Moving to Chennai from US for work

Hey, I am new to forums but I thought it would be good to try and get some tips before moving to Chennai around Sept-Oct 2012. It will be for about a year and I am moving from the US, Florida to be more specific. I saw some similar posts, but I had some specific questions I was hoping people could help with. It would be just for myself.

I will be working in Ambattur Industrial Estate, but want to live somewhere that is close and convenient to things, maybe close to the water.

1. What districts/areas should I look for serviced apartments or similar in and which should I avoid? (Budget around 55,000-75,000 Rs a month)
2. I love golf, and have seen there are some courses there. What is the cost to play 18 holes there, do they use carts or do you walk, is there somewhere you can rent clubs?
3. I have seen that it is possible to get a cook, someone to clean, how much would you pay on average for someone to do both including shopping for the groceries?
4. For a home cooked meal how much would all the ingredients cost, meal with meat for example?
5. Transportation is a big thing. If I work in Ambattur but live by the coast, is it feasible to take a taxi every day or should I hire a car and driver? I don't want to buy a car, so would need to hire someone with a car, how much would that cost monthly?
6. Do the movie theaters play American movies in English or are they voiced over in Tamil?
7. I would be working 7:30pm-3:30pm to match my schedule in US. Are things open late or I guess early there?

I have a million more questions but I will stop there. Any help with any of the questions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Jamie

Jamie,

I made the move from Miami to Chennai about a year ago.

I don't know the neighborhood, but your budget seems quite high. I pay about Rs. 20,000 (including utilities) for a large two bedroom in the center of the city.

Asked a friend about golf, I believe it requires membership to a club. Will post when I hear back.

A maid/cook will run you max. Rs. 3,000/month. Definitely hire through a reference though.

Home-cooked meal is anywhere between Rs. 30 (veg and rice) to Rs. 200 (nice piece of chicken or fish with sides)

I don't know monthly car+driver cost, I did buy a car here to get around. Driving isn't thaaaat bad (yes it is).

There are a few theaters with English movies in English.

Things are open pretty late here. Usually shops close at 9 or 10 PM, with restaurants usually open a bit later.

Hope this helps.

If you want to hire a driver without a car it will cost you around Rs. 10 - 15 thousand a month. English movies are played at Sathyam cinemas, Inox and PVR cinemas. You definitely want to live closer to work. Traffic is hell in Chennai. You may want to find a place to live in Anna Nagar which is kind of close to Ambattur Industrial Estate.

Thank you for the replies.

Robzilla- What neighborhood did you choose? Was there a reason you picked that one over the others? Did your place come furnished or did you do unfurnished?

I am curious to hear about golf, thank you for looking into and all your help.

sgtusa- Thanks for the info. Yea I have seen a lot of posts for people willing to be drivers with prices, but finding it hard to find prices for a driver with a car with a/c. I am going to be there for 6 months to a year, so just trying to find the best solution.

I will have to check out those movie theaters.

Do you have any other suggestions within Anna Nagar, a certain part of it or anything? What kind of neighborhood is Anna Nagar?

Thank you for help.

Probably one of the most cosmopolitan areas of Chennai. Westernised shopping and lots of posh housing --- but, if you do not know India and this city, there are no words that can really describe any area!

Yeah...what Nick said

Jamie,

I dont think you will find a driver with his own car. You may have to go with what is called a "Travels" company. They usually have multiple cars with drivers and rent cars out on hourly, daily or weekly basis. This will be an expensive way of doing it.

I work in Ambattur as well, so will try to answer some questions. Like others have mentioned, Anna Nagar is your best bet - Cosmopolitan area, quite a few shopping areas / restaurants.

AMBIT IT park has a food court which has Subway / KFC plus local restaurants - Usually open till 11 p.m. (Subway maybe open till later) - however I don't know of any that is available post 10.30, unless you get to the city.


Feel free to pm me if you have any questions :-)

Hey Ceebu,

Thank you for your help. I couldn't figure out how to PM on here. Maybe I am just missing the obvious, it's late here. How long/ how much for a taxi from Anna Nagar to Ambattur? Also, what do you think it would cost for a nice a/c, furnished apartment/house whatever in Anna Nagar?

Jamie

Hi Jamie,

Your budget for rent seems to be on the higher side. Am sure you can find a good place for much less. Regarding your desire to live near the coast and go to ambattur on a daily basis, it could be a bit tough. As others had suggested, finding a place in Anna Nagar, Anna Nagar extension could bring ur commute time to less than an hour.

Golf - Honestly no idea. But am sure you can find a club to join with references and buy or rent golf equipment.

Cook - For 3000, feel is less. Coz I live in tiruvanmiyur and pay 4K monthly. buys the veg and cooks three meals a day. and i pay her for the veg

Movies - Shudnt be a problem. You have couple of Malls and Complexes which screens Hollywood movies. tickets shudnt be a prob. ( about 120 Rs per person). You may be paying a higher parking charge.

3:30 PM - I guess you wanted to write 3:30 AM. Nothing would be open barring a couple of hotels and tea shops at 3:30.

Hope I have answered your queries to an extent. Some of the things you have missed out is

Would you be moving with your family?
If yes, do you have kids? Are they attending school?
then you would need to take in thier considerations as well for school and social life.

If you are moving in alone, then you can pick and choose amongst a lot of options. Ya forgot to mention about the car. Not sure about the car rentals and stuff. My suggestion is, if you are looking to use the car for the whole year, forget renting it. Buy a second hand or a brand new, use it for a year + hire a driver ( Not sure about the salary for drivers) . and then u can sell it again.

Cheers
Ajay

No, you're missing the combination of over ten days membership and over ten posts. And, I'm afraid that the requirement is not obvious!

Hey Nick, thanks for the info I would have never figured that out. I guess I just need more posts

So how long of a commute would it be from Anna Nagar to Ambattur Industrial Estates? It looks like not far on a map, but I have a feeling it is misleading.

Yes, I did mean 3:30AM thank you for catching. I wonder if I would even be able to find someone willing to cook around that time when I got home from work then.


It would just be myself.

WOW ! I didnt know that - Thanks for the tip..

Jamie - Anna Nagar to Ambattur is about 15 to 20 minutes ride - will be more like 10 when you travel @ 3.30. Hiring a driver will cost you about 10K , but that's I would do - Helps have consistency in how you commute and also helps with having a reliable designated driver for a weekends :-)

JamieFL

Welcome to Chennai

As an Indian who has survived in Chennai for 5 months now, I can vouch that it will take time to settle in. If you've never lived in India, it will be pure chaos at first. It may feel like everything's happening all at once in a language you don't understand. I had felt like the outsider, standing and observing the chaos from outside. This is until I decided to jump in with both feet. Now I feel all grown up and confident.

I cannot help you much with tips on travel and other things in the city, and I hope you find all your answers on Indiamike. I know I am

Good luck with the move and the new experiences to come