Reverse Commute: Why I Chose To Work In Bronxville Instead of Manhattan

It happens every time someone asks where I work.  They can't believe I'd brave the morning rush of the Metro-North, the pushing and shoving, and long, anxious lines at the Starbucks in Grand Central - all in the name of what one friend referred to as "a bizarre reverse commute." 

"Why would you work in Bronxville when you could be in Manhattan?"

For me, the answer is pretty simple: I like Bronxville.  I graduated from Sarah Lawrence, so I got used to how the village operates - at a much less hurried and frantic pace than Manhattan, but with no less of the drive of the city, and much more of a community feel.  I grew up in a smaller town in North Carolina where everyone knew each other, and so I got used to "living locally."  And since I prefer the hustle and bustle of city life for evenings and weekends, (since no one can deny that the cultural events of NYC can't be beat) I get the best of both worlds.  Bronxville commerce is self-sufficient without the overwhelming, sometimes stale and overwhelming feel of bigger chains.  Plus, the shopping in Bronxville is much more condensed and organized than much of Manhattan - there's a boutique, specialized, feel to shopping here, and customers get much more personal attention than in crowded Manhattan stores. 

Plus, my office environment in Bronxville is certainly much more pleasant than it would ever be in the cutthroat corporations of Manhattan.  I work with an intelligent, enthusiastic, honest, and – most importantly – fun group of people in Bronxville, and we’ve been fortunate enough to develop a lot of great personal and work relationships with local vendors.  We’re especially fond of the newly opened “Asian Wind” restaurant just a few (very tempting!) steps away from our office.  Look out for their upcoming Bubble Tea addition to the menu, which we were fortunate enough to sample this morning, courtesy of our friends at “Asian Wind!”