Bangalore

Everyone still calls it Bangalore, even though it officially became Bengaluru back in 2014. This is where India's tech dreams live—Google offices next to 16th-century temples, startup founders grabbing masala dosas at 6 AM before their investor meetings, and software engineers from every corner of India making this city home. What makes Bangalore special isn't just the tech boom. It's the weather. While Delhi bakes at 45°C and Mumbai drowns in monsoon, Bangalore sits at a pleasant 20-30°C most of the year. That's why retirees used to love it here, and why tech companies still do. The city's transformation since the 1980s has been wild. When Infosys and Wipro first set up shop, Bangalore was known more for its gardens than its gigabytes. Now Electronic City, Whitefield, and the Outer Ring Road are basically one giant tech campus. Microsoft, Amazon, Google—they're all here. The city churns out unicorn startups and exports more software than most countries. But here's the thing—old Bangalore hasn't disappeared. Lalbagh Garden, planted way back in 1760, is still where people go to escape the city madness. The Glass House there hosts flower shows that pack in crowds. Cubbon Park's 300 acres remain a green lung in the middle of all the concrete. Morning joggers, elderly uncles reading newspapers, couples sitting on benches—it's all still there. The food scene is incredible. You've got legacy places like Vidyarthi Bhavan serving the same legendary masala dosa since 1943. MTR opens before sunrise and the queue is already 20 people deep. Then there's Koshy's, this old-school cafe where writers and artists have been hanging out for decades. But Bangalore's also got Korean BBQ joints, craft breweries (more than any other Indian city), and farm-to-table restaurants that wouldn't be out of place in Portland. Shopping means different things in different parts of town. Commercial Street is organized chaos—you haggle for everything from sarees to electronics. Brigade Road has the branded stores with fixed prices. Then you've got KR Market, where flower sellers and vegetable vendors have been doing business the same way for generations. Each neighborhood has its own vibe. Koramangala and Indiranagar are where the young crowd hangs out—cafes, startups, bars everywhere. Jayanagar is more traditional, with numbered blocks and proper South Indian restaurants. Whitefield is basically expat central with all the tech parks. Malleswaram still feels like old Bangalore with its traditional homes and filter coffee culture. The city's biggest strength? It pulls in people from everywhere. You'll hear Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and English all on the same street. This mix shows up best in the food—traditional Karnataka cuisine alongside every regional Indian food you can think of, plus international options. Culture-wise, there's a lot happening. The National Gallery has good contemporary art. Theater is big here—Ranga Shankara and Jagriti put on shows regularly. The Literature Festival draws big names every year. IISc (India Institute of Science) and the engineering colleges mean there's always something interesting going on academically. You can still see pre-tech Bangalore if you look. Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace, built entirely from teak, is squeezed into the old city. Bangalore Palace looks like it was airlifted from England but has this distinctly Indian character. The Bull Temple in Basavanagudi has a massive Nandi carved from one piece of granite. Now for the reality check—traffic is absolutely brutal. A commute that should take 30 minutes can easily stretch to 2 hours. The metro is expanding but not fast enough. Water scarcity is a real problem. Lakes are polluted (though some are being cleaned up). Real estate prices have shot through the roof. Despite all this, people keep coming. Startups keep launching. The cafes still buzz with the next big idea. That's Bangalore—messy, energetic, and always optimistic. It's where someone drinking filter coffee at a 100-year-old restaurant is probably also coding the next big app. The future of India is literally being built here, one startup at a time.