[Cecil Peoples]

Hi there,

I will be relocating to my company's NYC office in the finanical district (Old Slip) within the next 5-8 months. I want to live in Fairfield County but I am getting mixed signals about how long the commute on the MTA would take from any of the Gold Coast communities. Since I would have to switch from Grand Central to get to the downtown area, some friends are telling me I should expect at least a 2-hour commute even from Greenwich, while others are saying that I could probably make 1.5 hours even from Norwalk or Westport. I would be grateful if anyone could give me a fairly accurate estimate of how long of a commute I should expect (assuming my apartment/home is within 10 minutes of a train station).

Thank you.

[toddb]

Assuming you are within a 10 min drive to the train station, commute from Fairfield to downtown would be just about 2h. Westport is <10 minutes closer, and Norwalk another 5-10m closer than that. Commuting from Greenwich might save you 20-30 mins off of Fairfield, depending on the trains you catch.

My wife commuted downtown for a while, and it was miserable. After getting off Metro North she had to take 2 trains to get down there, and the trip was long.

Not to talk you out of CT, but you might have more luck in NJ. If you can get a train to Hoboken, you can hop on the ferry for a 5-10 minute ride across the Hudson to either Pier 11 or World Financial.

Good luck!

[Cecil Peoples]

Thanks for the feedback, ToddB!

Yes, I'm also looking into northern NJ but after a nearly a decade of living and working in Tokyo and being originally from the greater Boston area, I am desparate to return to New England so the biggest issue for me is how much I am willing to sacrifice in terms of commute in order to enjoy the NE lifestyle. I have nothing against NJ per se, and I know there are some nice communities there, but it's not home to me and doesn't carry the emotional resonance that New England does.

[jjbradleynyc]

From Stamford, the commute to Grand Central is 44 mins on the express train. Move to Greenwich and it cuts the time by several minutes. Getting to Grand Central is the easy part. Once in the city, the transfer and walk to the subway(s) take the most time. Add on another 20-30 mins most likely, depending on subway platform wait times and walk from subway to the office--especially going downtown. It could take as long as another 45 mins, depending on the day.

[JayCT]

Note that the Greenwich-Stamford area is among the pricest places to live in the country so be prepared. Also note that there are MANY commuters from CT that work in the Financial District so you will not be alone in the commute.

Also note that there are many very nice traditional communities in northern NJ. Check out the Madison or Ridgewood areas. Jay

[fxtrader]

I commute from fairfield and from the time I leave the front door and get to work is just about 1hr 45 min. That includes a 15 minute subway ride and a 15 minute walk from the subway to work. We are originally from Maine and lived in NJ for a few years and it feels great being back in New England.

[Cecil Peoples]

Fxtrader,

While by no means easy, your post seems to indicate that a commute from Fairfield/Westport/Norwalk, etc. is feasible. So do you find the commute managable or brutal? JayCT noted about the commuter congestion, but I feel confident it will be nowhere as bad as what I deal with on a daily basis in Tokyo.

As I am looking at the Bergen County area as well, how did you find life in NJ? While I know how pricy Fairfield County is, at the same time I believe NJ's property taxes are quite stiff.

[fxtrader]

There are numerous people that do the commute every day. The parking lots are full every day and you have to get on a waiting list for a permanent parking pass. I usually sleep or read and the time go's by very quickly, better than sitting in bumper to bumper traffic.
We moved from Maine to central NJ and just never seemed to fit in, plus I missed the New England coast, mountains and small towns. We find we enjoy living in Fairfield but plan on moving further out in the country within the next couple of years. Probably Ridgefield or Monroe. We spend the majority of our weekends in Maine so we see a lot of New England in our travels. I traveled all over the world in the military and for work and New England is the place for me.

[kmbrewer2]

I commuted to NYC from Darien for ten years. If youre going downtown it can add significant time.Metro North is the most reliable part of the trip. On time,pretty comfortable etc.LOTS of people doing the same schlep you are. Plan on 1.5hours. dont buy a home too far from the station. That can add unecessary time.