I moved to Chennai for the first time from Bangalore to take up a new job. So this would not be a new traveller’s review but more of a new resident’s review.
Major Con: I find the quality of life to be very bad. People in general are very unsophisticated and just want to get by with life.
IMO, one can get conned very easily in this city as everybody is out to cheat you and make a quick buck. Maybe its because of this, most establishments usually ask for address and other forms of id to verify your credit card transaction. In Bangalore just swipe and youre done.
I have learnt to haggle with the autorickshaw for the fare, but still get conned if I cant guess the fare correctly to new places. It is a pain as Im always being overcharged.
Weather is downright awful. You cant fault the people of Chennai for this. There is just no point taking a shower. You get dirty and wet with sweat immediately after. My electricity bill has shot thru the roof because I have used the AC too much. Unfair to compare with Bangalore whose weather I sorely miss.
Traffic and pollution is horrible. The dust and grime gets in your mouth and eyes causing irritation. Driving in Bangalore is a more pleasurable experience.
Resturants arent as varied and as many as in Bangalore. I miss the pubs. Very few options to hang out in Chennai(There is a temple every corner, maybe I should hang out there :)). Every body seems to head towards Mahabalipuram every weekend, maybe that place is a lot more bearable than Chennai.
On the plus side there are a lot more theme parks in Chennai than in Bangalore where you can take your kids to. The water parks are probably Chennai’s way of beating the heat, like chilled beer in Bangalore ;)
Lot of people love to hate this place because the people of Chennai arent very welcoming of those who cant speak tamil and that is a very bad outlook for a cosmopolitan city. No wonder Bangalore beats this place hands down. Im looking to get back to living in Bangalore.