What Time Should I Leave My House to get to a Concert on time in Hackensack (Fort Lee: rent)

[certaincircles]

Hi Everyone,

It's been a long time since I was living on my own in NJ so many things have happened. I moved out to NJ back in 2001 & unfortunately ran out of funds to pay the rent so I had no choice, but to move back in w/ my parents. UGGGHHH!! But so much has changed since then. I ended up visiting both Austin, TX & Nashville, TN & decided that 1 of these places were going to be where I would settle. I lived in Nashville, TN for 4 months & fell in love w/ the lifestyle, tho' I have FOND MEMORIES of my time in NJ. I lived there for about 3 yrs. & Loved it too especially being around encouraging musicians & other people I met along the way. (When I bought a gtr. in Sam Ash I tested out a gtr. & 1 guy taught me some chords where I played in the store, went into a Piano store w/ a window & played in front of window w/ people passing by looking @ me & @ the same time 1 of the workers was showing me about music arranging, used to hang out in a recording studio in Rahway practicing my Recording skills, Mentored a kid in late 20's teaching him Piano, etc.) Plus, I have some history in NJ b/c both my aunt & uncle & 2 cousins lived in Northern NJ & I was always jealous of where they lived. They lived up the road from a park/field in which if you could see outside of my cousin's window the field/park & watch people run across & hear cheers (something really memorable to me especially during the summer months).

Anyway, like I said I can't remember the very last time that I drove around in NJ let alone drive from my parents house here in Bronx to NJ. So, I've forgotten about the back roads & the "lay of the land", but here's the thing. There's a concert I bought tics for from the "Hackensack Performing Arts Center". It's on a Sat. from 8pm-11pm. Hackensack was 1 of the places I drove around & I think my 1st temp job was in Hackensack. When I looked at some of the street names trying to figure out how I can get there from my parents' house some of them sounded familiar like State & Essex. Anyway, following along w/ the directions on Google Maps some of it looks familiar for obvious reasons - e.g. Cross Bronx, I-95, & I used to work in Garfield area near I-80 which I see you need to get onto to go to Hackensack. So, here's my questions:

1) If the show at the Hackensack Performing Arts Center starts @ 8pm on a Sat. then What time would you suggest I leave my house?

My parents & I live in Pelham Bay area of Bronx, but since I rather not take the Cross I'm planning to take the Major Deegan which means I'm gonna have to drive thru side streets like Pelham Pkway, Mosholu Pkway & pass my old Grad College (Lehman College) to get over & onto the Major so I can Miss or Cut Off most of the Cross.

So here are 4 Things that I will be facing:

• Traffic on a Sat. night in Feb.
• Traffic from the Major Deegan onto the end of the Cross Bronx to the I-95 level of the GW Bridge
• Traffic on I-95 where you pass Fort Lee, Ridgefield, etc.
• The commuting time from my parents' house to Hackensack

& Lastly, I see there's a Parking Garage on Atlantic St. across from Hackensack PAC

2) Can someone tell me How much is it to park in there?

(I saw online there's a parking lot off 1 of the Train stations which is cheap - $3.00 an hr., but I'm afraid of parking there b/c I don't want my car to be towed if it's Restricted only towards Train Commuters or if you Have to be a Train Commuter - like have a little sticker, etc.)

So,

Could someone give me some suggestions?

(I know this doesn't sound like it's related, but all I can think of is the "idea" of this comment/statement. When I used to work @ "LaGuardia" I used to take 2 buses. I remember when I asked the bus driver what time should I take the 1st bus & what time I should take the 2nd. He said something like think of what time you think you would leave & take the bus B/F that - Meaning if I felt that I could leave @ 11am to be @ the airport for 1pm then I should take the 10:00-10:30 bus to give myself plenty of time.)

Anyway, please let me know what I could do. I appreciate any insights.

[captne76]

You can prob park free in most of Hackensack and probably moreso at night.

For most of your other questions go to the usual very eeeEeevil racist Google Maps and plug in your destinations and get directions. Keep in mind the tolls going back to NY are somewhere about $15 to go over the bridge or either tunnel.

[captne76]

Pick which one it is from these then click away,,,
there are options also to select,,,

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=lc...E,lf:1,lf_ui:1

[HudsonCoNJ]

I've been around the Hackensack area for work/school for the last 15 yrs and this is the first time I hear anyone mention a performing arts center.

[HHKrunner]

I commute from Ho-Ho-Kus to the Bronx and work on Saturday. I leave work at 5pm and very rarely am I home later than 5:50 (and that can be in the summer with a Yankee game getting out and shopping in Paramus). Impossible to predict how traffic will be that day in February but all you need is a bad accident on the bridge or emergency construction and everything goes to hell.


I go home via route 4 but sometimes will take 80/95. I'm around the Bronx Zoo area so I'm about 15 minutes away from Pelham Bay. I usually get on the Cross Bronx at Webster Ave and I'm usually over the bridge in 15-20 minutes. Sometimes the Deegan backs up bad and your plan is basically cutting through the Bronx to get there so you may want to enter for the bridge off of University Ave or get on the Cross Bronx at Webster or Jerome Avenue. Once you get over the bridge, you should fly on 80/95 (remember to take local lanes) or take route 4 if there's an overturned truck.


Honestly, hard to predict but you should be able to do it under an hour. It's just that the bridge can be so unpredictable. I have no idea how parking is and lines to enter the venue so can't offer any advice there.