[N33raj]

Greetings fellow BHPians,

I am hurtling inexorably towards a dilemma regarding which city to settle down in. i will have to decide by July of this year and once done, it is done for at least the next 5 years.

The dilemma is simple, which city do i settle into with my family? Delhi or Bangalore? Both me and the missus have spent some years living in both cities and some others and so we are unable to make up our minds. Each city has something unique to offer but there are shortcomings peculiar to each.

I want advice from BHPians who have more experience and a better understanding of both these cities than i do.

Background:

I am an entrepreneur and i am the first in my family to take this route. i used to be an employee till 2011 but then quit cold turkey to come back to India to be with my parents as i am an only child and my parents are getting old. Once back in Guwahati, i started up and it has been a roller coaster for some years but now i am stable and have a decent income.

With the passing of time, i am having to travel more frequently to Delhi as i do a lot of work with govt agencies; so much so that in an average 30 day month, i will be in Delhi for 10 days, home for 10 days and other cities take up the rest 10, give or take.

In July 2019, the missus got her transfer orders from Guwahati to Delhi but that didn't change my travel pattern, however now i had a place in Delhi to call home and i didn't have to stay in hotels. This has given me a good opportunity to look at Delhi as a potential future residence in India. As of now, we have found good rented accommodations in south Delhi near CR Park. This seems to be a good area with lots of trees and a generally quiet ambience. Son goes to school nearby but both of our offices are 18+ km away in central Delhi.

The other city:

I was a student of RVCE Bangalore two decades ago. I spent quite some time there and i fell in love with the city; i have always wanted to have a residence there in a nice leafy, quiet area like Jayanagar 4th block or Banagiri hills as i used to stay in BSK 3rd stage very near the Kamakya theater. It was a super convenient location with shops and restaurants and wine shops (heh heh) within 10 mins walking distance.

I left Bangalore a long time ago but kept my old quarters on rent from the landlord who was more than happy to have me as the tenant with my cousin taking up residence. I have since setup my office and residence there while he has shifted to near his workplace in HSR.

Other points:

I have been to all the capital cities in India and so have some idea of the flavours of each. i am not fond of smaller cities so other than my home in Guwahati, i am not considering settling in a smaller capital. I want to stay in a metro city.

Would i settle in Bombay (i like this better over Mumbai sorry)? No, but i could stay in Pune and commute.
Would i settle in Calcutta (again i like the old name better)? Well not always but i can see myself staying in a nice house in the lake town area. The charm and joy i had once upon a time is no longer there; i cannot explain it but Calcutta does not bring me joy like it used to.
Would i settle in Chennai? No. And certainly not due to a language barrier as i can speak Tamil fluently.
You may ask why Bangalore then. It is a metro city by sarkari definition and i have always loved it. It is similar to Hyderabad but i would rather not settle in Hyderabad. Hot + humid? i get enough of that during my travels to Chennai and Calcutta!

The dilemma:

My application to join the fathers club was approved in Q4 2015 when we were blessed with our son. Ever since then i have started following up on schools in India via different ways such as rankings and curriculum they teach and their overall ranking in India. At first, i was looking at CBSE schools but after a lot of searching and visiting schools and talking to teachers and edu world people, i saw and started appreciating the option of an international school education following the Cambridge model of education. I started following up on this line of enquiry and one thing became clear: most of the single digit rank schools were in Bangalore, Bombay, Noida or Gurgaon! The nearest such school in Delhi proper is in Pushp Vihar and the next is in NFC! For me NFC is nearby.

My son is now 4+ and it is time to get him enrolled into a formal school. The missus and i are both in favour of getting him into an international school and the obvious choice at this time is the school in NFC.

However:

The missus's promotion is nigh and with the promotion comes a compulsory transfer (again). So there is a window of opportunity to shift to Bangalore or to stay in Delhi. This promotion transfer will see her remain in the same location for the next 5 years. We have discussed this many times over the last few weeks ever since she got news of her impending promotion. Finally she simply said "do what you think is right" and so shifted the mountain onto my head and left.

The pros and cons:

Delhi:
I have been staying properly in Delhi since July last year; this is too short a time to form a proper opinion on the city seeing that i don't know half the city as yet but here goes:
Pros:
1. The greenery! Well at least in this part of town there is a lot of green. My house balconies look out into 3 parks and they are full of trees.
2. With trees come birds of various shapes, sizes, colours and sounds. Squirrels run about like nobody's business and car hating birds like pigeons do their best to ruin paint jobs! The cows and dogs are just additions to the landscape.
3. There are more parks in my area than i know of! And my son can go out and play till late evening simply because the children's park is 2 mins walk and there is more than one park for him to run, play football or cycle around. I don't have to invest in a gym membership to keep fit simply because there are two parks with basic fitness equipment in them for public use!
4. Getting to our offices is mostly a breeze. The missus uses the scooter to go to the nearby metro station and from there it is a straight ride to the metro near her office. Simply walk 5 mins and she has reached.
For me, i prefer to take the car as i have my parking slot and i am not very fond of public transport. So for me i have to face some traffic in the beginning but it gets better as i go along. An average time is 40 mins to do 21km and sometimes when i m late in returning, i can do unmentionable speeds and reach in 25 mins.
5. Getting fresh produce is as easy as falling off a cycle. Added advantage of staying near CR Park means fresh fish, prawns and the like along with the usual birds, goats and sheep. Want to have something more exotic? Get it delivered or go out and have a good evening.
6. Petrol is less expensive; everything is cheaper and you can haggle shamelessly over almost everything. I have done it for a cup of tea and Marlboro too!
7. Almost anything and everything you need and want can be found in some part of the city or other. Even car related.
8. The mountains are never too far away for me to run away to!
9. People are generally good to you; well at least i haven't encountered any of the bad ones so far.
10. Power cuts? I haven't had any so far in these 8 months. Water supply was a bit erratic but with the installation of a new water tower, supply is now normal. PNG is a boon for the kitchen as it means no more gas cylinders to drag around and worry as to when it will run out.

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.
2. The weather! Delhi weather kills people in both summer and winter. I can deal with the cold but not with the heat! On the other hand, its a dry heat so better than the sweaty, sticky icky icky of humid places!
3. Being the national capital means you can get caught up in VVIP movement and miss your flight. Or a sudden naka can cause delays.
4. Finding a good house in a good locality takes time and more often than not, rent is quite high.

Anything i missed?

Bangalore:
The last time i was in good old bangers proper was 2008. Now i mostly drop in there once in two months for about 10-15 days. This means i have not had the opportunity to look around as closely as i would have wanted to. Still, here goes:
Pros:
1. The top ranked schools are here. That is a very important factor for me.
2. The lovely weather! Oh the 8 months of pleasant weather and 4 of not so pleasant! I love it! But now i am hearing and also seeing horror stories of how the heat is 40+ and 8 months of winter is no longer true. Is it really that bad?
3. Easy availability of produce due to supermarkets but with the caveat that you have to go there and get it while in Delhi things come to your house even from the local kirana store.
4. Utilities are not as cheap as Delhi but still i think they are reasonably priced.
5. Somehow i always thought Bangalore has a modern vibe to it which i prefer over the old world charm of Delhi. I cannot explain it but i feel that way.
6. I know fluent Kannada and so never had any problems as such. People in Bangalore are warm and helpful and like in Delhi i haven't come face to face with any sour puss examples.
7. Overall security seems to be better in Bangalore than Delhi.
8. Gobi manchurian! on a paper plate outside the BBMP parks.

Cons:
1. Everything is expensive! Petrol, cars, houses, you get the drift.
2. Pollution is on the rise apparently.
3. Traffic has become a nightmare it seems; posts on TBHP all imply driving in Bangalore is now a pain in the anal sphincter.
4. Rents were reasonable but now are unreasonable. My landlord seems to be an exception.
5. Parks are not aplenty and green spaces are lesser. This means i have to look for a house in an area that has parks and trees and quiet. The only place that comes to mind is Jayanagar 4th block and its surroundings else BSK 3rd stage has parks as well. These areas are preferable as the school i intend to enroll my son into is in Koramangala.

If i have missed anything kindly point out to me.

Given that my work will majorly be based in Delhi till the foreseeable future, i want to continue living in Delhi and maybe in the near future move into my own house. I can also get the wife's transfer contained to within Delhi and carry on. However, given that the better schools are in Bangalore and it is time he is enrolled in a formal school, i want to move there and buy a house there. As far as the missus is concerned, her next move will ensure she remains in the same location for the next 5 years so that is a big plus and i want to make the most of it.
So what should i do??

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Shifting Gears Section!

[condor]

From the points above, I would say Delhi.

10 days are already spent in Delhi.
Bangalore looks a little towards sentimental reasons.
Only thing I can think of is the posting location for your wife. She could take the promotion and that may decide things for you.

[V.Narayan]

Before I share my thoughts I'll add that I live in Delhi-NCR and have never lived in BLR though I've traveled there on business a gazillion times since the 1980s.

As things stand today Delhi has consistently improved in infrastructure last 25 years while BLR has steadily gone south versus population growth. That trend isn't going to change anytime soon given the politics of Karnataka, the revolving door State Govt's and the fact that all Govt's will invest to keep Delhi-NCR tip top.

Where schooling goes, go for any good school. Don't get trapped in these ratings. Many CBSE and ICSE schools will give your child the option to switch to the IB stream in Class 11. Try not to narrow your options now. Go for a good school closest to home. Don't burden a small kid with a commute. Don't burden yourself with a commute either.

Best of luck.

[srishiva]

Regarding the Bengaluru weather, its April and its still not bad ! Another 2 months, it will be pleasant again with the arrival of monsoons Not to ignore even the 2 months will have rains and pleasant days. The max temp that City has ever seen is 38. So 40 is not true.

But I would say not every good place will be good for everyone. If you liked Bengaluru and your family is same as you, you will still like it. Only worry is the traffic which you can decide on how and where your commutes will be. Schools are not an issue since you will find a good one everywhere. South Bengaluru where you lived, if you can avoid commuting to newer areas of City will keep you happy.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by N33raj

3. Being the national capital means you can get caught up in VVIP movement and miss your flight. Or a sudden naka can cause delays.:

I've stayed in Delhi throughout my life. This is not a problem that you will face, at least not more than once in a very rare blue moon. Even more so now, when CR park to Airport is signal free drive

Heck, it's the location of the Bangalore airport that should be more of a concern to a frequent flier.

[civic-sense]

Where you are originally from could be a deciding factor.

More than things like weather, opportunities, traffic etc, it is more about whether you culturally identify with the people of the place you plan to settle down. India has a diverse culture and each part of India has a different one. If you are from the northern part of the country Delhi would be a better fit for you, and if you are a southerner, Bangalore would be a better fit.

AND, there is nothing like settling down in your hometown.

[landcruiser123]

I've not been to Delhi in the last 5+ years, but I've cousins there who are really sick and tired of the pollution.

Bangalore is still a great city to live in. Traffic and roads have become terrible, but if you're not part of rat race- it might be okay. As much as I hate it(not the life, but people getting too comfortable and cocooned), try living in one of the modern apartment complexes with some great greenery and recreational facilities. While Delhi does have good schools, I think there more good international schools in Bangalore than anywhere else in India.

[bharatbits]

Of the things you mentioned I will classify them into must have and nice to have. Health is a must have thing for anyone I suppose. With the air pollution levels so high in Delhi I will not consider it. Wait till Nov this year and the bad AQI numbers will be back. Rest all things like availability of fish to eat, parks etc you have them anywhere.

My recommendation is Bangalore from your choices.

If you are willing to consider other metros I'd recommend Mumbai. I stay in Mumbai now and I really love the city. South Bombay is great. I think you will have the best of both Delhi and Bangalore in Mumbai minus the pollution.

I belong to Hyderabad and Hyderabad is a good choice too if you want to consider it.

[lazy]

Here's my advise; having been in Bangalore since 19 years now and traveled much in India.

Negatives for Delhi -
- Pollution - which per some reports is like smoking 10-15 ciggies per day during the bad weeks
- General safety
- Weather - though Bangalore weather isn't what it was, several people start using their home AC from Feb/March onwards.

Rest all parameters, Delhi trumps Bangalore by far.

cheers

[Nav-i-gator]

Something on pollution: Yes, Delhi is polluted, but not throughout the year! Winters are hell, but as soon as spring comes, there is drastic drop in PM2.5

Rest of the pollution is same (if not less) than any metro city in India.

In terms of Infrastructure, Delhi is way ahead of any other city. There are lots of options to enjoy weekends - long drives, weekend getaways, Breakfast drives, you will enjoy the generally well laid and wide roads too.

If you choose Delhi - you will regret it every winter, every day of the winters when it feels like living in a gas chamber.

As for Bangalore, it's a beautiful city. Much more beautiful than Delhi. But the traffic is so bad that you will not be able to enjoy it. I would say, if you can manage & your wife's transfer allows that - go live in Mysore. It has all the charm that Bangalore used to have a decade ago.

[balenoed_]

Bangalore is not old Bangalore at all. It is getting incredibly chaotic in terms of traffic and development as years pass by. Sorry for a short answer but that is the summary.

[rahulcmoulee]

Regarding Bangalore's weather:
While it is not what it is used to be, except for the period from the beginning of March till mid May is pretty hot, it never touches 40. It goes upto 35 or 36. But after this period you will start seeing daily showers and the winter is also beautiful.

The traffic while horrible can be avoided if your commute is planned in advance. Leaving 15 minutes early in the mornings can save you an hour of travel time. All it takes is route and time planning. There are ample options for schools throughout the city

I have been living in Bangalore for the past 17 years now and I can tell you that the city is brilliant.

[padmrajravi]

I would prefer Delhi. Any geographical or climatic advantage that Bangalore has over Delhi will go away slowly with the ever-increasing pollution and population. All that is left after that is the people. In that respect, Delhi is special because they are the only state in India that could look beyond all distractions created by major alliances and vote only for development.

Whether it worked or not is a different question, but the fact that they had the courage to take that chance means something. People in Delhi seems more forward-thinking to me than all other states. I would prefer Delhi over Bangalore for only that reason. I understand TeamBHP does not support political angle to posts, but while selecting a location to settle down, politics plays an important role.

[Nav-i-gator]

Originally Posted by padmrajravi

I would prefer Delhi. Any geographical or climatic advantage that Bangalore has over Delhi will go away slowly with the ever-increasing pollution and population. All that is left after that is the people. In that respect, Delhi is special because they are the only state in India that could look beyond all distractions created by major alliances and vote only for development.

Whether it worked or not is a different question, but the fact that they had the courage to take that chance means something. People in Delhi seems more forward-thinking to me than all other states. I would prefer Delhi over Bangalore for only that reason. I understand TeamBHP does not support political angle to posts, but while selecting a location to settle down, politics plays an important role.

Really? Delhi population is the most short-sighted when it comes to politics. Govt's have been uprooted here due to hike in prices of Onions & Tomatoes. The biggest poll promise was, and still is - to legalize illegal colonies (that's where the votes come from, although it further promotes illegal encroachment and pathetic conditions of living), and provide freeebies to even those who can very well afford it.

I'm sorry to go