Hamilton Train Station - Commuting to NYC or Philly (Toms River: crime, buying a house)

[Augie1]

Hi,

What is the quality of the commute to NYC (lower Manhattan) from Hamilton Train Station? Is it about 1.5 hours? I plan to take the early train at around 6:00am.

Same questions for those of you that commute to Philly from Hamilton Train Station: What is the quality of the commute like? How is changing trains at Trenton for the SEPTA? How long is the commute to and from?

I have an opportunity to work from either office in NYC and Philly from Hamilton Township, NJ. Just wanted to know which one is better/worse...etc.

Thanks -

[Hannah5555]

I would think commute to Philly and having to change in Trenton would be far worse/longer but I'm biased in favor of Hamilton. Check the NJTransit schedules. If you're okay with being a sardine (not being facetious, it's not that long a ride), there are a few trains that will get you to Penn Station/Hamilton in an hour during commute times. Lower Manhattan, as in FD? That's going to add at least 20 minutes depending on how the trains are running.

Long commute either way. Hopefully you can work from home a couple of days a week.

[Augie1]

Yes, the idea is to work from home 1 or 2 days a week in Hamilton Township. My current commute is 1 hour minimum from the NorthEast Bronx to Lower Manhattan (15 miles), meaning below Houston Street but north of Canal Street. Thank you.

[ansky]

Why do you have to live in Hamilton?

[sonofagunk]

The train is not that bad there since you are one of the first to get on and should get a seat. You might want to look into transferring to the path if there is a stop near where you work.

Not sure about down there, but at that time you might want to see if there is a bus. It should be much faster (maybe the park and ride on 130).

[Augie1]

Originally Posted by ansky

Why do you have to live in Hamilton?

Reasons for considering Hamilton Township East of I-295 :

1. Home values are within my budget.

2. Near the Hamilton Train Station for commute to NYC (or Philly should I transfer from my NYC office to the Philly office).

3. Hamilton is within 45 minutes of Toms River, NJ where my in-laws live. My wife needs to supervise her parents more frequently now that they are older. Right now it is a 2-hour one-way trip minimum from where I live in NYC to Toms River - 82 miles away.

4. I thought about buying a house in Toms River, which by the way has great home values, but I can't see myself doing that nutty commute from Toms River to NYC (75 miles). The scheduled commute time is 1.5 house by bus but I understand that the reality is closer to 2 to 2.5 hours by bus.

On Fridays, I've read in this forum that the return commute from NYC to Toms River could easily go beyond 2.5 hours.

5. I've driven in and around Hamilton , both East and West of the I-295. I see that the area is mucher nicer East of the I-295 in places like Mercerville and Hamilton Square. It is suburbia with community-minded residents.

6. Have yet to check crime reports in these areas but I suspect it is nothing beyond normal, meaning there are no serious problems. Am I correct?

Thank you.