In 2026, Emily’s commute is long enough to watch every episode of Lost

Today the Thomases see the last New Jersey property on their Real Garden Estate Adventure. The property’s in Lawrenceville, childhood home of the Daily Show’s Jon Stewart. (Note: They will not be seeing said home.)

If you’re just boarding the train, Emily Thomas is a Jersey-born , career-focused , and baby-juggling New Yorker who’s thinking: “Jersey solves all. Well, maybe.”

As the demands of work, parenting, and daily life line up, the dominoes continue to fall and she’s tired of the games. When will she get a respite? (Shhhh. Nobody say: “In 18 years.”)

Her partner’s parents are in the city, and she is still growing accustomed to their (hands-off) grandparenting style. (Perhaps it’s just time for a frank conversation?)

Until that happens, we’re catching NJ Transit, stopping every 15 minutes along the Northeast Corridor Line. We started in Midtown West, i.e., the “walk-to-work” option. Today, we ride out to Hamilton, before looking at our Lower East Side reference point.

Here’s what the Thomases have seen so far:

• New York Penn Station >>> 340 West 55th Street #7B

• Newark Penn >>> 632 Belgrove Dr, Kearny Town, NJ 07032

• North Elizabeth >>> 216 W 6th Ave, Roselle Boro, NJ 07203

• Rahway >>> 150 Carolyn Ave, Colonia, NJ 07067

• Edison >>> 12 Edgewood Rd, Edison, NJ 08820

• Jersey Avenue >>> 10 Julie Ct, Somerset, NJ 08873

Today, it’s Lawrenceville.

Property #7: 36 Birdie Way, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, a 2,837 sq ft townhouse in Mercer County.

Property Details

• 3 bedrooms

• 3 baths

Commute Breakdown

• Location: Lawrenceville, NJ (Mercer)

• Train Stop: Hamilton (NJ Transit)

• / To Station: ~8 min (5.2 miles)

• Actual (NJT) Train Ride Time: 101 min

• Total Monthly Commute Time: 83.6 hours

• Monthly Commuter Cost: $1,235.69

Financial Summary

• List Price: $949,000

• Monthly Mortgage (P&I): $4,491.00

• Monthly Property Taxes: $1,349.92

• Utilities, HOA & Other Overhead (Component of Carrying Cost): $1,259.00

• Total Monthly Cost (All-in): $8,335.61

Pros and Cons Analysis

Pros: Bright, airy, multi-level townhouse with gorgeous hardwood floors, a thoughtful layout, marble countertops, Monogram appliances, and a 30,000 sq ft clubhouse that features a pool, tennis and pickleball courts, a fitness center, and on-site dining.

In many ways, this setup is quite similar to a city condo or co-op with luxury services included; however…

Cons: …if the Thomases don’t want a clubhouse or tennis courts or on-site dining, that’s $700+ per month in HOA fees that they will eat (along with 40+ days/year commuting).

Coming up, our LES reference point: 530 Grand Street #E8C

Methodology
I identified properties priced around or below $1,000,000 near NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor Line stops, one Midtown West option, and one LES reference point to compare commute time, costs, and ownership overhead. Assumptions span rates, pricing, and a range of factors covered in the full methodology, all intended to normalize monthly costs across property types.

Full methodology here.