Moving to Besant Nagar

Hi all,

My last thread here was about my hunt for a decent 2BHK that I was to share with a flatmate, as I was living in a working women's hostel (Don't ever think about it).

I am finally moving out of Nungambakkam to Besant Nagar this weekend. I am moving into a 3 BHK house in a really quiet and residential locality. This move will push me further from my office, and I have to rely on public transport as I don't have a vehicle here. I am nervous about the increased commute now (my work place is near City Centre mall) and I am keen on taking the train route. But again, I know the train stations are not safe after dark. Anyone have any suggestions? Does anyone do carpool here?

I could use some help about what is there to do at Besant Nagar, besides the beach

Currently, I do need a mattress store, and if anyone could help me with directions to get there to buy a mattress, it'd help me a lot

I am super excited and nervous all at the same time. It's that feeling in the pit of your stomach just before a major exam

It sounds like good news. Besant Nagar is, indeed, a very nice area. I'm sure it will be worth the commute.

What's there? Some nice shops, which I don't know well enough to specify, apart from FabIndia for your clothes, a good cake shop (called cakewalk?), Kalakshetra dance school and other cultural event venues nearby ... and nice roads and houses.

For mattress, I strongly recommend a latex mattress from mm foam or Foams India*. I think we have the latter. Infinitely more comfortable than concrete-like choir and no, latex is not sweaty; it breathes.


*According to this Dealers' List (PDF) there are three shops in Adyar that sell Foams India. That is nearby for you.

EDIT... Just noticed from one of your other posts that you are Indian, so you already know all about Indian mattresses

Nick, thanks a ton for the tips and the useful links! And yeah even though I'm Indian, I have never bought a mattress on my own, so don't worry your information helps

I am going to look up in these shops once I move. Thank you!

Theosopical society is a gaden narby . Besant nagar does not have railway station. So you have the buses only if ac buses ply on that route good for you else buy a two wheeler and reduce travel time and dependency on buses trains if you dont have a fixed 9 to 5 job

Ravi,

Thanks for the tips. Yeah, I am close to the depot but the AC bus doesn't enter this side of Besant Nagar. I am trying to figure out my commute, and eventually, my own vehicle would be preferred!

Hiya foodie25,

Welcome to Besant Nagar. It's quite a nice place, but gets a tad too crowded during the weekends. I've lived all my life in and around Besant Nagar & let me see if i can answer your queries.

You have 3 public transport options to get to city center mall area

1. Bus - Train combo - Take one of 5E, 23c, 47A to kasturibhai nagar & take the MRTS from there. The KB station is quite well lit and very close to the main road, so it should be quite safe.

2. Direct Bus - 6D & 21D go pass though Besant Nagar & go via Marina. I think 6A, which starts from Besant Nagar, also goes via Marina. You could get down at QMC and hoof it to City center.

3. Let your friendly neighbourhood auto driver suck your blood dry.

I've not seen too many people do that around these parts. In any case its best that you carpool only with people that you know.

The beach at Besant Nagar is best avoided during the weekends as it gets too crowded, polluted & noisy. Its quite pleasant after 9 PM most days & is quite safe for single women as well at that time. The beach usually hosts at least a few interesting events every year - there was a beach volleyball tourney recently a and a few folk cultural programs as well.

Kalakshetra is probably the most interesting place in Besant Nagar. You could do part time courses in classical music or dance there.

A few temples and a popular church is there as well if you are into that.

There are innumerable restaurants of quite a large variety of cuisines in the area, all of them full to capacity during the weekends & a few during the week as well.

Star watch - A number of movie and sports personalities live here - Vikram, Arvind Swamy is building his new house, Vairamuthu, Srikanth and quite a few more haunt these parts.



There are a number of options & you could pick one to suit your budget. Woodpecker is a popular, high end furniture store opposite to Nilgiris that carries quite a large variety of mattresses. A short ride or walk towards Vannandurai will provide a few more budget options - the kind where mattress are stitched to order.

I am sure that it will treat you well. Good luck.

Cheers
Krishna

Hi Krishna,

Could definitely use all your tips! Thanks a ton for all the info. I guess it'll be trial and error for me with my commuting.

Any idea how much the auto guy should charge for me from Besant Nagar (near the bus stand) till City Centre? Approximately?

Hi Foodie,

Guess Krishna has answered all your queries. Will chip in with little inputs

For Commute to City Centre, He has suggested 21D & 6D which I believe starts from tiruvanmiyur and passes through Besant Nagar. You can try out 29C and get down at RadhaKrishnan Road, Guess it shud be a five minute walk or a 30 Rs Auto drive to your work place. Since 29 C starts from Bessie Bus depot, you can easily find a place to sit.

I used to live near Konica Studios in the road leading to besant nagar and used to pay about 120-150 for a ride to city center in Autos.

Things to do in Besant Nagar
Once you move in you would get a copy of Adyar times / Adyar Talk, which would give info about events happening in and around Adyar. Though i havent been to any, hav seen some kind of cultural or workshops ads.

During weekend evenings, you can talk a walk into IIT. preferably with a friend if you are a single female. Best place within half hour reach. Once you go there you would luv the place.

Nearest Theatres are Inox (City Center) / AGS Navallur / Satyam (Royapet). There is a satyam complex coming up in the junction near tiruvanmiyur. Guess you would need to wait for couple of months.

Suggestion - If possible get a two wheeler.will sure make ur life lot smoother

Cheers
Ajay

Agree with Ajay there. Auto fare to Chennai city center should set you back around 150Rs.

Cheers
Krishna

Hi Ajay & Krishna,

Yes, since it's my first days there, I have been taking an auto for Rs 150, nothing less. Wow! It really burns a hole in the wallet

Tomorrow I intend leaving early and reaching Kasturbha Nagar station for the train That'll be just right, expense wise and time wise.

Thanks!

Hiya again,

If you get the connectivity right between the bus and train, it would easily be the best way to travel. The train never gets too crowded even at peak times & you have nice breezy ride into town. These trains do not tend to slip too much off schedule, so it should be workable.

Tell us how it works out!

Cheers
Krishna

Hi Foodie,

Suggest you try out the 29C just for the sake of it. Door to Door time could be less and less change overs. And if you board in Depot, you can find a seat and take a cat nap for 30 mins or so.

Cheers
Ajay

Hi Ajay,

I would love to take a bus non-stop to my workplace. And yes, I'd probably get a seat at the bus depot. But I have heard unpleasant incidents in buses with women, and I look like an outsider. Not knowing the language, I find people in public transport not helpful at all. I have had rickshaw drivers yell at me in Tamil because I couldn't understand, and not 1 English speaking, educated person around me came to help translate.

So I am worried about the men in this bus, especially while getting down from a really crowded bus at R K Salai. Maybe I'm being too cautious...

Is the Kasturba Nagar train station decent? I'll try that route tomorrow!

Thanks

I was returning from a party in AP on Monday. Bus dropped me around 9 a.m. at Koyambedu.

My friend who knows Tamil got an auto from Koyambedu to Mylapore Tank for Rs. 120 two weeks before.

Me on the other hand had to really bargain for a whopping Rs. 250 to Santhome.

Then the auto guy says I will take another passenger on the way.

After all this near Santhome he starts blabbering something about Sanjay Ramaswamy. And then tries to get 20 bucks extra.

Bottom-line: You can thrive in Chennai only with your own transport.

P.S.: The bit about Sanjay Ramaswamy. It is the name of Surya's character in Ghajini. He was trying to say that I look like him. My office boy told me that. The things people do for money

Kasturbai Nagar & Kotturpuram most unsafe tells this report

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle3595543.ece

I have seen kotturpuram Rly Stn its near my office, very bad no lights, all stairs full of smell. And once even i got down from a differnt gate and it took me a good time to recognize the surroundings, these metro stations have some 2-3 exit gates out of which only one is used by public the rest are deserted. About buses nothing can be predicted, you will meet good helpful passengers also and non helpful also, depends on luck. But in crowded buses be careful of your purse. Two of my cousisns lost their mobiles in different incidents and the thief cleverly just cuts the purse and takes cash, mobile. Dont take the white board or green board bus, take the LSS bus which has a door and is costly than normal bus. White board / green board buses are cheapest and attract miscrents / students