If you are looking for the perfect blend of suburban tranquility and easy access to the bustling city, you will want to check out homes for sale on Long Island, New York. 

This 118-mile-long island connects to the five boroughs and has plenty of accessible options for folks commuting to the Big Apple. 

Multiple commuter towns to NYC offer efficient transportation options so commuters can enjoy a comfortable train on the Long Island Railroad or drive their car to work with ease. Long Island's communities range from small towns near the beach on the North Shore to quaint suburbs with bustling Main Streets. 

Yet, some areas are easier for commuting than others. To give people an idea of travel times, the team at Prevu Real Estate compiled a list of the top Long Island towns with easy commutes to New York City.

LI towns with short commutes to NYC 

• Great Neck

• Garden City

• Port Washington

• Rockville Centre 

• Wantagh 

• Long Beach 

• Roslyn

Great Neck 

One of the most desirable towns on Long Island for commuters is Great Neck. 

Located on the scenic North Shore of Long Island, Great Neck is in a prime location and offers easy access to Manhattan. On average, commutes to the city via the Long Island Rail Road take about an hour. 

Riders can grab a train at the Great Neck LIRR Station in the heart of town, which will take them directly to Penn Station, allowing for a seamless commute time of under an hour to Manhattan if you catch an express train. On the off-hours, a ride can take an hour to an hour and 20 minutes. Since the station is centrally located in town, there are plenty of places to pick up groceries and do some after-work shopping at the Great Neck Plaza on Middle Neck Road. 

Drivers can take Northern Boulevard Route 25A to the Long Island Expressway (LIE) or Middle Neck Road. If you leave before rush hour, the drive can take about 45 minutes to an hour. 

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Garden City

If you are looking for a no-nonsense commute via railroad, consider moving to Garden City. 

While many Nassau County towns on the South Shore are built up, Garden City retains a wooded feel as the suburban homes sit on larger plots of land sprinkled with older trees. The area has several golf courses, which add to the city's greenery. 

Garden City residents can easily access the city's heart while taking in the view from the train, with an average commute of 40 to 50 minutes. On the off-hours, expect a ride lasting about an hour and 15 minutes. 

The Garden City LIRR station is centrally located within the town, making it easy to grab food for dinner or head out shopping at the nearby Roosevelt Field Mall. 

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Port Washington

Port Washington is perfect for folks who love boating and spending time on the seas but require easy access to NYC. 

This North Shore gem is only 40 to 50 minutes away from Manhattan via the LIRR, despite being the last stop on the Port Washington Line of the railroad. Being last means getting the first choice of seats in the morning and almost always having a place to sit by the end of the ride. 

The station for Port Washington is located at Main Street and Haven Avenue, which is easy to reach from almost any part of the hamlet. Right near the station is Port Plaza Shopping Center, where commuters can grab a pick-me-up from one of the coffee shops before work. The Plaza also has a variety of shops, including grocery stores, retail outlets, and places to grab dinner before heading home. 

Driving into NYC from Port Washington can take some time, as you have to traverse down to Northern Boulevard, then hop on the LIE to reach the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. 

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Rockville Centre 

People who love golfing on the weekend should look at homes in Rockville Centre. 

Located right next to Hempstead Lake, Rockville Centre has two golf courses within minutes of each other. The Hempstead Golf and Country Club is north of the lake and the Southern State Parkway, while the Rockville Links Club is just east of the residential streets of Rockville Centre. 

On the other side of town, at the intersection of Sunrise Highway and North Village Avenue, you will find the Rockville Centre LIRR station. From here, the Bablyon Line train can get you to Penn Station in 45 minutes to an hour on peak times. If you go in on an off-peak train, the ride is an hour or so. 

You can also get to Grand Central from here, just account for transfer time at the Jamaica Station. The downtown of Rockville Centre is close to the train station, offering locals numerous restaurants, shopping outlets, and entertainment options. 

For those who prefer commuting by car, Rockville Centre offers convenient access to major roadways leading to Manhattan, which can take 30 minutes to an hour. Your best bet is to take the Southern State Parkway or Sunrise Highway to connect to the Belt Parkway. 

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Wantagh

If you love spending your weekends seeing music at Jones Beach, you should check out Wantagh, NY. 

This waterfront community on the South Shore of LI provides easy access to the LIRR and the Wantagh Parkway, which means getting to one of the many beaches is a breeze via the Goose Creek Bridge. One of the biggest pulls is the quick drive time to the Jones Beach Amphitheater, where big acts like Aerosmith, The Eagles, and The Goo Goo Dolls put on shows almost every night of the week. 

After an exciting weekend at the shore, you do not need to get the Sunday Scaries about your ride to work. Commuting to Penn Station is a breeze from Wantagh as you can catch a train at the Wantagh Train Station on Railroad Avenue near the intersection with Sunrise Highway. 

The Babylon Branch of the LIRR services Wantagh and folks can take a train directly to Penn Station in about an hour if you grab an express train. If you take an off-hour ride, the train can take about an hour and a half to reach Manhatttan. 

After work, you can stock up on supplies on Wantagh Avenue, where there is a collection of grocery and specialty stores. You can also grab a quick bite to eat at the Wantagh Inn before heading home for the day. 

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Long Beach 

People who love being close to the surf and sun but need to be in the city for work should check out Long Beach, LI. 

This unique oceanfront city is on the South Shore of Long Island, straddling the barrier island that creates the Great South Bay. To the south, you will see the towering condos above the famous boardwalk and beaches, while to the north, it is common to see homes on West Bay Avenue with private dock slips. 

The area is accessible via the Long Beach Branch of the LIRR, which delivers riders to Penn Station in about an hour. While the commute is longer here than in other locales on the island, there is a tradeoff of a coastal lifestyle within reach of the Big Apple. 

Most people commuting daily to the city move to the West End neighborhood in Long Beach; the area is close to the station and features many businesses on West Park Ave. There are popular bars like JJ Coopers and famous pizza places like Gino's Long Beach. Yet shoppers can also find a Rite-Aid and a Shop & Shop just across the street from the bars and restaurants. 

If you drive to work, you can still commute to Manhattan from Long Beach by taking the Loop Parkway to the Belt or Cross Island Parkways. Expect long drive times, as the drawbridges can add ten minutes or more to your commute if you have to wait for a vessel to pass. 

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Roslyn

From the great views of the Long Island Sound to the historic main street, there is plenty to love about Roslyn, NY. 

The community sits at the southern end of Hempstead Harbor on the North Shore, where you can find some of the most luxurious homes on Long Island. The famous Gold Coast of Long Island comes partly from the giant manors overlooking the harbor and the homes right off the fairway of the Engineers Country Club. 

While the homes and views are stunning, the commute is what attracts most folks to the area. Roslyn is on the Oyster Bay line of the LIRR, which connects directly to Penn Station in about an hour. But folks can also connect to the Port Jefferson Line and the Hempstead Line, so options exist when heading into Penn Station or Grand Central. 

The Roslyn Train Station is on Lincoln Avenue near the intersection with Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn Heights. This is the downtown for the community, and where you can find restaurants like Mim's and Trattoria DiMeo, a community staple. 

If you're looking for groceries, you'll have to drive to nearby Greenvale, where there is a Stop & Shop at the intersection of  Glen Cove Road and Northern Boulevard. You could also skip the Roslyn station and take the train out of Greenvale Station, which is one stop north on the Oyster Bay line.

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