Fairfield Metro Train Station
Best Towns to Commute to NYC from Connecticut
The shoreline towns in Connecticut closest to the New York border offer the shortest commuting times to New York City, whether by car or train. Most commuters prefer to use the train rather than drive into the city, but I have done both over the years. I’ve commuted from New Canaan, Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield, and the Black Rock section of Bridgeport. When I was completing my Ph.D. at Columbia University, I drove my car, but when I began working in mid-town, commuting by train was easier and more productive (thanks to laptop computers).
If you are thinking of moving to Connecticut and commuting to Manhattan, you’ll want to consider not just the train ride itself, but also the wait list for the train station parking lot. Based on information compiled from several sources, including WestCOG’s “MetroNorth New Haven Line Parking Analysis (July 8, 2019), I’ve summarized the wait list situation of all the Metro North stations between Greenwich and Bridgeport, which are the stations along the MetroNorth line which most of the commuters to NYC use.
Greenwich – has four stations and the permit parking wait list is as follows: Greenwich – 4 years, Cos Cob – 1.5 years, Riverside – 1.5 years, Old Greenwich – 3 years.
Stamford – has one station. There are no city-owned parking lots, so there is no Stamford wait list. Most of the parking is privately owned. There is a state-run parking with 243 people on the waiting list for 1,375 spaces.
Darien – has two stations with a 7.5 year wait for the Noroton Heights station and a 7 year wait for the Darien station.
Westport – has two stations, with the following wait times: Westport – 2 years and Green Farms – 2 years.
Norwalk – has three stations, with the following wait times: Rowayton – 4 years, South Norwalk – 2 years, and East Norwalk – unknown. The East Norwalk station has 136 people on the wait list for 186 spaces.
Fairfield – has three stations, including: Southport, Fairfield Center, and Fairfield-Black Rock (formerly Fairfield Metro). The Southport and Fairfield Center parking lots are run by the Town of Fairfield, call the Fairfield Parking Authority for more information at 203-256-3053. The Fairfield-Black Rock station is within a mile radius of most residents of Black Rock. Both Southport and Fairfield Center have wait times of 2-2.5 years. The Fairfield-Black Rock parking is privately owned and located at 61 Constant Comment Way, Fairfield, CT 06824. Daily M-F $6.00 / 6-month permit $210* (FREE on weekends and holidays) (source: CTRides.com).
Best Community to Buy a Home for Commuters Needing Parking
Based on the information above the Black Rock section of Bridgeport offers the best commuting option with only a 1-1.5 year wait for permit parking. Black Rock is a lovely seaside village situated on the border of Fairfield and Bridgeport.
Black Rock is an excellent commuting option to New York City given the ample Day Parking available, the relatively short wait for permit parking, and express trains that take just over an hour.
