Princeton to NYC Commute (Newark, Hoboken: apartments, buying a house, transfer)
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I am seriously considering buying a house in Princeton as it matches all my criteria. The only thing I am concerned about is the commute to NYC. I need to be in the village 2-3 days a week. Being a single parent the commute becomes even more important for me. Can I please get some feedback from people who have commuted or commute. Thanks in advance.
The median price of a house in the "municipality of Princeton" is $1 million. There are subsidized apartments there but unless you make a very good living, housing costs in the Princeton area are steep.
Total one way commute time from downtown Princeton to NY Penn is at least 1.5 hours (assuming that you first take the "Princeton Dinky" to the Princeton Junction train station.) Delays are frequent due to ageing infrastructure. If you prefer driving to the station be aware that parking there is a nightmare. You will have to drive to the Hamilton, NJ station where there are thousands of parking spaces and where express trains to NYC stop.
Bus service from downtown Princeton to Port Authority NYC takes about 1 hour 40 minutes.
I think it would be tricky as a single parent unless you have some type of friend/family support structure out there. If you want to be home by 6p, I'm assuming you're walking out of your office at 4-4:15p. And I have no idea what the OP does for a living, but for a typical NYC office job that's a tough sell (unless you get into the office at 7a, in which case you're leaving your house at 5-5:15a). And also, if you need to commute into Greenwich Village, that adds even more complexity. Ideally, you would want to pick a train line with an express to Hoboken and then hop on the PATH which will take you right there. The Princeton line can connect to the PATH at Newark, but that line goes into WTC, not Midtown (which the Village stops are on) without a transfer.
Could make sense if the work hours are non-standard though. But I think I would struggle paying that much AND having that commute. I would optimize for either cost or commute (i.e. if I'm going to have a 1.5-2 hour commute, I would want to be paying way less than if I had a 45-minute commute).
The waiting list for parking at the Princeton Junction train station is several years long. You can also take the Dinky train from Princeton boro to Princeton Junction, and then catch NJ transit to Penn Station.
Other option is to take the Coach USA bus that stops at Palmer Square. This goes to Port Authority. Then add another 20-30 mins to get to Greenwich Village.
If only 2-3 days a week, then you could also drive via the NJ Turnpike to Secaucus Junction, and then take to Hoboken. From Hoboken you can take the PATH to either World Trade Center or into Greenwich Village.
Princeton is an amazing town, but I would never do the commute. You have to get to Princeton Junction station (in West Windsor) to get to NYC. Brutal, brutal commute given the layers of pain (Princeton to WW has a lot of traffic, then NJT to Penn St. is unreliable, then you have to do subway). I don't think someone could last 3 months doing this.
You'd be far better off driving from Cranbury to the city; Cranbury is a beautiful, small "satellite" town that shares schools with Princeton, and is located right next to the NJT. You'd be subjecting yourself to the tunnel, though.
I think it would be tricky as a single parent unless you have some type of friend/family support structure out there. If you want to be home by 6p, I'm assuming you're walking out of your office at 4-4:15p. And I have no idea what the OP does for a living, but for a typical NYC office job that's a tough sell (unless you get into the office at 7a, in which case you're leaving your house at 5-5:15a). And also, if you need to commute into Greenwich Village, that adds even more complexity. Ideally, you would want to pick a train line with an express to Hoboken and then hop on the PATH which will take you right there. The Princeton line can connect to the PATH at Newark, but that line goes into WTC, not Midtown (which the Village stops are on) without a transfer.
Could make sense if the work hours are non-standard though. But I think I would struggle paying that much AND having that commute. I would optimize for either cost or commute (i.e. if I'm going to have a 1.5-2 hour commute, I would want to be paying way less than if I had a 45-minute commute).
AND those times don't allow for train delays, weather related or whatever.....
Princeton Junction to New York Penn is about 55-60 minutes in the morning, on the express train. Add on last mile transit on both ends.
They have huge parking lots. Maybe you can drive to Princeton Junction.
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