Live in Connecticut and commute to BOSTON?

[StageLeft]

I'm wondering how feasible this really is? There are some places in CT that mapquest says are close to new york city like stamford, CT. It says that travelling time is 48 min. Is this really feasible though for a person living in Stamford if they had a job in NYC including commut time, getting through the city, parking and all that crap? Let's assume their job is somewhere around the middle area and not all on the other end...

EDIT: That seems undoable - what about commuting to Boston...?

 

[Michael]

Yes. Tons and tons of people do it every day.

Of course, there are lots of other places as well and it depends on where you live in CT.

Michael

 

[StageLeft]

Cool - there is a place called new britain which is a solid 2 hours from NYc according to mapquest - so I assume that that is a reaslistic time in rush hour traffic on the average day as well...? I have never been to NYC so I don't really know how it's structured but I'd guess it's got freeways through much/most of it...?

 

[tontod]

I wouldn't recommend it. Even though distance wise Stamford isnt too far from NYC, the traffic is horrendous and getting worse by the day. I know someone that lives in Orange (near the middle on the coast, near New Haven). I think he said it takes him about 1.5 hours to get to White Plains, which is just over the border in NY state, not even as far as NYC.

 

[tontod]

In rush hour, I guarantee it will take longer, both I-95 and Merritt get pretty clogged up during rush hour.

 

[Freejack2]

Skoorb, unless you are getting a 6 figure job this is nuts!
1) You'll need to get up bright and early to deal with the commute into NYC. The traffic is insane. 48 minutes is what it will take at maybe 9pm but at 9am it's more like 2 hours.
If it's a 9-5er you'd have to be up at 6am and wouldn't be home until 7pm.
2) Connecticut has the highest cost of living in the nation (iirc).
3) Parking in New York City will most likely be more than your car payment.

If there is some kind of commuter rail that might be feasible but you'd still have to get up bright and early.

 

[Shantanu]

When we lived in Suffolk County, an acquintance of my parents had a job in New Jersey and he would commute there everyday. That must have been a brutal commute, because it takes 3 hours to get to Northern New Jersey from Long Island (and 3 hours to get back).

I don't know much about Connecticut, but from Western Connecticut to NYC must be a reasonable commute. There's probably a commuter train that goes there so you won't have to worry about parking when you get to Manhattan.

 

[tontod]

Freejack2 is correct, also places like Stamford, Norwalk, Westport (near the CT/NY border) can be expensive as heck. Prices do get better a little further north like Stratford, Milford, but those are way too far to commute. You might be better off finding a place in the White Plains area, or maybe even better, in New Jersey somewhere, within decent commuting distance of NYC. And, if you do decide to live in CT, look at something like taking the Metro North to work -an alternative method to driving like Freejack2 suggested. Much less hassle and headache that way.

By the way, I'm not trying to discourage you from living in CT, I like it here. I like it here in CT, good distance to visit NYC on weekends.

 

[BlueApple]

Parking will be $400 a month, give or take some. To commute from one place in NYC to another can take over 2 hours, and to come in form Conn can ealily take 2 hours, less on a day like lat friday, but mroe if bad weather or road work. Try NJ or out on Long Island and take PUBLIC TRANSPORT into the city.

 

[Thegonagle]

I say hell no. But I like to live as close to my job as possible. The less commute time, the more free time.

 

[rh71]

Freejack is right about the hours... you will have NO free time to yourself if you commute into NYC from any distance. I am in Nassau and take the LIRailRoad 45 minutes west into Manhattan if there's training or conferences. I swear I will never do it as a daily commute. With those 45 minutes of rail time alone, I get up at 6am and return home at 7pm. Go to bed 3 hours later and do it again the next day? NO THANK YOU.

That's just my experience, but it's the best situation unless you live somewhere in NYC already (Brooklyn, Queens, etc.). An alternative, if you must by an affordable house is to go out to Suffolk County (even further east from here). There are houses there in the mid $200Ks and you'll get decent property. Take the LIRR about 1 hr - 1.25 hrs each way into the city and avoid the hassles of traffic and parking (take my word on that one).

Traffic IS getting worse and worse every day... I've noticed it on most of the highways even on weekends. I want to leave NY altogether.

 

[Scipionix]

Those towns closes to NYC like Greenwich and Stamford are some of the wealthiest in the country, meaning that the real estate will be some of the most expensive also. I think rh71 is right and that Long Island would be a better bet. Once you get out a little ways it's reasonably priced. Have you looked at Westchester?

 

[Ultima]

driving? NYC? Try and live close to a train station so at least you have that stress-free option for going to NYC, which is already flooded with cars.

 

[Michael]

Ummm, you don't drive into NYC to work, you take public transit.

I lived in NJ (Northern Bergen County) for the first 5-6 years after I moved to the US and worked in NYC for 2 of them. I took the bus.

In my opinion, a reasonable commute is 1 hour by public transit. Since you're not driving, the time isn't lost.

Michael

 

[Cyberian]

I have never been to NYC so I don't really know how it's structured but I'd guess it's got freeways through much/most of it...?

Yeah - The BQE, Cross Bronx, Grand Central, LIE, Taconic, Merritt, Bruckner, Sheridan, all of which resemble long thin parking lots from 6AM 'till 10AM.
The only commuter rail line I know of is the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven.
I think there are bus lines too.

Stamford to NYC in 48 minutes would be at 0300 on Christmas Day.

Where in NYC, exactly?

 

[HansBbans]

I dont think driving is very feasible for all the reasons listd above PLUS you'll get killed on tolls coming into New york(probably triboro). Take metro north or move to nyc.

 

[rh71]

Oh yes, one more option... live in Jersey and take the PATH train into the city. It's just like taking LIRR from Long Island.

"Drive" and "NYC" don't belong in the same sentence... now or ever again.

 

[Rivergater]

there are ghetto areas of stamford so even though the area overall has a high cost of living, its definitely an option. the commute is 48 minutes by metro north. i think that most of the people that commute from stamford/greenwich area take the train into grand central. its not that bad a commute at all considering it will take you 1.5 hours to get to the outskirts of new york city (far rockaway).

if you are young, i suggest that you live in one of the other boroughs (besides manhattan) and commute to the city (manhattan). i think you would spend about the same if you lived in stamford. if you have a family, its a different story...

hoboken is another good alternative housing market. path train are convenient but i hear it sucks waiting for them at night after partying in the city.

i've commuted from new haven and its no joke (commuting via metro north). i did it temporarily but there are warriors who do it everyday. it basically sucks 3.5 hours of your life away everyday.

 

[Mday]

brooks, that commute is fairly ass, imho. unless you make a fair chunk of change, dont do it.

Jersey or the outer boroughs is still the best option.

you work in nyc? 2 hour commutes suck ass. =(

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: Michael
Ummm, you don't drive into NYC to work, you take public transit.

I lived in NJ (Northern Bergen County) for the first 5-6 years after I moved to the US and worked in NYC for 2 of them. I took the bus.

In my opinion, a reasonable commute is 1 hour by public transit. Since you're not driving, the time isn't lost.

Michael

The time is still lost because now you're standing for an hour in a bus with stinky passengers with no ventilation and no seating, and it feels like a blast furnace. I'd take 1 hour in a traffic jam in a car over that.

Of course, trains are much better.

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: Rivergater
there are ghetto areas of stamford so even though the area overall has a high cost of living, its definitely an option. the commute is 48 minutes by metro north. i think that most of the people that commute from stamford/greenwich area take the train into grand central. its not that bad a commute at all considering it will take you 1.5 hours to get to the outskirts of new york city (far rockaway).

if you are young, i suggest that you live in one of the other boroughs (besides manhattan) and commute to the city (manhattan). i think you would spend about the same if you lived in stamford. if you have a family, its a different story...

hoboken is another good alternative housing market. path train are convenient but i hear it sucks waiting for them at night after partying in the city.

i've commuted from new haven and its no joke (commuting via metro north). i did it temporarily but there are warriors who do it everyday. it basically sucks 3.5 hours of your life away everyday.

Last summer I took 4 hours out of my day (2 each way) to take the bus to work because I don't have a car. It was only 20 minutes away by car no matter the time of day (MAYBE 30 mins in rush hour traffic). This summer I bike to another place and it takes me 45-60 minutes to get there depending on how fast I bike. By bus it would take me two hours to get there, too. By car? 15 minutes. I'm saving up and I hope I can finally get a car this fall.

 

[Siddhartha]

Take the train. I had a trade conference in Manhattan a couple days ago and took the train. Compared to driving, it was a very reasonable experience. I read, looked out the window and did not worry about traffic. A couple of people were working on their laptops, but most were reading the newspaper or napping.

 

[StageLeft]

Thanks for the opinions - I'd feared this - what about living in CT and commuting to Boston? How much more reasonable is that...?

 

[Doggiedog]

Is there a reason you need to live up that far in CT? Just live in NJ. I live right across the river in NJ. 30 min bus ride. If there is no traffic and I drive, it's 5-10 mins. There is ferry service too that is even faster than the bus.

I would not want to do the CT commute, especially in the winter. I used to pass through Grand Central every work day and in the winter when those power lines freeze over or the rail lines flood, I've seen people stuck in GC overnight.

Edit: Commuting to Boston?!? From where? Hartford? That is some serious haul if you want to do that. What's the appeal with CT anyway? Your GF lives there or something?

 

[Argo]

Depends where in NYC. It takes me solid 2 hours to get to manhattan from Danbury. And that's on the weekends. I would imagine traffic would be much worse on weekdays. If you live in stamford however, there's an alternative. You can take MetroNorth to Grand Central. It takes about 50 minutes and you don't have to worry about parking in the city.