dasheem1960

Hi everyone, my familly and I just purchased a house in Pocono Summit in the Mount Pocono area, we will be moving in the 2nd week of June and my husband will be commuting to work in Queens NY, untill he gets a transfer from Verizon Comm. if anyone has any info on transportation. we dont know much on this area and could really used the help.. thanks in advance...Angie

basingstoke2

Mount Pocono PA I presume. If he drives, it will be more than 100 miles each way, much in heavy traffic near and in the city and some pretty hefty tolls crossing the river. I am not aware of public transportation or a drive ride combo that would take under 3 hours. Anyone out there with some ideas?

lisa567

As far as I know there are bus lines to make this commute, at least to Manhattan. This is not uncommon at all, although it makes for a long day.

nytraveler

Driving is really the only option - and it will be horrendous.

There are commuter buses into Manhattan - and then he would have to find his way from Port Authortity to Queens via subway and/or city bus or commuter bus. But going in and out of Manhattan will add a lot of time to the trip.

Also - where in Queens will he be working? Does it have direct subway access (most areas don;t - and require you do a bus after the subway).

If you drive you can skip Manhattan (except for a small transverse from the GWB across to the Bronx.

But - it does really depend on where in Queens he will be - southwetern might have completely different options from eastern Queens.

In any case - it will be hours each way.

(I knew someone who lived in the Poconos and the commute to Manhattan was 2 hours each way - to Queens will be at least 30 minutes more - possibly an hour.)

A_Traveller

Like others who have responded to your post I am afraid your husband is in for a very long commute. At over 100 miles it will take at least 2 hours each way driving during non-rush hour and you can probably add at least another 45 to 60 minutes each way for "normal rush hour traffic" and that assumes there are no major accidents or road construction delays (which happen often).

Your husband may may want to rent a small place closer to his workplace in Queens where he can stay during the week until his transfer comes through otherwise he is going to spend as much time commuting as he does at the office.

I commuted from Northern NJ into NYC for over 20 years (took 1 3/4 hours each way) and it took a toll on me. I can't imagine anyone spending 6+ hours each day going back and forth to work. Please think this move through very carefully - the commute is going to be a real "bear" no matter which route you take.

karameli

Wow. That's quite the commute he's signed on for.

I think your best bet is to stick to public transportation, at least the closer you get to Manhattan. That last 10 miles from Route 80 in NJ to Queens could easily chew up an hour in a car. In theory, it's a two-hour drive, but in rush hour, it's hell on earth.

One option, if he doesn't want to do the driving, would be a combo of driving and riding:
- Drive an hour to Dover, NJ and catch the NJ Transit train to New York Penn Station (njtransit.com). The train ride is an hour and 20 minutes.
- Take the subway to Queens.

Still, he'd be looking at 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Does he have flexible hours at work? If he could work, say, 7:00-3:00, he may be able to cover the 100 miles in two hours.

nytraveler

The key issue is where he will work in Queens. Does it have direct subway access? Or will he have to take the subway and then a bus (which could easily take an hour even after he gets into Manhattan).

That's why for many parts of Queens car would be faster (although you're fighting the traffic the whole time - versus sleeping on the bus or train).