I didn’t know this. I’ll have to take the train next year regardless of where I go (unless it’s a community college)- my siblings have been, and it seems the same as before. Does it just apply for commuting to NYC?
Just spent the last 6 weeks commuting from Spring Lake so pretty recent. Not looking to argue it I have recently lived it😀
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Given OPs determination I won’t offer further comment but needless to say yes the commute has changed post pandemic.
In virtually all scenarios a car would be needed at the onset of the NJ leg of the trip.
I checked the route. I’d need to drive to Middletown, take the train to NY-Penn, then transfer to 34 St Penn, then walk to the college. Overall, a little over 2 hours. It could be a backup, I suppose, but it sounds expensive to commute. It’s also a CUNY college and I’m OOS, so it’d cost extra.
I thought you said no car
Trains from Middletown, NJ to NYC Penn run every half hour between around 6 to 10:30 AM - and the return trips get fewer after about 7:30 PM (down to about 1 an hour). That more than covers typical college day with room to spare.
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Sounds like NJ has a good system for commuters.
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My sister doesn’t have any passes or agreements, but she pays $10.75 on every trip to Union. It’d probably cost around $15-20 if i wanted to go to a college in NYC. I’m planning on using my own money (once I secure a part-time job) to pay for the train, and then rely on scholarships and loans for tuition. If I enrolled in NYU, my sister and I have an agreement that she would help pay for me with her internship money if she went to NYC also (there are many architecture internships in the city). That way, my parents wouldn’t have to worry as much about the costs.
Well, actually, commuters explicitly choose towns (and drive up home prices) that are located along the handful of lines. Especially of course, if those towns also have great public school districts.
Yes - a major factor in real estate ads is proximity to train.
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Beautiful pictures, by the way.
If I were to drive for at least part of the NJ lefg of the trip, and commute by train for the rest, would that make it easier/cheaper?
Correct - prices depend on where you go. It’s $11 ONE WAY to Union, and she could save on that. You’ll need to budget for TWO trips each day!
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Yeah, no car for me. My parents can drive me to a train station 5-10 minutes away, and that’s about it. I’d take the train only because they wouldn’t have the time to drive all of us to our respective areas. I could technically get a car since I have my license, but again, trust issues.
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That would have been one of my suggestions to explore driving to Harriman or Newark (parking is cheap) and take the path. You could then walk from several of the stops (9th St and 6th Ave best shot) . Path I am told remains reliable.
That way costs are low and you are only reliant on one means of public transportation. Drive will stink on occasion is the obvious downside and gas cost.
Commuting within NYC is “easier” because the trains run frequently. One of my kids commutes into the city. My other child was commuting from home but left that job to return to school. Her door to door commute was about 2 hours each way.
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I don’t mind waiting an hour. I could use it for study time.
Do you know about trains from Hazlet, NJ to NY Penn?
Probably around $12 in tolls each day too. Google says parking near Penn is around $25 a day, or $6 an hour.
Same line, same frequency of trains, just one stop more.
So add 6 minutes per trip, 12 minutes per day - but still same cost.
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To clarify, I was suggesting that you spend the first two years living at home and attending your local cc. Then, go to Rutgers-New Brunswick (or wherever) for your last two years and live on-campus. If your family would want you to go to New Brunswick rather than Newark, that’s approximately an extra 1h15m EACH WAY, so an extra 2.5 hours/day (for a total of 5 hours/day commuting). That’s A LOT of time (too much in my opinion) to be commuting. So if they want you at New Brunswick then they should let you live on-campus. Living at home for two years while attending cc was the compromise option I was thinking of.
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So i would cut down costs to… what? I think Newark to NYC is still pretty expensive.
Also my parents might not be free to drive me to Newark.
There are lower cost options on a monthly basis at Harriman…
And a quick walk towards Pru Center (The Rock) in Newark.
No offense you will need to do this research on your own😀. I am offering alternatives based on what you have expressed as your priorities.
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I won’t be parking, though, because I won’t be driving. Someone would have to drive me.