Is Commuting to NYC Worth It?
Many people live in the suburbs of New York or New Jersey and commute to New York City every day. But is it worth it?
Commuting to New York City is worth it. You can take advantage of job and educational opportunities available in New York City while enjoying the quiet of the suburbs or a more peaceful city, as well as better air quality and a cheaper cost of living.
In this article, we will discuss the benefits of commuting to NYC.
Access Better Job and Educational Opportunities
If you already live outside the city, it is worth commuting to New York City for work purposes. Yes, you will have to spend a little extra time commuting, but the job opportunities in New York City are vast. You can build a career in a way that may not be possible elsewhere. New York City is the biggest city in the United States, and it is the financial capital of the world.
You don’t have to work on Wall Street to take advantage of the great career and educational opportunities available in the Big Apple.
Enjoy a Better Social Life
If you commute to New York City, you will be able to meet new people and make new friends. There is a reason the show Friends was cast in New York City — it is a great place to meet people, especially if you are living in a quiet town or suburb.
New York City has a great nightlife, and you can take advantage of that after work. Whether you want to go to a small neighborhood bar or a lively dance club, the Big Apple has everything. If you are not into nightlife, there are tons of other ways to meet people in New York City.
For example, there are chess clubs, gyms, sports events, and meetups that you can find on Meetup.com, from business and entrepreneur meetups to hikes to book clubs.
Avoid the High Cost of Rent
One of the worst things about New York City is that rent is notoriously high. Of course, there are areas that are cheaper to live in. The Bronx, for example, will have lower rental prices than Manhattan. However, if you are working in one part of the city, you may not want to live in another part of the city.
For example, if you are working in Manhattan, living in a part of the city that is far from Manhattan may not give you a quicker commuting time than living outside the city. Traffic in New York City can be bad, and it can take a long time to drive from one side of the city to the other, especially during rush hours.
Of course, you could also take the subway or public MTA buses, but depending on where you live, you may have to stand in a crowded subway for up to an hour or even more just getting to your work. During rush hour, the NYC subway system is known to be packed, with a lot of pushing and shoving. The subway system is also notoriously dirty.
Here are some ways you can get around the city during the day:
Enjoy a Lower Cost of Living
Rent is not the only thing that can raise the cost of living in New York City. There are many things that are expensive in the city, from restaurants to clothing. By living in a cheaper area, you can save money on necessities and fun activities like dining out.
Avoid the Traffic
If you live in New York City, you will have to deal with its horrible traffic all the time, even on the weekends when you are not working. Of course, traffic is not as bad on the weekends and at night, but it can still get extremely frustrating, and you can end up sitting in traffic for hours. Why not avoid the traffic in the city by only going there for work?
Avoid the High Parking Fees
In the same vein, living outside the city can help you avoid the expensive parking fees that come along with owning a car in New York City. Not only is parking expensive, but it is often extremely difficult to find a spot. New York City residents often circle their block for up to half an hour, just trying to find an empty spot to park.
For this reason, many New York City residents don’t even own cars. Not owning a car helps them avoid traffic and the costs of parking. However, it comes with a number of disadvantages. Buses are not the best way to get around the city, and the subway is often packed and requires some walking. Uber and Lyft are available, but they are expensive in the city, and most residents try to avoid taking them when not needed.
By living outside the city, you can own your own car without having to worry about any of these issues.
Have Easy Access to Entertainment
You don’t have to live in New York City to enjoy the entertainment it offers. If you live just an hour out of the city, for example, you can always drive in on the weekends to enjoy some fine dining, take your kids to Coney Island, see a movie, take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, or even spend time on Broadway. Essentially, you get the best of both worlds.
Enjoy Cleaner Air
It’s no secret that pollution is higher in larger cities. By living in a smaller town, you can enjoy the better air quality in that town instead of breathing in the polluted New York City air every day. Cleaner air will positively affect your health and help you live a longer, healthier life.
Live In a Safer Area
New York City is not a particularly dangerous city. However, all cities have areas that are not that safe. This is one of the downsides of living in any city. By living in a quieter suburb, you can enjoy living in a safer area at night and only go into the city during the day.
Where Can You Live Near NYC?
So, which places are close enough to New York City that you can commute there every day? There are many options available.
One thing to consider is that you can technically live in New York City and still live in a quiet, suburban, residential area. For some people, “commuting to the city” means commuting to Manhattan. In that case, you can live in Staten Island, for example, which is technically part of New York City. There are also many areas of Queens that are extremely quiet.
You can also go a little upstate to places like Rockland County. There are also places like Great Neck, where many people who work in NYC live.
Finally, there are areas in New Jersey that are not far from NYC. Montclair is a good example of this. Another is Bergen County, where you can buy a nice home on a quiet street. If you want a city vibe, you can always live in Newark and Jersey City, which are still within driving distance of New York City.
Conclusion
Whether you live outside the city and are thinking of working in the city or you are already working and living in the city and are thinking of moving out while retaining your job, this article shows just how beneficial it can be to live outside of New York City and commute to the city every day. Take the leap, and you won’t regret it.