Work in downtown NYC v. Newark

I presently commute into the financial district in NYC for work. It takes me approx 1 hr 20 min door to door on NJ transit each way (when there are no delays). I am able to work from home a couple of days a week on average. I have been offered an equivalent position with my employer in Newark. I have done the math regarding taxes and other commuting costs, and for various reasons, there really are no $$ advantages to working in Newark over NYC after figuring in other costs. I would drive to the Newark office and it should take me no longer than 30 min each way to commute. I am not sure I would be able to work from home as frequently if I worked out of Newark. I would be interacting with different people in the Newark office, but the job would be basically the same. The commute into NYC is no fun, but I do enjoy the energy of NYC. My kids are college age or older so the extra "kid time" is really not an issue. Spouse thinks I should stay in the NYC office. I am conflicted. What would you do: NYC or Newark? Am I missing something that would make this a no-brainer either way?

One thing missing here is why has your employer made the offer? Seems kind of odd for an organization to give you a choice, presumably they have a preference. If you turn it down, will they be offended somehow? I'd discuss your concerns with your management and ensure that if you stay in NYC, it won't be to your disadvantage in their eyes.

I am very concerned about our commuting infrastructure. If that tunnel gives out, which it is overdue to do, a NYC commute will become much more difficult. This may be a golden opportunity to avoid future stress.

Are there networking or increased promotion opportunity advantages to one work location over the the other? Are there significant differences in work place culture in one location over the other that would make one of them a better fit for you?

How often do you find yourself staying on in NYC to see friends or catch a show? If the answer is not too often, then take the NWK offer! I made the switch myself and the decision has been life-changing. Commuting 3+ hours per day for years on end can be soul sucking. The extra time I gained has made a huge quality of life difference. I find myself doing more in the city now, since I'm not exhausted from commuting.

I would kill to be working in Newark again. I loved the commute and you can commute by train if you need to or want to (which I did). Driving is pretty painless though. Although work from home is a huge asset.

If both jobs are equal professionally speaking, I would switch to Newark in a heartbeat.

1 hour of commuting per day versus 2 hours and 40 minutes. Think of what you could do with an extra hour and 40 minutes each day.

I have always worked in Newark and like it. One thing to consider - though I'm not sure it would matter to you sicne I don't know you or your possible family situation.

When my Husband worked in NYC, NY taxed our household income - meaning mine, too, even though I worked in NJ. So I paid NJ AND NY income tax. Not knowing tax codes, would this change if you came to NJ?

I would jump at the offer to work out of Newark. you will be saving at least 2 hours a day in commuting time. That is over 500hours/year. Plus a lot fewer delays and as pointed out above, eventually there will be delays with the tunnel repairs. I had to go to downtown Newark last week and it took me 15 minutes (non-rush hour).

I agree about the energy in the city, but Newark is not exactly dead.

Sounds like the spouse wants you out of the house for that extra 1 hour and 40. Take the Newark job and take up a hobby with that extra time.

Please don't take this seriously even in the slightest way, I just couldn't resist.

But as others have pointed out, the up-coming tunnel repairs could make this a no-brainer.

Assuming most of these comments are from SOMA residents that work in either midtown or downtown, how are you coming up with these commuting times? I've worked in Times Square (with the walk or subway up from Penn) and now I'm in the Trade Center (PATH connection from NJT) and my commute, with an eight minute walk to the station is barely over an hour more than 90% of the time...

I have worked in downtown Newark a little more than nine years - north side of downtown on Broad St. across from Washington Park - and love the energy of downtown Newark. My job takes me (on foot) all over downtown Newark and there's a vibrancy I find so attractive and endearing, in large part because of the difference between Newark vibe and NYC vibe. I do enjoy NYC (I get there often during the day), so it's not anything against NYC, but Newark has it's own energy & community. I have commuted to & from Newark on Springfield Ave. buses & NJ Transit trains to Broad St. station, all without significant trouble, though now I drive. Consider me Team Newark, with an added urging to get out of the office & walk around in Newark.

cuethesun said:

Assuming most of these comments are from SOMA residents that work in either midtown or downtown, how are you coming up with these commuting times? I've worked in Times Square (with the walk or subway up from Penn) and now I'm in the Trade Center (PATH connection from NJT) and my commute, with an eight minute walk to the station is barely over an hour more than 90% of the time...

You happened to work in 2 spots that are very accessible. I currently work at 2 Broadway. Add 15-20 minutes to get from WTC to the office.

Or work on the east side - add 20 minutes or more to walk or take the shuttle across.

Also depends on the particular train you catch and what track it gets in on at Penn - just getting off the platform can take 5-10 mins on a bad platform with a 2 deck train.

Worked in Newark for 17 years, first commuting from Park Slope (1 hour door to door, to add a completely irrelevant observation). Then from SO, Millburn, and Mwood. Mostly by train, till child care hours became important and I found the trip was reliably 30 minutes max, at least 15 min less than train when we didn't live near station. I used the 25/70 bus also, a little less reliable timewise but still around 30 minutes. I worked in The Ironbound, so I would often find street parking, of course if I had extra time.

Loved working in Newark almost as much as my prior job in Lower Manhattan, but to me the City's the best place to work if you're not at the mercy of our now failing transit infrastructure. Easily most interesting place to work in NJ.

On that critical concern, Lower Manhattan has the advantage of not requiring use of the North River Tunnels. I share FilmCarp and other's concerns, and think the chance of those tunnels having to be shutdown, or the more likely scenario of Portal Bridge becoming inoperable before completion of the Gateway Project is very high. Midtown employment sadly has that ominous cloud looming.

cuethesun said:

Assuming most of these comments are from SOMA residents that work in either midtown or downtown, how are you coming up with these commuting times? I've worked in Times Square (with the walk or subway up from Penn) and now I'm in the Trade Center (PATH connection from NJT) and my commute, with an eight minute walk to the station is barely over an hour more than 90% of the time...

In the first post it was stated that the OP's commute was one hour and twenty minutes each way.

I say go for Newark. I went from NYC, office was across the street from Bryant Park to now Hoboken. Love my current commute. Like you at first I missed the energy and I felt no one dressed up as much for the office or around Hoboken streets if you get what I mean.

But the commute made a huge difference, being able to just walk onto a train and avoid the mess that is Penn or Port Authority, wow. I used Port Authority prior to moving to Maplewood. As @jeffhandy said use that time given back do to something for yourself.

The only thing I really miss, the food. Nothing beats the food options in NYC.

Lots of discussions about commuting, which I guess is the point. But seems to me that different offices within a company have different cultures. Which has the people that you would prefer working with? If you are still in a "upward" trajectory in your career, which has the best opportunities for training, visibility, mentoring. Is the Newark office equal in "stature" to the NYC office, or would this move be perceived as a step down somehow (or up)?

As your spouse is suggesting you take the longer commute, seems she might be considering something beyond commute time. Agree with those who suggest that while Newark isn't NYC in terms of energy and options for entertainment and culture, there is stuff going on.

Before making a decision...can you ask to work for a week at the Newark office? Maybe use one of those work from home days to work from the Newark office? Who knows...you may like the vibe.

What does "work from home less often" mean exactly? Does it mean yu do it 2x a week now and will have to cut it back to 1x a month in new role? if there is a dramatic difference in work-from-home ability, Id stay right where I was in NYC. The commute to anywhere is far more bearable if you know you only have to do it 2 or 3 days a week.