Hi CubicleDog. It is great to see another blogpost from you. Thanks for the heads-up regarding Bangalore. Because of this reason, I am debating avoiding Hyderabad and Bangalore and move to Greater Noida instead. For Bangalore, I do think that once Namma Metro completes, things will be better but we don't know how many years it will take 😂
Hi Gaurav! Bangalore Metro is a savior. I love traveling in Metro - its quick, clean and very convenient, and most importantly helps me avoid the roads, pollution and traffic. However, connectivity is still very limited and new work progresses at a snail's pace. As you noted, it'll be years before the entire city is well connected.
The fact that they call Greater Noida a "planned city" feels so attractive to me. Just that simple label makes me want to check it out - that's how bad things feel on the streets of Bangalore😅 Probably the only area where Bangalore wins over NCR is comparatively lesser air pollution.
God damn dawg, tell us how you really feel! 😂 Appreciate the dose of realism. People I talk to often pin their hopes on the new metro, do you think that’s going to make a meaningful difference?
Parks being closed from 10am to 4pm!? I couldn’t believe my eyes and wondered if you made a mistake by switching the am/pm. 🥲
Hi Abhinand, yes, the Bangalore metro is what people hope would help address the city's out-of-control traffic. But connectivity is still very limited. There's still a very long way to go.
You read it right about Bangalore park timings. The clock strikes 10 AM and out comes the park attendant's loud whistle to drive away the public and lock up the park. A grim reminder of how much of a backward-ass third-world I'm living in.
This is the case with all metros. The infrastructure projects don't keep up pace with the population growth and the problems are compounded by the callous attitude of civic officials towards human life. It requires political will to change it around but we can only hope for it.
As an individual, I would consider moving to a tier-2 city to get a balance of urban and rural life. You still have these problems but the chaos are lesser.
Moving to a tier-2 city could be one of the solutions. But that however comes with its own pitfalls. As Divya mentioned below, people in tier-2 cities are quite conservative in their outlook, so if you're a liberal-progressive, you might find it hard to relate to people in smaller towns. It could be a good option as you get older and are looking for peace and quiet, as long as you are willing to let go of city amenities like good hospitals, malls, restaurants, etc.
I am a native of TN and when I said tier-2 city, Coimbatore was on my mind. It has good hospitals, malls, restaurants and is comparitively cleaner than many cities. Education is good, pollution is less and cost of living is lesser than metros. And it has better weather in comparison with Chennai.
Our opinions are strongly influenced by our experiences and my Coimbatore experiences were positive. I was hoping for similar things from Mangalore/Mysore as well.
I am a native of Coimbatore and been planning to return around Sep 2024. I took my paternity break earlier this year and stayed at Coimbatore for 2 months and was pleasantly accommodated to climate/people/city. Coimbatore is also moving to Tier-1 but still take a decade or two to reach there.
Hi cubicleDog, good and informative posts. Do you happen to know if an individual who worked in usa on h1b for 10+ years, will be eligible to receive SSN benefits after 62, if the individual moved back to india without usa citizenship/ green card?
It doesn't need 10 years but 40 credits and that can be achieved in lesser number of years. I would suggest you to register in SSN website and check your credits. I achieved it in 8 years.
As of date, a citizen of India can earn SSN benefits as per the information on the website. I haven't come across anyone who could confirm it though.
But SSN funds are dwindling and we cannot gurantee that Indians will remain in the list of countries who will get this benefit. IMO, one should plan for the situation where you are not getting SSN benefits but if you get it, take it as a bonus :)
Hi Jay! What a coincidence, after months of indifference and other stuff going on, I was finally hit with the inspiration today to write something on this blog. I've been drafting a post, should be out in 2-3 days :)
Thank you Nitin for the series of posts!! I would like to know more about your daily schedule as you don't have threads of work (corporate) running in your mind :) Or maybe this is a topic for another post altogether ;)
Another great post and binging on these :) Did you get around to writing about “Some tips and observations on housing - things to watch out for before buying a house.” ?
Hi CubicleDog. It is great to see another blogpost from you. Thanks for the heads-up regarding Bangalore. Because of this reason, I am debating avoiding Hyderabad and Bangalore and move to Greater Noida instead. For Bangalore, I do think that once Namma Metro completes, things will be better but we don't know how many years it will take 😂
Hi Gaurav! Bangalore Metro is a savior. I love traveling in Metro - its quick, clean and very convenient, and most importantly helps me avoid the roads, pollution and traffic. However, connectivity is still very limited and new work progresses at a snail's pace. As you noted, it'll be years before the entire city is well connected.
The fact that they call Greater Noida a "planned city" feels so attractive to me. Just that simple label makes me want to check it out - that's how bad things feel on the streets of Bangalore😅 Probably the only area where Bangalore wins over NCR is comparatively lesser air pollution.
God damn dawg, tell us how you really feel! 😂 Appreciate the dose of realism. People I talk to often pin their hopes on the new metro, do you think that’s going to make a meaningful difference?
Parks being closed from 10am to 4pm!? I couldn’t believe my eyes and wondered if you made a mistake by switching the am/pm. 🥲
Hi Abhinand, yes, the Bangalore metro is what people hope would help address the city's out-of-control traffic. But connectivity is still very limited. There's still a very long way to go.
You read it right about Bangalore park timings. The clock strikes 10 AM and out comes the park attendant's loud whistle to drive away the public and lock up the park. A grim reminder of how much of a backward-ass third-world I'm living in.
Here's an article: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/why-does-bengaluru-lock-up-its-parks-1158571.html (Don't forget to note the beautiful entrance to the Sankey Tank park in the picture in the article)
The city's major green spaces such as Lalbagh and Cubbon park however remain open all day - a tiny consolation.
This is the case with all metros. The infrastructure projects don't keep up pace with the population growth and the problems are compounded by the callous attitude of civic officials towards human life. It requires political will to change it around but we can only hope for it.
As an individual, I would consider moving to a tier-2 city to get a balance of urban and rural life. You still have these problems but the chaos are lesser.
Tier 2 cities are worse, which tier 2 city would you prefer to move to?
Worse because there is a lack of modern mentality.
Would like to know more. What else do you think are the disadvantages with tier-2 cities?
Some tier-2s worth considering in Karnataka are Mysore, Coorg, Mangalore, Shimoga, Chikmagalur.
Moving to a tier-2 city could be one of the solutions. But that however comes with its own pitfalls. As Divya mentioned below, people in tier-2 cities are quite conservative in their outlook, so if you're a liberal-progressive, you might find it hard to relate to people in smaller towns. It could be a good option as you get older and are looking for peace and quiet, as long as you are willing to let go of city amenities like good hospitals, malls, restaurants, etc.
Good perspective.
I am a native of TN and when I said tier-2 city, Coimbatore was on my mind. It has good hospitals, malls, restaurants and is comparitively cleaner than many cities. Education is good, pollution is less and cost of living is lesser than metros. And it has better weather in comparison with Chennai.
Our opinions are strongly influenced by our experiences and my Coimbatore experiences were positive. I was hoping for similar things from Mangalore/Mysore as well.
I am a native of Coimbatore and been planning to return around Sep 2024. I took my paternity break earlier this year and stayed at Coimbatore for 2 months and was pleasantly accommodated to climate/people/city. Coimbatore is also moving to Tier-1 but still take a decade or two to reach there.
Hi cubicleDog, good and informative posts. Do you happen to know if an individual who worked in usa on h1b for 10+ years, will be eligible to receive SSN benefits after 62, if the individual moved back to india without usa citizenship/ green card?
It doesn't need 10 years but 40 credits and that can be achieved in lesser number of years. I would suggest you to register in SSN website and check your credits. I achieved it in 8 years.
As of date, a citizen of India can earn SSN benefits as per the information on the website. I haven't come across anyone who could confirm it though.
But SSN funds are dwindling and we cannot gurantee that Indians will remain in the list of countries who will get this benefit. IMO, one should plan for the situation where you are not getting SSN benefits but if you get it, take it as a bonus :)
Waiting for your next update, CubicleDog.
Hi Jay! What a coincidence, after months of indifference and other stuff going on, I was finally hit with the inspiration today to write something on this blog. I've been drafting a post, should be out in 2-3 days :)
Great looking forward
Thank you Nitin for the series of posts!! I would like to know more about your daily schedule as you don't have threads of work (corporate) running in your mind :) Or maybe this is a topic for another post altogether ;)
Another great post and binging on these :) Did you get around to writing about “Some tips and observations on housing - things to watch out for before buying a house.” ?