r2i forum

I am planning to relocate to Pune. Have been in Mumbai for some time and I am not able to adjust to the maddening crowds and endless traffic jams and also the heat in mumbai.
Just wanted inputs as to how Pune is as a city. In terms of traffic,roads etc.

I would need to travel Magarpatta for work but would be staying at Aundh since my dad already has a house there.I know that Magarpatta is at the other end of the city. But I'm hoping that it wouldn't be too bad to commute if i have a driver to drive me there. any inputs on that??

Also how do i go about getting a good reliable driver. are there any agencies that i could contact.
Thanks.

Given Pune's traffic situation, lack of infrastructure and public transport, I am afraid you will be disappointed if you live in Aundh and work in Magarpatta. Why not find something near by? There are many companies in your area of residence or within a 20 mins driving distance. Magarpatta will be a long haul, anywhere from 45 mins to 1 hr or even more.

If you are looking to get away from the issues you mentioned about Mumbai, then unfortunately, Pune is hardly the place anymore. I grew up in Pune and now the city is just another Mumbai in the making. Won't be long before it becomes one with Mumbai, as far as escalating RE prices, crowds, anonymity, general culture, pollution and general apathy towards fellow human beings. Newer cities like Satara, Nashik and Wai are probably better bets.

If you belong to Pune, then, of course, its a different story because you will be going home. In that case, finding work closer to where you live will make you happy and probably is the best bet.

tweety,

I agree with Chicago Desi though some areas might be slightly better than Mumbai. For example, if you live on Baner Rd and work in Hinjewadi..might not be bad, living and working..both.

We had earlier planned to move to Pune, I liked NIBM area. We're not planning to work fulltime once we move back so commute is not an issue but overall things are getting worse. I realized this after few last visits.

Now, I'm planning to move to Nasik after considering all scenarios.

I'm from Delhi and my wife is from Mumbai and we don't have any relatives in Pune or Nasik.

VRG,

Are there jobs for IT folk in Nasik ? How are the IT jobs there ?

Try nagpur, Persistent has a campus there and so are few other companies.

bobo2000;28705VRG,

Are there jobs for IT folk in Nasik ? How are the IT jobs there ?

Not right now, will take another 2-3 yrs.

thanx for responding everybody..
I understand your point. Its best to have your workplace close to home. But atleast for sometime I would need to manage with the travelling and then probably look for a job close to home. Because I guess i would want to stay at Aundh itself. I found the area very peaceful and at the same time very convenient in terms of facilities etc.
The feeling I got and I may be wrong, is that the traffic situation in Pune is not as bad as Mumbai as yet. I know the travel time would be 1 hour because of thet distance. But if its somewhat a smooth drive its ok. The most frustrating part about Mumbai is that to even to cover a distance of 5-6 kms it sometimes takes about an hour with horrible traffic jams at every block.

Having live in both Mumbai and Pune, I think the Pune traffic situation is worse ! Even though traffic in Mumbai might be terrible, I think in general Mumbai drivers have greater respect for the road and the laws than Pune drivers (note that this is a relative assessment, not an absolute one). Pune drivers have no respect for any kind of traffic law - be it red lights, no-entry or one-way roads, right of way, lane markings, etc.

Add to it the fact that Pune roads are really narrow (its a small city that was predominantly used to two-wheeler traffic, till the recent boom has it bursting at the seams due to the rapid explosion of cars). Now add the occassional friendly neighbourhood animal (take your pick of dogs, cows and pigs) mixed in with cyclists, two-wheelers and the famed rickshaw drivers and you have yourself quite a commotion.

Having said all of this, I prefer living in Pune to Mumbai any day. In fact we are in the final stages of our move to Pune (after living in the US for more than 11 years) ! Pune is a great city and most of all, Pune is home for me - but if you're thinking that the traffic\pollution\crowd situation is better than Mumbai, think again.

You might want to consider living in Pune for a week or so, and actually drive from Aundh to Magarpatta every day for a week (do it at times you would typically be on the road for going to\from work) and see if you can live with it - it might not be too bad, but I agree with the earlier replies that it might be better to live closer to your office.

I also agree with #3 that the NIBM Road area is really nice .. after looking all over Pune for a place to live, we finally settled on the NIBM Road area and bought a place there last year.

thanx R2I puneite.
As you suggested will drive down to Magarpatta during peak hours and give it a try.
Haven't really checked out the NIBM area. I guess one of the reasons for me having an inclination towards Aundh is its immediate access to the mumbai-pune expressway. I am basically from mumbai and have my parents,relatives and friends there. So our trips to mumbai would be frequent.
anyways I am hoping to invest in a row house. so probably should check out NIBM and other areas too.
Thanks again.

NIBM is far away from IT hub. One more thing to consider.

Also NIBM is not as developed as Aundh. But you may get a better deal there.