Wine4Life

Hey All-

Possibility that I may apply for employment a company in Norwalk but I'm planning to move to NYC next month. What's the Metro North ride like - how long; and what stop do you get off at for Norwalk? I tried looking up the schedule but there's no stop directly in Norwalk.

Just trying to figure out in my head if this is worth pursuing.

Thanks!

nyer

Wine4Life, there are a couple of Norwalk stations as there are different parts of Norwalk. The Metro North New Haven line has stops in South Norwalk and East Norwalk. It's about 50 minutes from Grand Central to South Norwalk station which is walkable to SoNo (a downtownish area, but not "downtown" Norwalk)
If you are going to downtown or suburban areas I guess you'd need to get a connecting bus.

Ryan

Well, I know Norwalk is near Westport and Westport is a commuter town into NY. I took a quick look at the map, there is a Metro North stop in East Norwalk and one in Westport. I believe from Manhattan it would be on the New Haven line.

There is a very large reverse commute from NYC into Greenwich and Stamford. Numerous hedge funds are in that area as is UBS, which has a very large office in Stamford.

There are some beautiful towns in that area. Westport and Greenwich, for example. They are very pricey. But, for a rental, probaly not a whole lot different than NYC.

Wine4Life

Well my thanks to you both for your quick responses! I guess this may be somewhat realistic - just seeing if it was worth further investigation. Much obliged. Happy Valentine's Day!

Abby43

Depending on your age, financial situation, etc. you could live in Stamford which is very popular and drive a reverse commute to Norwalk. Depending on where this job is located you would either get off at East or South Norwalk. The ride is really not bad at all. If you wanted to live in NYC and reverse commute, I highly recommend that you live near Grand Central Station. My brother reverse commuted to Stamford and lived 5 blocks from GNC, so his overall commute time was about an hour door to door. Westport is GREAT but a lot of families and not a big younger population. Greenwich has a great Main Street with heaps of shops, restaurants, bars, but yes, both towns will be expensive to live in but probably a little less than NYC.

lisettemac

If I were young and single and planning to work in Norwalk, I'd consider living in the following:

the city (although the commute will wear on you, especially if you don't live near Grand Central as someone suggested);

Norwalk (parts of Norwalk are "sketchy" so buyer beware); or

Stamford. Stamford is developing some very nice looking upscale apartments and condos. The restaurant/bar scene is picking up. There are some arts offerings. I work there, but it's looking more and more like a nice place to live. Greenwich, the next town over, offers plenty of upscale restaurants/shopping/spas, so that's available too.

lisettemac

Oh yeah, and the other benefit to living in Stamford is that it's a quick express train ride into the city whenever you want to go out there.

Wine4Life

Thanks Abby. I wouldn't want to live in CT - I'm coming out of the suburbs already as it is and am itching to move to the city. I've heard of some doing the reverse commute to CT and would consider it for myself if the ride was no more than an hour. Thanks!

Wine4Life

Thanks, Lisette, much appreciated

Abby43

No worries! I did the reverse commute from NYC to New Canaan for four years. It was tough but worth it to live in the city. Plus my family is still out in the area so if the weather got bad or I was tired I could just sleep there. Good luck with the job hunt.

nytraveler

I think your issue is how long it will take you to get to Grand Central - not from there to Norwalk. You need to allow for subway time, time to make your way through Grand Central - 10 minutes unless you run - and a small cushion - since trains only run about every 30 minutes. Also, be aware that the MetroNorth trains often run about 5 minutes late.

I live on the upper west side and used to have to train to Mamaroneck (closer then Norwalk only about 35 minutes). The total trip time was about 1.5 hours in each direction (5 minute walk to subway, 5 minute wait for train, 10 minutes train to Times Square, 5 minute to walk to shuttle, 5 minutes to take shuttle, 10 minutes to get from shuttle to train and 35 minutes Grand Central to Mamaroneck and 10 minutes from train station to office.

So - to Norwalk I would figure about 2 hours each way by train. Frankly, it would make more sense either to buy a car (I did after 2 months of that trek, then the trip was 35 minutes versus an hour and a half) or live in the northern suburbs rather than Manhattan.

Wine4Life

Good points, NYTraveler. I wouldn't do it by train unless I ended up somewhere by Grand Central. I commute from the burbs fairly regularly using a train now (LIRR) so I know what you mean about allowing enough time to get "in and around" the stations. Your input is most appreciated.

nytraveler

Grand Central isn't exactly a residential area. If you go all the way east there are some residential buildings - but most are distinctly either of the uber rent type or are condos - or those older buildings that have a vacancy only when a tenant dies.

ellenem

You could also live on the upper Upper East side and get of the same Norwalk-bound train at 125th St.

Wine4Life

That's great - I guess just take the 6 and transfer at 125th?

ellenem

Transfer from subway (4, 5, or 6) which is underground at 125th to MetroNorth New Haven line, which is elevated at 125th. Of course you might walk here if you lived close enough.

Abby43

Ellenm's idea is also great. My brother lived in a great 1 BR on 36th between Lex and Park and it was very residential. It was expensive but a gorgeous apartment and an excellent deal in a 4 story brownstone. That area is very nice. At Park and 33rd is a huge highrise that his friends lived in, and this is when they were in their late 20s so things are somewhat affordable!

maz79

I just started a job doing the reverse commute from Grand Central to Stamford. The only advice I would give is to take the commute a few times to see how it is first. I live downtown (near the 4,5,6 route), and my commutes are about an hour and forty-five minutes each way. That's a lot of commuting and it's not fun waking up at 6am so I can be in the office by 8:30. An additional drawback is that you leave and get back home before/after normal business hours, so simple things like dry-cleaning and other errands can become a scheduling challenge (or just things to leave until the weekend). On the other hand you'll have some time to catch up on reading!

If you take the "right" trains in the morning you can figure out which ones are less crowded than others. Generally the ones going all the way to New Haven are packed full, but the locals/limited expresses are much better. The worst part of my commute is actually the subway ride back from Grand Central during rush hour- but that's something I'd presumably be doing in the city regardless of working in Stamford or not.

If you want to be in the city though, I'd say it's just about worthwhile. I'm sort of a city person myself, and for me the commute about evens out with the benefit of living in the city. I'm lucky because I live on the 4,5,6 line though, I think if I had to add a subway change to my commute that would tip the scales enough for me to want to relocate.

maz79

Oh, and I definitely second nytraveler's comments about calculating commute time. I had a lot of people say "oh, I heard the commute time is 45 mins, that's not bad,"... well, yes, if you get the express, the actual train time is 45 mins, but you need to factor in subway time, walking time, station time, etc, and it does indeed come out to more.

csabia

You might consider living in Sono. It doesn't have a suburban feel and it would reduce your commute. You can still spend lots of time in NYC on the weekends or even in the evenings, but you would be in better control of your time if you didn't commit to a commute. I commute from Greenwich to Tribeca and it's about 1 1/2 hours door to door each way. Relatively plesant, but an expensive trip.