It’s not a realistic commute. I live 12 miles from Manhattan and the commute is a living hell. You will likely spend 5 hours or more a day in frustrating, painfully slow traffic from where you are. If there is an accident or something you can spend longer commuting than working. Don’t kid yourself. It isn’t worth it.

Is it possible to take the train for part of your journey? 2xs a weeks isn't so bad but with traffic my commute by bus which would have been a 30min drive in off hours within north jersey frequently became 1hr plus during busy hours. I don't want to discourage you but I'd advise against the taking the bus all the way up if a train is at all available even if it's gonna require an extra transfer. Train is fewer stops and not subject to traffic delays although delays will happen at times.

Yes, this is doable! I know that bus (137). It goes from Toms River Bus Depot directly to Port Authority in 1 hour and 35 minutes. Very doable, very comfortable. So convenient since Port Authority is close to Broadway.

The 137/319 is very reliable, and usually doesn’t have delays in the morning due to its use of the exclusive bus lane through the Lincoln Tunnel. Travel time on the express from Toms River P&R is about 1h35m unless there’s a major accident before the tunnel. Frequency in the morning is every half hour. From there, it’s pretty easy to get to the subway. The Rt 549 service provides some extra local service in case you can’t get to the P&R, in return for being a bit longer. Coming back, you may have a bit of tunnel traffic, but it still takes about the same time.

The train is really not necessary or even faster from Toms River once you factor in transfers from the bus; the ferry is nice, but you really need a car to get to the ferry terminal (and it’s $$).

Bus tips: If you’ll be going in 2x/wk (four one-ways/wk), definitely consider the 10-trip bundle or 20-trip “flex” bundle to save money. 10 trips (~15% off) are valid for 20 days from purchase date, 20 trip flex pass (20% off) are good for 30 days from purchase date. The number of zones will depend on where in Toms River you are boarding.

Honestly, even if you had a car, the bus is likely still a bunch cheaper. You can absolutely bring a scooter or bike on the bus, just ask the driver and they’ll put it under for you. If a kick scooter enables you to take the expresses from the P&R, it’s well worth it for the flexibility; I know TR is pretty large.

If you haven’t taken NJT buses before, you should know that they usually operate by request stop, meaning you need to hail the one you want as it approaches by waving. Tickets/passes can be bought on the official NJT app ahead of time, but you need to board with a just-activated ticket which you show the driver (and maybe scan, if it has one of those QR readers). Tell them it’s your first time and where you’re going (like “New York” or “Toms River, Ocean County Mall”) to confirm it’s the right bus.

When returning, you can confirm the correct gate in Port Authority Bus Terminal by looking at the schedule or using the MyTerminal app (because that building is run by Port Authority). Be sure you’re getting on the correct bus that goes to your destination and plan extra time for PABT. When riding, it’s really helpful to have a transit app of some kind to track where you are, especially if it’s dark out or for your first few rides. I suggest Citymapper or Transit (green squiggly N app icon) since they have live bus updates, and Google Maps as a backup or for finding a good stop for you (only has bus schedules). The official NJT app also has a live map if you go in through MyBus, but it’s a little clunky. After you pass the stop before yours, push the red stop button above you.

That should be about it; let me know if you have any questions, even basic ones, it’s all good.

Why not take a day off and do a test run? Worst case you visit the city.

I use the NJ Transit mobile app, give u a very accurate ETA, and u can buy tickets thru the app itself. Saved me many hours of travelling from Jersey

What part of the shore and where in Manhattan? Is the ferry an option?

https://seastreak.com/ferry-routes-and-schedules/between-new-jersey-and-new-york-city/

It’s possible, definitely 2 hours+ in waiting. My In law takes the bus every couple of weeks, randomly it won’t be the same schedule/leave her at a diff stop; not sure how dependable the buses are

What city are you starting from?

I took a job with a longer commute and let me tell you… it sucks commuting. I’m still glad I did it for other reasons, but think long and hard before you take on a 2-3 hour commute. You should be devising a plan to move if you’re dead set on working in NY. It might even be beneficial to get an apartment during the week to crash at with roommates in Hudson county or NY just to avoid the awful commute. Idk what your personal life is like and if you can make that work. Is this job remote at all?

I’d drive to the nearest large station with a lot and take the train. If your job is in downtown then a ferry from holmdel.

Work with someone who lives by Trenton and they take one of the NEC trains before COVID twice a week.

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You may want to take the train. Drive to long branch so you don’t have have to switch trains or all the way to metro park and your train ride will be even shorter.

I live in Brick and work in the city and take the 137. It’s not to bad of a trip it’s usually like an hour and a half. Less on Friday’s when there’s no traffic. The train from down here is horrendous it takes forever.

If it's feasible, you can drive up to one of the rest areas and get an academy bus into port authority.