I am a current verizon subscriber in the ny/nj area and was wondering if I need a tri mode phone or if I can go with all digital.
You should be fine with all digital. Technically my phone isn't a tri-mode and I have no problems whatsoever.
I was in NY/NJ back in April...I had a tri-mode phone, but it never went into the analog mode...it stayed digital regardless of my location (both in manhattan or in upstate NJ)...
I live in the NY Metro Region of CT. I have been all over CT, NYC area and Bergen County in NJ. I have never needed or used analog. If you find a phone that you like, do not hesitate because it does not have analog.