Commuting from Long Beach NY to Tarrytown NY for work, need advice HELP!
 

Hi Everyone,

I just moved from Vermont to NY for a Job, and being that i'm from a very small town i'm having some trouble figuring out commuting! ( This is an understatement!)
So I need some advice from all of you New yorkers on the best way to travel from Long beach NY to Tarrytown. I'm up for either Car or Train- honestly which ever is cheaper, just got out of grad school so the purse strings are pretty tight!
I have spoken to the place I will be starting my job and it seems that if I make my way to grand central and catch Hudson/ Harlem ( not sure yet which one i'm suppose to catch) there is a shuttle service, and I also did some research on driving ( I have a toyota corolla 2009- not too bad with gas) seems that I can get a discount with the tappen zee bridge.

I know it gonna be a tough commute either way I do it, but I still can't figure out which is the best deal? HELP! :)

Why are you moving to Long Beach?

My thought exactly. Why move to Long Island if you are working in Westchester?

To do this by public transport, you would need to take three or more trains/subways/buses and it would take at least 2.5 hours in each direction if all went well and your office and home were close to the stations.

By car, the trip takes slightly longer than an hour--- in theory. However, the route would include one major bridge (though not the Tappan Zee Bridge if the office is in Tarrytown) and some of the most congested highways in the New York metropolitan area, so I would expect the trip to take much longer every day.

Try mapping this on maps.Google.com

Move to Westchester ! Ir's great.

Definitely drive! But be prepared for heavy commuter traffic! Still, that beats public transportation

I don't understand what ellenm means when she says that you don't use the Tappan Zee Bridge if your office is in Tarrytown. Quite the contrary. The east end of the Tappan Zee Bridge is right in Tarrytown! Of course, you'd take that bridge!

PS: If you did take the train, it's the Hudson line that stops in Tarrytown.

If the OP begins on Long Island (Long Beach, NY), there's no reason to cross the Hudson to get to Tarrytown.

Long Beach is on Long Island, near JFK. This will be a horrible 1 - 1.5 hr commute each way every day. You won't cross the Hudson River hence no TZB.

If you can't afford to live in westchester consider Rockland co, across the TZB

Train is not a realistic option - would take forever. Be car you MIGHT get lucky and do it in 1.5 hours each way but think about 2 hours is more likely.

Agree that Long Beach is a dreadful place to live to work in Tarrytown. Are you stuck there? You should really live in Westchester - and have a commute of perhaps 30 minutes - or 45 depending on where you live and traffic specific days.

And you really need to get a high quality map of the NY metro area, since you will need to learn a bunch of different short-cuts to avoid the worst back-ups on any specific day. And you do NOT cross the Tappan Zee - that goes from Tarrytown to upstate NY. You would take eithr the Throgs Neck or White Stone from LI to the Bronx.

And you haven't even factored in weather - snow, rain etc!

There are several small communities near Tarrytown that would be less expensive to find a place to live. I wouldn't go across to Rockland county though - crossing that bridge will get old fast.

Look north of Tarrytown: Croton on Hudson, Ossining, Peekskill for started.

Or west: Pleasantville, Thornwood, Millwood.

You cannot live there and work in Tarrytown. You'd either quit the job after a week or jump off a bridge, Throgs Neck or Whitestone, while cursing yourself. If you want beach, look at New Rochelle or Rye in Westchester.

If you have free rent in Long beach, get a car and drive. Otherwise, find a better location to live. Both Long Beach and Tarrytown are bedroom communities to NYC. The train connections to both are to/from Manhattan...not to each other.

Hi everyone, So the reason I have to live in long beach is because that was one of the few places with affordable rent that we found ( we had a hard time finding a place to live)and I had already agreed to live there by the time I got the job, and its a one year lease. I see some of you keep mentioning that you don't have to take the TZB, but according to what I see on Google maps that's not possible, would someone please explain? am I missing something?
Thanks!

Ooops, sorry, ellenem, I missed the "NY" after the OP's mention of Long Beach and I was thinking of Long Beach, NJ.

Here's why you don't take the Tappan Zee Brigde

Tarrytown is East of the Hudson River
Long Beach is East of the Hudson River
The Tappan Zee bridge crosses the Hudson River.

If you post a link with the google map directions you pulled up we can take a look

Is your new job really in Tarrytown or another town nearby that is actually across the river?

You have tagged this post as New York - so everyone assumed you were living in Long Beach New York.

I didn;t even know there was a Long Beach in NJ.

Have not clue where it is - except on the water - and to get to Tarrytown you would have to drive across the Hudson either on the GWB or the Tapan Zee.

Suggest you repost and mention getting from Long Beach NEW JERSEY to Tarrytown and perhaps someone that knows the area will respond.

IF you are talking about Long Beach, New Jersey that's an even worse commute to Tarrytown 9then from Long Beach, NY) and almost impossible to do by public transportation.

Long Beach, NJ is on the Jersey Shore and some 132 miles from Tarrytown, NY you are talking about a minimum of 2.5 hours of drive time EACH WAY during non-rush hours and probably close 3 to 3.5 hours in rush hour traffic.


To to this by public transportation would require taking a train from somewhere near Long Beach to Newark, NJ then the PATH train or bus to NYC then one of the trains going north from either Penn Station or Grand Central(to Tarrytown - it would be a real bear of a commute (worse than driving), assuming the train schedules actually meshed, which they probably wouldn't.

DO WHAT EVER IS NECESSARY TO GET OUT OF YOUR LEASE and find something in Westchester County or Rockland, County.

I don't know what you can afford for rent but there are plenty of places nearer to Tarrytown that should be in your price range.

YOU ARE MAKING A VERY BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!!

I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH!!!!!!!!

The title says Long Beach NY, not NJ. Howard is the one mentioning NJ; not OP.

Long Beach NJ, is on the jersey shore, I think. If that is what's being discussed, that drive is close to 2 1/2 hours.

Perhaps the OP is using Nj for mapquest driving directions, which would use TZB??

Regardless, living in either Long Beach, NY or Long Beach, NJ and commuting to Tarrytown is not a wise idea. It's going to be a horrible commute. But it seems OP has already moved into his place in Long Beach (assuming NY) and has a year's lease. It's not only gong to be a LONG COMMUTE but OP will have a LONG YEAR.

Best way to commute will be to drive (use Mapquest or Google Maps to figure out best routing as well as alternates in case of the inevitable traffic jams). Taking the train will add hours to OP's commute and that's assuming the train schedules from Long Beach into Grand Central station as such that OP doesn't have too much of a wait until the next train leaves for Tarrytown.

I don't envy OP one bit. He/she should immediately begin a dialogue with his landlord to see if there's some way he can get out of the lease (without paying too much of an early termination penalty). If that can be arranged OP should spend whatever spare time he/she has left to find "affordable" places nearer to Tarrytown. Even if Op has to pay some type of penalty to cancel the lease it may be worth it in the long run.

OP hasn't said what he/she deems as "affordable rent" but there has to be housing somewhere closer to Tarrytown that meets OP's definition of affordable.

No, this is Long Beach, NY. That part is clear. And it's a monster commute, but people do worse every day. I think you have to count on about 90 minutes each way (at least). Sadly, this is going to be a horrible trip to take every day.

Ok, here's where I think the confusion is. The OP will be driving TOWARD the Tappan Zee Bridge but will not cross it. Instead, he/she will get off the highway immediately before going onto the bridge by going into Tarrytown.

You do have to cross a toll bridge, however. You're going to have to choose between the Whitestone and the Throg's Neck Bridge. If you have an EZ Pass (which you must have), then the bridge toll is $5.33 each way. I think you can avoid other tolls by sticking to the parkways.

And I think it would be possible to do this commute by train in double the time. It's an hour to Penn Station give or take from Long Beach. You have to change train stations. Then you take a different train line from Grand Central to Tarrytown, another 40 to 50 minute trip. So with the change of stations, I'd estimate 2-1/2 hours. But that could cost about twice the price of commuting by car.

it would be almost better to commute from Vermont each day !!

I don't know what you have to do to get out of your lease, but do it. For housing look at Beacon or Newburgh, NY areas.
Far closer to Tarrytown than Long Beach.

As everyone keeps saying you do NOT have to cross the Tappan Zee. You are coming from Long Island - south east of Tarrytown - and Tarrytown is on the east side of the Hudson. You do NOT have to cross the Hudson. PLEASE get a decent map.

But agree this trip will be horrendous - fighting heavy traffic most of the way. Don;t know what it will cost to get out of the lease - but even if you add up what you will pay in tolls to cross into the Bronx for a year it will be more than $5,000. Better to pay now to get out of the lease and find someplace a lot closer - and not have to pay bridge tolls.

You'll need to test it out in real time and choose the lesser of two evils, especially if money is the deciding factor and not time or comfort.

Using mass transit - You would probably need monthly passes for Metro North and LIRR which would run you about $500 total/month. (with the assumption you're walking from Penn to GCT, otherwise also budget for subway fare) Is the shuttle service from the station a complimentary service offered by your employer? Is there a strict schedule or on an on call/as needed basis?

If driving you'll have to see what route works financially and how your car does on gas. Don't forget the wear and tear on your car after this daily commute.

Congrats on the new job. Condolences on the commute.

I am looking from afar and have never driven in that area . . . but reading through all of this My first step would be to check the cost of breaking your lease. It is possible a year of horrendous commute would cost you more than breaking the lease and moving. And if not in $$$ then in sanity.

janisj, it's roughly equivalent to driving from the far end of SF to Pleasanton...

If you can't break your lease so easy, have a party every night with circus people. Ask him if there are any local laws that prohibit making Sarin. Your landlord will be thrilled to break the lease.

Not sure of cost of breaking the lease but if the apt is so inexpensive the landlord should have no trouble rerenting it - and will probably take 3 months rent or so to let you out.

This commute will mean you have to leave home by 7 am and probably not get back until 7 or 7:30 pm - IF this is a 9 to 5 job. And how long will it take on the days with snow or sleet or ice or heavy rain or construction or an accident? This is not Vermont. You are in the middle of a Metro area with more than 20 million people and there is a LOT of traffic - everywhere, in every direction, at all times except the middle of the night.

Really reconsider where you will be living.

Hopstop shows a travel time by public transit of 2:21 minutes starting at 7 am - but that doesn't include getting from your apt to the subway station and from Tarrytown station to you office - so figure 2:40 each way withuot any delays. So - leaving home at 6:15 am and returning about 8 pm.

The show taxi - so similar to car - as 2:14. If you know short cuts you can probably do better. But with any problems can be longer.

Do look at hopstop.com. And check google directions to see the route.