Neville, your commute depends (obviously) on where you’re going, how you’re getting there, and what neighborhood you’re living in. For instance, Kew Gardens Hills has no subway stops, but Kew Gardens has the E and the F at Union Turnpike and the J and Z at 121st Street and Jamaica Avenue. The trip from Union Turnpike to 53rd and Lexington takes less than 30 minutes.
As for the language barrier in BP, in my experience, most Chassidic women speak pretty good English. Many men don’t.