South Mountain YMCA Parents that Commute to NYC

I'm starting a new job in Manhattan in a couple of weeks (previous job in NJ) and I'm trying to figure out the logistics of dropping a kid off at the South Mountain YMCA ECLC and making it to the train in order to be to work by 9am. The train station isn't walkable from my house, so I will have to drop my kid off and then drive home, park, and catch the jitney in time for the train. Is there any hope of finding parking somewhere between the YMCA and the train station if I got a parking permit? Likewise, I'm stressing about getting home in time to pick up my kids before aftercare ends. I'm going to have to catch the 5:15pm train from Penn Station--any later and I don't think I could be there before close. My older child is in aftercare at Clinton School, which closes at 6:30pm, so it's all going to need to be tightly coordinated. I would appreciate tips from anyone else in the same situation. Thanks!

There is plenty of parking within a five-minute walk of the train station if you have a parking pass. You can even park on Dunnell right by the Y and walk both to the drop-off and then to the train. 

The trip home is generally smooth, but in the rare cases that something is messed up and the train is late, lots of other parents are in the same boat and the Y understands. Just remember that you are not alone in this situation and it all always works out. 

My husband and I are NYC commuters with a toddler at the Y. We have a parking permit - he drops her off, parks on Dunnell closer to the Y and usually catches the 8:13 train. I take the 5:01 from Hoboken and pick her up with time to spare. In the few days where I have had to stay at work late, my husband takes the 5:14 (or is it 5:15 now?) from Penn and gets there in time. Very doable! Lots of parents are in the same boat!

This is such great news about the parking! I'm feeling much better just hearing that! It's really no trouble parking on Dunnell in time for the 8:13 train?

Did this for the past several years (different daycare location but same idea). I don't know how anyone would do this if they had to do both pick up and drop off themselves with no spousal assistance (and still work a full 8 hours). We split duties and it worked out fine. One of us works in NJ now though since this arrangement was taking its toll...

ZimZimma said:
My husband and I are NYC commuters with a toddler at the Y. We have a parking permit - he drops her off, parks on Dunnell closer to the Y and usually catches the 8:13 train. I take the 5:01 from Hoboken and pick her up with time to spare. In the few days where I have had to stay at work late, my husband takes the 5:14 (or is it 5:15 now?) from Penn and gets there in time. Very doable! Lots of parents are in the same boat!

Unfortunately I have to do it on my own. Are you allowed to park on Dunnell between Jefferson and Oakland?

ArchBroad said:
Did this for the past several years (different daycare location but same idea). I don't know how anyone would do this if they had to do both pick up and drop off themselves with no spousal assistance (and still work a full 8 hours). We split duties and it worked out fine. One of us works in NJ now though since this arrangement was taking its toll...

yourisolde said:
Unfortunately I have to do it on my own. Are you allowed to park on Dunnell between Jefferson and Oakland?

ArchBroad said:
Did this for the past several years (different daycare location but same idea). I don't know how anyone would do this if they had to do both pick up and drop off themselves with no spousal assistance (and still work a full 8 hours). We split duties and it worked out fine. One of us works in NJ now though since this arrangement was taking its toll...

You are allowed to park on Dunnell between Jefferson and Oakland with a parking permit.

2-Manhattan-jobs household, here. I do both dropoff and pickup for my Y toddler. I then head over to my other child's elementary school and do their pickup, too. My husband handles the AM dropoff for the elementary school child, but I do handle the Y dropoff/pickup on my own.

(I drop off at 7AM - yes, really. Ugh - and catch the 7:18 to Hoboken in order to get to my Lower Manhattan desk by 8:20AM. I then leave work at 4:20PM and am at the Y by 5:40PM or so. In the New Year, the PM will change a bit, but I think I'll be able to hit the Y by 6 or so. (Worst case, I'll pay extra for the extra hour in the PM - booooo.)

maybe try a dry run one morning to reassure yourself.

I just double-checked with my husband - he said there are usually plenty of spots when he parks there at 8:15 - he takes the 8:31, but gets tea first at Village Coffee!

The permit that you'd need to buy for the rest of this year will only be good for the rest of the year. You will get it at half price (105 versus 210)  but that's all the accommodations you will get. Here's the link:

http://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/31

If you can hold out for about a month you may be able to use next year's permit a few weeks early. You can call and ask.

if you need to get to work at 9am, you need to get on the 8:00am train the latest, if you take the 8:15 you will not be there by 9am even if you work next to Penn Station, most likely 9:30

That's good to know. I drove down Dunnell this morning after drop off (around 8:30am) and all spots were taken. I guess I would need to park around 7:45am to make drop off and then walk back to the station.

ZimZimma said:
I just double-checked with my husband - he said there are usually plenty of spots when he parks there at 8:15 - he takes the 8:31, but gets tea first at Village Coffee!

@meganlibrarian, your situation sounds exactly like mine. I will need to catch the 5:15 evening train. Do you think I can get back to Maplewood, get one kid from the Y, and then make the school aftercare pickup by 6:30pm? 

meganlibrarian said:

You are allowed to park on Dunnell between Jefferson and Oakland with a parking permit.

2-Manhattan-jobs household, here. I do both dropoff and pickup for my Y toddler. I then head over to my other child's elementary school and do their pickup, too. My husband handles the AM dropoff for the elementary school child, but I do handle the Y dropoff/pickup on my own.

(I drop off at 7AM - yes, really. Ugh - and catch the 7:18 to Hoboken in order to get to my Lower Manhattan desk by 8:20AM. I then leave work at 4:20PM and am at the Y by 5:40PM or so. In the New Year, the PM will change a bit, but I think I'll be able to hit the Y by 6 or so. (Worst case, I'll pay extra for the extra hour in the PM - booooo.)

For the Clinton aftercare pickup you might think about hiring a teenager in the neighborhood to pick your child up and walk him/her to your house. If you are late they could stay with your child until you arrived home if they are too young to stay alone for a short time. It's one less worry and a young teenager might do it for as little as $20/week. Could be one less worry. 

I don't know exactly how much time you'd need to get to Clinton (sounds like it might be tight if you're picking up the little one first). But would it be possible for you to move your school age child to the aftercare at the Y? I know it's little more expensive than the school site, but it also goes to 7. If you put your little one in the ECLC extended care as well it might make the commute home less stressful--knowing that they are both in the same place and can pick up at 7. 

Congratulations on the new job and good luck. 

I typical took the 438 from Penn, the 418 if I could. if you take the 515, it is possible, but just barely and considering the reliability of NJT at times... I think in four years though I only had 2 times that I was ever actually late for a pickup and it was due to NJT each time and several other parents were late with me.

I did consider that, but then i realized that after care at the program center is only for kids up to 2nd grade, so he has to stay at Clinton. I might just try to get an earlier train! Thanks for the suggestion though

srp said:

I don't know exactly how much time you'd need to get to Clinton (sounds like it might be tight if you're picking up the little one first). But would it be possible for you to move your school age child to the aftercare at the Y? I know it's little more expensive than the school site, but it also goes to 7. If you put your little one in the ECLC extended care as well it might make the commute home less stressful--knowing that they are both in the same place and can pick up at 7. 

Congratulations on the new job and good luck. 

The older kids are in the Civic House in Memorial Park

yourisolde said:

I did consider that, but then i realized that after care at the program center is only for kids up to 2nd grade, so he has to stay at Clinton. I might just try to get an earlier train! Thanks for the suggestion though ">

srp said:

I don't know exactly how much time you'd need to get to Clinton (sounds like it might be tight if you're picking up the little one first). But would it be possible for you to move your school age child to the aftercare at the Y? I know it's little more expensive than the school site, but it also goes to 7. If you put your little one in the ECLC extended care as well it might make the commute home less stressful--knowing that they are both in the same place and can pick up at 7. 

Congratulations on the new job and good luck. 

yourisolde said:

@meganlibrarian, your situation sounds exactly like mine. I will need to catch the 5:15 evening train. Do you think I can get back to Maplewood, get one kid from the Y, and then make the school aftercare pickup by 6:30pm? 

@yourisolde Might be tight, but only because of the Y's regular hours officially ending at 6. They give you a 15-minute buffer, but if you're hitting that buffer on a regular basis, you might need to pay the extra $150/month to cover until 7PM. I might need to do this myself when my hours change in January. Thankfully, the Y is very flexible about families adding or removing that last hour - I plan on deciding if I need it once I see what my PM commute really is like in the new year.

meganlibrarian said:
You are allowed to park on Dunnell between Jefferson and Oakland with a parking permit.

I live on Dunnell.  This is true, however, check the signs. The permit parking section is much closer to Jefferson. A good bit of the street is 2 hour parking only (between 8am-4pm, school days).