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I've seen a few posts in this forum listing the bad areas. What are the best areas today to buy a home and raise young children in Long Island? The North Shore preferably. Growing up NYC I've always heard that the North Shore is much better than Mid-Island and South Shore.
The history of urbanization of Long Island tends to reflect the criteria of your question. When we established the criteria of our home search we looked not only at 'what is a desirable area now' but 'what area might still be desirable 10 yrs. from now'.
Predicting the future is a gamble but looking at historical trends can indicate future probabilities that more likely make that gamble pay-off.
Looking at urbanization maps, based on the US Census, we determined that Long Island's urbanization tends to migrate eastward along the southern shore more readily than along the northern shore. This is most likely because of the lower cost of construction on flatter terrain and the desireablity of being along the Atlantic Ocean vs Long Island Sound (the beaches are sandier on the south shore).
We also noted that the highways/parkways, and the LIRR, tend to encourage development along their corridors and especially where they intersect each other.
Therefore, we decided to look north of the LIE and not too close to any major transportation corridor.
Well darn. Now my snobbish feelings are hurt. I'm also sad that my beaches have no waves. Most NS beaches are private to the towns and are not polluted-they clean them up every night. If by polluted you mean rocks instead of sand, get a pair of water shoes and enjoy the calm water with small children. I've been to many SS beaches that have all kinds of trash floating in the water-haven't seen that around here.
It's ok though. I can walk through my town day or night and odds are, I won't be mugged. I might be accosted by a raccoon or possum!
I'm actually not being snobbish. I like my neighborhood, it's a small town, low crime, and good schools. You'd be hard pressed to find a tough neighborhood on the NS. That's why I moved here. I didn't move here for the beach, in the summer we tend to go to camping, sometimes the beach, but we also love Indian Island in Riverhead.
In general, the North Shore of Long Island has less crime, better schools, less traffic, and smaller towns. We also have open spaces and homes have far more property. Which of these is not true?
I guess the "Riviera" of South Shore Nassau frightens you? Gee, what have I been thinking walking around Merrick with my young kids. It must be by the grace of God that I haven't been mugged or murdered here.
If you mean by less traffic that it takes you 20 minutes to get to a highway, I guess that's okay. Small towns are overrated, and who wants their kids going to a school with a limited number of sports and extracurriculars because there aren't enough students to sustain them. Just browsing mls and looking at North Shore Nassau, for a budget of under 800k (which lots of LIers can't even reach) the biggest yard I saw was 147x169. Pretty big, mine is 75x220....in S. Shore Nassau.
I guess the "Riviera" of South Shore Nassau frightens you? Gee, what have I been thinking walking around Merrick with my young kids. It must be by the grace of God that I haven't been mugged or murdered here.
If you mean by less traffic that it takes you 20 minutes to get to a highway, I guess that's okay. Small towns are overrated, and who wants their kids going to a school with a limited number of sports and extracurriculars because there aren't enough students to sustain them. Just browsing mls and looking at North Shore Nassau, for a budget of under 800k (which lots of LIers can't even reach) the biggest yard I saw was 147x169. Pretty big, mine is 75x220....in S. Shore Nassau.
*******S! If you live way out somewhere like Lloyd Neck it might take 20 minutes to get to a highway but thats not normal. I can drive 10 minutes or less to get to the northern state from my house in Cold Spring Harbor. I went to CSH High School which is about as small as you can get on the northshore and we had every sport and extracurricular imaginable, even weird stuff like robotics that they don't offer at other schools. Northshore sports are crazy competitive!
The fact that it's more expensive here seems to say that it's more desirable to most people.
i know i will be hanging out all weekend at rocky, crappy, septic sea cliff beach while the south shore beaches are full of every idiot guido from the 5 boroughs
Most people dont live on the north shore because of the "beaches" especially not for swimming.
Why spend the extra money to live on a shore when the mid-island hamlets have alot to offer if you aren't going to take advantage of the water? I know down on the SS the beaches are pretty much used all year long in some capacity. Do you guys ever go jogging or ride bikes on your boardwalk?
i know i will be hanging out all weekend at rocky, crappy, septic sea cliff beach while the south shore beaches are full of every idiot guido from the 5 boroughs
Check out point lookout sometime. Very spacious and < 10$ a car.
um....north shore towns have a ton of very competitive sports dude
Really? Just from browsing Newsday's high school sports section, most sports are dominated by mid island or south shore school districts. For example currently in baseball out of 11 conferences, only four have a north shore school district in the first place in standings. And according to msg varsity nearly all of the top ten football teams in large schools hailed from mid-island or south shore towns. Even for small schools the result was the same. It has always been my impression that if you wanted a solid sports program you went to a big district, such as Massapequa, Merrick, Wantagh, Seaford, etc.
Why spend the extra money to live on a shore when the mid-island hamlets have alot to offer if you aren't going to take advantage of the water? I know down on the SS the beaches are pretty much used all year long in some capacity. Do you guys ever go jogging or ride bikes on your boardwalk?
Ummm...I don't think Teddy Roosevelt, the Vanderbilts, the Tiffanys, et al. had suntanning and swimming in mind in mind when they built their mansions here. We spend the money because it's the GOLD COAST! The northshore is more prestigious, has more history, the best schools, the best country clubs, is less dense, more trees, more educated people, etc. x infinity.
UMMM...jogging and bike riding??? We don't have boardwalks (although we have some nice public docks). I ride my bike and go running all the time along the shore in CSH. I also hike and run through the woods and fields at Uplands nature preserve and Caumsett (which is on the water). Does the south even have trees?? Ever been to Northport? There's always people sitting and walking around and running on the docks year round. Ever been to Huntington? Same thing.
Lots of us do take advantage of the water for boating/fishing/watersports. We generally prefer to swim in pools. Also people like having views of the water even if they don't swim in it.
Yea, I agree you might be able to get to the ocean beaches faster livin down south - but unless you're in the hamptons or have access to a private beach you're gonna be assaulted by a ton of spanish music and boroughs types all crammin' in to get they beach on. You're making it sound like everyone on the southshore lives on a private beach on Fire Island. I'll admit, that would be nice! BUT...even if I lived 10 minutes from Jones Beach I'd still never go there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kunk10
i know i will be hanging out all weekend at rocky, crappy, septic sea cliff beach while the south shore beaches are full of every idiot guido from the 5 boroughs
NICE! My dad and I will be sailing to Darien. Can't do that on the southshore!
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I might be accosted by a raccoon or possum! 
