Commuting To NYC From Nutley (Clifton, Passaic: transplants, townhomes, transfer)

[MMan710]

Hello all. I'll be commuting from Nutley to the NYC after I move there in a few months. While I will be living near the DeCamp 32 line, it doesn't run as frequently as I'd like when I need to go into the city. The 192 bus is great too, but I noticed Clifton Commons only allows parking to 6:45 or 10:00 (and the spots are limited).

What are your suggestions for getting to the city? Walking to Clifton Commons really isn't an option, since I'll be over a mile from there. Is it possible to just park on the street a few blocks away and walk to where the 192 picks people up? Any suggestions are welcome.

[mattjd]

Originally Posted by MMan710

Hello all. I'll be commuting from Nutley to the NYC after I move there in a few months. While I will be living near the DeCamp 32 line, it doesn't run as frequently as I'd like when I need to go into the city. The 192 bus is great too, but I noticed Clifton Commons only allows parking to 6:45 or 10:00 (and the spots are limited).

What are your suggestions for getting to the city? Walking to Clifton Commons really isn't an option, since I'll be over a mile from there. Is it possible to just park on the street a few blocks away and walk to where the 192 picks people up? Any suggestions are welcome.

Who said you can only park there from 6:45 to 10? I've been there at Blockbuster and Applebees way after 10pm and there were a lot of other vehicles there too. Where would people at the AMC theater and Applebee's park, since I'm sure these places aren't closed at 10? There is a grocery store there that doesn't close until midnight, I believe, too. I highly doubt you'd have an issue parking there. Plus, I don't understand the whole "parking is limited" thing. Sure, if you're parking next to Target you might have to walk a bit, but if you park near the grocery store there are TONS of empty spaces all the time. Since you have a car, why don't you just drive into Lyndhurst and take the train? Or, you can drive to the Watchung Ave station in Montclair if that's closer.

[johnfrisco]

Originally Posted by mattjd

Who said you can only park there from 6:45 to 10? I've been there at Blockbuster and Applebees way after 10pm and there were a lot of other vehicles there too. Where would people at the AMC theater and Applebee's park, since I'm sure these places aren't closed at 10? There is a grocery store there that doesn't close until midnight, I believe, too. I highly doubt you'd have an issue parking there. Plus, I don't understand the whole "parking is limited" thing. Sure, if you're parking next to Target you might have to walk a bit, but if you park near the grocery store there are TONS of empty spaces all the time. Since you have a car, why don't you just drive into Lyndhurst and take the train? Or, you can drive to the Watchung Ave station in Montclair if that's closer.

Lyndhurst is a good idea. They have parking at the Shop Rite for the train. Your other ideas are good also. He has a lot of options available.

[MMan710]

Originally Posted by mattjd

Who said you can only park there from 6:45 to 10? I've been there at Blockbuster and Applebees way after 10pm and there were a lot of other vehicles there too. Where would people at the AMC theater and Applebee's park, since I'm sure these places aren't closed at 10? There is a grocery store there that doesn't close until midnight, I believe, too. I highly doubt you'd have an issue parking there. Plus, I don't understand the whole "parking is limited" thing. Sure, if you're parking next to Target you might have to walk a bit, but if you park near the grocery store there are TONS of empty spaces all the time. Since you have a car, why don't you just drive into Lyndhurst and take the train? Or, you can drive to the Watchung Ave station in Montclair if that's closer.

I am referring to the Park & Ride lot only, not the lot for Stop & Shop, AMC or Target (which is probably technically reserved for their customers only).

The 192 bus schedule says under "Clifton Commons Park and Ride: "The North Lot has 99 spaces available from 5:00 AM to 6:45 on weekdays. The mall management requires all vehicles to be removed from this lot by 6:45 PM. Vehicles remaining in this lot after 6:45 PM are subject to removal at the owner's expense. The South Lot has 35 spaces available from 5:00 AM until 10:00 PM weekdays. All parking spaces are FREE and available on a first come, first serve basis."

So, are you basically saying that nobody follows the rule and people leave their cars there anyway? I am guessing if you left your car near Stop & Shop that nobody would bother you, I just don't want to come home at 9 PM and find my car towed because they are clearing space for the businesses there.

I know the train would work and give me options, but I prefer taking the bus given the time that I leave.

[iagirl]

I am not sure if you will be close to the "4 corners" (intersection of Kingsland, Bloomfield, Passaic and Darling, I think) but the DeCamp 33 and 88 pick up there. It's pretty much the last stop before you get on route 3, then the stop at Clifton commons and straight into the city (from what I remember, the 33/88 trip is much shorter than the 32). I know people have parked on side streets near the 4 corners, but not sure if that's advisable. Also, Nutley has a new jitney that shuttles to the Delawanna train station. I think it only runs along Washington Ave. and don't really know anything else about it. The schedule is posted at nutleynj.org. For what its worth: we've left our car at Clifton Commons overnight at least once and nothing happened.

[MMan710]

iagirl,

Thanks for your response. Are there any permits required to park relatively close to what you referred to as the four corners? I know Nutley has the ban against night parking from 2 AM to 6 AM, but I haven't been able to find anything official about this or any other policies. I am originally from Staten Island, NY, and there you can leave your car on the street pretty much anywhere near the bus stops/trains, as long as it's regular street parking. Is Nutley the same way?

I am guessing the Clifton Commons thing is likely rarely enforced. Except on Fridays, I highly doubt the parking lot would ever get so full that the cars in the Park & Ride would be a nuisance.

[LynnePatrice]

Why don't you just continue your drive and drive to the Delawanna train station? (this is technically in Clifton but right on the border of Nutley) You could literally walk to it from Clifton Commons in like 10 minutes. There's free parking at that station and plenty of street parking (safe) when the lot fills up.

The train from this station (and Lyndhurst) goes to Hoboken but it stops at Paramus first and you just switch to a train to Penn Station (which usually is only a few minutes to wait).

I lived in Nutley for a couple of years, across from Clifton Commons (in the townhomes) and I took this train to work every day.

[iagirl]

I do know someone who parks his car on a side street near the 4 corners sometimes (daytime). I don't think he's ever been ticketed but I'm not sure what the laws are. We walk to 4 corners so I haven't really dealt with the car situation. In my experience, though, the overnight street parking ban is well enforced - at least in front of our house. :-)

[MMan710]

LynnePatrica,

Thanks for the suggestion. For some reason, I thought the Delawanna train station was farther away but I see it's close. I'll definitely have to take a look into it. I actually like the trains better overall because they are far more reliable than the bus schedules. I have taken the train from Secaucus from time to time (they are actually building a private park and ride there).

The main reason I take the bus now is because it runs more frequently and I am close to the stop at in Lyndhurst at Polito, which has a lot of bus service (190, 191, 192).

When I put in Delawanna to New York Penn Station on njtransit.com, it says to transfer at Secaucus. I assume that's what you meant instead of Paramus, right?

[Spincycle]

Delawanna train depot is Nutley's best kept secret. They could essentially rename it "North Nutley" which of course the realtors would love (expecting an endless flock of NYC transplants into town).

IIRC Nutley proper lost connective rail service to NYC (via HOB) in the 60's. The wording above would easily woo rich, naive, NY'ers into Nutley for the realtors delight.