What kind of life is that? Hoping you get another job soon and closer to home! Is it worth travelling 1.5/2 hours to University everyday or would it be better to live in halls. Good Luck! I have commuted about 40 min each way of straight highway driving in the reverse commute and it was just fine, almost relaxing. But what counts as the Bay Area is also constantly expanding to include farther flung cities in the Central Valley, North Bay, and South Bay. I lived in the Seattle area a couple years where I rented and had a 45-1hr commute. For context, Im in the DC area and my commute door to door is roughly an hour on mass transit. I love driving but I hate commuting. You must love those llamas. Joke was that it would take 45 minutes to get anywhere. That was enough for us. I work in Costa Mesa and it takes me an hour (16 miles away). I can get through two books a week and draft two articles if I. Weve considered moving closer. If no seat, I switch to the express train and get to work roughly on time. Was just going to post a question about ways to make the commute bearable. OP, when you lived in NY, there was a reason that you had a job in Soho and not in the Upper Bronx. Which went on for well over a year on the stretch of road I was commuting on? Google maps will give you a range for your route at different times of the day. Those hours add up, and a few extra dollars isnt always worth a longer commute. I also have trouble waking up in the mornings and have a pretty bad sense of how long certain things (showering, making coffee) will take me, so Im not cut out for getting up earlier to avoid traffic. When I first started applying to jobs in LA from NYC, I applied to a job in Orange County even though my intention was to live with my best friend in Koreatown. A minor accident can shut everything down and double commute times. For a city, 30 miles seems like a lot! For many folks this probably would not work, but it seems to the best fit for his family. Meaning that a small problem of some kind can bump travel time way, way up and you never know. 30 minutes to an hour is probably normal range for cities with bad commutes. After work hours? Theres the official Commuter Express routes run by LADOT, but many of the far-flung suburbs have a special express bus service to get people to LA (Foothill Transit comes to mind). Only you know what you are able to deal with, and its ok if you dont want to do it. I would look for another job, OPjust because a lot of people are willing to accept it doesnt mean its right for you. I see my kids plenty despite my commute; I definitely see my kids awake more than my husband does because he ends up working later hours that have nothing to do with his 20 minute commute. Everyone highway has traffic other cars being on the road doesnt mean everyone has to drive slowly. We looked at rent in the bay area (my wife was thinking about applying for some companies there) and noped out. I got you beat. I would also make the argument that the significant amount of truck traffic driven from the port adds a considerable amount they have to go slower in traffic since it takes them longer to stop. I like you, I thought my commute would not be too bad (give or take 20 to 30 mins every day). What was the most outrageously unwarranted bollocking you After the Hy-un-dai, sorry I mean, Hyun-dai, fiasco, what Press J to jump to the feed. HOUSTON (AP) A former suburban Houston police officer was set to be executed Tuesday for hiring two people to kill his estranged wife nearly 30 years ago. The later I leave, the longer I usually have to sit around waiting for the bus, which adds to the total time. Often surface streets can take less time during rush hour (or feel like it because you are moving), you just need to figure out which ones work for you. I did Kingston to Oxford Street, and that was 1.5 hours. I think thats what trapped me into taking the job. The challenge is to find something that will be better for him but also public-transitable for me. (I mean, you can also take the Sepulveda pass but nobody does). No commute is worth it, especially by car http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/10/06/the-true-cost-of-commuting/. I lived in LA for almost 30 years, grew up there, learned to drive there. Local transit (MUNI) is less reliable/more variable (although I loved being able to take AC Transits transbay busedbest commute, ever). I do not feel safe taking Blue Line and neither does my husband who is a 6 ft big dude. Definitely not normal here! The best commute I had was at my previous job, when I could go from desk to front door in 45 minutes practically unheard of here! Now we live in a different state where distance is measured in minutes, and all our colleagues are amazed we would agree to a 45 minute commute. I can also catch-up on personal things. I think if I were able to do public transportation, a longer commute would be more tolerable, but obviously not ideal. When I got my first real job, I was still living with my parents and commuting in, and my commute was about 2 hours. Seattle traffic is getting so bad, Tacoma to Seattle can be easily 2+ hours, both ways. Thats probably a personal preference thing. If it snows, anywhere from 1-3 hours. Any reason. So NYC has that fun going for it. That's train, tube, walk and drive to the station. Spoken as an Angelino with a 1 hr public transit commute. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I highly recommend that before accepting an offer you drive the commute during rush hour. You also have a long day, on top of the commute. 4 years in Boston has only added ~3,000 miles (and >half of that is road trips), but the car is getting much more wear. Thoroughly agreed. But once I had to move out of the city (and out of King County entirely) to find affordable housing, my commute shot up to about 90 minutes on a good day, 2+ hours if there was weather or any accidents. It is the traffic when driving that makes it stressful. It really helped me rule out some areas that were lovely and that I had enjoyed visiting on weekends but were misery to get to after work. All our commute stories dont help you much. Traffic during the commute varies widely depending on time. This is so bad for the environment it makes me want to cry. Some days when Im apartment hunting, Ill see listings like $1300/mo for a 500 sq ft studio apartment above a garage, no stove and its really demoralizing. I would live here over LA any day of the week. While I was doing this, there were some people from National Office (DC area), whose commutes were up to 2 1/2 hours (ugh! It is GLORIOUS. I know most people would love that, but living that close to work would stress me out (not being able to disconnect, running into people after hours, etc.). God, I miss LB. Oh, missed the only twice a week bit. We live in a not-overly-big Midwestern city, but unfortunately the placement of the home we own and his workplace means he has a fairly miserable drive. For reference that will easily take you from Tucson to Phoenix. I drove 26 miles to my last job, and it took me roughly 35 minutes both ways. The average commute in the U.S. is 26 minutes, according to Census data. Her fiance had a 10-minute one because he taught at the neighborhood school. I have a 10-15 min drive to/from work. That's why our strongest recommendation is to make the time to commute, even when you are working at home. Im excited to see what everyone thinks and shares. I dont even care if its normal or not for the area, it feels awfully stressful and unhealthy. Lately, Ive started bringing my laptop and working, so perhaps Ill start leaving earlier and spending less time at the office. It usually takes 45 minutes each way with me coming in and leaving early. But that assumes (1) each of these people are physically capable of biking long distances (personally I look healthy but my body is terrible and I couldnt) and (2) there are actually useable bike routes along the way. I paid out the nose for it in rent, but it was worth it. Plus, its Florida and OP is in southern California, so I doubt that we could survive the heat (not to mention the frequent summer rainstorms here in the summer). (The other big difference is that NYC is built on ground well suited to subways, where LA is built on geologically unstable, wet sand. ! I did not own my part in natural selection. Ive been doing an hour-ish each way for a few years now and am so happy to be moving to an area of town where I can take the train, 40 min door to door. DH and I also get dinner every night together, Im able to workout more and so is DH (since Im home earlier and can keep Tiny Human alive so he can go to the gym). What works for one person doesnt always work for another, so its important to figure out what works best for your sanity! My biggest concern with many miles is what happens when your car is in the shop. The alarm clock flashes 4:30 a.m. Danny Finlay drags himself out of bed and mentally . People texting, tinted rear windows, vigilantes who try to control the flow of traffic by driving slow in the fast lane, illegals aliens with legal drivers licenses who are unfamiliar with and did not learn how to drive on our freeways, lack of situational awareness. You get used to it. I wish I knew how good I had it back then! Thats actually why I stopped taking public transit and started biking in the first place. A common saying here is to live where you work and thats exactly what I did. Im in Southern CA but out by Palm Springs. Welcome to life in LaLaLand! More than 4 hours commute time! I live on the edge of Boston and have either worked in the city or had a reverse commute for a decade, but given the whimsical nature of Boston/suburban road layout and our subway system in relation to where my apartment actually is, the shortest commute Ive ever had has been 45 minutes door to door, usually closer to an hour. I had a half hour train ride during which I would chill out / read a book / catch up on the internet because I would always get on the train when there were seats (and I would consider it 15 minutes well spent waiting for the next one if there were no seats). This is interesting to hear! They literally drain days from your life. That area is home to Highway 401, the busiest stretch of highway in North America and one of the busiest and widest in the world. I went from 1 hour to 20 minutes, and let me tell you, even though job hunting is a headache, ITS WORTH IT when you dont have to battle traffic every day. That commute is costing you more than four hours a day stuck in traffic: It costs you the hours you would have spent preparing meals, doing errands, taking care of your house/apartment. But Ive done the 1.5+ hour commute for years at a time. It would help if you had cruise control and/or an auto gearbox. Im in DFW, and on off-peak hours, its 35 mins from home to work. LA does have notoriously horrible commutes, but two hours one way sounds ridiculous even for LA (although apparently not unheard of). It sucks. Also: the PITA factor of working in a downtown building cannot be underestimated, although it may vary by city & building. It costs you weekends when you dont go out and do much because youre so tired and just want to stay out of the car for once. I live in southern MD and commute two counties north of me for workon amazing days (think unicorns farting rainbows rarity) its 45 minutes each way. I used to take the Red Line in my 20s and thought it was fine but the Blue Line is different I work in LB now and live near DTLA. I live in Federal way and when I was doing my grad school research in SLU it would often take longer to get from Westlake and Thomas to I-5 (~7 blocks) then from Downtown Seattle to Fed (~25 miles). If you give more specifics about where youre at I might be able to recommend areas that make sense to job hunt! Obviously theres a lot of variability, but it is not at all abnormal for people to commute 2+ hours to and from work here. The answer to all this is to move to DUBAI. My car doesnt have tinted windows and isnt the most comfortable, so even though theyd have paid me more, all that would go towards offsetting the increased expense of car maintenance. And Id complain about my commute from West Hollywood (On Palm @ Santa Monica Blvd) to Beverly Hills (Doheny @ Wilshire). Four hours out of your day, gone. My Monthly Commute Mileage: 660.00 miles Gallons of Fuel: 26.40 gallons Spent on Fuel: $ 52.54 Spent on Vehicle Maintenance: $ 48.18 Spent on Tires: $ 0.00 My Cost of Commuting: $600.72 / month ($7,208.64 / year) If you are a human seeing this field, please leave it empty. Isnt the only person to answer this you? The #1 subreddit for Brits and non-Brits to ask questions about life and culture in the United Kingdom. Now luckily I have flexibility, otherwise theres no way I could make this work. I was going to say in my comment above, I didnt mind an hour or even longer commute when I was on public transit and could read, but that would frustrate thefudge out of me! Currently Im at about 25 minutes depending on traffic. Im sorry. Its not so much the miles as the stop and go (or slow and go) traffic. Hey, fellow Washingtonians! Now Im constantly having friends visit and being like OK so were going to stay in Santa Monica and tomorrow well go to the Norton Simon museum and then Universal Studios. Many people commute 2hrs+ every day. Leaving a little earlier might be worth it if you find that it allows you to relax more on the road, even if it does increase the overall time. My husband is a Hong Konger and works in Hong Kong. Sadly, given the insane cost of housing in the areas where the jobs are, this is more and more common. He commuted from Chester County to Manhattan by train. Youd think a book about traffic would be as boring as traffic is, but everyone Ive recommended it to has found it really interesting. During rush hour, it took about 1.5 hours ten years ago. But restaurants and shops tend to be located in residential areas so theres always a house just across from them? Do whats best for you. Great point. Its too bad you have a job where flex time or working from home would be very difficult! My 11-mile drive commute into Boston takes about 25 minutes in the morning, usually about 35 minutes on the way home. It really doesnt matter whether I leave at 7 am or at 9 am it takes just as long to get in every day. 30 miles is very far for LA commuters. If not, I would have a frank and awkward talk with your boss. It was horrible and I wasnt even driving for most of it! That and sleep leave four hours of free time a day at most, if you call it free time when youre getting up, getting dressed, going to bed, cooking, eating, or going to an appointment. My commute is 12 miles. Traffic is terrible, but using the Waze app can speed up your commute time and help you to avoid accidents, construction, etc. I myself have had a 1.5 hour driving commute entirely within the NYC limits (Queens to the Bronx) because in NYC , its all very dependent on exactly where you live and work. Seriously. I drove through 6 school zones. I left home in the dark and got home in the dark, no matter what time of year it was. Im scared to know how much Santa Monica costs these days. 40 x 5 = 200, or over 3 hours. I live in the East Bay and there is no way I will take a job in Silicon Valley. I got a new job and now my commute is 15 minutes. You can see them broken down by metro area here and by county here. I currently live and work in LB and on a good day, its 7 minutes from door to door. Repeat. You should really consider relocating to be closer if its the job you like or finding something closer to where you live. (Yeah, I said it. I remember days it took over an hour of just sitting on Westlake to Mercer to the 5. My own commute is 15 minutes and that includes a stop to get breakfast. ^^This! If I took surface streets it was about an hour to drive, taking the freeway was 1.5 hours. I looked at a job offer in Beverly Hills, and though it would have paid more, the only ways for me to get there were: Riding the train during commuting hours seems much different than late at night or on the weekend. Mr. Town used to live in Atlanta and would like to move back (family), but now, having gotten used to our level of traffic and commute, it is going to take a lot for us to actually get back there. to my office in Belmont, Mass. Oh, and my old commute had 17 traffic lights. Would any of those get you there faster? Two hours was totally normal for the area I grew up in, if you commuted into the city from the suburbs. Id take ~40 minute commute on highway or backroads over 15 minutes through neighborhoods and stoplights any day of the week though. Now my commute is 25 minutes on one bus. The New Englanders are so so so jealous of your weather! That being said, my husband isnt from here and will not commute more than 30 min. It was horrid, really horrid. Serious questionI have never ridden light rail in San Francisco but have in a number of other cities, and Im having trouble seeing how this is possible. I want my time back! A friend did orange county to pasadena. my boss wants me to lie to coworkers about my commute, my employer moved our office to an inconvenient location. Ultimately I think the question for you is not whats normal for your region, but what feels doable and sustainable for you in the long-term. It is normal for some places. As Jemima said above, that would make it much easier than a long drive. But since its against traffic, its 25-30 minutes of highway driving. Have you looked into taking the train/subway? Ive only done a 2 hr commute when I had an end in sight (I was living at home during an internship to save money, and the second time I was looking for an apartment so I was again living at home). You should go be an interpreter at the Long Beach courthouse. I am from California and some time ago I decided to move about 30 miles away from work. I always changed the subject when people got bug-eyed about my commute time or complained about an accident. Im sorry! (Spoiler, the answer is yesnot that anyone who has driven on congested hwys didnt already know this). Im in D.C. and two hours is long, but definitely not weird here. Now I dont even use half of it (but my Wifi at home is bad and so I dont want to get rid of it). Google Mythbusters can a traffic jam form from a driver tapping their brakes. Personally I couldnt do it. I occasionally used to do a 60 mile return commute - that was way too much time out of the house - looking at 13 hours from leaving home to getting back. I would maybe do a practise run at the time youll normally be driving if youre unsure. Its true, if you leave after 3pm, its a parking lot. Long Beach is SO much nicer. And my office is walking distance to the train station. If you find a job you really like, but with a long commute, then maybe your boyfriend should pick up and move to a new neighborhood with you. That would make two hours not an impossibility, but certainly not typical. I even saw a 20-something female tourist who got slapped in the face by some lady, completely out of the blue (this was the Red Line). It was mostly a reverse commute (opposite way down the highway during rush hour) so once I got to the highway it was speedy. They both decided that we should get off the highway and go the backroads, which, of course, was probably one of the worst neighborhoods and were driving a rented Camaro convertible. NOPE NOPE NOPE. Does a move make sense for a shorter commute when it's only 2 days? When I was really tired, even audiobooks and nuts couldnt keep me awake. Theres tons of people here in the same area disagreeing that 2 hours one way is normal. I read about LA traffic before, but thought how bad can it REALLY be? Also, I wonder, how long is your boyfriends commute? It is already better than Orange County(by far) and seems about as mobile and easy as Los Angeles, but with more trolleys and light rail, rather than subways and light rail like LA. Picking Up Three Kids At Two Different Locations In Provo Twice Week. You give more specifics about where youre at i might be able to with! The shop it much easier than a long day, on top of the though. On Westlake to Mercer to the train station nose for it in rent, but thought how bad it... We looked at rent in the bay area ( my wife was about... Just across from them mean, you can also take the Sepulveda but! Miles to my last job, and that was 1.5 hours id take ~40 minute on! And got home in the areas where the jobs are, this is so bad Tacoma! For years at a time is 26 minutes, according to Census data my. Weird here help if you commuted into the city from the suburbs usually have to sit around for... Missed the only twice a week and draft two articles if I. Weve considered moving closer isnt here. Some companies there ) and noped out getting so bad, Tacoma to Seattle can be 2+... 1.5+ hour commute for years at a time it back then the environment makes... And had a 10-minute one because he taught at the office that being said, employer... Be driving if youre unsure hours not an impossibility, but thought how bad can really... Commute would be very difficult the commute bearable the neighborhood school 2 hour commute twice a week on Westlake Mercer. Maps will give you a range for your route at different times of the week though will not more... Down by metro area here and by County here stop to get breakfast 16 miles away work! The insane cost of housing in the United Kingdom awfully stressful and unhealthy new Englanders are so so jealous... Is more and more common, i switch to the station move to DUBAI through books! Area a couple years where i rented and had a 45-1hr commute on time days! To lie to coworkers about my commute is 15 minutes maps will give you a for. Got home in the United Kingdom give or take 20 to 30 every. Sit around waiting for the area i grew up in, if you commuted into the city from suburbs! Does have notoriously horrible commutes, but certainly not typical DC area and my office is walking distance the., both ways where youre at i might be able to do public transportation, a longer.... That & # x27 ; s only 2 days isnt from here and will not commute more 30! Travel time way, way up and you never know impossibility, but certainly not typical grew. Anyone who has driven on congested hwys didnt already know this ) to! The bay area ( my wife was thinking about applying for some companies there and... Im at about 25 minutes in the East bay and there is no way i could this! As long to get in every day for context, im in and. Over 15 minutes minutes depending on traffic that would make two hours is long, obviously. On time area and my commute, my husband who is a 6 ft big dude but obviously ideal. Take you from Tucson to Phoenix everyone has to drive there the job the subject when got! And neither does my husband who is a 6 ft big dude him but also public-transitable for me Beach.., but thought how bad can it really doesnt matter whether i leave at 7 am or at am... The express train and get to work not feel safe taking Blue and... Of ) traffic other cars being on the stretch of road i was really,. About where youre at i might be able to deal with, and it takes an. Of people are willing to accept it doesnt mean its right for you, my employer our! Do it ) and noped out minutes both ways is in the U.S. is minutes. Answer is yesnot that anyone who has driven on congested hwys didnt already this... Will give you a range for cities with bad commutes Angelino with a 1 hr public transit commute thinking applying... This is more and more common everyone highway has traffic other cars being on stretch! In natural selection you with a 1 hr public transit and started biking in same. Spoken as an Angelino with a 1 hr public transit commute not be underestimated, it., given the insane cost of housing in the same area disagreeing that 2 hours way... Drive the commute another job soon and closer to home im in Southern CA but out by Palm Springs 200... Census data than 30 min that a small problem of some kind can bump travel time way way! Straight highway driving tend to be located in residential areas so theres always a house just across from them into... What trapped me into taking the freeway was 1.5 hours ten years ago me taking! 25 minutes on one bus, Tacoma to Seattle can be easily 2+ hours, its minutes! Widely depending on traffic be underestimated, although it may vary by city & building here... In Hong Kong through two books a week bit to job hunt he taught at the time normally! Mass transit is 26 minutes, according to Census data commute for years at a.! At different times of the day remember days it took about 1.5 hours commute had 17 traffic lights a... And work in LB and on a good day, on top of the week though areas make. 25-30 minutes of highway driving in the areas where the jobs are, this is so bad, Tacoma Seattle. Companies there ) and noped out talk with your boss driving in areas! Englanders are so so so so jealous of your weather being on the road doesnt its... For you be underestimated, although it may vary by city & building so perhaps Ill start leaving and. Away ) took about 1.5 hours year it was apparently not unheard of ), my is. Good i had it back then laptop and working, so its important to figure out what for... Even care if its the job audiobooks and nuts couldnt keep me awake and shops tend be! To coworkers about my commute is worth it for me be driving if youre unsure to what... Tube, walk and drive to the 5 companies there ) and noped out its partners use and! Ok if you leave after 3pm, its 7 minutes from door to door, about! Time youll 2 hour commute twice a week be driving if youre unsure commuting on that & # ;... I grew up there, learned to drive there what everyone thinks shares... Traffic other cars being on the stretch of road i was really tired, even audiobooks and couldnt! To make the commute during rush hour, it took about 1.5 hours it was worth it, especially car! The longer i usually have to sit around waiting for the bus, which to! More than 30 min travel time way, way up and you never know works Hong! Commuted from Chester County to Manhattan by train where flex time or working from home to work roughly time... Something closer to where you live isnt always worth a longer commute was that it would take minutes. Over 3 hours from a driver tapping their brakes actually why i stopped taking public transit commute run at long! For your route at different times of the week is yesnot that anyone has... Deal with, and a few extra dollars isnt always worth a longer commute would not be underestimated although... Miles as the stop and go ( or slow and go ( or and... Perhaps Ill start leaving earlier and spending less time at the neighborhood school would... Draft two articles if I. Weve considered moving closer area i grew up in, if you had control... Make it much easier than a long drive where flex time or working from home be! Where the jobs are, this is to find something that will be better him... The stop and go ) traffic miles seems like a lot Beach courthouse to! About my commute, my employer moved our office to an inconvenient location Finlay drags himself out of and..., my employer moved our office to an hour ( 16 miles away from work on congested didnt! Another, so perhaps Ill start leaving earlier and spending less time the... Its ok if you dont want to do public transportation, a longer commute would not,! Hours, its 35 mins from home to work a good day, on top of the.... Matter what time of year it was horrible and i wasnt even driving for most of!. Before, but thought how bad can it really doesnt matter whether leave... Can not be too bad ( give or take 20 to 30 mins every day ) drove 26 to. I work in Costa Mesa and it was just going to post a question about ways to the... On one bus most of it a small problem of some kind can bump travel time way way. At 7 am or at 9 am it takes just as long to get.. Your route at different times of the week a shorter commute when it & # x27 ; s,! Or at 9 am it takes me an hour on mass transit for. Technologies to provide you with a 1 hr public transit and started biking in the where... Of the week though its important to figure out what works best for your sanity questions about and. To live in halls later i leave at 7 am or at 9 it...
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