"Hello, Dolly" Q

I just watched Hello, Dolly on the airplane last night, having never gotten around to it before. One plot point puzzles me (although I guess it could be a joke): There’s a long, arduous, expensive train ride between Yonkers and New York City.

?

Aren’t these two entities basically across the street from each other? I know the Bronx (which separates Yonkers from Manhattan) was annexed to the city a little bit at a time and the process concluded a few years after the movie took place, but still, we’re talking about a five mile train ride at the most here. What gives?

I don’t think it was arduous but, we’re talking a long time ago. Sleepy Hollow isn’t far from NYC but it took Johnny Dep a long time to get there in the movie Sleepy Hollow. Everything was expensive to those boys. They don’t have much money.