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I am relocating to start a new job in Clifton NJ at an office located at 77 River Rd (and there is also an entrance behind the Clifton Commons Spirit and Wine Shop). I plan to live in Manhattan in Hell's Kitchen or Hudson Yards and commute from the city, Here is what I have researched so far:
1- Keep my car and drive and pay the tolls and parking in NYC.
2- Take the 191/192 bus from Port Authority directly to Rt3 Clifton Commons. The drop off is on the north side of Rt3 and walk under the highway and through the AMC and Stop and Shop parking lots to get to the back entrance of my facility... and the pickup back to NYC is outside the Barnes and Noble which is very very close to the back entrance to my facility.
2 - Take the NJT Train from Penn Station to Secacus then transfer to Delawana and walk .5 miles to office or take the 74U bus.
Several questions:
-Which is the best option? and is there an option im not aware of?
-Are the buses and trains reliable?
-I currently own a car, can i leave my car at the Delawana train station overnight and on weekends (this way i wouldnt have to walk from train station to office and can have a car to get around when needed)?
-is it safe to leave a Bike at the Delawana train station over nights and on weekends?
-I read on another post that NJT busses accecpt the NJT Train montly passes? If so, would it make sense for me to just choose the route based on trafffic?
-What are the prices for the train and bus? do the tickets free-transfer if youre taking a train and a bus? I assume they do not have a free transfer with an MTA Subway ticket.
Any advice or perhaps point out things I haven't thought about?
Mostly reliable, like the MTA. They are until something comes up. I was an hour late getting home last night because of an engine malfunction that blocked five trains on the line.
You'd need a train station parking pass, most of these have waiting lists that can be several years long.
Probably, depends on how nice the bike is, like anywhere else.
Every train pass has a Zone indication in the upper right. You can ride busses for free out to that zone. It allows for a lot of flexibility that can be really helpful.
Ticket prices can be found on the NJTransit.com website. I know you can transfer to another bus or the light rail for free, I don't believe the train to bus transfer is free though.
Mostly reliable, like the MTA. They are until something comes up. I was an hour late getting home last night because of an engine malfunction that blocked five trains on the line.
You'd need a train station parking pass, most of these have waiting lists that can be several years long.
Probably, depends on how nice the bike is, like anywhere else.
Every train pass has a Zone indication in the upper right. You can ride busses for free out to that zone. It allows for a lot of flexibility that can be really helpful.
Ticket prices can be found on the NJTransit.com website. I know you can transfer to another bus or the light rail for free, I don't believe the train to bus transfer is free though.
Thanks!
-Sounds like parking at the train station is not going to be an option
-I cant seem the find the prices for the monthly passes, it either takes me to an iphone app or just general info. I think Clifton Commons is zone 4 but im not quite sure.
Do you already live in Manhattan? Is that or something else holding you back from living in Jersey? Because I would recommend Jersey City. You will have an easier commute, pay less rent, pay less taxes, and it’s still super convenient to go into Manhattan any time you want.
Every town is different, so only people local will know all of the parking rules, but generally you wouldn't assume you can leave a car parked somewhere overnight or for a whole weekend. There aren't a ton of reverse commuters, so don't expect much to exist to help make that convenient.
I'd almost lean towards recommending driving, but the tolls and parking in Manhattan are going to be a big chunk of your budget, so it would all matter what exactly your budget is.
It's definitely worth thinking about living somewhere in NJ that has easy access to the city. Anywhere on a PATH train (Hoboken, Jersey City, Harrison) could be a good compromise. As well as anywhere close to a ferry like Weehawken/Edgewater could be workable for occasional evening/weekend access to the city.
To go further away from your original needs a town like Montclair or Secaucus might be places to think about based on trying to keep some connection to getting to the city buy having a more sensible commute.
Do you already live in Manhattan? Is that or something else holding you back from living in Jersey? Because I would recommend Jersey City. You will have an easier commute, pay less rent, pay less taxes, and it’s still super convenient to go into Manhattan any time you want.
Seriously, rent in Jersey City or Hoboken- there's 24/7 PATH service to NYC and you could be close to fun in Manhattan than many who live in Brooklyn are, actually. NYS income taxes are higher than NJ, and after paying NJ for the income earned here, NYS would come looking for its additional share. Plus sales tax is higher, and some things are taxed in NY that aren't taxed in NJ. And if you later got a job in NYC as an NYC resident, you would pay an additional city income tax then. Also tolls would be pretty minimal to nothing staying on the NJ side and parking would be easier and cheaper if you are a Jersey City resident than trying to find parking in Manhattan or paying for a garage there.
Call the city of Clifton regarding the parking. Parking is run by the towns, not the transit companies, and they differ.
For example, where I park, you can buy a parking permit for the whole year or half the year and if that was displayed in your windshield, you could park there for days. For non-permit parkers, there is a pay station where you can pay by the day and you can pay for multiple days.
If Clifton is set up anything like that, you could indeed park your car on the weekends. Again, the only place you'll get that info is from the city. You will usually find some information and probably the phone number on the NJ Transit site under "Rider's Guide".
Regardless of whichever method of travel you choose, have a backup method.
According to this link, the Delawanna parking is owned by NJT and no fee. It also says overnight parking is allowed. I do not have any idea about how crowded or how safe the lot is for overnight parking.
Regarding living on the NJ side... it was definitely an option however my significant other will be working part time in Queens and other boroughs so the comprise was to live in Manhattan and both reverse commute. We wanted to try Manhattan for at least a year and then re-assess so its still a possibility to live in NJ, but we wanted to try NYC first.
Last edited by ace43334; 04-18-2018 at 09:04 AM..
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