Incase you do end up making the decision on moving to Bangalore- firstly a warm welcome to you! As with any city, culturally assimilating into the place gives you a better sense of belonging than being a perpetual alien. Would highly suggest that you pick up some basic Kannada at your own pace. Tbvh what's in it for you- you'll get better discounts from vendors, auto drivers, can get along better with locals and other seen and unseen benefits. People are very warm here and you'll be met with a hearty laugh when people hear your Kannada and these aforementioned benefits will be their part of acknowledging your efforts. You always have the choice to not do this and remain alienated by easily saying that you don't know Kannada and impose any other language you know on people. Life will still go on but your experience will be different.
Bangalore resident here. You should be OK getting in. Getting out will sometimes be an issue. There's a nasty U-Turn as you leave office, and it can take you 20 minutes or so to clear that. After that, it's normal traffic. 40 minutes is not an unrealistic estimate. If you're Ubering, you can save time by simply crossing the road.
If you can WFH sometimes, this is not a bad place to stay. Richmond Town is an excellent location, and you will be grateful on weekends. It gives you access to parts of town you can only dream of, if you were staying in Sarjapur Road or Koramangala.
Im a North Indian living in Bangalore. Here are the pros and cons :
Pros: 1. The weather. You won’t realise it now but honestly this is a game changer. You will in general feel happy and less irritable. It is a real upgrade in terms of day to day life because you will enjoy being outdoors. 2. If you live in central Bangalore, the city is walkable. Cubbon park, some of the city’s nicest restaurants and bars would be accessible by foot. 3. Cost of living - rent can be expensive in central blr but it is still comparable to Delhi prices. It’s nothing close to Bombay. Even though you’re not paying rent right now if you’re moving to a start up as a GC I’m sure this isn’t going to cause a huge hole in the pocket or anything. 4. Travel from Bangalore to nearby locations is wonderful.
Cons- 1. Food- cannot be compared to Delhi food. Finding a decent cook who can make North Indian food well will be a challenge but it’s not impossible. 2. Pace of life - things are changing now but moving here was definitely an adjustment for me. 3. Night life - bars at 7pm are buzzing but dead by 11pm - 12am. Weekends are exceptions but even then most places close much earlier than what you’re used to in Delhi. Keep your home bar fully stocked! 4. Traffic traffic traffic- but if you live in central Bangalore and your office isn’t too far this won’t be an issue. If it’s far, be ready for the mad commute.
All in all, I absolutely love living in Bangalore and wouldn’t want to move out of here. You’re not going to face trouble just because you’re from north India. People here are generally laid back - they like their beer and Js and ofcourse there’s the lot who love startup and VC talk. Moving from a Tier 1 to in-house as a GC is going to be a decision you won’t regret. If you do decide to move, welcome aboard!
As with any city, culturally assimilating into the place gives you a better sense of belonging than being a perpetual alien. Would highly suggest that you pick up some basic Kannada at your own pace. Tbvh what's in it for you- you'll get better discounts from vendors, auto drivers, can get along better with locals and other seen and unseen benefits. People are very warm here and you'll be met with a hearty laugh when people hear your Kannada and these aforementioned benefits will be their part of acknowledging your efforts. You always have the choice to not do this and remain alienated by easily saying that you don't know Kannada and impose any other language you know on people. Life will still go on but your experience will be different.
If you can WFH sometimes, this is not a bad place to stay. Richmond Town is an excellent location, and you will be grateful on weekends. It gives you access to parts of town you can only dream of, if you were staying in Sarjapur Road or Koramangala.
Pros:
1. The weather. You won’t realise it now but honestly this is a game changer. You will in general feel happy and less irritable. It is a real upgrade in terms of day to day life because you will enjoy being outdoors.
2. If you live in central Bangalore, the city is walkable. Cubbon park, some of the city’s nicest restaurants and bars would be accessible by foot.
3. Cost of living - rent can be expensive in central blr but it is still comparable to Delhi prices. It’s nothing close to Bombay. Even though you’re not paying rent right now if you’re moving to a start up as a GC I’m sure this isn’t going to cause a huge hole in the pocket or anything.
4. Travel from Bangalore to nearby locations is wonderful.
Cons-
1. Food- cannot be compared to Delhi food. Finding a decent cook who can make North Indian food well will be a challenge but it’s not impossible.
2. Pace of life - things are changing now but moving here was definitely an adjustment for me.
3. Night life - bars at 7pm are buzzing but dead by 11pm - 12am. Weekends are exceptions but even then most places close much earlier than what you’re used to in Delhi. Keep your home bar fully stocked!
4. Traffic traffic traffic- but if you live in central Bangalore and your office isn’t too far this won’t be an issue. If it’s far, be ready for the mad commute.
All in all, I absolutely love living in Bangalore and wouldn’t want to move out of here. You’re not going to face trouble just because you’re from north India. People here are generally laid back - they like their beer and Js and ofcourse there’s the lot who love startup and VC talk. Moving from a Tier 1 to in-house as a GC is going to be a decision you won’t regret. If you do decide to move, welcome aboard!