NYC Commuting Forum

[Anonymous User]

Apropos of the reverse commuting post, starting a more generalized NYC thread.

I’ll start: I’m looking to move to the suburbs in the next few years, but worry that commuting to my FiDi firm will be challenging. I haven’t found any towns with commutes under an hour+. Am I missing something or am I right to consider a lateral to a midtown firm?

[Anonymous User]

The PATH runs back and forth from World Trade Center in Fidi to Hoboken, New Jersey and during peak hours it comes every 5 minutes and the trip takes about 15 minutes each way. It's great if you live in or around Hoboken.

[nealric]

The commute won't be fun, but there's people who make it work. I worked in FiDi and there were a decent number of people who came in from New Jersey and Staten Island. There was one partner who came in from Western Massachusetts (though he would often stay overnight in the city).

Personally, unless you have strong ties to the NYC area, I'd look into a different city altogether if you want the suburban lifestyle. The NYC mega commute just seems like an awful lifestyle, especially in Biglaw.

[Anonymous User]

I would choose a town with a train station and try to prioritize finding a house near the station. You can also look for towns that have a NJTransit train or bus line to Newark Penn station, and then transfer to the PATH there. Check out towns on the Raritan Valley Line, North East Corridor, or North Jersey Coast Line.

[Anonymous User]

I've done this to Fidi and currently do it to Midtown.

Yes, it's over an hour. I'm in Bergen county. To get downtown I was taking the train to Hoboken then taking the ferry across. About 1:10 from desk to desk.

I'm in Midtown now (but East side) and diving to a park and ride and grabbing an express bus to port authority.

If I was closer to Port Authority (think Proskauer or one of the firms in/near Times Sq) it would be almost exactly an hour. Just under an hour if it's a firm near Penn Station and you grab an express train to Secaucus.

[Anonymous User]

Apropos of the reverse commuting post, starting a more generalized NYC thread.

I’ll start: I’m looking to move to the suburbs in the next few years, but worry that commuting to my FiDi firm will be challenging. I haven’t found any towns with commutes under an hour+. Am I missing something or am I right to consider a lateral to a midtown firm?

You aren’t missing anything. NYC is a nightmare commute from nice suburban areas. I do not understand why people continue to flock to NYC for biglaw. There are so many markets offering a far superior quality of life with the same or nearly the same pay. Not to mention better substantive work if you are a litigator.

[MDNCU]

Apropos of the reverse commuting post, starting a more generalized NYC thread.

I’ll start: I’m looking to move to the suburbs in the next few years, but worry that commuting to my FiDi firm will be challenging. I haven’t found any towns with commutes under an hour+. Am I missing something or am I right to consider a lateral to a midtown firm?

You aren’t missing anything. NYC is a nightmare commute from nice suburban areas. I do not understand why people continue to flock to NYC for biglaw. There are so many markets offering a far superior quality of life with the same or nearly the same pay. Not to mention better substantive work if you are a litigator.

Not to make this a giant argument about markets but this really isn't all that true lmao. People aren't flocking for no reason. NYC has a lot of amenities as a city, good transit, and better density than any other city in the US. Like I always see people pumping up, idk, Atlanta as a place to do BigLaw and I feel like you kind of have to be a moron to at least not understand why a bunch of young professionals would prefer NYC to other cities.

Obviously there are some cities that have many of the same features and also lots of BigLaw: DC, SF, Chicago specifically, but they all have their trade-offs too.

[Sad248]

Apropos of the reverse commuting post, starting a more generalized NYC thread.

I’ll start: I’m looking to move to the suburbs in the next few years, but worry that commuting to my FiDi firm will be challenging. I haven’t found any towns with commutes under an hour+. Am I missing something or am I right to consider a lateral to a midtown firm?

You aren’t missing anything. NYC is a nightmare commute from nice suburban areas. I do not understand why people continue to flock to NYC for biglaw. There are so many markets offering a far superior quality of life with the same or nearly the same pay. Not to mention better substantive work if you are a litigator.

Not to make this a giant argument about markets but this really isn't all that true lmao. People aren't flocking for no reason. NYC has a lot of amenities as a city, good transit, and better density than any other city in the US. Like I always see people pumping up, idk, Atlanta as a place to do BigLaw and I feel like you kind of have to be a moron to at least not understand why a bunch of young professionals would prefer NYC to other cities.

Obviously there are some cities that have many of the same features and also lots of BigLaw: DC, SF, Chicago specifically, but they all have their trade-offs too.

Yeah, I used to be similar in the whole "why the hell would you live in NYC when you can live in a cheaper city?!" boat. When I initially moved to NYC, I was kicking myself. Everything felt so expensive and dirty. But I've lived in New York for over a year now and honestly, I get it. It is an amazing city. It's so vibrant and bustling. The public transit is great and there's so much to do. You really feel like you are in the center of the universe. That doesn't mean it is for everyone, but there's a reason so many people love living in New York and are willing to pay its obscene prices.

On topic though: I have a friend who lives in the suburbs and likes it. Has a big house, a yard, the works. His commute door to door is about 45 minutes. It really depends on what you like in life and he is a real homebody (married and everything).

[Anonymous User]

Apropos of the reverse commuting post, starting a more generalized NYC thread.

I’ll start: I’m looking to move to the suburbs in the next few years, but worry that commuting to my FiDi firm will be challenging. I haven’t found any towns with commutes under an hour+. Am I missing something or am I right to consider a lateral to a midtown firm?

You aren’t missing anything. NYC is a nightmare commute from nice suburban areas. I do not understand why people continue to flock to NYC for biglaw. There are so many markets offering a far superior quality of life with the same or nearly the same pay. Not to mention better substantive work if you are a litigator.

Not to make this a giant argument about markets but this really isn't all that true lmao. People aren't flocking for no reason. NYC has a lot of amenities as a city, good transit, and better density than any other city in the US. Like I always see people pumping up, idk, Atlanta as a place to do BigLaw and I feel like you kind of have to be a moron to at least not understand why a bunch of young professionals would prefer NYC to other cities.

Obviously there are some cities that have many of the same features and also lots of BigLaw: DC, SF, Chicago specifically, but they all have their trade-offs too.

Yeah, I used to be similar in the whole "why the hell would you live in NYC when you can live in a cheaper city?!" boat. When I initially moved to NYC, I was kicking myself. Everything felt so expensive and dirty. But I've lived in New York for over a year now and honestly, I get it. It is an amazing city. It's so vibrant and bustling. The public transit is great and there's so much to do. You really feel like you are in the center of the universe. That doesn't mean it is for everyone, but there's a reason so many people love living in New York and are willing to pay its obscene prices.

On topic though: I have a friend who lives in the suburbs and likes it. Has a big house, a yard, the works. His commute door to door is about 45 minutes. It really depends on what you like in life and he is a real homebody (married and everything).

I could do 45’. Where does he live/work?

[Anonymous User]

Apropos of the reverse commuting post, starting a more generalized NYC thread.

I’ll start: I’m looking to move to the suburbs in the next few years, but worry that commuting to my FiDi firm will be challenging. I haven’t found any towns with commutes under an hour+. Am I missing something or am I right to consider a lateral to a midtown firm?

You aren’t missing anything. NYC is a nightmare commute from nice suburban areas. I do not understand why people continue to flock to NYC for biglaw. There are so many markets offering a far superior quality of life with the same or nearly the same pay. Not to mention better substantive work if you are a litigator.

Not to make this a giant argument about markets but this really isn't all that true lmao. People aren't flocking for no reason. NYC has a lot of amenities as a city, good transit, and better density than any other city in the US. Like I always see people pumping up, idk, Atlanta as a place to do BigLaw and I feel like you kind of have to be a moron to at least not understand why a bunch of young professionals would prefer NYC to other cities.

Obviously there are some cities that have many of the same features and also lots of BigLaw: DC, SF, Chicago specifically, but they all have their trade-offs too.

Yeah, I used to be similar in the whole "why the hell would you live in NYC when you can live in a cheaper city?!" boat. When I initially moved to NYC, I was kicking myself. Everything felt so expensive and dirty. But I've lived in New York for over a year now and honestly, I get it. It is an amazing city. It's so vibrant and bustling. The public transit is great and there's so much to do. You really feel like you are in the center of the universe. That doesn't mean it is for everyone, but there's a reason so many people love living in New York and are willing to pay its obscene prices.

On topic though: I have a friend who lives in the suburbs and likes it. Has a big house, a yard, the works. His commute door to door is about 45 minutes. It really depends on what you like in life and he is a real homebody (married and everything).

For seven years I lived there, never once thought it was an amazing city. Unless you are legitimately into the arts and theater scene and actively taking advantage of the other few things that are unique to NYC (which is way less than New Yorkers think) it’s probably not worth it. In my experience, NYC was a particular waste for biglaw associates. Most have limited free time and just end up torching a ton of money on expensive, overrated restaurants and rent. If you have tons of friends or family in the area, I get it. And I get the appeal for a young professional who genuinely likes city life too. But living in NYC is not ideal for many people, and the city is extremely overrated.

[Moneytrees]

Apropos of the reverse commuting post, starting a more generalized NYC thread.

I’ll start: I’m looking to move to the suburbs in the next few years, but worry that commuting to my FiDi firm will be challenging. I haven’t found any towns with commutes under an hour+. Am I missing something or am I right to consider a lateral to a midtown firm?

You aren’t missing anything. NYC is a nightmare commute from nice suburban areas. I do not understand why people continue to flock to NYC for biglaw. There are so many markets offering a far superior quality of life with the same or nearly the same pay. Not to mention better substantive work if you are a litigator.

Not to make this a giant argument about markets but this really isn't all that true lmao. People aren't flocking for no reason. NYC has a lot of amenities as a city, good transit, and better density than any other city in the US. Like I always see people pumping up, idk, Atlanta as a place to do BigLaw and I feel like you kind of have to be a moron to at least not understand why a bunch of young professionals would prefer NYC to other cities.

Obviously there are some cities that have many of the same features and also lots of BigLaw: DC, SF, Chicago specifically, but they all have their trade-offs too.

Yeah, I used to be similar in the whole "why the hell would you live in NYC when you can live in a cheaper city?!" boat. When I initially moved to NYC, I was kicking myself. Everything felt so expensive and dirty. But I've lived in New York for over a year now and honestly, I get it. It is an amazing city. It's so vibrant and bustling. The public transit is great and there's so much to do. You really feel like you are in the center of the universe. That doesn't mean it is for everyone, but there's a reason so many people love living in New York and are willing to pay its obscene prices.

On topic though: I have a friend who lives in the suburbs and likes it. Has a big house, a yard, the works. His commute door to door is about 45 minutes. It really depends on what you like in life and he is a real homebody (married and everything).

For seven years I lived there, never once thought it was an amazing city. Unless you are legitimately into the arts and theater scene and actively taking advantage of the other few things that are unique to NYC (which is way less than New Yorkers think) it’s probably not worth it. In my experience, NYC was a particular waste for biglaw associates. Most have limited free time and just end up torching a ton of money on expensive, overrated restaurants and rent. If you have tons of friends or family in the area, I get it. And I get the appeal for a young professional who genuinely likes city life too. But living in NYC is not ideal for many people, and the city is extremely overrated.

Just because you didn't make the most of NYC doesn't mean it is overrated. My thinking as a Biglaw associate is that whatever free time I do have, I want to spend in a meaningful way - and there are plenty of ways to do that in NYC with its wealth of cultural opportunities. So it works for me.

[Anonymous User]

From a professional standpoint, the only reasons to go to NYC are (1) to do corporate work or (2) to grab the free money available to unremarkable T14 students who want to hide at a giant firm and collect free $.

From a life standpoint, NYC is great for bon vivants. If your primary goal in life is to save money, get married, and maybe have kids? In the words of VP Harris: Do not come. Rent is too expensive, dating is too hard, there's too much to buy, and once you start thinking about where to send your kids to school -- forget about it. Living in New York also forces you to come into contact (sometimes physical) with people from all walks of life. Important to know if you react to that with bemusement, fear, disgust, delight, etc. and plan accordingly.

[Anonymous User]

I did it for a year but was sick of it after a few days. Lots of people do it, but it’s miserable. A pretty regular 9-6 day becomes 8-7 ( if public transit is actually working properly). Leaving the office 10 minutes late can add another hour to your commute home due to the infrequent public transit. It makes busy times unbearable. If you only have to go to the office 1-2 days a week it’s tolerable, but beyond that I’d highly advise against it.

[Anonymous User]

From a professional standpoint, the only reasons to go to NYC are (1) to do corporate work or (2) to grab the free money available to unremarkable T14 students who want to hide at a giant firm and collect free $.

From a life standpoint, NYC is great for bon vivants. If your primary goal in life is to save money, get married, and maybe have kids? In the words of VP Harris: Do not come. Rent is too expensive, dating is too hard, there's too much to buy, and once you start thinking about where to send your kids to school -- forget about it. Living in New York also forces you to come into contact (sometimes physical) with people from all walks of life. Important to know if you react to that with bemusement, fear, disgust, delight, etc. and plan accordingly.

Agree with all this except maybe "dating is too hard." There are tons and tons and tons of people on the dating apps to cater to every conceivable romantic and/or sexual preference, especially compared to the suburbs. If your goal is to find a spouse and get married by the time you hit 25, then yes, fewer people in New York City are into that, but other than that, the word is your oyster in the big apple.

[soft blue]

I work at a firm that's close to Grand Central and wouldn't be opposed to a ~40 minute commute, door-to-GC. (Could go a bit longer if I can get work done on the train. Senior enough that I could take calls / mark up on the iPad, if the internet works well.) Thoughts on the best choice for a home with a backyard? Seems like Metro North is TCR here - Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mt. Vernon. Long Island looks possible given East Side Access (Manhasset, Garden City seem doable.) NJ seems trickier because of the transfer situation (something tells me it takes ~10 minutes from getting off at Port Authority to the E train taking off with you inside), but maybe I'm being snobbish for no good reason.

Curious how people with this commute deal with late nights at the office, business development dinners, etc, too.

[UnfrozenCaveman]

Biz dev dinners are 150+ uber rides home submitted for reimbursement.

[Anonymous User]

If your goal is to find a spouse and get married by the time you hit 25, then yes, fewer people in New York City are into that, but other than that, the word is your oyster in the big apple.

What if we are into that? Or into getting married and then having kids right away (even if that means career sacrifices for one/both parents)? Where near/around NYC would you recommend?

[nealric]

If your goal is to find a spouse and get married by the time you hit 25, then yes, fewer people in New York City are into that, but other than that, the word is your oyster in the big apple.

What if we are into that? Or into getting married and then having kids right away (even if that means career sacrifices for one/both parents)? Where near/around NYC would you recommend?

Dallas

In seriousness, I did know some people with kids at age 25 in NYC biglaw, but they were all part of a religious community where that was common/expected and lived with those communities.