New Rochelle or Yonkers for commute?
Hi all, joined recently so apologize if this has already been asked and answered.
I will be working at a Bank which is a 5-minute walk from Grand Central this summer and have a tricky decision to make. It's a structured lending SA position, so no crazy hours expected. I can either live at home with family (we own a house in Brooklyn), which would be a ~45 minute commute. I would have my own room, my parents refuse to charge rent, etc. However, I don't want to keep mooching off my parents, especially after all they've done for me. And at 20, I need to get used to solo living, doing my own laundry, cooking.
Alternatively, I could live on my own and fork out ~2k a month for a studio apartment or sublet in the NYC area. I would love to live somewhere downtown and have ease of commute to various events, but Manhattan is very expensive in general, so I doubt my 2k budget (over 20% of my monthly salary) would get me far. No problem sharing an apartment with someone either.
With the budgeting and independence factors in mind, I'm starting to think upstate could be my best option. I see plenty of decent apartments (within my budget) in relatively new buildings up in New Rochelle and Yonkers. Perhaps Hoboken/JC as well? I checked Google Maps this morning and it shows a similar 50-minute commute, which seems completely doable. Is anyone familiar with those areas and ease of access?
Would greatly appreciate anyone who could offer some perspective. Thanks!
New Rochelle has a Texas Roadhouse
Tons of new buildings going up in New Rochelle. Pretty easy commute. The only issue with any of this is not the work commute, but the night time/weekend commute. I don't know how active the New Rochelle or Yonkers night life is; bars may close early. The last MetroNorth train to New Rochelle certainly leaves ~1am, so it sort of feels like that's your cutoff.
As with many of these questions, it is impossible to give you an actual answer without knowing more about you and your priorities. If the question is simply "which is further?" then Google Maps is your friend. Otherwise... how do you live? Are you going out at night? Does it matter that no one is going to want to come to Yonkers to hang out with you, while they might come out to Brooklyn?
Thanks for the advice, you’re right in that it’ll be equally far and limit my night life. Definitely wanna go to bars and get closer with my team/fellow interns. I’ll probably scope around for some Manhattan sublets but will likely just stay in Brooklyn.
Upstate seems really nice at first but would probably get boring/tiring eventually especially as a SA. Plus the Metro North fare and paying 2k for a studio
Stay at home. Honestly, its not worth the effort of trying to find a summer sublet in either of those places. The commute will be abot the same all in and you will be spending above market rates for a short term place. I get the desire to live on your own, but the value you gain from that for the cost isn't worth it at all.
this is the only answer. Because nobody is going to visit you up there.
Thanks for the advice my friend, will most likely do that. It seems like all of my classmates are renting in Manhattan which made me reconsider, but 95% don’t have homes in Brooklyn so that makes sense. Plus, will be moving out in Summer 2026 for FT anyways, and I’m sure I’ll miss seeing my family every day haha. Gotta see the good in every situation
Going upstate was kind of a spontaneous idea, but I agree that it’ll be 2k to still live the same distance from the office and have even less of a night life
Amet neque laudantium ab. Ratione ducimus nihil exercitationem iste distinctio nihil et et. Maiores ut voluptatibus rerum nam porro molestiae. Similique nesciunt et eveniet harum facilis quam qui.
Eligendi hic culpa quis pariatur suscipit autem officiis. Minima illo ipsam autem voluptas voluptate aut. Quo est est cumque sunt exercitationem quae.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...