If all goes well I will be in Mumbai next week, October 13!
Want to help me envision and manifest the ideal place to live?
(Royal court in palace at Chittor, Rajasthan 🙂 )
This is my list so far:
Top criteria:
• beach view and/or easy walk (2 blocks?) to a shoreline … I decided on this while at the beach in San Francisco a few weeks ago, realizing how VERY HAPPY the ocean makes me. And since Mumbai is basically a string of islands, with shorelines all around, I’m hoping this will be easy to find and also will help me narrow down neighborhoods.
• 1 or 2 bedroom apartment. Aside from my living space, I do need a separate space to write, that I can close off. I also would like to be able to put up an occasional guest.
• At least one room with air-conditioning. Cuz, yeah, it’ll be hot. I have no illusions about my stoic-ness when it comes to the weather. I am a wimp.
• Reasonably quiet since I’ll be writing there.
• Wired for internet/wi-fi, or easy to acquire internet access… I’ve heard it can be kind of difficult/complicated/frustrating to get hooked up.
• Reasonable price. Rents seem to be all over the place; I know people who are paying $100 and people who are paying $18,000 a month (seriously? yea). I’m thinking about my own price range and I am prepared to be flexible and take the advice of locals.
• Furnished or lightly furnished (bed, stove, refrigerator).
• 9 month lease (but I’m flexible if I need to sign something a little longer-term).
I’m open to all areas of Mumbai proper as well as the trendier suburban area up north – that’s Bandra, Khar, Juhu Beach. Everyone seems to want to live in Bandra now, and there’s an emerging queer neighborhood there (that may be overstating it, though?). I will be affiliated with the University of Mumbai in Kalina, but I probably won’t need to be on campus too often, so I’m not worried about commuting.
I am not really interested in having a roommate although I would consider the right situation.
Extra bonuses would be:
• Upper floor / terrace space
• Wi-fi
• Near someone/some folks I know; queer-friendly 🙂
• Landlord / neighbors who are helpful without being too nosy
• Convenient neighborhood for groceries, restaurants, art, community, necessities, getting rickshaws & taxis, traveling to other parts
What else should I think about?
I guess there are some basics — reasonably safe building/neighborhood, reliable plumbing and electricity, regular water — that we don’t think about much in the US but that I should probably make sure are on my list. And from what I understand, some apartments “come with” live-in domestic staff; I wouldn’t want that.
I sent out this list to a bunch of friends and family friends today, so I’m also taking heart today from my friend Renata’s excellent blog post on “Wanting” and gratitude. Check it out.