Moving to NYC/NJ - advice please?

[Obrero]

Originally Posted by elflord1973

I agree that it's one of the better choices. A short commute to both Wall St and Mahwah is a pretty tough ask. You really need to compromise a little ...

Yes, and life has taught me that a better life will be had if it's the guy who compromises.

[Lusitan]

Originally Posted by UKOK

I spent 10 years driving to NYC from Denville. I always (except for acts of God) made it door to door in less than an hour... However I got up super early - I was through the Lincoln before 6:50am and I worked very close to the Lincoln and my building had parking. If I took the train or the bus it would have been at least 1 1/2 painful hours. Also leaving I had to be out by 5 or wait till after 7. The point is - it can be done especially if you get up and out early.

I always wonder how you early birds do it.

Well you must admit that yours was a non-standard commute. Most people don't (a) have the option to set their own start time in the AM (b) can't get out of the office by 5pm and most importantly (c) don't work very close to the Lincoln/Holland Tunnel.

Unless someone asks about commuting during off-hours or to an office next to the Lincoln/Holland Tunnel, it's probably best to assume that people are pretty much tied to the 9am - 6pm standard NYC workday, and that they will work somewhere other than next to a tunnel. Responses about commuting times are most helpful if made based on a normal commute, in terms of giving the real deal information.

Or if you give a commute time based on off-hours commuting and a particularly convenient office location next to a tunnel, you should indicate that in your post so that everyone knows the facts.

Just saying this because I know many people underestimate the commute from NJ to Manhattan, and then end up shocked at how much time and energy is sucks from them each day. It's better for everyone to go into it with their eyes wide open about the trade-off. It's a trade-off that's worth it to many people, myself included, but it definitely is a trade-off.

[Lusitan]

Originally Posted by UKOK

Yes, and life has taught me that a better life will be had if it's the guy who compromises.

Ain't that the truth. The secret to a happy marriage is to keep your wife happy.

[clevedark]

Ridgewood. Upscale suburb, relatively close to Mahwah, bustling downtown. Over an hour to Wall Street but you'll find that to be true for most places. I think this is a very nice choice for you.

Montclair is the "cool" suburb, the most diverse, for the reluctant suburbanite. Train service isn't ideal. Don't know how far a drive from Mahwah. It's a great place to live.

Summit is another upscale suburb with very quick train service into Midtown (you have to get downtown from there). A lovely town. A little white bread. Don't know how far from Mahwah.

Downtown Jersey City is popular. I don't know that much about it. Very convenient to Wall Street and a reverse commute to Mahwah so may be doable.

Englewood is a bustling sophisticated town just over the river from the George Washington Bridge. Probably convenient commute to Mahwah, maybe a hellish commute through the length of Manhattan downtown. No trains, but buses. (I think)

[Stargazer100]

Hi all

Thanks very much for the responses - they have given me lots of good leads to research. Ridgewood especially seems like a good compromise - I think I can live with a 70-90 minute commute if it means its a nice area.

Does anyone have any opinions on commuting routes including a ferry trip, for example from Hoboken/Port Imperial to Wall Street/WTC? Are the changeovers fairly straightforward between train and ferry, or would I be looking at more than 10 minutes?