calling all New York New York peeps! advize needed!!!
I ama considering moving to the New York area for a job downtown just off o Walstreet with Guardian Life as a consultant. I am obviously passionate about triathlon (I am trying to qualify for Kona in the next couple of years) and am interested in how/when/where anyone in the New York area trains?
I would probably be living outside of NY (not in Manhattan) so, would be commuting in each day - where are the areas to live that provide good (convenient) weekend riding, or maybe open water swimming when the weather is warm?
So, in other words, if you were me, where would you be considering living, and what does life look like for me training-wise?
I know it is a wide open question...thoughts?
I know
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Good luck with your decision!
I live and work in CT now. I still have a 35min commute but it seems more manageable. In the winter workouts are short and starting summer I bike 30mi into work to get a bike ride in.
As for where to live if you don't want to live in manhattan, across the river in NJ would be my 1st choice. Its a quick commute, and you have enough outdoor riding areas when the weather is good.
Try to touch base with tucker and cary. They both work in the city.
If it was me, I'd probably try to move to Hoboken, NJ, really close to the PATH train, which takes you right to Wall St (IIRC). That way, you'll get the most of your personal hours to yourself, allowing for treadmill and trainer stuff more consistently. There's good riding if you go 20 minutes west of there, but I don't think I'd do a ton of riding in and around that area.
There are a few that live and work in the city that can probably offer advice.
I will give you the plus/minuses of Hoboken since it was mentioned and where I live.
Hoboken:
Plus - Great town, lots of bars, young town, good restaurants. Athletic town. Good gyms. Proximity to riding to Bear Mountain is good. Real estate market somewhat depressed.
Minus - Young town. While you can ride to Bear Mountain the ride to where it is safe is NOT SAFE AT ALL. Very congested and they do not give a rats ass about cyclists. Not close to open water swimming unless you count the Hudson River. Pool situation not great, I think most pools there are like 18m or so. No houses with yards if that is your thing.
Madison:
Plus - Houses and apartments. Good schools. Train service to NYC. Great riding, has everything you want. Flats nearby and hills if you go west. Can run anywhere. Good gyms with pools. Lakes nearby to swim.
Minus - Commute to city is 45 minutes to an hour. I can't think of much else.
Where in Memphis do you live, downtown or outside? Loved my visits there. Great BBQ obviously and love the Flying Saucer, I'm a beer guy.
Now if I were you, I would live in Northern NJ close to where I live. Lots of great towns. Lots of triathletes. I would say we have 7ish EN members in a 20 mile radius. Great riding basically right out your door. Safer roads than say Hoboken. Y's that you can swim at plus nearby lakes.
PM with any questions.
I've worked in NYC for 16 years while living in Northern NJ - Randolph - which is about 30 miles due west of NYC. Lot's of good comments above. A few things to add....
If you are working downtown off Wall St., you need to really think about your commuting when picking a place to live - Trains from Long Island come into Penn Station and then would need to take the subway down to Wall St. From CT, trains come into Grand Central, then also need to grab the subway. From NJ, most people that work downtown take the train to Hoboken and then grab either a ferry or take the PATH train downtown.
As for training, it is a little more challenging to find the time to get it all in when you have 2-3 hours of commuting a day, but it's doable. Only other comment is that I think you find more hills riding in Westchester or NJ than out on Long Island.
Happy to talk on the phone if you'd like....
Thanks again!