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Old 04-24-2012, 08:29 PM
 
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I'm a student at Columbia University thinking about moving to Astoria, and I've heard the fastest way to go is the M60; however, I have very little NYC bus experience. So I was just wondering about the average or range of commute times that people going between Columbia University and Astoria have experienced. Particularly, going from Astoria to Columbia around 8 AM and coming back from Columbia to Astoria around 7 PM. In terms of my location in Astoria, I am thinking to be near the M60 stops at Hoyt-31st or Hoyt-Steinway. Is my assumption that the bus is faster than the subway generally correct?

Thanks!
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Old 04-24-2012, 08:46 PM
 
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My girl used to do it. However we lived down by broadway, so taking the bus woulda been inconvenient. So she transferred from the N at 57th street by walking out of station to the 1 at Columbus Circle. Honestly, it was a little bit of a pain in the ass for her that way, so I'd say if you can find a place up near the bus, it's probably a better option. Bus can definitely get cramped as hell though at busy hours. Especially at that stop. Just FYI.
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Old 04-25-2012, 08:15 AM
 
Location: on the Hudson
175 posts, read 419,292 times
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If you can find the time, it's worth getting up early one week and trying both commutes to see which one you like better. All other things being equal, the bus will be quicker, but personally I'd rather add some extra time onto my commute than have to deal with the M60 every morning.

Like the above poster said, by the time it gets to 31st it's usually insanely crowded. And it can be unreliable -- it's supposed to come every 8-10 minutes, but in my experience, what often happens is that you'll wait half an hour and then all of a sudden several buses will show up all at once. (My guess is that this has to do with traffic patterns leaving LGA.)
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Old 04-25-2012, 09:22 AM
 
Location: Manhattan
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Unless your trip is very short the bus is NEVER faster than the subway.

How about the N train to 57th and Seventh and a short walk to Columbus Circle (you may even be able to get in at 57th and Eighth) and the #1 train to Columbia. I am presuming you are close to the N station in Astoria.
If you are, I'd allot 40 minutes.
First trial, give it an hour.
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Old 04-25-2012, 10:59 AM
 
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hopstop.com is good for this
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Old 04-25-2012, 11:27 AM
 
Location: Dallas via NYC via Austin via Chicago
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If you don't feel like leaving the system, you can transfer to the 2/3(or 1) at Times Sq, take it up to 96th street and cross the platform over to the 1. Taking the 2/3 express can save a little time but if a 1 comes first, hop on that one. The M60 is decent during off-peak hours but going across 125th street is a hassle more times than not.
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Old 04-25-2012, 05:22 PM
 
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It sounds like a pain either way. Maybe consider a different neighborhood - Inwood / Washington Heights would much more convenient.
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Old 04-26-2012, 12:54 PM
 
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Default Astoria-ColumbiaU commute

I live in Astoria at 30th Ave and 34th St. and commute to work at Columbia U. Med. Center. My door-to-door commute is usually 50 min. As many people have already suggested, I prefer to take the N/Q to 5th/57th and walk one block to the Columbus Circle station. Taking the A from there to CUMC is about the same as taking the 1 to the Morningside campus. I use a monthly metro pass so it doesn't cost any more to do this. If you use a declining balance card and don't want to pay for two rides you can transfer at Times Sq, but this takes a little longer and you don't get to walk outside.

Coming from 5th/57th, if you get on the uptown 1 at Columbus Circ. the best entrance to use is the SW corner of Broadway and Central Park South. If you ever need to take the A/B/C/D use the entrance at 58th and 8th Ave.

I do occasionally take the M60 back to Astoria when I work past 8 pm (after hopping on an A or C to 125th), but I refuse to take the bus in the morning or during afternoon rush hour. It might be a little bit faster once a bus actually comes, but even if it is, it feels as if it takes twice as long, it's crowded, people going to/from LGA have luggage with them, etc. etc. Of course you would not have to take the A/C up to 168th like I do, so it may not be that bad for you.

And, on a final note, before moving to Astoria I lived at 149th and Broadway, for about the same cost as what I'm paying in Astoria. My commute was only 10 minutes but that was about all I liked about living there. I love Astoria and the extra commuting time is more than worth it.
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Old 04-26-2012, 01:06 PM
 
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^^^^^I think you mean 7th Ave/57th street.
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Old 04-26-2012, 01:34 PM
 
Location: Dallas, TX
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Astoria is great if work in midtown like me ;P
but it's not so good if you work downtown or on the upper westside.

despite that, I would not recommend moving to the 'hoods' sourrinding Columbia.
Astoria in that sense is a much nicer place to be for a young fella, and worth the extra commuting time.
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