Any Working-Middle Class towns with EXCELLENT School Districts? (Valley Stream, Rockville Centre: how much, house)
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Me and my husband are from the city, we make a combined income of $160k-180k and we're thinking about moving out to Long Island. So I assume we can afford almost any area we want but we don't want our kids raised in school district that's too affluent. Of course we want an EXCELLENT school district but we just don't want it in an area that's too rich. We want them raised in a place with real down-to-earth people, kids of all different types of backgrounds, somewhere where they wouldn't need to feel that they have to have the latest clothes and cars to be accepted. A lot of rich suburban school districts have big drug problems from what I hear.
We just really want to prepare our kids for the real world instead of hiding from it, which I see a lot of people trying to do thinking their kids will somehow benefit. I want to give them a real world experience.
We would prefer Nassau but at this point, i'm willing to explore my options so if there's something like this a little further out then that then please let me know! Me and my husband are very athletic and we want our kids to stay in shape so we would prefer a city that actually has sidewalks, I heard some places actually don't? A place that has a lot of other recreational activities are preferred to.
First let me say that drug problems aren't confined to "rich suburban school districts".
And sidewalks, especially in Suffolk, are not everywhere, unless you live in or near a Village or similar "downtown" area.
You might like the Half Hollow Hills SD; it covers a large area and you could find parts with sidewalks and most likely what you call "down-to-earth" people.
Me and my husband are from the city, we make a combined income of $160k-180k and we're thinking about moving out to Long Island. So I assume we can afford almost any area we want but we don't want our kids raised in school district that's too affluent. Of course we want an EXCELLENT school district but we just don't want it in an area that's too rich. We want them raised in a place with real down-to-earth people, kids of all different types of backgrounds, somewhere where they wouldn't need to feel that they have to have the latest clothes and cars to be accepted. A lot of rich suburban school districts have big drug problems from what I hear.
We just really want to prepare our kids for the real world instead of hiding from it, which I see a lot of people trying to do thinking their kids will somehow benefit. I want to give them a real world experience.
We would prefer Nassau but at this point, i'm willing to explore my options so if there's something like this a little further out then that then please let me know! Me and my husband are very athletic and we want our kids to stay in shape so we would prefer a city that actually has sidewalks, I heard some places actually don't? A place that has a lot of other recreational activities are preferred to.
Thank you for your help
1. At your combined income, you could afford many nice neighborhoods, but certainly not any area that you want. You have a middle class income for a family of 4, not a rich or even an upper middle class income for Long Island. How much you can actually afford will depend on your outstanding debt and how much you have as a down payment.
2. There are plenty of areas with sidewalks, but still on Long Island, people tend to drive more than walk to their destinations. For outdoor recreation, most residents have access to a variety of parks, community pools, and beaches. Within a town, hamlet, village, etc. there can be sections with sidewalks and sections without.
3. EXCELLENT school districts tend to be in the affluent areas and there generally is a bit of snobbery in them, but of course, not everyone is a total snob about clothes, the car you drive, etc. Speaking of excellent schools and not to be snippy or snobby, but this part of your post grated on my eyes like hearing chalk scrape along a board, it's My husband and I, not Me and my husband. I have to agree with Elke, drugs are available everywhere and you just have to stay on top of it as parents.
4. If you can be more precise in how much you wish to spend on a home and property taxes, a preference for Nassau county north or south shore, and size of home, perhaps we can be more helpful.
I'm sorry if I came off a little bit condescending of wealthy people. I re-read it this morning and I did realize that it did sound snobby on my part. No offense to anybody
1. At your combined income, you could afford many nice neighborhoods, but certainly not any area that you want. You have a middle class income for a family of 4, not a rich or even an upper middle class income for Long Island. How much you can actually afford will depend on your outstanding debt and how much you have as a down payment.
2. There are plenty of areas with sidewalks, but still on Long Island, people tend to drive more than walk to their destinations. For outdoor recreation, most residents have access to a variety of parks, community pools, and beaches. Within a town, hamlet, village, etc. there can be sections with sidewalks and sections without.
3. EXCELLENT school districts tend to be in the affluent areas and there generally is a bit of snobbery in them, but of course, not everyone is a total snob about clothes, the car you drive, etc. Speaking of excellent schools and not to be snippy or snobby, but this part of your post grated on my eyes like hearing chalk scrape along a board, it's My husband and I, not Me and my husband. I have to agree with Elke, drugs are available everywhere and you just have to stay on top of it as parents.
4. If you can be more precise in how much you wish to spend on a home and property taxes, a preference for Nassau county north or south shore, and size of home, perhaps we can be more helpful.
As for price range, we really haven't evaluated that yet. I'm not too aware of the COL of Long Island although I am aware of how expensive it could be. It is only 4 of us so we would only need a 3 bedroom house, maybe 4 bedrooms. We're not looking for anything fancy when it comes to housing.
We don't have any preference for any Shore, as long as it fits my above criteria and the commute is not bad. Both of our jobs are in the Mineola area.
Me and my husband are from the city, we make a combined income of $160k-180k and we're thinking about moving out to Long Island. So I assume we can afford almost any area we want but we don't want our kids raised in school district that's too affluent. Of course we want an EXCELLENT school district but we just don't want it in an area that's too rich. We want them raised in a place with real down-to-earth people, kids of all different types of backgrounds, somewhere where they wouldn't need to feel that they have to have the latest clothes and cars to be accepted. A lot of rich suburban school districts have big drug problems from what I hear.
We just really want to prepare our kids for the real world instead of hiding from it, which I see a lot of people trying to do thinking their kids will somehow benefit. I want to give them a real world experience.
We would prefer Nassau but at this point, i'm willing to explore my options so if there's something like this a little further out then that then please let me know! Me and my husband are very athletic and we want our kids to stay in shape so we would prefer a city that actually has sidewalks, I heard some places actually don't? A place that has a lot of other recreational activities are preferred to.
Thank you for your help
You have a lot to choose from. Unfortunately drugs are everywhere, always have been, probably always will be. Having lived with sidewalks and without, I would say that they are overrated. Find a nice quiet neighborhood and you won't need them. Most of the kids tend not to use them anyway.
You might like the Half Hollow Hills SD; it covers a large area and you could find parts with sidewalks and most likely what you call "down-to-earth" people.
As someone with a friend who is a teacher in that district, I would say he would whole heartedly disagree with that statement!
As for price range, we really haven't evaluated that yet. I'm not too aware of the COL of Long Island although I am aware of how expensive it could be. It is only 4 of us so we would only need a 3 bedroom house, maybe 4 bedrooms. We're not looking for anything fancy when it comes to housing.
We don't have any preference for any Shore, as long as it fits my above criteria and the commute is not bad. Both of our jobs are in the Mineola area.
I think you really need to come up with a budget, including taxes, or you will get recommendations for places ranging from $350K to $850K and taxes from $7K to $15K, which won't help you at all. I must admit I'm curious how one starts house hunting without knowing how much they can or want to spend.
As far as your requests, I think your sweeping over generalizations are going to make your search harder for you than it needs to be. Coney made many good points in his point, I won't bother re-printing them. Most school districts are good and once you get past the top 10 (that you would find too snobby, even if only on reputation) you're probably splitting hairs as you compare them.
I think you'll find what you're looking for pretty much in most of Nassau, south of the LIE. I'd look in the Riviera of LI - Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, Seaford, Massapequa, Massapequa Park. These are nice middle class areas with side walks, sewers, excellent schools, etc. However you will find pockets of affluence south of Merrick Rd in these parts (eg- Old Harbour Green, Waterfront in Merrick). Also look at Rockville Centre (may be too affluent), Lynbrook, Carle Place. I was going to add Mineola or Garden City South, but I wouldn't classify them as "excellent" in the School dept.
Me and my husband are from the city, we make a combined income of $160k-180k and we're thinking about moving out to Long Island. So I assume we can afford almost any area we want but we don't want our kids raised in school district that's too affluent. Of course we want an EXCELLENT school district but we just don't want it in an area that's too rich. We want them raised in a place with real down-to-earth people, kids of all different types of backgrounds, somewhere where they wouldn't need to feel that they have to have the latest clothes and cars to be accepted. A lot of rich suburban school districts have big drug problems from what I hear.
We just really want to prepare our kids for the real world instead of hiding from it, which I see a lot of people trying to do thinking their kids will somehow benefit. I want to give them a real world experience.
We would prefer Nassau but at this point, i'm willing to explore my options so if there's something like this a little further out then that then please let me know! Me and my husband are very athletic and we want our kids to stay in shape so we would prefer a city that actually has sidewalks, I heard some places actually don't? A place that has a lot of other recreational activities are preferred to.
Thank you for your help
Many of your comments are describing what you will find in Valley Stream, which is in southwestern Nassau County. Good school district, nice village area, sidewalks, parks, pool, biking walking trails, has a State park besides the local parks, roller hockey, mini golf, and other recreational activities, diverse population so your kids will be in a real world environment, not too snobby and materialistic, no major drug problems in schools.
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