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Disagreed. I know a few people who were doing just fine on the Island, but they still left. Even if the cost of living was 40% lower, I'd still have plans to leave. Long Island just isn't for me.
Different strokes for different folks, you gotta go where you're happy
Even if the property taxes were not stratospheric, cost of living was closer to the national average (we're obviously way above the avg and moving higher fast) and energy rates were cut in half (that would put us at about $.15/kwh, which is still higher than the national avg for electric), LI is a mess. Shuttered stores everywhere, traffic congestion is worse than ever and the roads are falling apart.
I've lived in several different states during my adult life and was raised on LI. I can tell you two things:
-ignoring cost of living, quality of life sucks. Too much development on too little land, too many cars, trucks and warehouses.
-people on this board rave about the beauty of LI. You know, it was beautiful when I was a kid. Now, it's house after house after, strip malls galore and lots of parking lots. I guess many folks find the shore and the sound quite beautiful and it is. But how many times can you get to a publically accessible shore point.
The Island is on the way down and the pols and unions are seeing to the demise. With fiscal debacle after debacle, both counties are just steps away from insolvency.
Don't kid yourself, there are lot's of other places you'll like even more. And you'll have more in your pockets to show for it. And if you're not going to enjoy a LI-style public pension, you may still get to retire.
I agree - being the suburb of the greatest city in the world has more benefits than most of us realize.
I think that is partially true, however when was the last time you took advantage of living near NYC? I have a coworker who moved into the city, has a decent apartment, now can't really afford to do the city things now that she's there.
I like the city, and try and go in sometimes, but really comes to only a few times a year tops
"case closed"? there are plenty of areas of the country that have a lot of things going for it. if cost of living wasn't an issue there are still plenty of reasons to get off the island. I'm sure it was intended in good fun, but I personally find atitudes like that as another reason why I have a dislike for the island. we're so full of ourselves that we think that everyone else is trying to get where we are.
I dont think its arragonce to come back here and just let people aware of life outside the NY area. I also dont think its a case of not being able to afford Long Island.
I think at some stage of our lives we decide what is important to us. Yes, the money is great on Long island and we miss that. But the stress of making that money was so high, that it was affecting our health and well being. When we were in our 20's and 30's our goal was to work as hard as we could and have a nice nest egg, travel as much as we could. Now that we are in our late 40's our goal is to work less, enjoy life, and we can actually travel more. We also would like our children educated in a district where they can be successful and we felt that the local school district at a 25% dropout rate just didnt cut it for us.
The grass isnt greener ; its just a different shade of green. Do we miss Long Island ; my kids miss their friends. I dont miss the racing and trying to squeeze more into each day.
I agree - being the suburb of the greatest city in the world has more benefits than most of us realize.
It also means trucking has to go through the greatest city in the world to get goods on and off of the Island. Jacks up prices of things coming in and makes items produced on the Island very expensive to ship off.
I dont think its arragonce to come back here and just let people aware of life outside the NY area. I also dont think its a case of not being able to afford Long Island. ...
I dont think its arragonce to come back here and just let people aware of life outside the NY area. I also dont think its a case of not being able to afford Long Island.
I think at some stage of our lives we decide what is important to us. Yes, the money is great on Long island and we miss that. But the stress of making that money was so high, that it was affecting our health and well being. When we were in our 20's and 30's our goal was to work as hard as we could and have a nice nest egg, travel as much as we could. Now that we are in our late 40's our goal is to work less, enjoy life, and we can actually travel more. We also would like our children educated in a district where they can be successful and we felt that the local school district at a 25% dropout rate just didnt cut it for us.
The grass isnt greener ; its just a different shade of green. Do we miss Long Island ; my kids miss their friends. I dont miss the racing and trying to squeeze more into each day.
The money is great on LI? Doing what?
Historically, LI has been one of the lowest paying metropolitan areas in the country. I think it has to do with very limited employment due to the constant exodus of business off of LI.
Back when the salaries in NYC were much higher than national average, many commuted on the train to NYC. Occasional job openings on LI would garner lots of attention because the candidates could look forward to getting off of the LIRR and shorten their commute. Employers figured that was worth $$ and lowered compensation accordingly.
It helps to be self-employed, but if you go that route, there are many advantages to moving your company off of LI and out of NY.
Location: Prince Georges County, MD (formerly Long Island, NY)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbathedog
I've lived in several different states during my adult life and was raised on LI. I can tell you two things:
-ignoring cost of living, quality of life sucks. Too much development on too little land, too many cars, trucks and warehouses.
Yeah, congestion is getting to be a big problem here in Nassau. It's a shame I even have to time my trips to WalMart so I don't hit Hempstead Turnpike between 4:30-6:30 because of rush hour
Old Country Road is turning into a parking lot and they still okay'd ANOTHER shopping center to be built there. Don't get me wrong, it's going to be a BEAUTIFUL shopping center, but it's going to make for even more congestion. Why can't Kate Murray and her posse look for ways to mitigate congestion instead of cracking down on flag signs??
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prettyflyforawhiteguy
I agree - being the suburb of the greatest city in the world has more benefits than most of us realize.
This is very true, I must agree with you on that-- but it also comes with the associated headaches.
Just a couple of days ago, I wanted to take advantage of a free concert in Manhattan. What should've been a 90 minute trip, morphed into a 2:15 hour debacle (NICE bus never came, so I had to drive and pay $6 for LIRR parking, then the trains were messed up).
Again, YMMV...I just frequently have bad days with NYC mass transit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by okaydorothy
I dont think its arragonce to come back here and just let people aware of life outside the NY area. I also dont think its a case of not being able to afford Long Island.
I think at some stage of our lives we decide what is important to us. Yes, the money is great on Long island and we miss that. But the stress of making that money was so high, that it was affecting our health and well being. When we were in our 20's and 30's our goal was to work as hard as we could and have a nice nest egg, travel as much as we could. Now that we are in our late 40's our goal is to work less, enjoy life, and we can actually travel more. We also would like our children educated in a district where they can be successful and we felt that the local school district at a 25% dropout rate just didnt cut it for us.
The grass isnt greener ; its just a different shade of green. Do we miss Long Island ; my kids miss their friends. I dont miss the racing and trying to squeeze more into each day.
Right, it's not only about cost, it's about the value of what you're paying. Some people think LI is a good value for what they pay, others dont. You gotta do what's right for you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrisk327
I think that is partially true, however when was the last time you took advantage of living near NYC? I have a coworker who moved into the city, has a decent apartment, now can't really afford to do the city things now that she's there.
I like the city, and try and go in sometimes, but really comes to only a few times a year tops
"case closed"? there are plenty of areas of the country that have a lot of things going for it. if cost of living wasn't an issue there are still plenty of reasons to get off the island. I'm sure it was intended in good fun, but I personally find atitudes like that as another reason why I have a dislike for the island. we're so full of ourselves that we think that everyone else is trying to get where we are.
But aren't there a ton of free things to do in the city? You gotta be creative.
That said, I do know people who live in the city that get so caught up in the rat race that they don't have TIME to take advantage of such things.
Fair enough but it was hotter on LI today, and looking at Farmingville, we're both in border towns.
Its 73 here today. Heat was short lived and still nothing compared to what it felt like down south DAILY every summer.
Farmingville?? LOL!! Texas is number 2 in the country for illegal aliens, and although NY as a state (counting the largest city in the nation) is number 3, it is estimated Texas has more than twice the amount NYS does. Not to mention the amount that crosses the Texas border on a daily basis. Please, you can say the typical "I Hate LI" talking points all you want but Texas dosent have a leg to stand on in that category.
The issue I have with any of these discussions (read - urination contests) is that Long Island isn't a consistent QoL place unto itself - it is not the same experience regardless of where you live on the island... I can name many many towns that I would never raise a family - somehow areas that you don't drive through at night let alone live in are forgotten completely as relevant to the discussion. Can you really say you're living in "the suburbs of the greatest city in the world" in Mastique? or Shirley... or Medford... or Riverhead... or on and on and on. Those middle of the road towns... I mean seriously, Ronkonkoma really lights the charts as QoL! Others will say the same thing about Tarnation and TX and <insert popular transplant state> - it's unavoidable.
In the end, it's too easy to generalize on both sides and we all take some liberties (or pokes) at each other - expats vs. the natives. But for me the affordability question goes back to your personal situation - it's not something you can plug into an algorithm. Many of the transplants that left can afford to live on LI - heck I could have done it easily if I chose to live in a borderline ghetto of rundown streets and houses (yet still called "good" for schools by many here).
It's hard to argue a couple of key points specific to this thread. LI in general is not the same place it was 20 years ago... a LI that many think of when they refer to where they live... and it has not been changes for the positive. Secondly, I think it's more then fair for expats to come back here and offer opinions. I've never "bragged" about the size of my home, yet it is assumed I moved to live in a McMansion (I don't and didn't). However, I have lived on LI and lived elsewhere - I base my opinions on that practical experience. I don't generalize on what I may have seen on a visit... or what I read on a web site... or what others told me. This is something that only the expats can offer here and why I (and assume others) still post here.
If you all were being perfectly honest here, the cruelest and meanest posting here about how bad LI is comes from the Nassau vs. Suffdump posting of NATIVE LIers bashing each other... This is where the real venom is when you read these boards long enough. Says quite a bit by itself.
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