PATH rail service into northern NJ towns? (Newark, Jersey City: condos, work)

[invictus77]

I was looking at the PATH train service schedules into towns like South Orange, Milburn and Montclair and all the trains seem to stop running right around midnight from NYC Penn Station to these towns.

Is this when the final train is to South Orange, Milburn, Montclair etc...?

How do NYC commuters of these towns get around this when they are in NYC past midnight?

Is there bus service or do cabs even drive that far to help you get back home to NJ?

Thanks.

[CuCullin]

Originally Posted by invictus77

Is there bus service or do cabs even drive that far to help you get back home to NJ?

Cabs will take you, but many NYC companies will offer car service when employees work past a certain time. I've used this from my company on more than one occasion.

Pretty much all train service will stop around that time, or just a bit later.

**EDIT**

Thats not the PATH btw, there is no PATH service to South Orange. Its NJ Transit - PATH service is at Newark, Hoboken, Jersey City, NYC. Other rail service throughout Jersey is also NJ Transit.

[jy_2007]

Path only goes to JC & Hoboken and runs all night NJTransit goes to the towns you mentioned. If you miss the last train then yes, you are SOL and have to get a cab or car service.

[Carbro]

Originally Posted by jy_2007

Path only goes to JC & Hoboken and runs all night

And Newark!!! Don't forget Newark.

[pbergen]

Originally Posted by invictus77

I was looking at the PATH train service schedules into towns like South Orange, Milburn and Montclair and all the trains seem to stop running right around midnight from NYC Penn Station to these towns.

Is this when the final train is to South Orange, Milburn, Montclair etc...?

How do NYC commuters of these towns get around this when they are in NYC past midnight?

Is there bus service or do cabs even drive that far to help you get back home to NJ?

Thanks.

as others have mentioned, those trains you're referring to that pass through south orange, millburn, and montclair are nj transit trains (i.e. suburban commuter rail), NOT PATH (which is essentially a subway connecting newark, harrison, jersey city, and hoboken with downtown and midtown manhattan). the difference btwn nj transit suburban trains and the PATH is that the former run on a fixed schedule, with only a few trains an hour at the most; late at night, you might see one train per hour, and between 12 midnight or 1am until 5 or 6am, there's no train service. PATH, on the other hand, runs 24/7 although service is spotty after 11pm or 12 midnight (you might see 1 train every half hour or so).

you can take cabs from the city back to essex county, but it'll cost you $50-$60 at a minimum. most of my friends in nj who don't live within walking distance of a PATH station simply drive into the city whenever they plan on staying past 1 or 2am. i know several people who take nj transit and/or the PATH into the city for work monday through friday, but after work on friday they'll take the train back home, shower and change, and then drive into the city to grab dinner and party with friends. this way, they have their cars handy and aren't at the mercy of the late night train schedule.

if you follow this tactic, it's key to get back into the city no later than 7pm on a friday night to get street parking. manhattan parking lots are obviously super expensive so if you feel confident with your parking skills, getting to the city early enough to land a good spot is the way to go.

some people also park near PATH stations and ride that train into the city whenever they plan on hanging out late, since it runs all night. most people who do this park near the harrison station (lots of parking at night and a reasonably safe, if somewhat desolate neighborhood) or at the pavonia-newport station (the only close parking is in the newport mall's parking garage, which is reasonably cheap; street parking in jersey city, on the other hand, is kind of far and not easy to find).

[veuvegirl]

One of the drawbacks for the Midwtown Direct during the middle of the week; I think the last train is 12:34 during the weekday (don't quote me on that)

As others have mentioned; many companies will pay for a car service. If you are out for fun, I have taken the path to Hoboken for a later train (not sure how much later) or to get a cab back to Maplewood.

[invictus77]

Originally Posted by pbergen

as others have mentioned, those trains you're referring to that pass through south orange, millburn, and montclair are nj transit trains (i.e. suburban commuter rail), NOT PATH (which is essentially a subway connecting newark, harrison, jersey city, and hoboken with downtown and midtown manhattan). the difference btwn nj transit suburban trains and the PATH is that the former run on a fixed schedule, with only a few trains an hour at the most; late at night, you might see one train per hour, and between 12 midnight or 1am until 5 or 6am, there's no train service. PATH, on the other hand, runs 24/7 although service is spotty after 11pm or 12 midnight (you might see 1 train every half hour or so).

you can take cabs from the city back to essex county, but it'll cost you $50-$60 at a minimum. most of my friends in nj who don't live within walking distance of a PATH station simply drive into the city whenever they plan on staying past 1 or 2am. i know several people who take nj transit and/or the PATH into the city for work monday through friday, but after work on friday they'll take the train back home, shower and change, and then drive into the city to grab dinner and party with friends. this way, they have their cars handy and aren't at the mercy of the late night train schedule.

if you follow this tactic, it's key to get back into the city no later than 7pm on a friday night to get street parking. manhattan parking lots are obviously super expensive so if you feel confident with your parking skills, getting to the city early enough to land a good spot is the way to go.

some people also park near PATH stations and ride that train into the city whenever they plan on hanging out late, since it runs all night. most people who do this park near the harrison station (lots of parking at night and a reasonably safe, if somewhat desolate neighborhood) or at the pavonia-newport station (the only close parking is in the newport mall's parking garage, which is reasonably cheap; street parking in jersey city, on the other hand, is kind of far and not easy to find).

Thanks for the useful info.

Does the PATH train run into Newark 24/7.

Reason is I am most likely going to be moving to South Orange, Montclair or Milburn and thus Newark is the closest place where I can park my car and catch the PATH train into NYC. Driving into Hoboken or Jersey City is a much longer drive than into Newark.

Is parking safe in Newark? Is it safe to walk around Newark after midnight (if I am just walking to my car from the PATH station)

[pbergen]

Originally Posted by invictus77

Thanks for the useful info.

Does the PATH train run into Newark 24/7.

Reason is I am most likely going to be moving to South Orange, Montclair or Milburn and thus Newark is the closest place where I can park my car and catch the PATH train into NYC. Driving into Hoboken or Jersey City is a much longer drive than into Newark.

Is parking safe in Newark? Is it safe to walk around Newark after midnight (if I am just walking to my car from the PATH station)

no problem

re: the PATH train, yes, it runs 24/7 to every stop, including newark. BUT the parking situation in the vicinity of newark penn station is far from ideal - the nearby pay lots/garages are not particularly cheap. meanwhile, parking your car at night on the streets of newark, even in the adjacent ironbound neighborhood, is not recommended, esp. if it's going to be sitting there for hours. not to mention, i wouldn't want to walk back to my car at 3am in newark. although the area has improved recently, it's still a risk that's not worth taking.

instead, you should park near the harrison PATH station and take the train from there. harrison is literally a 2 minute drive directly across the passaic river from newark, so you won't be going out of your way at all:
from: newark penn station to: harrison path station, nj - Google Maps
harrison's station is also right off of I-280, so it's in a very convenient location.

like i said earlier, the area around harrison's PATH station is a little empty/desolate at night, but it's not dangerous. it's an industrial neighborhood that's in the process of being transformed to a yuppie haven of condos, retail, offices, and a soccer stadium. although you should always keep an eye on your surroundings, i'd have no problem whatsoever walking through any part of harrison even in the middle of the night. i can't say the same about newark.

also, cheap or free parking is plentiful around the harrison station. assuming you arrive at the station in the late afternoon/early evening, you should have no problem grabbing a metered spot (i think you don't have to pay after 7pm), a free spot on one of the nearby side streets (a slightly further walk), or in one of the nearby pay lots. if i were you, i'd go for the metered spots since they're closest to the station and should empty out after 6pm with all the commuters heading back to their suburban towns.

[eastguy]

during latenights I park close to the Hoboken Path and ride the path to Manhattan to party.....

[AJGIANTS]

Originally Posted by eastguy

during latenights I park close to the Hoboken Path and ride the path to Manhattan to party.....

You have a DD driving home ?