Delhi Filter - tips for researcher headed to India

September 25, 2011 9:05 PM

Delhi Filter: Help a PHD with her upcoming long research trip to New Dehli - Housing, and general tips on life and work in Dehli.

My favorite girl is headed to New Dehli on a Fullbright for a good stint (6-9 months) in about a month and half. She's been to India a few times and speaks fluent Hindi - never the less and tips, suggestions, or connections in Dehli would be greatly appreciated.

Curious if the good ask.metafilter folks might have tips on housing (she has some leads but hasn't inked accomodations yet)? best neighborhoods (defense colony has been suggested)? safety tips? cool folks living and working there (she's super bright and cool)? and tips on the performance art scene (her area of research)?

Thanks in advance.

posted by specialk420 to travel & transportation around New Delhi, India (10 answers total)

Fulbright taxes are a bitch.
posted by k8t at 9:30 PM on September 25, 2011

K8t care to elaborate?
posted by specialk420 at 9:35 PM on September 25, 2011

defense colony is quite upscale. Not in the "bright and shiny" sense (it's an old hot polluted city right) but in the "they rich" sense. sent you a mefi mail
posted by the mad poster! at 9:46 PM on September 25, 2011

Trying 'Delhi' instead of 'Dehli' may help with your searches for information online.

PG accommodations are also possible if she doesn't mind sharing. PG = Paying Guest - you usually rent a room with meal plan inside someone else's home.

Some other neighbourhoods - Paanchsheel Park, Safdarjung Development Area, Hauz Khas (but not Green Park), any of the Greater Kailashes (1,2 and 3), Vasant Vihar - even Chittaranjan Park and Alaknanda

Also depends on where she's going to be going everyday? Delhi is huge and a commute can take a couple of hours within city limits.

I personally don't feel safe in Delhi but a Finnish friend spent five years (with her own scooter) living in Safdarjung Devt Area (also known as SDA) and said that for the most part she felt fine. Having her own transport helped.
posted by infini at 9:54 PM on September 25, 2011 [1 favorite]

Alaknanda has some expats living there these days (it's a recent trend). But it is not quick to get to Central Delhi from Alaknanda. Same goes for Saket and Chittaranjan Park (CR Park).

Performance art scene, AFAIK, is centered around the Central Delhi area. All the decent venues and galleries etc. are a stone's throw from India Gate. Perhaps the Fulbright offices in India could help with the localities with fast commutes?

In my experience, Defence Colony, Hauz Khas, Vasant Vihar, Safdarjung should all be okay from safety and commuting angles. Rule of thumb: go South of India Gate, not North.

Delhi is quite an unsafe place in general, but apart from being super cautious (not be out late in the night without arranging reliable transport back home, for example) there isn't much that ordinary people can do.
posted by vidur at 10:11 PM on September 25, 2011

Hasn't all that new flyover stuff made it worse from VV to CP?
posted by infini at 10:21 PM on September 25, 2011

To go from Vasant Vihar to CP, one can just cut through Chanakyapuri. No need to worry about the Ring Road mess (wasn't a mess the last time I was there, but with Delhi one never knows).
posted by vidur at 10:52 PM on September 25, 2011

Apologies for the spelling and grammar on this post, but thanks for all of the tips so far. It will obviously be quite an adventure.
posted by specialk420 at 10:58 PM on September 25, 2011

At Fulbright orientation she probably heard most of it, but it is true... the way that they pay you makes it very difficult to do your taxes. Assume that you're going to have to give a large chunk of it back to the government. Don't budget on the amount that is on the checks.
posted by k8t at 7:05 AM on September 26, 2011

Check Yuni-Net for accommodation. Its an expat group and there are usually quite a few "looking for roommate" ads up
posted by epiphinite at 11:08 PM on September 26, 2011