Is 50 miles too far to travel on a daily basis?

Question

I'm thinking of moving to Long Island, NY but I work in Manhattan. Do you think traveling 50 miles by car, or train for that matter, is too far?

Answer 1

It really depends on you. I often commuted that far to work and I know many people who commute farther. You have to determine the priorities in your life, but no, I don't think that is too far.

Answer 2

One way at fifty miles is about an hour's worth of driving. Depends on the pay and the price of gasoline. What size engine in the vehicle might help decide the final answer.

I drove fifty miles a day (twenty-five miles one way) for years. Went through lots of tires and a couple of engines, too. Save back some cash each month for the heavy usage on your car or truck.

Fifty miles by train is a long time to be sitting each morning and evening. Take a book or some pocket computer game to entertain yourself. Maybe a pocket TV with an ear phone extra so you don't bug the people around you.

You might want to try some dry runs. Pretend you have the job and are getting ready to go to work and arrive home. Go to where you want to live fully dressed as if for work, get on the train, ride to Mahattan and spend all day in the city and then get on the train at the time you would normally as if getting off of work to go home. Ride home and see if you can stand the rigors and boredom of it. Can you repeat that five days a week if you work the normal Monday through Friday job schedule?

Answer 3

I think you have the weigh the advantages of the commute against its disadvantages. For example, is the Manhattan job so good that it could not be matched or bested by a closer one? Or, does the money you make in Manhattan make up for the time/expense of commuting from Long Island? What can you do during 100 miles of daily travel (round trip) to make it productive (particularly if you can take a train)?

Answer 4

There's a few variables here. Income is a major factor...if the pay is fantastic, the commute might be worth it. Location is another...is the new town a significant improvement for important reasons? Also, consider how you will be commuting. By car, to travel 50 miles on the LIE, you will be frustrated and cranky during and after your commute. By rail perhaps you can accomplish other tasks on your laptop while you commute. Either way you're looking at probably 1-1.5 hours commute each way, which is a huge chunk of your day.

Personally, I wouldn't do it. I average a 25-mile commute in CT, where traffic doesn't really pose a problem, and it still takes me 40 minutes to get to work, and leaves plenty of time for idiot drivers to put me in a bad mood.

Good luck!

Answer 5

50 miles is too near for train & car. The average spead on expressway is above 50 miles an hour & trains also travel at above 50 miles an hour. So you can reach within the hour. Train is better because of no trafic jams in manhattan as usual.Long Island is a beautiful place & One hour to & fro Travel one can afford for the same.

Answer 6

It really depends on what you want to do. I used to travel 50 miles to work one way and at the time, I enjoyed it. During the drive home, it seemed like I was more relaxed by the time I walked in the door, and not tense from the daily stresses at work. But with the fluctuation in gas prices, that can be a huge pain. You just really need to weigh the pros and cons and see what it is that you're willing to do, or willing to give up.

Answer 7

I currently live in East Atlanta and commute 54 miles each way to get to work North of Atlanta. I thought that it would be alright but it's not. Commuting becomes like another job. It takes away from time you could spend with loved ones or doing something for yourself. Also, it is very stressful and can take a toll on your health. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. If fact, I don't think I will be able to do it much longer. I am looking for a house closer to work now. Good luck with your decision and think before you commit.

Answer 8

"too far" really depends upon two factors, for me.
*Is the job/change in neighborhood really worth the commute?
*How much time will you be spending on the commute?
When I was still in law school, my wife totaled her car. I commuted by public transportation for a couple of semesters to work and then to night school. I got SO much studying and work done, it was almost worth the extra three hours of commuting I did each day (public transportation is abysmal -sucks- here in Sacramento, CA).
I now travel about two hours each day by motorcycle, and it's a total blast.
I understand that the whole NYC commute scene is WAY different than what we have here, but you get the idea ;).
Good luck and best wishes.

Answer 9

50 Miles is to far!

it equates in a year to nearly 21 days of your life spent going to and from the office.

50 mile by car = approx 1 hour...

2 times a day = 2 hours

5 days a week = 10 hours

50 work weeks a year = 500 hours or 20.83 days... Yikes

Answer 10

I think it is incorrect to view it simply in terms of distance. Fifty miles is not to far for me if I am able to travel at a reasonable speed. I live in an area where commuting five miles is challenging. My wife works in-town, about fifteen miles from home, and hates the days she needs to drive.

It is better to evaluate the decision based on the time you can expect to spend on the road one way. Decide how much that time is worth to you and remember that a fifty mile trip taking two hours uses quite a bit more petrol than a fifty mile trip taking thirty minutes. Factor in an allowance for stupidity since my experience is that a minority are cretins who make no distinction driving on roads that are dry rather than wet or slick with snow. When they crash, they make the rest of us much later or worse, involve us in the crash.

Answer 11

It's really a personal question. Some people are willing to travel 100 miles a day to get to work, others only 5 miles. The fact that you are questioning it seems to me that you don't think so