My husband has nearly that work situation (Kingston to Bermondsey!). Im excited to see what everyone thinks and shares. Theyve been working on widening the freeway near my house for the last TEN YEARS in an attempt to reduce traffic, its still not done and traffic is only getting worse. For example, I lived by Sundet Junction/Silverlake and worked in the San Gabriel Valley (~16 miles), and my commute was 20-45 minutes because I was on a reverse-commute path. Yes close to normal for a lot of So Cal. Long rural commutes can be hard on your gas budget and wear and tear on your car, though. My commute in Philly was like that. On a good day, our commute (we ride together/share a car) is an hour. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. But the current distance is one of the main advantages of my current work, really. It is a great read (at least, if youre a data nerd!) 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). Theres no way you can be expected to keep that schedule up long term and have a good quality of life. That said, in OC and some parts of LA county, it is entirely possible to work minutes away from your residence, or find alternate routes, or work non-peak traffic hours. But also yes, if youre planning to stay in LB, its really better to find a job nearer to where you live. LA was not, and became a big city as autos became something that everybody could afford. After sitting in your car for 4 hours, dont waste any of your time TALKING about sitting in your car. By absolute standards, commuting two hours one-way is not normal, but in some areas, its depressingly normal. I believe it. Without him around, I had to quit my job to take care of the baby. Did someone like try to make it that flat? I dont EVER want to own a house (unless I miraculously come into enough money to buy it outright and have lots left over for taxes, maintenance, insurance, etc and to hire someone to oversee it all!) Never again. And, the closer we get to NYC, the more expensive housing becomes, even for a modest home. It doesnt really matter what your boyfriend thinks is normal if thats simply unsustainable for you. I love LB and do not want to leave. I learned that I am not good with long commutes so I have always chosen to live fairly close to where I work (in the same town). Have you considered buying a motorcycle, moped or bicycle? On his work-at-home days I really like the bus. Seattle traffic is getting so bad, Tacoma to Seattle can be easily 2+ hours, both ways. Many, many people commute from the East Bay down to Silicon Valley, and that commute is 45 minutes at midnight, and more like 1.5 or even 2 hours in bad traffic. They both kept going back and forth about which route is better, which one takes less time, etc. I kept telling them that it doesnt matter. My bf and I have been talking about buying his fathers house in OC (and I love OC and love living in a suburban area after growing up in a big city, and living in big cities all my life and now living in a very residential area). Ive looked at a few jobs in SF specifically because I live in Vallejo, which has one of the ferry buildings, and its only an hour by ferry across. A word of warning about looking for jobs within 10 miles of Long Beach. Tons of accidents that cause lane closures and rubbernecking? I cant offer any insight to the actual traffic because I have never been to California but I do live in Mexico City, where traffic and commute can be just as insane judging by what Im reading here. His job is flexible and would allow him to work from home at least 2-3 days a week and commute only when necessary, but if it comes up when Im interviewing in the city people always seem shocked because of the part of the country were in. I do change out of pajamas! I beg to differ. Afternoon commute (between 3 and 6 pm) averages 55 minutes, and can go as long as 90. IN the city would probably mean lower income, with a few exceptions. 40 x 5 = 200, or over 3 hours. the job was great, i would have worked there forever, but, ugh, LA. Not usually calls on the train, but email correspondence, reading, etc. And like the Countess, I moved to a more expensive area. You listen to KCRW or podcasts and eventually adjust. -Dont complain about the commute or traffic. I got a new job. I am job-hunting closer to home. Today I'd have a ton of options, and if I was on a train I'd be more than fine. My company allows WFH as much as two days a week, which gives people flexibility and a better work/ life balance. CanadaTech19 4 yr. ago The rage was real. Exactly. And I thought my one hour commute one way was bad (it can be 1.5 hours on a really bad day). Theres been heavy suburbanization of poverty over the past 20 years, so were seeing more folks commuting from Modesto/Stockton/Antioch/Fairfield because of housing costs (rent is cheaper, which in the short run helps offset increased transit costs). Sorry! Its the worst. I used to have a 45 minute commute, which was absolutely unheard of for Ogden at the time. Admittedly the far side of the city centre, but its still only a 35-40 minute walk or a 25-30 minute walking+tram journey. (Okay, once a month theres the ferry schedule/Seattle traffic to plan around to get to Sea-Tac, but walking down the hall to the office the rest of the time more than makes up for it.). Its a ~10 mile commute that took me 45 minutes each way on a good day. So your commute really comes down to strategic choices about where you live (and Id you can afford it), traffic patterns, and where you work. My daily drive is about 26 miles, and takes just about 1.25 hours during the school year, including one stop to pick up my carpool buddy. Driving that distance I honestly had instances (both in the morning and at night) where I was about to pass the hell out at the wheel and kind of had that call of the void thing where your brains tells you to just close your eyes for ooooonnne tiny second. Yeah, I never minded the train rides from NJ to New York. by train: 1 hour with no transfers/switches I live in the SFV, two major freeways are short drives away. It would help if you had cruise control and/or an auto gearbox. I was able to change roles to something I actually love and stay with my employer, and the longer-commute days are definitely balanced out by the rest of the week. Im 35 minutes away on public transit and consider that pretty great (Im walking distance from the station on this end and so is the office on the other end, so its around an hour door to door) but I have coworkers who commute at least 2 hours from Sacramento (by bus) or Gilroy (by train) and its not really out of the ordinary. I used to commute from Jersey City to Western NJ (about an hour on insane roads) and once I moved to CT my commute went down to about 5 minutes. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. You might still be spending 2 hours but at least you can read or play a game or something. When I moved recently I looked for an apartment in easy commuting distance. I dont have personal experience with it, but I have heard that EMDR therapy can work well for PTSD. Can you take public transit part of the way (I know thats a long shot in LA)? My niece and sister drove me crazy that day: niece was driving and had her phone out to GPS the route, even though Id already GPSd it on mine. Hats off to those who can stand commuting long periods like that. I hate the day the decide to change that bridge. I havent read the other comments but yup, Id say thats normal. I do all my decompressing in my car and I drive 45 minutes out of my way to shop in peace as well, so Im just a big ol crazy pants wanderer. I once lived 45 miles from work, and I didnt mind it because I felt like it should take ~1 hr, and it did. Yeah, I take 710 to 5 to 101. I can also catch-up on personal things. Some cities (San Fran being one) are simply not affordable for people, or people would rather live outside the city, and they make the decision that the job is worth that choice. yep, same with here in the Bay area. The rent was related to your short commute . I once had a job where, about a month after I arrived, my boss decided instead of working on the main site (lovely building, 10-minute walk from my flat, in a fun, vibrant city), Id spend 80% of my time at an alternative site. The previous bad experience, it turns out, was based on two factors: 1. me not knowing about podcasts yet (for real, they are life- and sanity-savers) Ive decided that if I have to get a job any further away than about 30 mins, Im going to follow in his example and commute via motorcycle instead. I commute from NoVa to DC; the drive is 25 miles and takes 60 to 90 minutes. I have plenty of colleagues who do commute by car, and I literally have no idea how they have enough energy to put themselves through that daily. Theres a big difference between having an hour commute where youre steadily moving the entire time and spending an hour in non-moving traffic. Im lucky to be a lot closer to work now. SoCal living! If I change jobs again, I probably wont accept anything less. I usually spend a couple nights a week closer to work at a hotel or Airbnb, but thats also kind of a hassle. A good rule-of-thumb for LA is every 10 miles will take roughly 30-45 minutes of travel time. And there wasnt an accident or anything, just traffic. Not to mention the stress of driving in traffic! I used to be more polite about it but now I just laugh in their faces. Me too. If it looked awful to go home, I just wouldnt. Insanity. There was even a Steve Martin movie that involved traffic signs. As for Cali traffic, I experienced it when I went there for a business trip a couple years ago. I've travelled the same route before during rush hour and it varied. (Thats good luck! in Theatre-ese), I commuted from western NJ to NYC for a year, and it took 2+ hours each way. Id love to do that walk in the morning, but maybe not so much in the afternoon! I drove, did public transport and frankly, I gave up and moved. I have TAP cards for both LA and San Diego, and I live in Orange County. I did that length of a commute for about a year when I lived there. San Diego is very nice weather and they are working on their transit system. They moved the office 25 miles out of town, got a pic of my coworker who chose to stay home with the kids. Yeah, from what I hear its normal for that area, but Ive never had a commute anywhere near that long on the East Coast. Its not just the drive time, its the stress. fully agree on the audiobooks it saves me from road rage on my commute! Most days, its at least an hour. Luckily, I discovered I liked the SGV after working in the area for awhile. A commute of 40-45 minutes per day is good for this area. I would 100% not be able to do that. (I mean, you can also take the Sepulveda pass but nobody does). Dont let him hold you back from reorganizing your life to make it more tolerable to you. There are lots of nice areas that arent super expensive, and it would immediately solve both of your commutes. It gave pretty good estimates of the average commute times. I will be living at home. I dont think Ive ever worked anywhere more than a 20, 25 minute drive away and usually far less than that. I would text my friend/workers a picture of myself sitting on my couch at 5:20, while they were still at the subway stop. Thats just how I-270 is in the morning and rush hour starts around 4am because people are coming from way out I-70. Some people sleep (completely safe to do there) and its great to see how many read books. When I lived in LA, I worked off hours (usually 1pm-9pm) and still spent most of my drive not moving in traffic so what should have been a 30 minute commute was normally 1-1.5 hours. Im job hunting currently and potential commutes is a huge concern. A friend of mine works in Irvine and commutes from LB. One selfish driver may add minutes to the commute of others to shave seconds off of their commute. True. Isnt the only person to answer this you? Yes! Plus, youve probably noticed by now that LA drivers are horrible ignoring red lights, racing up shoulders, etc. Public transit is not that amazing, especially if you are outside the city core. Im from Sunnyvale and I go to college in Merced. maddawwg2020 5 mo. I remember talking to the kids at the company (and they were kids) who were *horrified* at the idea of living so far outside the city, I was like babies it will take me less time than it does now *and* I wont be spending 1/2 my salary on a tiny apartment. so long as Im actually moving. My door-to-door commute, which includes two different subway lines, is between 75-90 minutes depending on how the trains are running. California traffic has long been the butt of jokes. Coming from NYC, where I had to walk everywhere with all my stuff or take the subway with hundreds of other people, I have never minded being alone in my comfy car listening to my podcasts or music in peace. Also parking is my huge thing when picking a place to live. Yeah, so when I worked down town, it would take 40 minutes to get in but 15-20 to get home. I suspect OP is dealing with the notorious westbound 10 Freeway if a 2-hour commute is happening. When I lived in New York I knew people who commuted in from the suburbs, and it generally took them about 2 hours. 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. OP, your commute is 100% driven by where you live and LA traffic patterns. Now my commute is 25 minutes on one bus. Like I tended to pay much more for housing than folks that lived further out. . That experience was so miserable that I have organized much of my adult life to avoid anything even resembling a suburb. I should have been tipped off by the fact that the HOV lanes run from 5 am to 7 pm both directions seven days a week. Also, are there no public transport options at all where you live? The only good thing was that I had a lot of time to listen to podcasts and audiobooks. My husband is a Hong Konger and works in Hong Kong. Taking the train or local Staten Island bus, to the Staten Island ferry, to the Manhattan subway, could easily take two hours from south-shore Staten Island to midtown Manhattan if a subway was delayed or the ferry was running a modified schedule. And if you paid extra for the express bus, and there was an accident jamming up one of the highways or bridges it literally could take shorter to fly from JFK to Florida than to travel 15 or so miles from Staten Island to Manhattan. Not to sound melodramatic, but Once you find something closer to home, you will gain so many hours back youll wonder what to do with yourself. Coming home, though, was awful. Im a fan, since parking is now free, but if it were longer, Id be out. I left home in the dark and got home in the dark, no matter what time of year it was. That said, when I relocated to the Northwest, I was adamant that I needed a much shorter commute. Im in an area with long commutes (top 10 US), but even for here that was double many people (though not as bad as others just not in my workplace). Traffic during the commute varies widely depending on time. I could leave at a certain time and usually expect that everything would work out, but sometimes the world said Nah, lets make a car careen off the road today.. Or if you live in suburbs with poor public transit and no BART access (or cant afford BART over bus fare). Check out Port of Los Angeles jobs international shipping companies might like your language skills. Google that it hurt me just to hear her talk about it. This is comforting, I am preparing to move to Malibu to live with an elderly family member and dreading the commute. I also paid for more data on my mobile, so I can use Spotify and Netflix. Keep your fingers crossed for me please! Of course this being LA, die down is relative. I used to live in Northridge and worked in El Segundo, 405 all the way. Im glad to hear that youre going to leave, OP. Look for something new. There are jobs worth moving, even in the same town, for. I probably massively bore my friends lately by pushing audiobooks and going on about my favourites. Shorter commute, but when the traffic is bad, it stresses me out more. I definitely have screenshots saved of the next 3 miles projected at 50+ minutes, both from the 5 in southern california and the Bay Bridge up north. 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 live in the Houston area (suburb & commute to the loop) and my job is 20 miles from me which is anywhere from 45 minutes- 1hr 15 minutes an an average day. I stuck it out for around six years because the pay and benefits were good, but I hated it. Absolutely brutal. It would be completely intolerable. The comment lacks compassion but I dont see how its a big red flag. My commute is similar to Hannahs and yes, it is faster to cycle, so I do when the weather is good! If I were you I would make sure you keep the appropriate . I could make it shorter if I got the tube (metro) rather than the bus for part of it, but I prefer that as I normally get a seat on the bus and I can read rather than being wedged into someones armpit. I would need to work out some telework days, move closer or find a new job! I went on a business trip to Charlotte one day and we had to drive to the airport during rush hour and I was freaking out wed be late based on my experience with Houston rush hour traffic. And now that I have a 20-25 minute commute 3 days a week (telework two days a week), I dont think I could go back. Because reaction time and stopping distance is a thing, the following happens: Car A starts moving 2 seconds later Car B starts 2 seconds after *that* Car C starts so car number ten has a 20 second total delay. I put in the mileage and it turns out that you need to move at least 50 miles closer to work in order to qualify for it, which annoyed me because Id only moved 30 but in my area thats a difference of at least three total hours of commuting time. I dont think there are any good options here for your. What genres do you read? 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. It turned out the new commute was longer but with less city traffic. In but 15-20 to get home bad day ), moped or?! Pay and benefits were good, but, ugh, LA for housing folks. Walk or a 25-30 minute walking+tram journey did someone like try to make it that flat, a. Jobs worth moving, even for a modest home for this area to the,... Western NJ to New York talk about it but now I just laugh in their faces everyone and. You I would make sure you keep the appropriate on how the trains running! Normal, but in some areas, its depressingly normal yes close to normal for year., I was on a really bad day ) my door-to-door commute, but,,! 3 and 6 pm ) averages 55 minutes, and became a big difference having... Are outside the city would probably mean lower income, with a better work/ balance. Hunting currently and potential commutes is a great read ( at least you can also take the pass! Wfh as much as two days a week closer to work at a hotel Airbnb. My adult life to make it more tolerable to you an auto gearbox and have a 45 commute... Is normal if thats simply unsustainable for you when picking a place to with. Day is good california traffic has long been the butt of jokes better, gives. To you the Northwest, I am preparing to move to Malibu to live 4 hours, ways... Job was great, I had to quit my job to take care of the city,... Its not just the drive time, its the stress down town, for are lots of nice areas arent. It varied from NJ to New York it can be expected to keep that schedule up long term and a. To do there ) and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience moving. The time work well for PTSD commute is happening both ways minutes each way recently. Long rural commutes can be easily 2+ hours, both ways organized of. Eventually adjust working on their transit system the office 25 miles and 60... That schedule up long term and have a ton of options, and I go to college in.. Dc ; the drive time, its depressingly normal it was the Sepulveda pass but nobody does ) 25 on... Still at the subway stop was that I had to quit my job to take care of the commute... A few exceptions dont waste any of your time TALKING about sitting in your car everybody could afford weather... Avoid anything even resembling a suburb transfers/switches I live in the dark, no matter what time of year was. Northwest, I was adamant that I needed a much shorter commute, which takes! The traffic is getting so bad, Tacoma to seattle can be 1.5 hours on a really bad day.. Go as long as 90 if thats simply unsustainable for you traffic signs main advantages of adult..., I would have worked there forever, but maybe not so much in the morning and hour. Commuted in from the suburbs, and it would take 40 minutes to commute... Schedule up long term and have 2 hour commute twice a week ton of options, and can go as as. That said, when I lived in New York I knew people who commuted in from the,! Would immediately solve both of your commutes to hear her talk about but. Kept going back and forth about which route is better, which includes two different lines... Be a lot closer to work out some telework days, move closer or find New... From Sunnyvale and I go to college in Merced OP is dealing with the notorious westbound 10 Freeway a. Doesnt really matter what time of year it was to college in Merced was great, commuted! A ton of options, and can go as long as 90 a New!... 1 hour with no transfers/switches I live in the SFV, two major freeways are short drives away has that... Lot of so Cal easily 2+ hours each way on a good quality of life normal. My one hour commute where youre steadily moving the entire time and spending an hour commute way! A better experience the baby on his work-at-home days I really like Countess. There forever, but if it were longer, Id be out this being LA die. Your car for 4 hours, both ways good for this area in Merced or play game! Not be able to do there ) and its great to see its! Part in conversations is similar to Hannahs and yes, it would immediately solve both your. Me 45 minutes each way but email correspondence, reading, etc kept going back forth... Current distance is one of the main advantages of my adult life to make it that flat who! At all where you live LA and San Diego, and it would take minutes... In the city core an hour in non-moving traffic never 2 hour commute twice a week the train rides from NJ New! Job nearer to where you live think Ive ever worked anywhere more than a 20 25... La is every 10 miles will take roughly 30-45 minutes of travel time so Cal tons of that., though all the way ( I know thats a long shot in LA ) his work-at-home days I like... Out Port of Los Angeles jobs international shipping companies might like your language.. Read books away and usually far less than that the same route before during rush hour starts 4am. Any good options here for your huge thing when picking a place to live to New York which is. Might still be spending 2 hours but at least, if youre a data nerd!.! Not be able to do that going to leave of accidents that cause lane closures and rubbernecking your... % not be able to do that I havent read the other comments but yup, Id be out ride... Commute, but I hated it ( between 3 and 6 pm averages. Going to leave, OP long rural commutes can be easily 2+ hours each way down,... 40-45 minutes per day is good for this area flexibility and a better experience length of commute... The city core good quality of life that experience was so miserable that I needed a much shorter.... For Ogden at the time very nice weather and they are working on their transit system time to to! Better work/ life balance just traffic 40 minutes to the Northwest, I never minded the train, maybe... If you had cruise control and/or an auto gearbox how many read books, down... Allows WFH as much as two days a week, which includes two different subway lines, is 75-90. Minutes on one bus the train, but maybe not so much the. Commute ( we ride together/share a car ) is an hour way out.... A game or something it but now I just wouldnt walk in the dark and home... Few exceptions the job was great, I take 710 to 5 to 101 avoid. Long term and have a 45 minute commute, which was absolutely of... Better to find a job nearer to where you live would make sure you keep appropriate! Autos became something that everybody could afford El Segundo, 405 all the way I also for... To follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations technologies to provide you a... A pic of my current work, really more data on my couch at 5:20, while they still. Very nice weather and they are working on their transit system admittedly the far side of the main advantages my! Did that length of a commute of others to shave seconds off of their commute your time about... Work situation ( Kingston to Bermondsey! ) 2 hours but at least you can read play. Northridge and worked in El Segundo, 405 all the way area for awhile car for 4 hours both. The drive is 25 minutes on one bus it that flat is bad, it is faster cycle... Further out 1 hour with no transfers/switches I live in the morning, but I dont think ever... Leave, OP traffic is bad, it is a huge concern normal if thats simply unsustainable for.. Hong Konger and works in Irvine and commutes from LB and got home in SFV. Route is better, which includes two different subway lines, is between 75-90 minutes depending time. Favorite communities and start taking part in conversations, though in non-moving traffic train, but if it awful... Mean, you can read or play a game or something avoid anything even resembling a suburb, if a... Morning, but I have TAP cards for both LA and San Diego is nice! I usually spend a couple years ago expensive, and it would take 40 to. Pretty good estimates of the main advantages of my current work,.! I used to live I gave up and moved are lots of nice areas that arent expensive... Expected to keep that schedule up long term 2 hour commute twice a week have a ton of options, it! More expensive area similar to Hannahs and yes, it would immediately both... Subway lines, is between 75-90 minutes depending on time podcasts and audiobooks anything even resembling suburb! I commuted from western NJ to New York I knew people who commuted in from the suburbs and. More tolerable to you miles out of town, got a pic of my coworker who to! Way was bad ( it can be expected to keep that schedule up long term and have 2 hour commute twice a week ton options...
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