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Old 12-14-2010, 07:55 AM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,259 posts, read 84,207,404 times
Reputation: 114583

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Quote:
Originally Posted by GiantRutgersfan View Post
I drove my brother from Wayne to Manhattan on Saturday as a favor (left at 11 AM).

4 hours later I was home. No stops except for gas.

Anyone else think that New York city is not so great to have as the "major city" in the area? It is a major hassle to get in and out of (thankfully I do not work in the city). If you are driving, it is a major cost to pay the tolls as well.

While many things to do exist in NYC, I really do not do too many of them because of the time/expense involved in getting in/out of the city.
I work in the city and I love the place, although after 32 years of commuting I'm a little tired of it. At one time, I would have liked to live there but I can't afford to live in Manhattan the way I would like to live, and I'm happy with the area in which I live in Jersey.

The thing that is always going to be a problem with NYC is that the place is surrounded by water. It's as simple as that. You have to rely on someone else's facilities to get over, under, or across that water and so it's always going to add travel time and cost.
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Old 12-14-2010, 08:11 AM
 
Location: Northern NJ
1,215 posts, read 3,278,448 times
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I think it's great having NYC as "our" city so to speak. That said, over time traffic has become more problematic. There's just more of it. Commuting has become more problematic, difficult, etc. But that's part of the price of admission so to speak.

I used to be able to "zip into the city" and "zip home" -- now, years later, it's not so easy. But again, that's part of the price you pay.

I suspect and hope that will change over time. Most major cities are facing similar issues.
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Old 12-14-2010, 08:20 AM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,259 posts, read 84,207,404 times
Reputation: 114583
Quote:
Originally Posted by EANJ View Post
I think it's great having NYC as "our" city so to speak. That said, over time traffic has become more problematic. There's just more of it. Commuting has become more problematic, difficult, etc. But that's part of the price of admission so to speak.

I used to be able to "zip into the city" and "zip home" -- now, years later, it's not so easy. But again, that's part of the price you pay.

I suspect and hope that will change over time. Most major cities are facing similar issues.
I know what you mean. When I started working in the city, I worked at the PABT and could park there for free, so I drove in from NW Bergen County. You used to be able to just zip right down Route 208 to 4 to 17 and to the Turnpike, just catching some traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel. That was before they started cutting down all the woods and building houses and commercial properties on every inch of land they could find in Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes, Oakland, etc. Then mobs of people started moving to those towns from Bayonne, J.C., Bronx, etc., and over the course of a couple of years the traffic turned into hell. Now 208 is a slow-moving mess by 7 a.m. That area of Bergen County was once very beautiful and is now overbuilt and overpriced, but whaddya gonna do. Things change.
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Old 12-14-2010, 08:38 AM
 
Location: Historic Downtown Jersey City
2,705 posts, read 8,253,140 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GiantRutgersfan View Post
I drove my brother from Wayne to Manhattan on Saturday as a favor (left at 11 AM).

4 hours later I was home. No stops except for gas.

Anyone else think that New York city is not so great to have as the "major city" in the area? It is a major hassle to get in and out of (thankfully I do not work in the city). If you are driving, it is a major cost to pay the tolls as well.

While many things to do exist in NYC, I really do not do too many of them because of the time/expense involved in getting in/out of the city.
Is there a particular reason that your brother required a personal ride, as opposed to taking a train or bus? Just curious.

If you (or your passengers) value time, it's never advisable to drive into the city during peak hours. I always wonder how or why people do this, especially with so many public transportation options. I feel like a lot of suburbanites have an aversion to public transportation.
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Old 12-14-2010, 08:40 AM
 
Location: Historic Downtown Jersey City
2,705 posts, read 8,253,140 times
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Oh, and to answer the question in your post's title - I am very glad that the city is here.

The suburban area you live in would not be a suburban area if it wasn't here.
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Old 12-14-2010, 11:43 AM
 
Location: NJ
31,771 posts, read 40,558,218 times
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nyc is a necessary evil for many of us who use it to earn a living. other than that, its a horrible place.
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Old 12-14-2010, 12:06 PM
 
Location: North Brunswick
877 posts, read 2,831,860 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801 View Post
I work in the city and I love the place, although after 32 years of commuting I'm a little tired of it. At one time, I would have liked to live there but I can't afford to live in Manhattan the way I would like to live, and I'm happy with the area in which I live in Jersey.
Either you live in Manhattan or you don't. To get in there for work from outside would really qualify for a nice deduction on your income taxes. The price for a train ticket into Manhattan from Albany St station in New Brunswick was about $26 last time I checked NYC gets depressing after awhile. It isn't worth the cost IMO. Why do you think it is among the last places to recover from the recession? It has simply gotten too expensive to go there or run business there, it is poisoning itself.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801 View Post
The thing that is always going to be a problem with NYC is that the place is surrounded by water. It's as simple as that. You have to rely on someone else's facilities to get over, under, or across that water and so it's always going to add travel time and cost.
That's why they built the bridges and tunnels although I do agree those tolls also make me want to scream. I have some friends at work who commute here from Staten Island. They get an EZ Pass discount from the city covering part of their $8 toll they have to pay everyday.

Most people I think have a love/hate relationship with NYC.
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Old 12-14-2010, 01:33 PM
 
Location: On the Rails in Northern NJ
12,380 posts, read 26,791,860 times
Reputation: 4580
Its 13$ one way , which isn't bad in this region. At least NJT isn't like the MTA and charges more for Rush Hour commuting. As for Commuters life on the main lines is getting better , us Branches user still get no extra perks.
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Old 12-14-2010, 01:57 PM
 
Location: Randolph, NJ
265 posts, read 595,712 times
Reputation: 216
It's close enough to be there when I want to take advantage of what it has to offer, yet far enough away that I can enjoy the lake near my house and easy access to skiing (not on the same day)
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Old 12-14-2010, 04:00 PM
 
Location: St Paul, MN - NJ's Gold Coast
5,251 posts, read 13,778,147 times
Reputation: 3167
I think having NYC so close is great.
The cons are it drives up the COL, and congestion- But there's plenty of pros that go along with it (infinite accessibility and quality education/health/suburbs)

NJ's bad reputation/stereotypes has almost everything to do with being NYC's neighbor.
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