Commuting to NYC from Monmouth County (Union, New Brunswick: houses, schools, living in)

[lvm]

I am relocating to NJ and need to be within 1.5 hours to NYC. I initially targeting East Brunswick for their schools and proximity to transportation to NYC. I am in the market for a 4 bedroom house with a max price of 460K.

I have also received feedback that Monmouth county (Aberdeen/Hazlet/Matawan/Middletown) are nice towns, with nice houses, within 45 min to the city. However, looking on the map I would think it's farther than that. Can anyone offer details on their commuting to NYC from these towns? I've done a preliminary search on houses in these towns and they look wonderful but am a little skeptical as to the commuting time.

Thanks in advance for any input.

[BobKovacs]

Well, let's put it this way- there are train stations at Aberdeen/Matawan, Hazlet, and Middletown. Travel times from Middletown to NYC Penn Station are 1:05 to 1:20, and leaving from Aberdeen/Matawan knocks about 10 minutes off of those times. So, provided that you're within walking distance of the train station and you work in Penn Plaza above Penn Station, you're fine. Otherwise, you're 1:30 commute requirement won't be met.

Living in the East Brunswick area will be no better- the travel times are the same (1:05 to 1:15), and you're less likely to be within walking distance of the train since the only stations are at Jersey Avenue and in downtown New Brunswick (good luck finding parking in those locations, btw).

So, you've got to start looking further North if you want to stay under 1:30- how far North depends on the travel from Penn Station to your office. Where in NYC will you be working?

Bob

[lvm]

I work in midtown Manhattan around Grand Central Terminal. I have heard there is no rail service from East Brunswick and if I relocate there would take the bus into the city.

[CJ-FROM-NJ]

Go to www.amtrak.com and look at the train times.

[royceb]

Originally Posted by lvm

I work in midtown Manhattan around Grand Central Terminal. I have heard there is no rail service from East Brunswick and if I relocate there would take the bus into the city.

I work in the Grand Central area too. It's a bit of a hike from Penn Station because of the subway switching that is necessary to get there. Figure around 15 minutes, minimum. If you are coming from the Monmouth County area, you should expect an 1:40 commute to be the norm.

[cattnj]

Check out the buses at Port Authority web site, the good thing is they have priority lanes going thru the NYC tunnels. These buses will take you to midtown, 42nd st. I've heard they are pretty reliable buses, going from Monmouth county to both midtown and downtown, so my coworkers said.

[mattyx9]

I used to commute from Freehold to NYC everyday via the 139 bus.

The bus itself can get crowded, but it runs frequently (about every 2-3 minutes during rush hours), as well as 24 hours a day.

The downside to the bus is the traffic it encounters on Highway 9.

[ZoeMaui]

I lived in Hazlet and commuted to the city. I would take academy bus to get into the city. The turnpike has HOV lanes and then there is a bus lane that goes in to the tunnel. Most days you fly in but there are some where a bus breaks down and you are stuck for a few. I would catch the 730am bus with only 2 other stops after me and I would get into Port Authority by 8:40am. I worked by Union Square and would get in my office before 9am. So my commute is about 1hr 30 mins.

[F Rim]

Only way to NYC from Monmouth County in 45 Min is the Ferry. They go from Highlands, Atlantic Highlands, Belford, & Keyport. See Seastreak.com

[jerseyshoreguy]

If your looking for a 4 bedroom in Monmouth county for under $500, I don't think the ferry is going to be in your budget.

Middletown has both trains and buses from the PNC Arts Center (Garden State Arts Center to those of us that were born here) Also a cheaper ferry may open up in Belford again