I almost always get a decent seat, with either no or an unobtrusive seat mate.
Got a great pair of noise canceling headphones.
Click, the train disappears.
I've got a great last gen Nexus 7, and I'm about 400 pages into HHGTTG, using an easy interface that I don't need glasses for.

I also love my smoke breaks. 40 floors down, FAST, smart elevators, walk outside, and get a continuous pageantry of NYC on sunny summer day. WOW. It's amazing, and rarely duplicating.

I'm going to buy a decent pair of rollerblades (again), to use to/from the train station in NYC. M will dropoff and pickup locally.

As far as decompress with family, it's perfect. I am in my office, EARLY, 7:30, but I leave guilt free to catch the 5:17 home. I get home 5 minutes before B does, M has already prepared dinner to be waiting before she picks me up at the train station, so it all hits perfectly for the next hour or so.