I have to say the vast majority of people who go to school or work in Manhattan commute every day for a small fee (what is it, $2.50 by MTA?). A large amount of people even commute from Long Island by the LIRR, which, sure, is a lot more expensive. But this is nothing compared to the cost of living in Manhattan. Commuting is the norm, and an hour of travel really isn't that much, especially when you can read, listen to music, or even get some school work done (well, this works on the ferry). Most of my friends work & go to school in addition to commuting. I used to do it myself from Staten Island, and it's typically an hour, granted everything is running on time. I used to take either the free ferry or express bus ($7.00?). I'm not too sure about the prices since I drive now (Undergraduate at Brooklyn college), and even that isn't bad. I think the Verrazano is $5.50 with my EZ-Pass when re-entering SI. My studio apartment is $700/month. Previously I rented a room for $400. I take out loans for my tuition, and work to cover my other expenses. So does it take a lot of discipline? Yes. Is it too much? I don't think so. I consider myself lazy half the time. So it's definitely possible to commute to Manhattan every day. Though I myself also question whether an MFA is worth the tuition costs at New School.
