It is a quick ride into NYC from northern and central NJ. It’s a longer train ride from south Jersey and the Jersey shore but no further away than Philadelphia from NYC. I forget what part of NJ the YJ girls are from. If I remember right, they live in a fictional town somewhere along the Jersey shore?
Lots of suburban teens do come into NYC from NJ, CT, Long Island, Westchester, etc by train. We call them the bridge and tunnel kids and it’s probably a rite of passage for a lot of them seeking adventure, independence, rebellion, etc. But there are also plenty of people in NJ who have never been to NYC. I have cousins who live on the Jersey shore who have never been to NYC. To them, NYC is this big bad scary place that they see on the news. It might as well be the moon.
Some of the YJ girls might have gone to NYC regularly for fun. I guess Van wasn’t one of them because she either had no interest in going there or was afraid to or something else that is part of who her character is.
ETA: I’m going to need to read a recap of S1 and S2 before watching S3. I love YJ but I’ve mostly been marathoning shows and I’m not used to waiting this long between seasons anymore. I forgot too much.
