How to Help a Friend Adjust in a Metro City

Byshaheen shaikh

In 2020, the annual temperatures in North India were extreme, ranging from around 2°C to 38°C. Delhi, a part of North India and away from any major water body, experiences similar extreme temperatures. Mumbai, on the other hand, with its tropical, coastal location, has comparatively more equitable temperatures through the year. So, helping your friend move into an apartment in Mumbai and adjust to that city will be very different from doing so in Delhi. However, there are various other factors to consider while adjusting to a metro city. Here are the things you can ask your friend to remember to help adjust to the new metropolis.

Tips on Adjusting to a Metro City

  • Choose a suitable locality to live in
  • It’s perhaps the first tip to adjust to any new city. Find a locality with the lowest crime rate, affordable home prices, easy access to public transport and basic local amenities within a suitable range of area. Also, ensure that the locality doesn’t suffer frequently from power cuts. During pandemic-induced lockdowns, most residents have had to rely even more on electricity for video conferencing and working from home.
  • Get used to public transport
  • Learn to use the metro in a metro city. Also, get accustomed to local buses and trains. These are the cheapest modes of transport in any city. Know the important routes and the means of transport available on them. Besides, knowledge of booking a cab can be your last-minute saviour when you can’t wait for a bus. Try avoiding rush hours (6-10 am and 5-8 pm) as much as possible.
  • Explore the city
  • Start with exploring the local amenities, like grocery shops, phone recharge centres, local markets, shopping malls, hospitals, parks, movie halls and more, close to your friend’s apartment in Mumbai. Make sure everything is within easy reach. Explore other important spots too, including the historical and cultural sites of the city like, museums and galleries, to blend in better.
  • Spend and save your money wisely
  • In a metropolis, anywhere you turn, you can spend money, be it shopping malls, movie halls or fast-food shops. But you need to spend your hard-earned money wisely, especially in metros, which tend to be more expensive than tier II cities. Try exercising at home regularly instead of getting a gym membership. Check out free recreational and de-stress options like visiting your nearby park, listening to good music or looking after your plants. Let them replace your shopping sprees. Read your favourite book or try journaling sometimes instead of always straining your eyes on Hotstar, Prime Video and Netflix and paying huge monthly subscriptions. Cook for yourself instead of ordering in. Such habits also save your health.
  • Finally, think about saving a little every month in a savings or fixed deposit account, whichever suits you better. You could choose a recurring deposit to build a saving habit. You can link your bank account to it, so that a pre-determined amount is put into the recurring deposit account each month, helping you build savings. This is a great way to ensure financial security for any emergencies.

Whether you settle in a flat in Mumbai or buy property in Bangalore, arm yourself with knowledge to adjust comfortably to the metropolis.