How close is TOO close to work? Forum

[jman77]

I have a 5-10 minute walk to work. Absolutely love it and highly recommend it. Granted, I love my apartment and the area/location as well (a few hundred dollars more expensive than if I lived 20 minutes away, and quite a bit more expensive than living outside city center).

Any bit of flexibility you can get working in big law really makes the difference - at least for me. Personally, I think it would be sad if I relied on a commute to be my "me" time. Take the flexibility and use it to make your life better.

OP is choosing between a 5-minute walk and a 15-minute subway ride. The difference is pretty trivial. One option is in an apartment with no windows in an ugly building. The other is in a nicer building and in a nicer neighborhood (and presumably has windows). Assuming the extra $400 is not an issue (OP framed the question in a way that suggests it's not), the choice is pretty clear to me.

My last apartment in NYC was a 5-minute subway ride plus 7-8 minute walk to and from the office. It was still close enough for me to be able to easily go home or go back to the office whenever I forgot something or needed to go back for whatever reason.

[dixiecupdrinking]

I'm assuming this is something like living in Hells Kitchen versus the UWS. If so, then yeah take the better neighborhood. Honestly, living anywhere within a five minute walk of most midtown firms sounds like a nightmare to me, not because of the commute, but because you'll spend every waking moment in the most congested, stressful parts of NYC.

[Lesion of Doom]

I'm assuming this is something like living in Hells Kitchen versus the UWS. If so, then yeah take the better neighborhood. Honestly, living anywhere within a five minute walk of most midtown firms sounds like a nightmare to me, not because of the commute, but because you'll spend every waking moment in the most congested, stressful parts of NYC.

This is me. I'm hoping to keep the door-to-door commute at around 30 minutes, but there's no way I'll live in midtown.

[1styearlateral]

I'm assuming this is something like living in Hells Kitchen versus the UWS. If so, then yeah take the better neighborhood. Honestly, living anywhere within a five minute walk of most midtown firms sounds like a nightmare to me, not because of the commute, but because you'll spend every waking moment in the most congested, stressful parts of NYC.

Hell's Kitchen, despite its close proximity to Times Square, actually isn't that bad. Really great selection of restaurants and markets up that way, and the congestion from TS/midtown doesn't really spill over. But to echo myself and others again, 5 or 15 min. isn't really worth considering. OP: Choose the best apartment you can within 30 min. door-to-door and you are guaranteed to be happy.

[dixiecupdrinking]

I'm assuming this is something like living in Hells Kitchen versus the UWS. If so, then yeah take the better neighborhood. Honestly, living anywhere within a five minute walk of most midtown firms sounds like a nightmare to me, not because of the commute, but because you'll spend every waking moment in the most congested, stressful parts of NYC.

Hell's Kitchen, despite its close proximity to Times Square, actually isn't that bad. Really great selection of restaurants and markets up that way, and the congestion from TS/midtown doesn't really spill over. But to echo myself and others again, 5 or 15 min. isn't really worth considering. OP: Choose the best apartment you can within 30 min. door-to-door and you are guaranteed to be happy.

I agree and actually like Hell's Kitchen, but I just think living there would feel like living on a Lincoln Tunnel off ramp. I guess as you get up in the 50s that's less true.