New Jersey dad's commute to NYC costs more than just time
A father spends up to four and a half hours a day traveling to and from Manhattan, sacrificing valuable time with his family in pursuit of career opportunities.
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For many New Jersey residents, a job in New York City offers career growth and opportunity. But for one father, it also means spending hours each day on trains and away from his family.
Several times a week, Sai Kailash boards a New Jersey Transit train at Montclair State University and heads into Manhattan for work in corporate finance. What used to be a more manageable commute can now take as long as four and a half hours round trip.
Since the Portal Bridge rail cutover, Kailash must transfer in Hoboken to the PATH train before continuing to 33rd Street and then walking the rest of the way to his office.
While he appreciates having a seat on the train and the chance to catch up on work during the ride, he says the biggest challenge is the uncertainty and the time lost at home.
Kailash says on days he commutes, he may only get an hour or two with his wife and young son before having to start the routine all over again the next day. Despite the long journey, he believes the sacrifice is worth it for his career.
"Most of the big companies, or companies that you aspire to work in, are in the city," Kailash said. "I didn't quite have a choice if I wanted to make my career grow."
For now, he says the long commute is simply part of pursuing opportunity across the Hudson.
