it's a price I am willing to pay for the sake of my career. Plus my wife's office is close to my home so atleast one of us don't have to struggle

Wish you all the best. Bangalore is a really great place for career and you will find lovely people & weather around. You sure won't regret the decision.

[landcruiser123]

My advice is for you to evaluate your options for getting a good residential property and school for your child. If you need to spend more money, so be it(As long as it is reasonable by your standards.)

Originally Posted by androdev

I have to defend my beloved city Bangalore ....A typical day in Bangalore:

I agree that this is possible. I used to stay in huge apartment complex in Arekere. While inside, it almost feels like a different country compared to the slum right behind. Opulence is the sad truth in India.

I had a great life in at home, but life on the road is a mess. I know there are many members who go through 3-5x what I had to go through when commuting to my university for undergrad- a distance of 10km one day through the ring road.

Fact of the matter is: In India, you can have a beautiful house, go to great restaurants/clubs, spend all your time in malls, travel by planes from airports- but there is simply no escape from the traffic. You can only reduce its impact by planning your journeys well and probably equipping yourself with an automatic car with great sound insulation.

[veyron_head]

I have been in Bangalore for the last 12 years and I see the city going from good to bad to worse right under my nose. Even as recently as 2006, the city used to be much colder than it is today. It used to rain frequently and the weather was splendid. The traffic wasn't as much a bother as it is today.

But now, I am seriously considering moving out. The traffic is simply becoming unbearable. I have to travel and meet people across the city and across the country as part of my job. The traffic scene is so scary that I have no problems if I have travel to another city but I get nervous about the traffic whenever any customer calls to meet within Bangalore. My 16km office ride (on the days I go to office) takes a good two hours. And I am completely 'spent' by the time I reach office with no energy left to work.

[wildsdi5530]

Originally Posted by anand_hc

Really ? Rents in prestige shantiniketan are not that high. Not sure which apartment you are referring to. Rents are higher than Chennai but reasonable. you will find your range and make peace with. Being resident of Brigade metrolis - no one pays that kind of rent more than 50 K for fully furnished 3 BHK here. There are lot of other things you need to research and traffic should not be reason for choice.

I know rent at Karle apts is that high. Also residences within Manyata are even higher.
One common factor in the whole discussion I have noted is that guys who have lived here long/ born here seem to advice against and guys who have been here for shorter durations seem for. This probable explains the trend. From the 80s to now, Bangalore has changed a lot for the worse, But from 2000s to now, there has not been much change so acceptance is better. Bangalore is definitely a great place now, and it was a great place last century, but the reasons are different. Try Bengaluru for a few years and leave if not happy, you can always pick up some real estate which can be rented out if you move.

[androdev]

https://scroll.in/article/906412/ben...festyle-habits

Bengaluru IT sector loses Rs 24,000 crore a year because of workers’ poor health, lifestyle habits

A study found physical inactivity, poor diet, poor physical and mental health, substance abuse common among employees.

[srishiva]

Presumptive losses as someone would say

More than professional, I think people are losing on personal side. Healthy employees would invariably be better in terms of productivity, motivation etc. But they are managing with extra work by losing out on personal front.

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by locusjag

I'm in a quandary now and have asked the latest recruiter to please give me a few hours to respond; I'd straight up told her that I have my doubts about Bangalore.

Did you make up your mind?