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Looking for someone who organizes their day around this. I just finished OCI. I'm considering living about an hour and ten minutes from Grand Central on the Metro North and want to know other people's experiences with similar commutes as a BigLaw associate.

Is it feasible to bill hours/work on the train consistently? How does it effect work/life balance? Any technical tips for getting consistent internet access/phone service on the train? Is it a grind?

Much appreciated in advance.

It's a grind and not worth it, though I'm assuming you're doing this because you have kids? Biglaw is unpredictable and as a junior associate you're expected to be around and available. This becomes more feasible when you're more senior and can work on your own schedule.

If you can work well with background noise and/or other disturbances, you should be fine. If not, working on the train will only be feasible during peak hours since the train operates a quiet car and the other cars are also generally quiet. Off-peak late nights (even work week late nights), passengers take to listening to music quite loudly, sometimes without headphones. It's clearly a pet peeve of mine. Once, a guy sitting directly behind me got arrested for trying to rob an off-duty cop. Then again, you can probably get a car service for these hours.

Before law school, I used to commute 2 hours each way on Metro North & subway from the suburbs to lower Manhattan. Even with a normal 9-5 job with a consistent schedule, it was hell. I can't imagine doing it with the unpredictability of a junior associate's schedule. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Coprolalia wrote:Looking for someone who organizes their day around this. I just finished OCI. I'm considering living about an hour and ten minutes from Grand Central on the Metro North and want to know other people's experiences with similar commutes as a BigLaw associate.

Is it feasible to bill hours/work on the train consistently? How does it effect work/life balance? Any technical tips for getting consistent internet access/phone service on the train? Is it a grind?

Much appreciated in advance.

I don't live off the MNR but have spent my fair share of time riding it. I assume you're talking about like, Katonah or Westport or something. This sounds really unpleasant. An hour and ten minutes on the train is probably going to be more like two hours door to door, by the time you drive to the station, park, wait for the train, and then get to your office on the other end. On an ordinary (non-crazy) day you're very likely to be leaving home at 7:30 and getting home at 9 or so. On a semi-busy day, you'll be home at 11, 11:30. For the really crazy days... I'd budget for a hotel room once or twice a month.

There's no wifi on the train, which will seriously limit what kinds of work you can get done on the train. As a junior, you will also be expected to be available on short notice in the evenings. "Sorry but I have to catch the 6:05 train" is not going to make you a lot of friends.

I think the suburbs are doable but no way would I go that far out. Maybe your personal circumstances require it (like if you have three school-age kids or something), in which case, best of luck, but if at all possible I'd try to make something work in the city or in a more convenient suburb.

I used to work a 55 hour/week job in NY with a 1 hour train ride and about 2 hours door to door. My whole life Monday through Friday was basically working, commuting, and sleeping. Don't do this for big law. If you ever hit a rough patch at work, you will be much more likely to fall off the rails very quickly because you won't have any time to enjoy anything else.

That's kind of what I expected. You all have shattered my wife's dream of having a yard for the next few years, but it sounds like that's for the best. We'll look for a co-op closer in and start researching private pre-schools. Thanks.

What about the express stops from further south in Westchester? Assuming an office in midtown east.

Coprolalia wrote:That's kind of what I expected. You all have shattered my wife's dream of having a yard for the next few years, but it sounds like that's for the best. We'll look for a co-op closer in and start researching private pre-schools. Thanks.

I think a better dream for your wife is to actually see your face before she goes to bed.

UnfrozenCaveman wrote:What about the express stops from further south in Westchester? Assuming an office in midtown east.

The NY stops on the New Haven line (Pelham, New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Harrison, Rye, & Port Chester) are all probably doable. The Harlem line south of White Plains (White Plains, Hartsdale, Scarsdale, Crestwood, Tuckahoe, Bronxville, & Fleetwood) would also probably be okay. Those should all be about 45 minutes or less from Grand Central.

EDIT: I've never taken the Hudson line, but I imagine south of about Irvington (Irvington, Ardsley-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Greystone, Glenwood, & Yonkers) would probably also be about 45 minutes or less.

I'd say anything on MNR is tough for an office located anywhere when you're a junior associate. What kills you isn't the commute in, it's the long commute home in a car after a late night, when those extra 20 min of sleep are so precious.

As a senior associate or partner, sure, Westchester or Fairfield Co. is doable, especially if you're in Midtown East. But I would be VERY leery of it as a junior. Hell, I lived way uptown in Manhattan as a junior and it had distinct disadvantages. I can't imagine living in Broxville or Rye Brook or something like that, to say nothing of further out.

Two comments:

1. You don't need to go 70 minutes out of the city to have a yard.
2. Might want to look outside NYC ASAP.

I know a partner who always does work on the train. I don't know if he bills for the full ride given no one can be as efficient on a train, but it isn't impossible to bill on a railroad. There are also many associates who live in the suburbs, and are successful.

Anonymous User wrote:I know a partner who always does work on the train. I don't know if he bills for the full ride given no one can be as efficient on a train, but it isn't impossible to bill on a railroad. There are also many associates who live in the suburbs, and are successful.

Associate in suburb is possible, junior associate is entirely different can of worms.

Thanks for the thoughts, all. Good things to think about.

If midtown look at like Forest Hills or something, if downtown, Park Slope or if you really need a yard, a little deeper into BK

Update for those interested in the topic of where to live for junior associates with a family.

Narrowing in on renting in Sunnyside, Queens for a few years.

15 minutes to GCS on 7 train. Mostly working/middle class immigrant neighborhood, doesn't seem at all dangerous. Fewer young professionals, low cost of living (3K for a three bedroom in the largest apartment complex in the area). Area seems really good for families. Public schools are rated well. The kids will go to school with kids from 50 other countries, which I consider a benefit. Really good take out options for a lot less than Manhattan.

it depends where your firm is.
i did an internship at a brokerage firm at 42nd/5th for a summer and did a 50 min train. since i could walk from GC it's no big deal. if you're on wall street, forget about it though. I wouldn't live any further than south norwalk though. And forget about towns that don't have direct access (i.e. New Canaan). Stamford probably makes the most sense from a commute/access to water/tax & cost perspective. greenwich could work too.

or you can even stay in NY and do scarsdale, larchmont, rye, mamaroneck or similar. but then you're paying NY tax. not NYC tax at least.

I never understood people who'd rather live in fucking park slope than a real town like larchmont. you can join the yacht club, go golfing, etc., send kids to school, and setup shop to live a normal and happy life in larchmont. park slope is just tredding water till you can move to MFH and then eventually have to move to larchmont to raise your family.

Coprolalia wrote:Update for those interested in the topic of where to live for junior associates with a family.

Narrowing in on renting in Sunnyside, Queens for a few years.

15 minutes to GCS on 7 train. Mostly working/middle class immigrant neighborhood, doesn't seem at all dangerous. Fewer young professionals, low cost of living (3K for a three bedroom in the largest apartment complex in the area). Area seems really good for families. Public schools are rated well. The kids will go to school with kids from 50 other countries, which I consider a benefit. Really good take out options for a lot less than Manhattan.

Sunnyside is great.

lacrossebrother wrote:I never understood people who'd rather live in fucking park slope than a real town like larchmont. you can join the yacht club, go golfing, etc., send kids to school, and setup shop to live a normal and happy life in larchmont. park slope is just tredding water till you can move to MFH and then eventually have to move to larchmont to raise your family.

Because people prefer to be in the city.

dixiecupdrinking wrote:

Coprolalia wrote:Update for those interested in the topic of where to live for junior associates with a family.

Narrowing in on renting in Sunnyside, Queens for a few years.

15 minutes to GCS on 7 train. Mostly working/middle class immigrant neighborhood, doesn't seem at all dangerous. Fewer young professionals, low cost of living (3K for a three bedroom in the largest apartment complex in the area). Area seems really good for families. Public schools are rated well. The kids will go to school with kids from 50 other countries, which I consider a benefit. Really good take out options for a lot less than Manhattan.

Sunnyside is great.

Only in NY could spending $36k/year to rent be considered a low COL.

n1o2c3a4c5h6e7t wrote:

dixiecupdrinking wrote:

Coprolalia wrote:Update for those interested in the topic of where to live for junior associates with a family.

Narrowing in on renting in Sunnyside, Queens for a few years.

15 minutes to GCS on 7 train. Mostly working/middle class immigrant neighborhood, doesn't seem at all dangerous. Fewer young professionals, low cost of living (3K for a three bedroom in the largest apartment complex in the area). Area seems really good for families. Public schools are rated well. The kids will go to school with kids from 50 other countries, which I consider a benefit. Really good take out options for a lot less than Manhattan.

Sunnyside is great.

Only in NY could spending $36k/year to rent be considered a low COL.

Excellent point. It isn't stressed often enough that NYC is expensive.