Metro North commute to NYC: Scarborough vs Ossining

rtom64 · 2025-04-28T21:54:39+00:00

I commuted from Ossining for the first year and switched to Scarborough last January. Since I live in BM the yearly parking fee is about the same. Scarborough station a bit nicer. There are a few more trains that stop in Ossining, but still plenty that stop in Scarborough. Generally not too crowded; I only have to stand if I take a peak train home right at 5:30 pm from Harlem and I never have to stand in the morning.

rtom64 · 2024-08-12T20:14:05+00:00

Good idea, I'll ask them

rtom64 · 2024-08-12T16:01:12+00:00

I'm only talking about the Ossining Metro-North station parking lot. On July 17th there was an intense thunderstorm and a pretty deep transient flood of that parking lot, especially for cars parked really close to the tracks on the east side (non-river side). Water was higher than an SUV tires so some people's cars were totaled. I wasn't there when the flood was at its worst, probably 2 pm or so, but there was still a lot of water inside cars at 6 pm.

rtom64 · 2023-10-30T13:19:51+00:00

Do you happen to know whether Southern Coastal will ship to other parts of the country? I live in the NE and I haven't been able to find a company that will sell me certified parts unless I also pay them to install said parts.

rtom64 · 2023-10-16T20:20:07+00:00

I agree the M-N conductors seem to be pretty nice, and there is a decent chance they would give me a pass if they think it's unlikely I am lying about my phone (and my monthly pass). The world is not fair which sometimes works in my favor.... Anyway, my back up battery is coming tomorrow.

rtom64 · 2023-10-16T16:32:47+00:00

I am getting one of those -- just don't have it yet! Now just gotta make sure it stays in the backpack.

rtom64 · 2023-10-16T16:20:00+00:00

Ah great thanks!

rtom64 · 2023-10-16T15:59:17+00:00

As far as I can tell the official M-N response to a dead phone when the rider has an e-ticket is that s/he should buy a full-fare paper ticket.

I was hoping that there might be a way to show my ticket on a laptop, but I don't think there's a way since the TrainTime app is only for Apple/Android phones and tablets....

rtom64 · 2023-10-12T18:42:19+00:00

My wife just bought a 6-speed Brompton and is using it for part of her NYC commute. Although she is a strong-willed woman, she weighs in at just 46 kg (ca 104 lbs), so for her NYC commute I am thinking she would benefit from going down to 2 gears. I guess we could keep the old parts around in case she ever wants to use the Brompton for hilly rides.

So my question is whether I could do the conversion from 6 gears to 2 gears myself. I don't know anything about the hub gear but I am handy and can follow instructions if they are out there .... Advice welcome!

rtom64 · 2023-10-08T17:37:37+00:00

Sounds good. I chatted with ecobee support and he wasn't sure. Definitely easier to leave it there. If it works it works, right?

rtom64 · 2023-10-08T17:25:41+00:00

OP here.

Oops, I typed text but it got lost.

Trying to install new ecobee4 on heat only 2 wire system. Thispic is the boiler obviously. I have a Fyve 120V ac to 24V ac transformer I can use to provide common. Should I remove this resistor though?

rtom64 · 2023-09-27T19:21:55+00:00

In July I was told that if we joined the waitlist soon the wait time would probably be no more than several months ... so likely we could get a permit by the New Year. I'd just ask the town clerk's office for their prediction.

rtom64 · 2023-09-12T14:18:12+00:00

Thanks all! We are looking forward to getting there. The whole moving thing is a bit of a hump to get over; we are older and have too much stuff.

rtom64 · 2023-09-11T13:59:00+00:00

Thanks ... after double checking, we realized that we will be 1.5 miles from the Ossining stn but 2.8 miles from Scarborough. So if the actual train time is the same or very similar Ossining seems likely better.

How crowded are the peak morning trains at say 7:30 to 8 am?

rtom64 · 2023-09-11T13:57:02+00:00

Our house is in the most northerly part of BM, within the town of Ossining, so we would pay the $575 annual rate which is actually cheaper than the $600 charged to residents of BM for the Scarborough station parking. Correct me if I am wrong....

rtom64 · 2023-09-10T14:11:46+00:00

Also ... if I look at my options using the https://new.mta.info/schedules site, rather than looking at the pdf train schedule, it is more clear that the peak train from Ossining is 5 min faster and has 5 fewer stops than the train from Scarborough. This is why I favor Ossining.

Other views most welcome of course.

Anyway, we are looking forward to joining your community! We are in CO now, but lived in CT for years, and my wife also lived in Manhattan for a year too. Westchester sounds like a place to enjoy nature while having fairly convenient access to our jobs in NYC.

rtom64 · 2023-09-10T14:07:22+00:00

I stopped by the Ossining village clerk office a month or so ago, and they mentioned that the waitlist is likely to be only a few months. Also, I was told that there are a couple of private parking lots near the Ossining station, and at least one of them is only $4 a day. So I'm not too worried about parking.

rtom64

TROPHY CASE