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OT: Hamilton Station

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retired711

Heisman Winner
Nov 20, 2001
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Cherry Hill
First, I apologize for starting yet another OT thread during football season.

My wife and I will be going from Cherry Hill to Manhattan the day before Thanksgiving for a couple of days; we will also be going up the following weekend. We would rather not drive; it is over a two hour trip one-way for us. Our tentative plan is to instead drive up 295 to Hamilton Station (we are about thirty miles away) and then take the NJ Transit train to Penn Station. I used to do this pretty regularly, but I haven't since before the pandemic. Is there any reason this might be a problem? A friend suggested that we go instead via Princeton Junction, saying there is plenty of parking there. But that would be a longer auto trip for us since it involves going up Route 1, so I'd like us to use Hamilton unless there is a problem with it. Thanks!
 
Hamilton is perfect. Princeton Junction not so much. Besides the earlier you get on the the train to get your own seats the better.
Also look at Amtrak from Trenton. Amtrak pricing model is way different. If you plan ahead it's crazy cheap. Went to NYC from Trenton was $10.
 
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WhiteBus said:
Hamilton is perfect. Princeton Junction not so much. Besides the earlier you get on the the train to get your own seats the better.
Also look at Amtrak from Trenton. Amtrak pricing model is way different. If you plan ahead it's crazy cheap. Went to NYC from Trenton was $10.
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The $10 Amtrak fare is for Night Owl trains only, no?
 
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I would strongly suggest going to Trenton and taking Amtrak into the City. If you buy now, there are a lot of $10-$15 fares if your flexible with timing. Download the Amtrak app to your smartphone. Amtrak only takes 52 minutes to a little over an hour depending on the train. NJ Transit trains make many more stops.
 
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rutgersal said:
I would strongly suggest going to Trenton and taking Amtrak into the City. If you buy now, there are a lot of $10-$15 fares if your flexible with timing. Download the Amtrak app to your smartphone. Amtrak only takes 52 minutes to a little over an hour depending on the train. NJ Transit trains make many more stops.
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It's a good suggestion, but I'm not wild about driving to Trenton. For us, that means getting off at exit 60 and taking 195 over. Hamilton, as you know, is right off 65 and so it's less hassle to drive. You're right that we'd save money on the fare, but Hamilton to Penn Station is $16.25 one way, which isn't bad.
 
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WhiteBus said:
Hamilton is perfect. Princeton Junction not so much. Besides the earlier you get on the the train to get your own seats the better.
Also look at Amtrak from Trenton. Amtrak pricing model is way different. If you plan ahead it's crazy cheap. Went to NYC from Trenton was $10.
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"Get your own seats" is a very strong point with us -- thanks for reminding me of it.
 
retired711 said:
It's a good suggestion, but I'm not wild about driving to Trenton. For us, that means getting off at exit 60 and taking 195 over. Hamilton, as you know, is right off 65 and so it's less hassle to drive. You're right that we'd save money on the fare, but Hamilton to Penn Station is $16.25 one way, which isn't bad.
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If you are 62 or over the senior discount is about 50% off!
 
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There is also apparently a bus to NYC from the Cherry Hill Mall if you really want to keep your drive short and save a bit.
 
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iReC89 said:
There is also apparently a bus to NYC from the Cherry Hill Mall if you really want to keep your drive short and save a bit.
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Worked with a guy that did that commute 5 days a week for 5 years. Fixed income portfolio manager that moved over from our Philly office and didn't want to make the move. He said it was all highway miles and pretty direct.
 
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NotInRHouse said:
Isn't there a bus from Cherry Hill or Mt Laurel straight to PABT?
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There is a bus from Mount Laurel. (There was at one time a bus from the Cherry Hill mall, but I'm not sure it exists any more. In addition, I am reluctant to park at the Cherry Hill mall because of the possibility of theft of, say, the catalytic converter. ) The timetable is limited and the bus is crowded. But I do know of individuals who use this bus to commute.
 
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kupuna133 said:
Worked with a guy that did that commute 5 days a week for 5 years. Fixed income portfolio manager that moved over from our Philly office and didn't want to make the move. He said it was all highway miles and pretty direct.
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I think this bus is from Mount Laurel, not the Cherry Hill mall. As I comment below to @NotInRHouse, there are indeed folks who do that commute. Your colleague is brave; as I'm sure you know, the NJ Turnpike can get pretty jammed during rush hour.
 
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retired711 said:
I think this bus is from Mount Laurel, not the Cherry Hill mall. As I comment below to @NotInRHouse, there are indeed folks who do that commute. Your colleague is brave; as I'm sure you know, the NJ Turnpike can get pretty jammed during rush hour.
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This was many years ago and it definitely left from cherry hill mall. Because he mentioned that he had difficulty finding his car when the bus returned due to lots filling up around him.

I don’t think I would use the word brave to describe him. Odd, peculiar but not brave. He said morning commute was a breeze because no one was on the road the evening commute if all moved well was a little over 2 hours if not it could be 3+ on the regular.

Sorry if it was me I would have moved closer to the city. He was not married and had no kids. Did I say he was odd?
 
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kupuna133 said:
This was many years ago and it definitely left from cherry hill mall. Because he mentioned that he had difficulty finding his car when the bus returned due to lots filling up around him.

I don’t think I would use the word brave to describe him. Odd, peculiar but not brave. He said morning commute was a breeze because no one was on the road the evening commute if all moved well was a little over 2 hours if not it could be 3+ on the regular.

Sorry if it was me I would have moved closer to the city. He was not married and had no kids. Did I say he was odd?
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I do remember there was a bus that ran from the Cherry Hill Mall, so I have no doubt your colleague did what you say. I would never do it if it meant leaving my car overnight in the Mall parking lot.

It's hard for me to imagine that the commute was a breeze unless he left Cherry Hill well before A.M. rush hour and well after P.M. rush hour.

He must have had a really good reason for wanting to stay in the Cherry Hill area.
 
retired711 said:
It's a good suggestion, but I'm not wild about driving to Trenton. For us, that means getting off at exit 60 and taking 195 over. Hamilton, as you know, is right off 65 and so it's less hassle to drive. You're right that we'd save money on the fare, but Hamilton to Penn Station is $16.25 one way, which isn't bad.
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It’s not so much the money. It’s the time, as it can take 1.5 to 2 hrs, as some of the trains make all the stops, unless you are fortunate enough to get an express train. Amtrak takes roughly an hour.

Also, The NJ Transit train can get packed and when that happens germs can fly all over the place, especially considering the time of year. A couple of years ago, got the flu after taking that same train, so you have to be careful.

If you take it off peak, then it won’t be that bad.

I regularly take Amtrak instead when I visit the area, especially during Winter. Just points to ponder.
 
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retired711 said:
I do remember there was a bus that ran from the Cherry Hill Mall, so I have no doubt your colleague did what you say. I would never do it if it meant leaving my car overnight in the Mall parking lot.

It's hard for me to imagine that the commute was a breeze unless he left Cherry Hill well before A.M. rush hour and well after P.M. rush hour.

He must have had a really good reason for wanting to stay in the Cherry Hill area.
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There must have been a 5:00 or 5;30 am bus because we were all at the desk 7:30-7:45 the latest. He grabbed a 4:30-5:30 bus on the way home.

He was a peculiar guy. I can understand doing that trip once twice a month but everyday for 5 or so years no thanks.
 
kupuna133 said:
There must have been a 5:00 or 5;30 am bus because we were all at the desk 7:30-7:45 the latest. He grabbed a 4:30-5:30 bus on the way home.

He was a peculiar guy. I can understand doing that trip once twice a month but everyday for 5 or so years no thanks.
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I can understand the traffic not being bad with the 5:30 a.m. bus, but that p.m. bus would be at the height of traffic. Yes, I agree he was a peculiar guy. My uninformed guess is that there was someone tied to the Cherry Hill area who he wanted to be with every night.
 
rutgersal said:
It’s not so much the money. It’s the time, as it can take 1.5 to 2 hrs, as some of the trains make all the stops, unless you are fortunate enough to get an express train. Amtrak takes roughly an hour.

Also, The NJ Transit train can get packed and when that happens germs can fly all over the place, especially considering the time of year. A couple of years ago, got the flu after taking that same train, so you have to be careful.

If you take it off peak, then it won’t be that bad.

I regularly take Amtrak instead when I visit the area, especially during Winter. Just points to ponder.
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I understand the train trip is shorter but it seems to me that from Cherry Hill the car trip is longer. But I certainly hear you on how crowded the NJ Transit trains can be.
 
retired711 said:
First, I apologize for starting yet another OT thread during football season.

My wife and I will be going from Cherry Hill to Manhattan the day before Thanksgiving for a couple of days; we will also be going up the following weekend. We would rather not drive; it is over a two hour trip one-way for us. Our tentative plan is to instead drive up 295 to Hamilton Station (we are about thirty miles away) and then take the NJ Transit train to Penn Station. I used to do this pretty regularly, but I haven't since before the pandemic. Is there any reason this might be a problem? A friend suggested that we go instead via Princeton Junction, saying there is plenty of parking there. But that would be a longer auto trip for us since it involves going up Route 1, so I'd like us to use Hamilton unless there is a problem with it. Thanks!
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1) no issues at Hamilton

2) Hamilton is A LOT easier to get to, from Cherry Hill, than PJ
 
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kupuna133 said:
There must have been a 5:00 or 5;30 am bus because we were all at the desk 7:30-7:45 the latest. He grabbed a 4:30-5:30 bus on the way home.

He was a peculiar guy. I can understand doing that trip once twice a month but everyday for 5 or so years no thanks.
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The COL in South Jersey, even in a nice area like Cherry Hill, is lower. I bet now there are plenty of people doing that trip 1-2 days a week who are hybrid. I have heard of people moving to Philly and commuting to NYC a day or two a week as well.
 
NotInRHouse said:
The COL in South Jersey, even in a nice area like Cherry Hill, is lower. I bet now there are plenty of people doing that trip 1-2 days a week who are hybrid. I have heard of people moving to Philly and commuting to NYC a day or two a week as well.
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Yes, it is much lower. But apparently the stories about Philly becoming NYC's "sixth borough" are exaggerated. That doesn't surprise me -- Philly's culture is very different. I lived in Queens until I was almost fifteen, and, even after over 30 years down here, I still see the differences.

My guess is that @kupuna133's friend was here not because of the cost of living -- my guess is that @kupuna133 and his colleagues make a nice living - but because there was someone down here.
 
retired711 said:
Yes, it is much lower. But apparently the stories about Philly becoming NYC's "sixth borough" are exaggerated. That doesn't surprise me -- Philly's culture is very different. I lived in Queens until I was almost fifteen, and, even after over 30 years down here, I still see the differences.

My guess is that @kupuna133's friend was here not because of the cost of living -- my guess is that @kupuna133 and his colleagues make a nice living - but because there was someone down here.
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To be sure, there are MAJOR cultural differences. And it's in the eye of the beholder. There are people who won't leave Manhattan, never mind another boro or JC/Hoboken/Hudson County generally (all termed the 6th boro by some).

But I think there are some people who want a big city culture- and who don't really care about the intricacies- that would be OK with Philly. It's the cheapest big city in the Northeast by far, between DC and NYC, so they make it work. It's also cheaper than North Jersey- a friend sold his multistory newer townhome in Philly for what a nicer 1 bedroom/meh 2 bedroom would sell for here in JC, and his house here would probably be over 2M. In life everything is a trade off.
 
NotInRHouse said:
To be sure, there are MAJOR cultural differences. And it's in the eye of the beholder. There are people who won't leave Manhattan, never mind another boro or JC/Hoboken/Hudson County generally (all termed the 6th boro by some).

But I think there are some people who want a big city culture- and who don't really care about the intricacies- that would be OK with Philly. It's the cheapest big city in the Northeast by far, between DC and NYC, so they make it work. It's also cheaper than North Jersey- a friend sold his multistory newer townhome in Philly for what a nicer 1 bedroom/meh 2 bedroom would sell for here in JC, and his house here would probably be over 2M. In life everything is a trade off.
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Yes, there are plenty of nice things about the Philadelphia area, and certainly the housing is cheaper than NYC/North Jersey. But for whatever reason there really aren't that many people yet who work in NYC and live down here. Maybe it will happen -- who knows?
 
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Make sure you know the return schedule for trains back. I believe NE corridor is usually 11:05, 12:15 and then one or 2 more before the stop running. Don’t want to get stuck in the train station
 
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retired711 said:
I understand the train trip is shorter but it seems to me that from Cherry Hill the car trip is longer. But I certainly hear you on how crowded the NJ Transit trains can be.
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Slightly longer, probably less than 5 minutes.
 
I did the Camden County to Jersey City commute for 10 years.

First 7 years, I drove up 295 to Hamilton, caught the 515-ish Princeton Express and got to work at 630. If I leave at 3, got home by 430-5. It wasn’t bad since it was cheaper between lower COL, pre-garage parking was $120 every 3 months and the train pass was a bargain. Towards Years 6-8, they built the garage and parking went up to $100/month, train pass eventually went up $100.

Years 9-10, after my car blew up from 280k miles, did the Riverline to Trenton, NEC to Newark, etc. left the house at 5, got to work at 730. Night time commute was worse and this was when the quality of NJ Transit headed to the toilet. Made me think about eating bullets and catching trains with my teeth so some stuff changed.

Going into Hamilton is good if you have the money to do that commute. Don’t do it for long though.
 
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tico brown said:
I did the Camden County to Jersey City commute for 10 years.

First 7 years, I drove up 295 to Hamilton, caught the 515-ish Princeton Express and got to work at 630. If I leave at 3, got home by 430-5. It wasn’t bad since it was cheaper between lower COL, pre-garage parking was $120 every 3 months and the train pass was a bargain. Towards Years 6-8, they built the garage and parking went up to $100/month, train pass eventually went up $100.

Years 9-10, after my car blew up from 280k miles, did the Riverline to Trenton, NEC to Newark, etc. left the house at 5, got to work at 730. Night time commute was worse and this was when the quality of NJ Transit headed to the toilet. Made me think about eating bullets and catching trains with my teeth so some stuff changed.

Going into Hamilton is good if you have the money to do that commute. Don’t do it for long though.
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This is the worst commute I’ve ever heard of.
Jersey City is a nightmare.

I thought my previous 63 mile one way drive from Bergen County to Princeton was bad.
 
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