Avoid Long Island If You Can (New York, Babylon: rental, car insurance, low crime)

[bnocher]

I've been living here on Long Island since 1974. And things have changed here. Growing up as a kid you felt safe. Now I would never let my child leave the yard. One parent could work and take care of the family. Now if you have a family be prepared to never see them. Working 2 jobs, weekends. Everything here is expensive. Not just food, gas, housing, taxes. But electric. Long Island Power is one of the most expensive in the US. Car insurance is another. I have family members in other States with yearly propery taxes cheaper then my car insurance for the year. And if you need to cross a bidge into the city. It's 7 to 9 dollars to cross and the bridges look like hell. They should be made out of gold at this point. Also school taxes climb to 1000's of dollars a year. And I don't see Albert Einsteins popping out of our school districts. And so much corruption in administration on the boards of alot of schools. Stealing money or mishandling where money should go. I lived here all my life...... And lately I've been rethinking about relocating. Not to scare anyone about moving to Long Island. Just want to give aheads up.

[clamboy]

Originally Posted by bnocher

I've been living here on Long Island since 1974. And things have changed here. Growing up as a kid you felt safe. Now I would never let my child leave the yard. One parent could work and take care of the family. Now if you have a family be prepared to never see them. Working 2 jobs, weekends. Everything here is expensive. Not just food, gas, housing, taxes. But electric. Long Island Power is one of the most expensive in the US. Car insurance is another. I have family members in other States with yearly propery taxes cheaper then my car insurance for the year. And if you need to cross a bidge into the city. It's 7 to 9 dollars to cross and the bridges look like hell. They should be made out of gold at this point. Also school taxes climb to 1000's of dollars a year. And I don't see Albert Einsteins popping out of our school districts. And so much corruption in administration on the boards of alot of schools. Stealing money or mishandling where money should go. I lived here all my life...... And lately I've been rethinking about relocating. Not to scare anyone about moving to Long Island. Just want to give aheads up.

Sadly you and everyone else.

Good post

C

[jfkIII]

You can still catch 'The Wonder Years' in repeats.

[norm]

Originally Posted by bnocher

I've been living here on Long Island since 1974. And things have changed here. Growing up as a kid you felt safe. Now I would never let my child leave the yard. One parent could work and take care of the family. Now if you have a family be prepared to never see them. Working 2 jobs, weekends. Everything here is expensive. Not just food, gas, housing, taxes. But electric. Long Island Power is one of the most expensive in the US. Car insurance is another. I have family members in other States with yearly property taxes cheaper then my car insurance for the year. And if you need to cross a bidge into the city. It's 7 to 9 dollars to cross and the bridges look like hell. They should be made out of gold at this point. Also school taxes climb to 1000's of dollars a year. And I don't see Albert Einsteins popping out of our school districts. And so much corruption in administration on the boards of alot of schools. Stealing money or mishandling where money should go. I lived here all my life...... And lately I've been rethinking about relocating. Not to scare anyone about moving to Long Island. Just want to give aheads up.

I've been living on LI since 2000. My wife works and I am retired. We are an average middle class couple and my wife doesn't have to work two jobs. We have little or no reason to go into Manhattan, everything we need is near us. I think the school taxes are high but then again maybe if I had kids in school I would have a different outlook. There has only been one Einstein and he wasn't born in the U.S. I hope you don't think corruption occurs only on the Island, you have it in the federal govt too.

Yes it is expensive too live here but it is still a safe environment and a good place to live and raise a family.

[clamboy]

Originally Posted by norm

I've been living on LI since 2000. My wife works and I am retired. We are an average middle class couple and my wife doesn't have to work two jobs. We have little or no reason to go into Manhattan, everything we need is near us. I think the school taxes are high but then again maybe if I had kids in school I would have a different outlook. There has only been one Einstein and he wasn't born in the U.S. I hope you don't think corruption occurs only on the Island, you have it in the federal govt too.

Yes it is expensive too live here but it is still a safe environment and a good place to live and raise a family.

My 1st house was 109k in 2000/Taxes were 1900
Mortgage was 935 a month with taxes.

Its around 300k now.
Everythings up threefold but wages.


Its a really difficult place to raise a family if youre statring out now.

C

[fopt65]

Originally Posted by clamboy

My 1st house was 109k in 2000/Taxes were 1900
Mortgage was 935 a month with taxes.

Its around 300k now.
Everythings up threefold but wages.


Its a really difficult place to raise a family if youre statring out now.

C

c,
Remember, you're bringing NY wages with you to CT due to staying in the same company. That skews your view about affordability. Many areas where houses are 200K, the salaries are under $10 per hour making it even more obscene than LI. This is a nationwide problem for the average working person, not just LI. You're taking your LI house money with you. You should be thankful for LI, it gave you quite an appreciable return on your money!

Also, yes LI is changing. It is the direct result of emigration from NYC and has been happening for years. What demographics is Hartford composed of? How long until they explore the surrounding suburbs and start living there?

I've looked at different areas in PA, NC and FL. Basically I've come to the conclusion that we all are going to have the same problems on affordability and taxes (especially as the number of people moving to the area swells causing the need for massive investment in schools and roads). LI is just further ahead on the bell curve because we were the first one to be built, and we are largely built out.

I'm not saying LI is the best place to live. People need to move to where they are comfortable. Just don't be surprised in a few years if the hartford suburbs forum sound pretty similar to the LI forums of today.

[clamboy]

Originally Posted by fopt65

c,
Remember, you're bringing NY wages with you to CT due to staying in the same company. That skews your view about affordability. Many areas where houses are 200K, the salaries are under $10 per hour making it even more obscene than LI. This is a nationwide problem for the average working person, not just LI. You're taking your LI house money with you. You should be thankful for LI, it gave you quite an appreciable return on your money!

Also, yes LI is changing. It is the direct result of emigration from NYC and has been happening for years. What demographics is Hartford composed of? How long until they explore the surrounding suburbs and start living there?

I've looked at different areas in PA, NC and FL. Basically I've come to the conclusion that we all are going to have the same problems on affordability and taxes (especially as the number of people moving to the area swells causing the need for massive investment in schools and roads). LI is just further ahead on the bell curve because we were the first one to be built, and we are largely built out.

I'm not saying LI is the best place to live. People need to move to where they are comfortable. Just don't be surprised in a few years if the hartford suburbs forum sound pretty similar to the LI forums of today.

Its pretty well built up there.

Insurance Capitol.....PLENTY of old money.

You never know.
C

[norm]

I was in Prescott, AZ 2 1/2 years ago to see if it was a place we wanted to retire to. We saw a lovely house that was selling for $175,000. 6 months later it was $225,000 and today it is over $300,000. The more desirable a place is to live the higher the housing prices have risen. In Nassau county there is little or no land for expansion so if you want to buy there it has to be a resale and if you want to live in one of the better towns you have to be willing to pay a premium for it.

I doubt that wages anywhere in the country have kept up with the increased cost of living so you can't just single LI out as THE area that it has.

[TristansMommy]

I was born and raised on LI. My parents came out here to Western Suffok from Queens in the 80's for exactly what you had said in your posts.

You are so dead on with this post. I currently own a small home in Levittown. My mortgage is $3300 /month with my taxes. All in all my basic expenses (car insurance, health insurance, car payement (cause you need one on LI), Utilities, Phone/Interent & Cable (which i need phone and net for work and they are bundled together) , Cell phone (which I need for work s well) costs me $6000 a month.!!! This doesn't even include groceries, diapers and any little extra's. I have NO SAVINGS account because there's nothing to save.

While I love my house and am proud to finally be a homeowner, I'm regretting my decision to buy (I bought in 2005). I bought a piece of poop I needed to sink so much money into.. it needed EVERYTHING. I am proud of it.. but I am stressed at my mortgage payments every month.

I have since had a child. Childcare is 1). Good luck finding a place that doesn't have a wiating list a year long especially for younger babies and those in diapers 2) if you have a 9-5 job 1/2 your paycheck will go to the daycare. I am self employed and so is my husband.. . and if we weren't, we DEFINATELY couldn't afford to live here.

I am middle class, and while I own a home here I hardly can afford it. I am researching where I can take my family to live a life where my husband can actually STOP working without fear that if he stops he will not make enough to pay oru bills/mortgage. AND...we can haev some money left over to save up for our chidrens (because we want more) college education.

The illegal rental problem.. well it's because the cost of living is so high in order for a couple to afford their home they need to rent out the space to help supplement income to pay their taxes/ mortgage. I have no problem with illegal apartments in my neighborhood as long as the tennants are quiet, clean and respectful.. and I don't get upset when I see a family renting out space..cause god knows they need to to pay the bills! Some of the towns have actually recognized that they need toamend their laws to allow for this..like in the Town of Babylon in Western Suffolk. They recognize the cost of livign is so that a family NEEDS to supplement and have legalized some rentals in a house.. other towns need to follow their lead!!

But..too late for this LI'r. I'm leaving and have been researching where to go. I have a 2 year exit plan.. hopefully if all goes well I will be living on a nice plot of land in a house twice the size for half the money on 3xs the land with my living costs cut in 1/2!! Amen to that.

[NY62]

But..too late for this LI'r. I'm leaving and have been researching where to go. I have a 2 year exit plan.. hopefully if all goes well I will be living on a nice plot of land in a house twice the size for half the money on 3xs the land with my living costs cut in 1/2!! Amen to that.;quote;

Make sure where ever you are thinking about going you go there and spend some time , not just a day either. Talk to people young and old see what they have to say. Look how close is the nearest hospital,airport and other things we take for granted here, think about it if someone got hurt you could be at a hospital in 15 mins , in other places that have cheap taxes and stuff it could take over an hour. That could be life or death. no one ever thinks it could happen to them. I would not take that chance with my kids maybe myself but not my wife and kids. Good luck to you . just remember it is hard to find a place the way it was here, when we all were growing up.