Got an offer from a company that listed the role as "hybrid, NYC-based" in the posting. Turns out the office is not near a real train stop—it's out by the waterfront in Brooklyn and they run a private shuttle from the last subway. I live in Inwood. Door to door I'm looking at close to two hours each way, three days a week. Hiring manager keeps saying "it's still city-based" like that covers it.

Am I crazy for wanting to push back? I'm not asking for full remote, but I'd want either a fourth remote day or some kind of travel consideration. Have people successfully negotiated after the offer letter listed the office days?

Okay I'm new to the whole offer negotiation thing so sorry if this is dumb, but did you not know the address before the final round? I feel like I keep seeing Brooklyn addresses listed as "NYC" and I just assumed that's normal. Is the shuttle free at least? Also two hours from Inwood to Brooklyn sounds rough but maybe reverse commute? I'd love to know what they say because I have an interview near a similar area next week.

I get so annoyed when hiring managers act like the five boroughs are all one neighborhood! NYC-based can mean anything from Mott Haven to Tottenville. The real question is whether the job description or the HR screener said a specific neighborhood. If they hid the exact location until after the loop, that's a bad sign. Check the office address on your own before the next call. You can also ask: "Can you confirm the in-office days and whether the shuttle runs on a fixed schedule?" If they won't put it in writing, I'd be very suspicious. Also, don't sleep on the pre-tax commuter benefit angle if the employer is big enough. Huge difference over a year.

DykerNewbie, they gave the address after the second interview but I didn't really map it from Inwood until the offer came. My fault, I know. The shuttle is free, but it only runs every 20 minutes after a certain hour, so you miss it and you're standing there like a jerk.

RiverdaleRambler, yeah I'm going to ask them to confirm the office days in writing. They said three days to start, then "maybe more during onboarding." That's what got me annoyed.

Just tried to look at my interview place and it's actually the same kind of setup, shuttle from 59th St maybe. I didn't even ask about the shuttle because I thought all offices just had a subway nearby. Thanks for the tip about putting it in writing. You all just saved me from a nasty surprise.