I finally got a first hand exposure to the late night goings-on at Penn Station, as my wife jumped an eastbound train and joined me in the city last night to catch a guitar playing friend’s 7 pm set.

The entry strategy went well overall–as my wife caught the 5:23 train east to Hoboken, and found her way to the PATH train, getting off at Christopher Street, and cabbing it to The Living Room on the lower east side. 

The neighborhood has really changed (gentrified) since we were last there 6 or 7 years ago–they even moved The Living Room!

We caught the short show, and wandered off for a bite to eat. Our friend Brian had to hit the road, to play again at an 11 pm set of Tom Waits covers back in his hometown of Philly.

At dinner nearby we geekily checked out our NJ Transit schedule, to land us in Penn Station in time for the train. Contrary to published reports, I must report that the 7th Avenue waiting area of Penn Station was mellow and felt quite safe as we waited for our track number to post.

Our train car was pretty sedate as well: no vomiting galpals, or loud cell phone conversations. Most folks reading or sprouting earbuds, fighting to stay awake through the many local stops.

Just before we disembarked, we overheard two conductors debating the seemingly very effective liquid sleeping agent of one necktied passenger: was it single malt scotch, or jagermeister? It was probably both.

Back home and babysitter released by 11:30, overall quite impressed with NJ Transit’s off-hours run on the rails.

–JerseyJim