[jeannyc]

My husband and I have been considering Ridgefield but are worried about the commute to Manhattan every day. I have heard a lot of theoretical "it's fine" from realtors, but would like to hear from someone who actually does it every day. We would likely take Metro North from Katonah which looks to be a 30 minute drive from Ridgefield. Any opinions are appreciated!

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by jeannyc

My husband and I have been considering Ridgefield but are worried about the commute to Manhattan every day. I have heard a lot of theoretical "it's fine" from realtors, but would like to hear from someone who actually does it every day. We would likely take Metro North from Katonah which looks to be a 30 minute drive from Ridgefield. Any opinions are appreciated!

It depends on how long of a commute you prefer. It would take about 25 minutes to get to the Katonah station from the center of Ridgefield, then you have about an hour and ten mins on the train into GC, then the walk to your office. Ridgefield is a beautiful town but it could be over two hours each way depending on where the office is.

Maybe if you live in southern Ridgefield you can take the train from Branchville to South Norwalk (30 minutes) where you would have to switch trains. South Norwalk to GC is about 60 minutes. It wouldn't substantially cut down commute time but it is just a thought.

[HelloSam]

Don't know if this helps but there are buses from the center of Ridgefield to Katonah station and back each day for Manhattan commuters. Parking at Katonah is a drag.

[lp81502]

There are many people that do it, but its not for everyone. I leave the house at 7:15, drive to Jesse Lee church for the shuttle that brings you to the Katonah train station, take the 60 min train ride and walk to work. Gets me in around 9 give or take 5 min. Coming home, I try to catch the 5:25 and the reverse gets me home a little before 7.

If you live closer to town and plan on taking the shuttle that cuts the time down a bit. I lived in norther Westchester previously and it was very similar in terms of timing. Hope that helps - the commute is not great but the town is makes up for it exponentially.

[commuter978]

It is a rather long commute from Ridgefield to midtown, but there are a few options:
1 - drive about 30 minutes to Golden's Bridge station and pay $3/day. But the day parking spots fill up by 7:15am.

2 - Take the HART bus Ridgefield - Katonah Shuttle. (you can't park in the Katonah lot without a permit until after 10am on weekdays). But the Jesse Lee parking lot fills up early. I used to take the last shuttle in the mornings, but now the parking lot is full, so I can't do that anymore. The town is looking into additional lots, but I don't believe they've found one yet.

3 - Branchville station on the New Haven line. The trains are older, dirtier, and break down much more than the Harlem line. But due to the above parking issues, I now commute from here. This parking lot is free, but fills up by 7:45am most days. You also have to transfer in South Norwalk.

If possible, I would move somewhere closer to the coast on the main line, where the trains run more frequently. (Because there is only a single track, the Branchville train has very few trains midday, nights, and weekends. If you have to stay late at work, you're out of luck until the 8:22...)

I've tried all of these commutes and each way takes me about 2 hours, door to door (I work in midtown, 10 minutes from Grand Central). 4 hours a day if a lot to give up. I work 10-6, but the commute means that I leave at 7:30a and get home at 8:05p.

Hope that answers your questions!