Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
That's an out and out lie. It does not take an hour and 5 minutes from Riverdale to the Upper East Side. It can't take that long because it takes under 30 minutes to get to Midtown from Riverdale using Metro North. If you're going to give the OP suggestions, at least be honest. What sort of transit are you referring to and from what points are you using?
He was probably using subway times,not metro north.
He was probably using subway times,not metro north.
The commute to Riverdale is only "painful" if you're using the subway since we don't have a subway here. The 1 train terminates at Van Cortlandt Park and runs along the West Side, but this notion that Riverdale is somehow SO "difficult" to reach is just ridiculous. If I recall correctly you prefer taking the subway, so of course you would find Riverdale difficult to get to as would the other posters.
If it was so "difficult" to get here, you wouldn't see families from the Upper West and Upper East Side moving here in droves. We have three express buses that go to Manhattan AND Metro North and both services run relatively frequently so this is all nothing but rhetoric. Riverdale is sitauted right in between Westchester and Manhattan, offering a very quick commute to people who don't want to live in Westchester but still want a suburban style of living. I go into the city via car often and it takes 15 - 20 minutes tops from Riverdale to the Upper West Side. Take the Henry Hudson Parkway over the Henry Hudson Bridge and within 5 minutes you're already in Upper Manhattan.
I don't see how anyone could say that Riverdale is far to get to from Manhattan when we are only separated from Manhattan by the Spuyten Duyvil Creek
You're separated from Upper Manhattan by the creek, not Midtown Manhattan, and from a distance and transportation perspective, Inwood might as well be the outer boroughs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grosvenor
..... and have Metro North and express buses, all of which run pretty frequently from what I hear and driving to the city is only 15 - 20 minutes from Riverdale. Am I missing something here?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grosvenor
The trip is very fast on what though? Metro North? If it's 125th street then I believe the Metro North train in Riverdale makes the same stop, so I'm not understanding how it would be so "painful"? Also, there is a bus, actually two I believe depending on where on the Upper East Side that can take you to the Upper East Side from Riverdale in addition to the Metro North stop.
SMH @ "I believe" and "what I hear". Like you don't know for those things for a fact.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grosvenor
That's an out and out lie. It does not take an hour and 5 minutes from Riverdale to the Upper East Side. It can't take that long because it takes under 30 minutes to get to Midtown from Riverdale using Metro North. If you're going to give the OP suggestions, at least be honest. What sort of transit are you referring to and from what points are you using?
Is there a Metro-North stop on the UES? Does Metro-North stop right in the middle of Riverdale? Do the trains come as soon as you get to the platform?
In any case, for the OP, there's the BxM1 bus to the UES from the western parts of Riverdale and the BxM3 bus to the UES from the parts closer to Broadway. They're the most direct way to get UES, and are cheaper than Metro-North, because with Metro-North, you have to also pay for the subway as well. (A weekly pass for the express bus costs $55 and is valid on the subway & local buses).
Back in the day (I'm talking 50+ years ago) there used to be Metro-North stations by 86th Street & 60th Street on the UES, but alas, they're no more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluedog2
He was probably using subway times,not metro north.
Metro-North isn't particularly quick either considering that first you have to get to the station (which is all the way by the waterfront), wait for the train (which is less frequent than the subway), and then make your way from either Harlem or Grand Central to the UES.
No, it's not a lie - it's exactly as I said "a quick google maps directions". I didn't look at the detail but it appears that according to the google gods their chosen transit option is the express bus
Metro North train is relatively quick, but again you have to actually get to that train station which is a pain, and still must transfer off at 125th or grand central
The commute to Riverdale is only "painful" if you're using the subway since we don't have a subway here. The 1 train terminates at Van Cortlandt Park and runs along the West Side, but this notion that Riverdale is somehow SO "difficult" to reach is just ridiculous. If I recall correctly you prefer taking the subway, so of course you would find Riverdale difficult to get to as would the other posters.
If it was so "difficult" to get here, you wouldn't see families from the Upper West and Upper East Side moving here in droves. We have three express buses that go to Manhattan AND Metro North and both services run relatively frequently so this is all nothing but rhetoric. Riverdale is sitauted right in between Westchester and Manhattan, offering a very quick commute to people who don't want to live in Westchester but still want a suburban style of living. I go into the city via car often and it takes 15 - 20 minutes tops from Riverdale to the Upper West Side. Take the Henry Hudson Parkway over the Henry Hudson Bridge and within 5 minutes you're already in Upper Manhattan.
The problem with Riverdale in my mind is that it is difficult for those who want to live and commute easily without a car,even occasionally. Riverdale is nice and it has a passable little "downtown" area on Johnson Avenue but unfortunately neither the subway nor the train are there.You need to take a bus to get the train or the subway.Bronxville has a far,far superior downtown area with really nice apartment buildings and houses all less than a 5 minute walk from the train station.
Of course I don't know whether the OP is thinking in terms of living in the more urban type environment that I would want.Perhaps they would be perfectly happy to rent a house somewhere where they would have to take a car to go shopping and out to dinner or to get to a subway or train to Manhattan.Maybe he will weigh in on this aspect and that will help narrow things down.
Believe me,I know about this because I very carefully considered buying a place in Riverdale.I like Riverdale a lot but it was the inconveniences around public transportation that I couldn't deal with.The main reason why I chose to buy where I did was because I am 3 minutes from a subway platform that has both East Side and West Side trains that run every few minutes 24 hours a day.
Metro North can be quick depending on where you live. Plenty of people walk to the station and with the Henry Hudson Bridge being here driving into Manhattan is very easy and quick.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluedog2
The problem with Riverdale in my mind is that it is difficult for those who want to live and commute easily without a car,even occasionally. Riverdale is nice and it has a passable little "downtown" area on Johnson Avenue but unfortunately neither the subway nor the train are there.You need to take a bus to get the train or the subway.Bronxville has a far,far superior downtown area with really nice apartment buildings and houses all less than a 5 minute walk from the train station.
Of course I don't know whether the OP is thinking in terms of living in the more urban type environment that I would want.Perhaps they would be perfectly happy to rent a house somewhere where they would have to take a car to go shopping and out to dinner or to get to a subway or train to Manhattan.Maybe he will weigh in on this aspect and that will help narrow things down.
Riverdale is a bedroom community with easy access to Manhattan. The commute times are certainly under an hour. For late nights, if you don't want to drive into the city there are also the yellow city cabs that can carry you back to Riverdale and I believe they charge a reasonable price. I think people are making it sound as if commuting here is really painful when it really isn't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlakeJones
No, it's not a lie - it's exactly as I said "a quick google maps directions". I didn't look at the detail but it appears that according to the google gods their chosen transit option is the express bus
Metro North train is relatively quick, but again you have to actually get to that train station which is a pain, and still must transfer off at 125th or grand central
Which is exactly what he would have to do if he lived in Westchester and he would only have the train there.
Funny that you didn't look at the detail because I would be able to confirm for sure that it doesn't take an hour and 5 minutes from Riverdale to the Upper East Side.
Pelham Bay Area, Pelham Parkway north in the Bronx might be good options as well. #1) you would be near the #6 train, which services the UES. #2) you would also be near I-95/Hutchinson River/Bronx River Parkway, which could get you to CT. Both areas offer SF and multi-family housing. #3) there is also express bus service that can take your wife to the UES. Whether you live in Westchester or in the City, one of you is going to have a longish commute. I used to live in the northernish region of the Bronx for many years, with Pelham Parkway being my last stop before relocation. I largely spent my free hours in Westchester County as it was only minutes away.
Thank riaelise, this is very thoughtful advice. Pelham may also be a good option. Will look into it..
I have been doing some very quick digging on the side based on the advice above. Both Bronxville and Pelham appear to he very good options, both in terms of commute and places to live. The school districts also appear to be pretty good. Bronxville appears to be a little bit more expensive though, but the neighborhood looks spectacular. In addition, avoiding those NYC taxes also appears to be financially appealing.
I think I am going to look deeper around these two options. I am actually scratching my head on why I never thought of these two in the first place.
I have been doing some very quick digging based on the advice above. Both Bronxville and Pelham appear to he very good options, both in terms of commute and places to live. The school districts also appear to be pretty good. Bronxville appears to be a little bit more expensive though. I think I am going to look deeper into these two. I am actually scratching my head on why I never thought of these two in the first place.
Are you looking to rent an apartment or a house ? And do you want it to be within a few minutes walk of shopping,restaurants and train lines or does that not matter ? The answers to these questions may help you narrow it down.
Are you looking to rent an apartment or a house ? And do you want it to be within a few minutes walk of shopping,restaurants and train lines or does that not matter ? The answers to these questions may help you narrow it down.
We are looking to rent for now. Walking distance from shopping and restaurants is definitely a huge plus. But above all, the highest priority for us is proximity to train lines connecting to UES.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What sort of transit are you referring to and from what points are you using? 
