Commute to NYC via Septa/NJ Transit (Philadelphia, York: lease, buy)

[beachespeaches]

Anyone do this from Philly on a regular basis? How hellish is it? I have an offer for a job, but don't want to leave Philly for the salary being offered. Am considering doing the commute as I strongly believe I will really like the job, but was hoping to get some perspective from those have been through this grind. And yes, it still ends being cheaper to commute than to live there.

[FindingZen]

I haven't done it but I know it takes just over 2 hours from 30th Street Station to Penn Station in NYC. Will you be able to do any of your work on the train? That might help cut some of the face time you'll have to put in. Some people even buy a monthly AMTRAK pass which would cut the commute by about a half hour... although I imagine they have pretty high-powered positions to be able to afford that. In any case, you certainly won't be alone on that ultimate reverse commute.

[beachespeaches]

Yes, work can be done on the train. Amtrak would be nice as it's a straight shot, but monthly passes start at $1,000...might as well move to NY if I pay that!

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by Tone509

I haven't done it but I know it takes just over 2 hours from 30th Street Station to Penn Station in NYC. Will you be able to do any of your work on the train? That might help cut some of the face time you'll have to put in. Some people even buy a monthly AMTRAK pass which would cut the commute by about a half hour... although I imagine they have pretty high-powered positions to be able to afford that. In any case, you certainly won't be alone on that ultimate reverse commute.

Hmm. I've always heard it's actually just over one hour. Here's an excerpt from a NY Daily News article this past Fall that's right up your alley:

Getting from New York to Philadelphia

Taking Amtrak from Penn Station New York to 30th Street Station Philadelphia takes between one hour and eight minutes on the Acela high-speed train, and one hour and 26 minutes on a regular-speed train.
One-way tickets start at $43 for a regular regional train and $81 on the Acela. A business-class upgrade costs $22 on the regional train and $61 on the Acela.
A monthly pass for commuters costs $1,098, but that allows unlimited travel between the two cities on any train, excluding the Acela.
When I did the trip after work one night, I couldn't believe how fast it was. I hardly had time for a nap. On the taxi line outside 30th Street Station, a hipster student yelled into his cell phone how fast a ride it was.
Philadelphia is also accessible via public transportation. You can take the PATH train to Newark and then take New Jersey Transit to Trenton. (Or, from Penn Station, take N.J.
Transit directly to Trenton.) At Trenton, you can take SEPTA, Pennsylvania's train system, into Philadelphia. This entire trip costs less than $17, but it can take up to three hours.
If you drive, Philadelphia is 100 miles south of New York. It's a straight shot on I-95. The drive takes approximately two hours.

Ever thought of living in Philadelphia?

[FindingZen]

Duderino, I didn't account for the Acela train. Besides being high-speed, I imagine it skips even more stops than the regular Northeast Corridor trains do vs. the SEPTA/NJT combo. Nonetheless, it doesn't look like Amtrak is something that the OP will be able to do on a daily basis.

[beachespeaches]

Ever thought of living in Philadelphia?

I actually do live in Philly. I am comtemplating a job in NY, commuting for a few months until I finish up my lease here in August, and then making the move. I've researched all the possibilities and Septa/NJ transit is going to be what's in my budgetary limits at the moment.

I just wanted to get some perspectives from commuters who do this on a regular basis (as I am sure there are quite a few) and get their thoughts on how taxing is can be. Thanks so far though for your thoughts!

[CHIP72]

Using Greyhound/Peter Pan buses from Center City Philadelphia (Greyhound Bus Terminal at 1001 Filbert Street, across Filbert Street from Market East Station) to Midtown Manhattan (Port Authority Bus Terminal at 40th-42nd Street and 8th-9th Avenue, one avenue block west of Times Square) may also be a viable possibility, though obviously you'd be subject to whatever roadway congestion is taking place.

Some NJT Northeast Corridor trains run express from Princeton Junction to Newark, after stopping first at Trenton and Hamilton. That would cut down on time a little. Unfortunately, most SEPTA R7 trains stop at most stations along the route.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by beachespeaches

I actually do live in Philly. I am comtemplating a job in NY, commuting for a few months until I finish up my lease here in August, and then making the move. I've researched all the possibilities and Septa/NJ transit is going to be what's in my budgetary limits at the moment.

Ah yes, I apologize for overlooking that. However, it seems that there are an increasing amount of people making that commute, at least to the extent that New York media would write an article about it. It won't hurt to at least try it on an average weekday to get a feel for it. Good luck!

[misscity]

If you live in Bucks County or Northeast Philly: drive to Trenton and pay $13 to park (dunno monthly deals) and pay $21-25 for a ticket to Penn Station. Express trains get you there in an hour to 70 minutes..

[rileybear]

my fiancee does this every morning, five days a week, the R7 to Trenton, then NJT to NY Penn station. Takes him two hours. It has been five months so far, and it is really getting to him. He listens to his ipod, and reads books to pass the time. we are trying to move to NJ, to help him with the commute. I say it's doable for a short period of time, with an end in sight.
If you have any other questions, feel free to pm me.