Most of us will connect with people who spend hours stuck in a jam between home and work.
But to those who dwell outside the city, getting home is worth the effort simply because they have something most of us city dwellers may not have – comfortable living. Say hello to the suburban residents. Living outside city limits, they enjoy comfort and relief from the tension and space constraints the city residents rarely get.
For Dhinakar D., his wife Shanti and their five-year-old daughter Patricia, who live in a gated community of villas beyond Whitefield, this is the best decision they have ever made as a family. “Since we moved out, we don’t feel like going back into the city. This kind of comfort, greenery and open spaces is something even money can’t buy inside Bengaluru anymore.”
“Sometimes I do miss the sound of traffic, which I make up with my work visits to the Central Business District of the city,” says Dhinakar, who runs the DS Pro Sound & Lights company.
“But work is only for 8 to 10 hours. The rest of the day, I spend at home. And there’s nothing like coming back to the kind of comfort living I can call home. We have ample spaces to park my cars, enough amenities for my daughter to play and everything at the doorstep.”
Even if given an opportunity with the same setting inside the city, Dhinakar affirms he will not move in. “Ultimately my family and I live in peace. And that’s something I don’t want to bargain with. Even when it comes to travel, I hit the highway near home and I’m in the city within 25 minutes. So it really doesn’t have any disadvantages.” He adds that if given a chance he would move even further.
Shanti echoes the same thoughts. “Earlier this was outskirts, today everything is here. There is no need to go into the city. In fact, people are coming from within the city to here to shop and for entertainment. From hotels and malls to hospitals and even religious places, everything is around us.”
Even when it comes to education, the couple point out that international schools are mostly in the outskirts.
“My child’s future is secure in the international school she studies in, just 15 minutes from here. The suburbs are the future of the city now,” sums up Dhinakar.
Tejas Selvam, a real estate consultant and contractor, says the suburbia culture is a big boom.
“The outskirts are where everyone is headed. That’s where the money is being directed and so is most of my focus. With the city expanding and the influx of people, Bengaluru’s city centre is practically impossible to live in. The competition for space is tough and getting a decent site is an expensive affair.”
Lesser effort is needed to get a house outside the city and you are investing in not just a good house or flat, but also in peaceful living and quality space for your money’s worth.”
Aruna Anand, whose family lives in the suburbs on the Anekal route points out that the cons are almost negligible. “In fact, even my relatives are moving to flats outside the city limits. Gatherings are no longer a pain to get to since we connect easily through the Outer Ring Road. Birthdays and anniversaries are fun now since we get more time to spend together instead of waiting for that one family to get here from Malleswaram so we can start the party.”
Robin Sylvester’s folks moved beyond Devanahalli in 2010 to near Chikkaballapur long before the area developed into a residential boom.
“The International Airport brought all the attention to this side of town and before we knew it, houses and flats around here popped up rapidly. Along with that, came the commercial establishments, public services and entertainment setups. This is now like a mini-Koramangala or Indiranagar albeit outside the city and without the traffic snarls and congestion,” explains Robin.
He adds that the only hassle is travelling the two hours to the city. “But that’s a small price to pay to staying in a place I love to call home.
We’ve got open spaces for my dog and us to walk around, lush greenery around us and barely any vehicular pollution. This kind of comfort is very rare within the city.”
