Tale of an Expatriate #3
“Easy Bus Commute”

The rent in Manhattan, even for 50-year-old apartment, is expensive at $2,000 per month, or \340,000 at the exchange rate of the time.

However, a security guard is stationed at the entrance 24hrs a day, which is typical environment in New York City where one pays for peace of mind.

Commuting to work is convenient. Take the bus west on 72nd street, transfer at 5th Avenue, and head south to the office in 30minutes. First bus transfer is free of charge.
If you pay the fare on the first bus, get a transfer ticket, and hand it in on the next bus, you will not be charged for the ride.

Most of the expatriates were families with children, so they commuted by train, a 40-50minutes ride from the suburbs, where is convenient for commuting to Japanese schools.
As a newlywed with no children, the 30-minute “Easy Bus Commute” made me feel superior every day as a new expatriate. -S.M.-