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We put our plans off for a bit due to family circumstances (new baby) but we're finally getting ready to move away from Queens/Long Island. My wife will stop working since our kids are very small. If she wanted something part time, are there jobs available in the HV or is it really tough right now? She currently works for accountants (administration) and wants to change careers since the hours are demanding. How hard is it to get an office job in a school upstate? (i.e. civil service job).
I'll be commuting down to NYC and to Long Island once per week (one day per week) or hopefully less -- once every other week, on average. I'm sure the commute will get old quick since right now it takes an hour door to door (I drive to Bayside then take the train and subway) and it will double being upstate, but for now, I could find a place to stay if I'm on a multi-day project. If I have to visit clients in Queens or Nassau/Suffolk I'll drive but leave after rush hour. When does 'rush hour' end? 10am?
Regarding the commute, I've been looking up the best Metro North route to NYC and it seems to be the Super Express from Beacon or from Wappinger Falls, but I Cant find much info on the "Super" express - just express. Those appear to be 1hr 15min - 1hr 30min. Is this correct? I cannot find the schedule for morning/return, so any help would be appreciated. I was told that it was possible to get from Beacon to Grand Central in an hour, but I don't see that anywhere. Is there meter parking at the wappingers station? If so, what's the cost for a daily permit? And how packed are these trains? Sometimes during the morning rush, the LIRR would be like being packed in a sardine can and I'd have to stand the whole trip. I couldn't do that from Dutchess.
We're probably going to rent at first, but I'd like some feedback on that. Namely, is it worth renting up there? Recent real estate reports indicate drops of at least 8% more in prices are expected but Q2-Q3 2011, so it appears that it may still be cheaper to rent. On the other hand, its a real hassle to move (we just sold our co-op and moved to a rental to accommodate the new addition). However, I'm concerned that we dont know the areas well and therefore don't want to be 'stuck' in an unfamiliar area and wind up regretting it. Also, it may turn out that the commute is ridiculous and I burn out from the driving/train, and selling a house in this market is tough (it took a full 8mo to sell our apartment, and it was priced right and in mint condition and it appears we lucked out -- i know people who need to but can't sell their properties), so I don't want to be 'stuck', per se. I've been having difficulty finding rentals that meet our criteria (3br+, cat friendly, in our price range, etc). I've been checking craigslist and hotpads and rent.com but they dont really have too many rentals. Is there anywhere else besides the Journal and CL?
I was hoping to rent in Wappingers Falls, East Fishkill, or Hopewell Junction. The main issue with Wappinger Falls is it appears far enough away from the Taconic to add an extra 15-20min to the commute when I drive down to Queens/L.I. On the other hand, E. Fishkill or HW Junction appear to be 15-20 min from the train. I'm looking to minimize the travel time as much as possible. Is there a win-win in this case? Does anyone know of decent apartment complexes in these areas?
Finally, does anyone know where to find a good Pediatric Ophthalmologist or even pediatrician in lower Dutchess?
Rush hour or "peak fare" applies on Metro-North when a train arrives in Grand Central before 10am and leaves Grand Central 4-8pm (weekdays). The first off-peak (non rush hour) train in Beacon is the 9:06am, which takes about 80 minutes to Grand Central. The express trains are one that go non stop to GCT after Croton-Harmon or make their first stop at Croton-Harmon. The super expresses are ones that make Beacon as the first stop or go non-stop to GCT after Beacon (from Beacon it's the 6:33am, 7:05, 7:28am and going home it's the 5:08pm, 5:31pm). Those trains are pretty packed not jammed packed, but enough. Usually almost every seat is taken except the dreaded middle one. If you come close to the train departure at GCT during the rush hour the key is to "walk back" towards the last cars 6-7 near the engine. You will find seats.
The parking at Beacon can be a little dicey if you come late. If the Yankees are playing a day game forget about finding a spot otherwise if you come after say 9-10am you will probably have to park on Beekman St and walk down the hill.
I did the commute to Manhattan for 3 years and still use the train sometimes. You can close your eyes, read a book/newspaper, listen to some music/watch a movie and enjoy the great scene views of the Hudson Line.
Once you arrive at GCT if you can just walk to your work/office then the commute is not bad at all. It's bad once you need the subway to take you further downtown...That can add an extra 15-30 minutes of stress and being in a packed subway car..
Thanks for your response. I meant rush hour for driving -- we'd only consider east of hudson areas since i still have to drive down relatively frequently, and I cannot stomach going through the cross-bronx expressway (staying east of hudson would enable me to avoid that).
Once in the city, I'd be heading up to 59th (not downtown).
Out of curiosity, why'd you stop doing the commute? Did you find something closer due to the commute?
sorry, but i just realized the icon i selected for this thread was a thumbs down-- should have been a question mark.. can a moderator fix that or remove the icon altogether?
Thanks for your response. I meant rush hour for driving -- we'd only consider east of hudson areas since i still have to drive down relatively frequently, and I cannot stomach going through the cross-bronx expressway (staying east of hudson would enable me to avoid that).
Once in the city, I'd be heading up to 59th (not downtown).
Out of curiosity, why'd you stop doing the commute? Did you find something closer due to the commute?
That's good then since you can walk it.
Basically that is what happened for now. The problem with the commute was not the time, but it's getting very expensive. The monthly pass is going to be $404 next year from Beacon to GCT then on top is that is parking which is currently $2.75 for the day and going to be $3.15ish next month. One way off-peak ticket is currently $13 will be $14 and peak ticket is 17.25 will be $18.75.
Believe or not sometimes I actually miss the commute. It was a great way for some alone time and to enjoy the scenery.
Like I said living in the Hudson Valley and commuting to the city is not bad if you can afford it and don't need the subway.
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