Best way to commute to NYC?
Beside the train, is there a better way to commute to NYC? Might wind up having to work out of Mid-town, Grand Central area.
Is the Park and Ride on Rt. 46 functional? It always looks deserted. Driving all the way in is out of the question. Any other bus, or other service?
Rick S. i like driving to the mt Arlington station and getting the bus, or driving to your favorite path station.
ken e
Don Martz out of Allamuchy is another option but expensive. Lakeland also goes to Budd Lake. But both Martz and Budd Lake are fairly limited runs just like the train.
Mt Arlington gives you choice of either train or bus.
Do a Forum search. There are many comments about all of those options.
GC I would take the train. If I'm sitting in NYC traffic, I would rather do it in my own car, not on a public bus.
I used to work right in the Metlife Bldg in midtown when I first moved to area from NYC.. Would drive to Rockaway Mall and take Lakeland straight to Port Authority. Depending on weather and time, sometimes would walk to Grand Central or take the 7th train. Normal commute would be about
2-2.5 hrs one way. This was in 1999-2000, couldn't handle commute anymore so found another job in NJ. Back then, Arlington Stop was tiny and not built up like it is now. I chose Rockaway bc it was safe, well lit and had more bus options than some of the other smaller stops. Good luck! It will be long commute no matter what options you take unfortunately.
When my husband commutes into the city, he will park in Mt.Arlington and take the Lakeland bus into Port Authority. Trains out this far aren’t as frequent or reliable. Sometimes he will drive into JC, park in a lot near Grove and take the Path to 33rd. He’s near Bryant Park.
Blackcat Martz Commuter Fares:
https://martztrailways.com/commuter-fares/
Panther Valley Mall Departures:
https://martztrailways.com/departures-from-new-jersey/
NYPA is 1st stop. Some buses then head up/down town.
djdowd2 I’m thinking that the express bus from outside Panther Valley would be the easiest.
If you could make it to Dover train station you could probably catch a midtown express.
Tough trip this far west.
Add enough zeros to my check, and I’d give it a shot.
Stymie Lakeland bus from Rockaway mall. More buses to NYC and back. If you are staying really late, you always can take bus to bus terminal in Dover and get Uber/Lyft to mall parking (very cheap). Train to Mt. Arlington is not reliable at all - during fall/winter/early spring because of the weather and many cancellations and delays during summer due to repairs. Train is more expensive than bus and parking in Mt. Arlington bus/train station is pretty limited.
Lena Is the park and ride (bus) in Lake Hiawatha still active?
Corner of S Beverwyck Road and Rt. 46.
My dad used that for years (we used to live right around the corner and he continued to catch the bus there even after moving to Budd Lake in the 80’s). Convenient right off I-80, although traffic getting there could be a pain by itself.
Might be a backup if other park and rides have full lots.
Mark Mc. This is not a question having an easy answer because there are many many variables to consider and every day will be different.
Jono Thank you ALL for such great answers. I’ve got a lot of research to do; but this information really helps!
Given Grand Central/Midtown: train first, then bus, then private chopper to East River Heli Pads...….
Train start is interesting if you want direct, need Dover I think. But depends where around here you live. Might try this to help you in your research.
https://njhotelsnearnyc.com/how-to-access-nyc-manhattan-from-new-jersey/#njtransit
strangerdanger Lakeland bus from Rockaway mall was the most efficient when I commuted. Traffic was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be and far better than mystery train delay of the day! The trains were AWFUL even over 10 years ago when I did that commute. Since then, found a job in NJ, couldn't do it any more. Good luck to you!
somechik Did that commute for 12 years. The Rockaway mall to PA was the quickest and most cost effective way to go. Trains take way too long with too many stops. Not to mention delays upon delays. Even on the best commute days it took 4 hours of my life each way. I don't miss the commute one bit. While I loved NYC, I love getting back all that time to myself more.
Did it for three of the longest years of my life. From uptown to mid town to Wall Street to the Towers. Luckily not every day and often later vs. crack if dawn.
Off days up to Hartford or Portsmouth.
Just couldn’t develop a rhythm to take advantage of the ride time.
Mostly used bus and got licky re delays. Still a long haul and have commuted 30 miles since in my 20’s. So, even so, this one really wore me down.
The 'best' way depends first on what time you're planning on entering/leaving (and arguably where in the city you're actually going), and after that on your tolerance for public transit/driving/acceptable delays etc..
brendan 
iJay I take the lakeland bus from mount Arlington to port authority. 715am bus gets to port at about 855. During the summer it gets into the port earlier. The Lincoln tunnel will be a nightmare once construction picks up, especially when they start working on the helix.
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