How long is your commute? - Drive or take mass transit?

I was wondering how long everyone's commute to work is. Do you drive or take mass transit?

I will be starting my first full time job out of college in June as an analyst. My commute will be about an hour of driving each way. (50 miles each way)

I feel like the commute is going to be rough especially since I will be driving.

Thanks for the input!

 
ChrisMo150:
I was wondering how long everyone's commute to work is. Do you drive or take mass transit?

I will be starting my first full time job out of college in June as an analyst. My commute will be about an hour of driving each way. (50 miles each way)

I feel like the commute is going to be rough especially since I will be driving.

Thanks for the input!

Where are you working that you can make a 50 mile commute in an hour during rush hour? I assume this has to be Houston.

8 minute walk to work for me.

"For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor, and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible."
 
NorthSider:
ChrisMo150:
I was wondering how long everyone's commute to work is. Do you drive or take mass transit?

I will be starting my first full time job out of college in June as an analyst. My commute will be about an hour of driving each way. (50 miles each way)

I feel like the commute is going to be rough especially since I will be driving.

Thanks for the input!

Where are you working that you can make a 50 mile commute in an hour during rush hour? I assume this has to be Houston.

8 minute walk to work for me.

You'd never make a 50 mile commute in an hour in Houston rush hour, especially if you're coming from The Woodlands or some other suburb on a major highway.

Rise early, work hard, strike oil.
 
ChEM3:
You'd never make a 50 mile commute in an hour in Houston rush hour, especially if you're coming from The Woodlands or some other suburb on a major highway.

No, I absolutely agree with you. One hour to go 50 miles during rush hour sounds ludicrous in any mildly urban area. I was just trying to think of where there would be finance jobs that might require a 50 mile commute.

"For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor, and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible."
 

Sorry to hear that bro. I once had a buddy working in Stamford CT while living in NYC. He said the winters were the worst when he had to wake up at 5 to clean up the snow.
Just stick it out for a couple years and either move in, or move on.

 

20-30minutes for me via bus (njtranist)

I_Feel_Capital:
Sorry to hear that bro. I once had a buddy working in Stamford CT while living in NYC. He said the winters were the worst when he had to wake up at 5 to clean up the snow.
Just stick it out for a couple years and either move in, or move on.

Friend of mine does it and says its not bad. He drives from NYC to Stamford. Granted he leaves around 5am so there isn't much traffic

Depending on what your future job is, I would definitely advise against the 50 mile commute each way. That's really going to swallow up a ton of your time and commutes like that are brutal to do every day.

"For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor, and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible."
 
I_Feel_Capital:
It's brutal, but doable. You'll get used to it after a few weeks.
But you should definitely look elsewhere after a couple of years. If anything, the gas prices will butcher your paycheck.

Doable if you're working 40-50 hours. But if you're pushing 70 (i.e. in IB), the last thing that you want to do is commit another 15+ hours a week to the car. At a junior level, I think that a commute this long is not advisable.

"For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor, and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible."
 
NorthSider:
I_Feel_Capital:
It's brutal, but doable. You'll get used to it after a few weeks.
But you should definitely look elsewhere after a couple of years. If anything, the gas prices will butcher your paycheck.

Doable if you're working 40-50 hours. But if you're pushing 70 (i.e. in IB), the last thing that you want to do is commit another 15+ hours a week to the car. At a junior level, I think that a commute this long is not advisable.

You're probably right. But it's not advisable to be working 70-100hrs per week to begin with. And if the 2+ hours of driving each day can give OP a terrific career opportunity, why not just take the hit? It all boils down to how great of an opportunity the job is, and how badly the OP wants it.

Having said that, if the position is for IBD and the average work week is 100+hours, then yeah, you're toast and should not be driving.

 

I TOTALLY agree with Northsider on this topic. There is 0 reason why anyone should commute THAT long as a junior person in finance. I'm not saying you have to go balls to the walls hard every single day at work, but if you're spending an hour plus driving to work each morning by the time you get in the office you're already damn exhausted to concentrate. Your work performance suffers, and even in a job where you don't see yourself being in for the long haul it will affect you someway, somehow.

If you bought a house and have to commute, then fine, so be it. But if you're renting you have no reason to not move. As long as you're breaking even, ie increase in rent = increase in pay + $ you're saving in gas you will be okay. If you're not going into the red, where you have to dip into your own savings to afford rent, then you should definitely move to the city.

Maybe I'm exaggerating. I live in a city where many people commute. (LA). The thing is if I could help it during my youth before I have a family I will do my damn hardest to be as close as I can.

 
Best Response
West Coast Analyst:
I TOTALLY agree with Northsider on this topic. There is 0 reason why anyone should commute THAT long as a junior person in finance. I'm not saying you have to go balls to the walls hard every single day at work, but if you're spending an hour plus driving to work each morning by the time you get in the office you're already damn exhausted to concentrate. Your work performance suffers, and even in a job where you don't see yourself being in for the long haul it will affect you someway, somehow.

If you bought a house and have to commute, then fine, so be it. But if you're renting you have no reason to not move. As long as you're breaking even, ie increase in rent = increase in pay + $ you're saving in gas you will be okay. If you're not going into the red, where you have to dip into your own savings to afford rent, then you should definitely move to the city.

Maybe I'm exaggerating. I live in a city where many people commute. (LA). The thing is if I could help it during my youth before I have a family I will do my damn hardest to be as close as I can.

Completely agree with this. Unless the OP has some compelling reason why he/she can't relocate closer to work, I would strongly, strongly advise against a 1.5hr+ commute.

"For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor, and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible."
 

OP, I can assure you that this commute will get really fuckin old really fuckin fast. I'm not too familiar with parkway traffic, but north jersey traffic in general is enough to make you want to kill yourself (I.e. 287, good god I hate that road).

I commute 65 miles each way to work, but I only work 40 hours a week usually so it's not that bad, but like I said, this will get old, fast. get a roommate and fckin move man.

 
ChrisMo150:
I was wondering how long everyone's commute to work is. Do you drive or take mass transit?

I will be starting my first full time job out of college in June as an analyst. My commute will be about an hour of driving each way. (50 miles each way)

I feel like the commute is going to be rough especially since I will be driving.

Thanks for the input!

You stated that you're driving up the GSP. Bad idea. 50 miles each way will tire the sh*t out of you really soon. Take it from someone who lived in central Jersey.

If you said that you were taking public transportation, that might be bearable.

 

OP, try and cut out the commute (i.e. move).

While I was only working an internship, this past summer I was at a boutique doing research and living in Bristol, CT (near Hartford) because it was only stipend (400/week).

I had to get up at 4.30am to get to work at 7.30am and then worked usually to about 5.30pm and would get back home around 7.30/8pm. Drive one hour (when there's no traffic at all) and then take an hour plus train ride. Honestly, feel like I could handle banking hours after that shit. Commuting drains you, esp if you are driving and have to deal with other idiot drivers on your way home. Just makes for a miserable existence.

"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."
 
ChrisMo150:
I pretty much figured it would be miserable. I'm trying to stay where I'm currently living for the first year or two so I can pay off my student loans. After I do that I will definitely be moving. I just hope it's bearable for a year or two.

I would just keep in mind that the #1 expense that people underestimate is the cost of transportation. Being closer to work is almost always cheaper than living further away, unless you're using public transit / living at home.

"For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor, and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible."
 
Ivan:
How come you guys get exhausted while driving? Due to lack of driving skills/experience (i.e., you need to concentrate more) or due to low level of comfort in the cars?

If you think "needing to concentrate more" is "driving skills/experience", then you've just explained your own skill level right there. We typically use the term "situational awareness" in place of "needing to concentrate more".

If you want a taste of "driving skills", I encourage you participate in a local AutoX or a HPDE (High Performance Driving Event). If you have the budget for places like Skip Barber or Bondurant, then by all means.

Again, I'm someone who has definitely put my time in automotive sports, commanded convoys in some shit places in the world, and drive an Audi.

Driving that much will tire you out. Fact.

 
knivek:
Again, I'm someone who has definitely put my time in automotive sports, commanded convoys in some shit places in the world, and drive an Audi.

Driving that much will tire you out. Fact.

Well, I clearly haven't put my time in autosports, so you must be much better driver without a doubt. However, the vast majority of people doesn't do autosports, either (let alone command convoys), so it's not a fair comparison to be honest.

I, for one, drive to work for several years already, and apart from heavy snowfall and sleet days, it's usually relaxing (jams notwithstanding).

 
Dying's For Fools:
I commute 50 miles round trip. It takes me 45-75 mins one way depending on the traffic. I don't like my commute at all, but the only thing that keeps me sane is that I listen to audiobooks during the drive.

And to think: the OP is talking about doubling this as an entry-level employee.

"For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor, and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible."
 

Lease just ended for my apt. Searching for new one now. Temporarily at home. 2 hrs each way 2-3 times (work from home the other days) a week. Not bad as long as I have the country music blaring and coffee.

“...all truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” - Schopenhauer
 

since i started using bicycle and not running anymore, my views changed a lot

but id say that 30 min by bicycle are very nice

no advice for those without the locker, gym and shower at workplace

(cant stand public transport, but i use it when i must)

p.s. the bicycle thing is faster than a car ride often, but like 50% slower than metro (excl. wait time)

 

For banking in NYC a 30 minute commute is a bit long. You should only do it if it saves you a significant amount of money compared to living closer to work. If you're at a legit bank you can probably take a car home every night, but the commute will still be a drag in the morning after a long night of cranking or drinking.

If you really want something cheap make sure to take the closest cheap place i.e. LIC if you're in Midtown and Fort Green etc. if you're downtown. I'm purposely ignoring Jersey.

 

Approximately 60 seconds from my front door to the front door of my office building. Best decision of my life. Eliminating your commute frees up a ton of hours in life, which makes a big difference when you work around the clock.

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 

I have about a 30-45 minute commute in NYC, depending on subway schedule / delays. Although I'm not IBD, it still does get very annoying when there are delays on the subways (which is pretty often, though they are usually fairly short delays). Try to get around 20 minutes

 
FinishAhead176:
I'm in IBD and mine is 30. About 10 of it is walking which is good because it feels nice before/after a long day

Thats basically what I am looking at... 20-25 mins public transit, 10 walking. Car ride is only 10 minutes from the office to my door though... So my cabs home shouldn't be too bad.

Im still looking around to find a good trade off for commute/price/quality though.

 

Anything 15-30 minutes is reasonable. I'd shoot to minimize it as much as possible (it is hard to get it under 15 min depending on where you live). I wouldn't recommend anything over 30 minutes as an IB analyst if you don't have a compelling reason to do so.

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 

Hey guys, I'm debating where to live in the bay area if I take my offer on an IBD coverage group - do you think 40mins door-to-door is too much? The cab ride home would be ~20mins, so not nearly as bad. I would have dirt cheap rent if I live out in the east bay with my girlfriend. And I place a lot of value on living with her haha. Thoughts?

 

Doable if you are happy to make it work....although certainly not as convenient as a nice walk or short commute, at the end of the day the difference in a morning commute between 20-25 mins and 40 mins isn't huge - if you can put up with 15 fewer mins of sleep or exercise or whatever else you'll give up and the sacrifice is worth the money you save/living with your girlfriend, it's not going to be an issue...

Source: I had a ~40 min door-to-door commute during my SA. I have a shorter commute FT, but that's not because the 40 min commute was too long.

 

i dont know but i have been interning for two years and commuting (hour and 15 mins each way) and it fucking blows. Avoid it if you can. I found that the best way to pass the time is to read the WSJ or watch movies on an Ipod.

 

1 hour door to door

------

"its the running joke now, we now have fair trade with china so they send us poisoned sea food and we send them fraudulent securities."

------ "its the running joke now, we now have fair trade with china so they send us poisoned sea food and we send them fraudulent securities."
 

i didn't notice that this was put in the ibanking bullpen section...

i'm in trading so i don't get called back to work.

i just started my first year so im living at home in staten island to get on my feet then moving into the city in september.

spending 2 hours a day commuting definitely is a pain in the ass and makes my social life more difficult but i figure i just need to tough it out through september.

F9 - Update:
EE - how exactly does that work if you are called back to work at odd hours? Do you sleep on the way home? I'm trying to imagine an associate or VP waiting on you for an hour so you can revise a pitchbook or work on a model.

------

"its the running joke now, we now have fair trade with china so they send us poisoned sea food and we send them fraudulent securities."

------ "its the running joke now, we now have fair trade with china so they send us poisoned sea food and we send them fraudulent securities."
 

30 minutes door to door. I am the closest to the office out of anyone on my desk. Im suprised at how many people come from Jersey.

"Oh - the ladies ever tell you that you look like a fucking optical illusion?"

"Oh the ladies ever tell you that you look like a fucking optical illusion" - Frank Slaughtery 25th Hour.
 

13min door to door is certainly not long. I have about the same type of walk and yeah it feels long but is so much less than if you have to take public transport. Commuting with this job really sucks

 

6 minute walk - door to door

- Capt K - "Prestige is like a powerful magnet that warps even your beliefs about what you enjoy. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, bait the hook with prestige." - Paul Graham
 

I calculated that it will take me 30 minutes door to door when I start work in a couple of weeks. Of course I am hoping that the Jubilee line will be running as smoothly as possible (Live in London).

All my co-workers live in South Kensington (S&T), so we are almost all at least 30 minutes away from work. A buddy of mine is starting at the same bank, but works in structuring, he will have to fight rush hour in the morning. It will probably take him a little more time to get trough the crowd, and change his sweaty shirt when he arrives at work.


Remember, you will always be a salesman, no matter how fancy your title is. - My ex girlfriend

 

Lazy? I don't think a dislike for commuting translates to laziness whatsoever. If I could, I would close my eyes in the morning and instantly appear in my cubicle. Same for going home at night: just close my eyes and appear in my bed in my boxers sound asleep. There's absolutely nothing lazy about a dislike for spending time moving between locations.

 

During my internship I lived kiddie corner to my office... So about a minute and a half at most... And its not laziness, just extremely convenient...

*** This was San Diego not NYC so probably a bit easier to find such a prime location

 

Im amazed at how many of you live so close to the office. I thought 30 minutes door to door was close!

8 minute walk to station

"Oh the ladies ever tell you that you look like a fucking optical illusion" - Frank Slaughtery 25th Hour.
 

yeah i know, its "kitty" corner... i admit, i fucked up royally on a message board...

**No wait, its the corner from where I watch little kids while sitting in my van :P

ideating:
Hmm... ok fine, I will "except" your answer.

(changes tissue)

I guess I'm just bored with the posts... need to stop coming here.

Okay, I deserve to be called out on that one.

I agree that the quality of posts is not what it used to be.

 

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Banking > VC > Tech PE; PM me if you would like any advice I'm happy to help
 

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