West Babylon? (Lindenhurst, North Babylon, North Lindenhurst: village, farming, between)

[thebobs]

Originally Posted by cmdrogogov

My only gripe is that it's very hard to get around without a car - of course, that's true for most places in the US but as a non-driver, I'd dearly love to see some more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly access popping up to town centers and public transport stations like Babylon or Lindenhurst station.

Ok, I hope you saw Back to the Future Part 1. In it, Marty has a skateboard and hangs onto other cars to help him get around faster.

Saves you gas and cab money.

[Artmuzik]

[quote=sizedeep;9311811]I agree with you on one of your points. I live in a neighborhood with a large methadone clinic and it seems like there are white undesirables all over the place. I don't want to raise my family with undesirable people traipsing all over the place, whether they be white, black, hispanic etc... That being said, the sad reality is that traditionally black neighborhoods on Long Island (or neighborhoods that have turned black over the last 30 years or so for that matter like Uniondale, Baldwin, Elmont etc...) are viewed as undesirable places to live by many whites, and I believe rightfully so. One only needs to compare the crime statistics over the past few decades for the neighborhoods that "turned", or became black neighborhoods, to see a marked difference in the quality of life from when they were predominantly white. Crime has skyrocketed, dropout rates have risen as well. And the overall quality of life has decreased. Let me state clearly that I am no way a racist person at all. However, the reality is until the black neighborhoods can turn around this disturbing trend white people en mass are not going to want to live in predominantly black locales. Just my 2 cents....[/quote
Unfortunately, I can believe the crime stats and would love nothing more than to see the irresponsible black folks in these neighborhoods to get their crap together surrender to this gangsta,ghetto lifestyle. But you see, the problem I have is for black folks like the family I come from and so many others get stigmatized by society,not just white folks either,assuming the worst by just showing up. It's painful and makes one become justifiably paranoid thinking others are uncomfortable just by your presence. Believe me, I understand some of the posters concerns but making sweeping indictments of black folks presence, not black neighborhoods is what is totally racist. Assumimg all Italians are racists is just as bigoted as assuming the same thing about all or most blacks.
That being said, What do good black folks do? Move to "bad" all black neighborhoods or try to find a decent,diverse neighborhood. Oh, that's right. Thats an oxymoron.

[QnstoLI]

Hey Trudi,
I am not from West Babylon or Babylon, but I did recently get the oppurtunity to travel to each by chance. Babylon was an adorable little town w/ shops and people walking around and seemed really nice. West Babylon on the other hand seemed in my opinion a little run down. It wasn't wat I expected from a LI town so far east. It had a great number of run down homes and boarded up properties. I was only in one little area and maybe I missed a nicer section, but I would be very careful shopping out there. I'd stay in Queens before the part of WB I was in. Good Luck

[Burb]

Originally Posted by QnstoLI

Hey Trudi,
I am not from West Babylon or Babylon, but I did recently get the oppurtunity to travel to each by chance. Babylon was an adorable little town w/ shops and people walking around and seemed really nice. West Babylon on the other hand seemed in my opinion a little run down. It wasn't wat I expected from a LI town so far east. It had a great number of run down homes and boarded up properties. I was only in one little area and maybe I missed a nicer section, but I would be very careful shopping out there. I'd stay in Queens before the part of WB I was in. Good Luck

Wow, I live in the Village and frequent WB for shopping, school activities, etc. I have heard WB had some rough neighborhoods north of the SSP but those are few and far between, do you recall the area you were in with so many homes boarded up or in shambles? Comparing WB to Queens??

Here are a few photos of the WB I know. Note the Brownie troop pulled out their AK47's and started spraying the crowd shortly after this photo was taken.

Few know how good the schools are. WB's middle of the road test scores mask the excellent AP and extracurricular activities available. Did you know: America's healthiest schools ranked - CNN.com

West Bab is fine folks. Gotta love the drive by critic.

[sizedeep]

[quote=Artmuzik;9416094]

Originally Posted by sizedeep

I agree with you on one of your points. I live in a neighborhood with a large methadone clinic and it seems like there are white undesirables all over the place. I don't want to raise my family with undesirable people traipsing all over the place, whether they be white, black, hispanic etc... That being said, the sad reality is that traditionally black neighborhoods on Long Island (or neighborhoods that have turned black over the last 30 years or so for that matter like Uniondale, Baldwin, Elmont etc...) are viewed as undesirable places to live by many whites, and I believe rightfully so. One only needs to compare the crime statistics over the past few decades for the neighborhoods that "turned", or became black neighborhoods, to see a marked difference in the quality of life from when they were predominantly white. Crime has skyrocketed, dropout rates have risen as well. And the overall quality of life has decreased. Let me state clearly that I am no way a racist person at all. However, the reality is until the black neighborhoods can turn around this disturbing trend white people en mass are not going to want to live in predominantly black locales. Just my 2 cents....[/quote
Unfortunately, I can believe the crime stats and would love nothing more than to see the irresponsible black folks in these neighborhoods to get their crap together surrender to this gangsta,ghetto lifestyle. But you see, the problem I have is for black folks like the family I come from and so many others get stigmatized by society,not just white folks either,assuming the worst by just showing up. It's painful and makes one become justifiably paranoid thinking others are uncomfortable just by your presence. Believe me, I understand some of the posters concerns but making sweeping indictments of black folks presence, not black neighborhoods is what is totally racist. Assumimg all Italians are racists is just as bigoted as assuming the same thing about all or most blacks.
That being said, What do good black folks do? Move to "bad" all black neighborhoods or try to find a decent,diverse neighborhood. Oh, that's right. Thats an oxymoron.

Art, sorry it took me awhile to respond and I hope I didn't come across as bigoted in my original post. The last thing I want to do is offend anybody on this board, which I have found to be most informative and generally filled with decent people. But man, I find some people that post on here a little amusing sometimes with their "pie in the sky" attitudes. I'm not trying to cause trouble with anyone here but working with a nice black guy 10 years ago doesn't make you an authority on black/ white racial relations. The point I'm making here on this board is that, unfortunately, until "black people" (en masse, and I really hate saying it like that but I don't know how else to say it without maybe coming off a little bit insensitive) can come up with a way to "destigmatize" (sic) themselves they will never gain acceptance into a middle/ upper middle class white neighborhood. It's a fact of life. And again, I don't know how to quite say this without coming off like a complete racist idiot but I'll try: The track record really does speak for itself. People, just take a look at what has occured in neighborhoods that have become black in the last 30-40 years. I'm a Nassau guy and honestly, there is no way I would raise my kids in Elmont, Uniondale, Roosevelt, ehhh maybe Baldwin I don't know though. Those towns (at least in my opinion, for me and my family, are not desirable places to live) And you know what? An intellegent black man who is concerned about raising his family in a desirable neighborhood who is posting on this board agrees with me. And I'm sorry, but any white person on this board that says something to the effect of "Ohhh I would raise my family there as long as the people I live near to are good people" are full of sh*t. OK fine, so sell me your house in Seaford and move to Uniondale. Put your money where your mouth is.

[Babyland]

I'm originally from West Babylon and I just read this thread out of curiosity. It showed up on a Google search when I was researching crime rates and thought I'd see how the old burb was doing. I see nothing at all specifically discouraging about WB in comparison with other equivalent towns in Suffolk and Nassau. When I travel back every year, I certainly see the differences from what it was like growing up in the 60s and 70s, specifically, how well-cared for the homes are. There are a lot of aging "suburb pioneers" who moved there from the city in the 50's and 60s and are still there. They might find it difficult to care for their decent homes; it is difficult. However, that's often a cosmetic problem. The skeletons of these structures are incredible!
I think if you're looking for a good solid home that was built during the last wave of long-lasting American quality (something from the past), get one that was built in the 50s!

I really don't have much to say about specific WB neighborhoods or the drug problems that were mentioned earlier in this thread. I can only make a general comment about how disheartening it is to see how my generation of parents were often more concerned about their possessions and shopping out their childcare, while only recently beginning to struggle to bridge the generation gap, too late I'm afraid. Of course, that's not everyone, but teens do seem to demonstrate what we used to call JD behavior more so now than ever, wherever you go. It's a social problem, not a West Babylon-specific problem.

[lauricellac]

West Babylon seems like a nice town some question, I know that Wyandanch is close to West Babylon do gangs come into WB and will WB ever turn to **** hole and become like Wyandanch or no?

[ohyeahbro]

West Bab has been hanging on for a loooooong time. Wyandanch has been ****ty since the 70's and it has yet to make West bab ****ty

[Burb]

Originally Posted by lauricellac

West Babylon seems like a nice town some question, I know that Wyandanch is close to West Babylon do gangs come into WB and will WB ever turn to **** hole and become like Wyandanch or no?

Nope. Having Bab Village and Lindenhurst on either side and the bay to the south have far more of an influence than its neighbors to the north.

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by Burb

Nope. Having Bab Village and Lindenhurst on either side and the bay to the south have far more of an influence than its neighbors to the north.