Manhattan

I may be considering a job in Manhattan. I'm just terrified of the commute every day. Any opinions? what time do you leave your house and what time do you get home?

I'm in eastern suffolk.

Thanks

Re: Manhattan

I used to commute. It wasn't that bad, in fact, I miss being able to have "down time" on my way to work in the morning and late afternoon where I could read a book a week.

I used to take a 7:04 train and a train around 4:30 home on a normal day.

Some days, I would stay later and there was always a train.

I also used to work in mid-town, within walking distance from Penn.

It would suck IMHO if you had to add on subway commutes to that.

There are also going to be days that suck in general because of the weather and all commuters getting stuck as a result.

This is JMO as well, but I also think if you have a young family, commuting into the city is not the ideal lifestyle, unless you have shorter hours and do not need to do it daily.

ETA: When I took the LIRR I was living in Long Beach so it was about an hour into the city.

Message edited 8/19/2012 10:02:20 AM.

Re: Manhattan

I used to commute when I was practicing law. I commuted from Bellmore, so the express LIRR train to Penn was 43 minutes. My firm was in midtown east, so I then had to take the E train across town and walk a few blocks. It was probably about an hour and 15 minutes door to door each way.

I didn't love commuting, but part of the issue for me was that I worked long hours as an attorney, and I didn't have a set schedule. So if I got stuck in the office late, it was a lot more of a hassle to leave later, catch a later train, and get home much later (when I lived in the city, it wasn't that big of a deal). Plus, when I was commuting, I had just returned from maternity leave, and my husband worked in the city, too, so there was some anxiety in making sure that at least one of us could get home at a decent hour for our ds.

If you work a 9 to 5 job, or have set hours, I think commuting is less stressful and can become routine. I did like the "downtime" to transition between work and home... sometimes I would do work on the train, but more often I'd read a book or magazine and relax.

But commuting from eastern Suffolk is obviously going to be a much longer commute than from Nassau, and add significant time to your workday. I would really be honest with yourself about your lifestyle to figure out if it could work.

Commuting is an expense, so will your salary make it worth your while, factoring that in? How often do the trains run where you live (do you live near a hub? are you on a good train line with lots of trains? will it be a problem getting to work in bad weather?) Do you have set hours or an unpredictable schedule? If you work long hours, do you have the capability to work from home at night on on weekends, or do you have to be physically present in your office at all times? What are your family commitments and personal commitments outside of work (e.g., will child care be an issue? after school activities? do you like to exercise? when will you do it if you commute? is it important to have family dinners?).

Re: Manhattan

I'm going through the same thing-Northport train into NYC. I think you have to weigh a couple of things. My present job may not be around in a few months-company is going through transition. I also drive daily about 2 hours round trip because of traffic (my job is in Nassau) so I actually am looking forward to letting someone else drive at this point. I let go of the guilt with my kids as my husband works from home and one of my friends said its the quality of time you spend with your kids not the amount which I agree with. All in all-I think that if you accept that you have a long train ride and read or do something constructive you will be fine. Also-maybe you can say ok-two days a week I need to be able to catch the 4pm train so I have a life? Good luck!

Re: Manhattan

I comuted from eastern suffolk for 2 years and it was awful. I hated it! I moved out here from the city and it took me that long to find a good jub out here. I drove to ronkokoma (20-40 minutes depending on traffic) and then the train was about 1 hour and 20 minutes. I didnt have to take the subway because my office was about 5 blocks from Penn. All i have to say is think long and hard before you do it if you are from eastern suffolk. My day would start at 5:15am and i wasnt home untill 8pm at the earliest. I hated it and am so thankful i dont have to do it anymore.

Manhattan

I commute from Farmingdale. It's not fun and I don't think I'd do it if I lived further out. I work at grand central so I need to take 2 subways.

I take a 657 train in and a 529 home. I am out of the house from 640 am til 630 pm. It's a long day. And I have an 8 month old at home.

Re: Manhattan

I would not do it. I do it from Bethpage and that is where I draw the line.

If the job allowed you to work remotely regularly that may make sense.

Manhattan

From Eastern Suffolk, I would not do it - commute is way too long in my opinion. I live on the border of Nassau & Suffolk and this is where my limit to commuting was. My commute is an hour & 15 minutes each way. I'm out of the house 12 hours a day on a good day. Not to mention the monthly ticket cost is astronomical from out there - and it's only going up.

Message edited 8/29/2012 1:46:25 PM.

Re: Manhattan

I did it for 10 years. I get what people are saying when it comes to down time, but I am so happy that I am not on the LIRR anymore.

Your life is run by the train schedule. I would leave at 7:40 for a 7:50am train from East Rockaway, then either take the subway or walk across town. I got home around 7 or so. But here's the thing - walk out the door a minute late? That means you're a half hour late for work because you've just missed your train. If I leave a minute late now I walk in at 9:01. Big deal. Same thing going home. A minute makes all the difference when you're counting on the LIRR.

Manhattan

DH did it from Ronkonkoma to downtown Manhattan for 8 years. With everything included, it took 1 hour and 45 minutes door to door. He would sleep 30 minutes each way. He said it becomes part of your routine.

Eastern Suffolk sounds far..I'm guessing it's past Ronkonkoma? If your job is walkable from Penn, then that takes away alot of stress from the subway.