Goodbye Long Island...Good Riddance! (Buffalo, Levittown: military, debt, trip)

[jfkIII]

This past weekend, I made what may be my next-to final trip to Long Island. Even though I grew up there, and lived there for 31 years, I left in 1988 and moved upstate, which turns out to be the best decision I ever made! My 82-year old father has just sold the house that he bought for $13K in 1959. After spending many a recent weekend down there helping him rid almost 50 years of accumulation, we have finally finished that task, and he'll soon be moving to NJ.

While I gave LI the one-finger salute as I left in 1988, my parent's decision to remain on LI kept me visiting and revisiting. With each time back I became more disillusioned with "The Island". Yes, LI was once like the show 'The Wonder Years', especially when I grew up there with the other baby-boomers of WWII-generation parents. But things just never stay the same. That's called 'progress', I guess.

For dad, it's bittersweet. LI is where he met my mom, married, bought a house and raised four kids. While he was born and raised in Brooklyn, he's called Long Island his home, and has lived in that same house, since 1959. My mom, who passed away 2 years ago, was born in Mineola, and lived her whole life on Long Island. She is buried there in St. Charles cemetary. Sadly, all four of his children no longer reside on LI...some after leaving for college in the 70's and 80's, and never moving back. None of his grandchildren have made LI their home.

So, "close the book", "turn the page", or apply whatever eupherism you can think of, to explain the end of a typical 1960's Long Island family. Most likely, and hopefully not soon, I will be back one more time...but I know it won't be for a happy occasion.

Good-bye, Long Island. It was nice while it lasted.

[trh1013]

I will have to agree with Glad2BHere, I was born and raised on Long Island and left almost 22 years ago only because my spouse joined the military. He will soon be retiring from the military, but we don't have any plans to go back and live, I guess mainly because once you leave there especially Nassau County you realize wow my neighbor doesn't live so close to me. I actually have land between my house. But in my support to NY, out of all the places I've lived over the last 22 years, nobody comes close to the good shopping in NY. I like having everything I need close by. We live in Fayetteville, NC and I was bored with this town about 2 weeks after I got here (been here over 3 years now). If I want to go shopping or see something different besides boring Fayetteville, the closest thing that has any action is Raleigh and that is 70 miles away.

[clamboy]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

This past weekend, I made what may be my next-to final trip to Long Island. Even though I grew up there, and lived there for 31 years, I left in 1988 and moved upstate, which turns out to be the best decision I ever made! My 82-year old father has just sold the house that he bought for $13K in 1959. After spending many a recent weekend down there helping him rid almost 50 years of accumulation, we have finally finished that task, and he'll soon be moving to NJ.

While I gave LI the one-finger salute as I left in 1988, my parent's decision to remain on LI kept me visiting and revisiting. With each time back I became more disillusioned with "The Island". Yes, LI was once like the show 'The Wonder Years', especially when I grew up there with the other baby-boomers of WWII-generation parents. But things just never stay the same. That's called 'progress', I guess.

For dad, it's bittersweet. LI is where he met my mom, married, bought a house and raised four kids. While he was born and raised in Brooklyn, he's called Long Island his home, and has lived in that same house, since 1959. My mom, who passed away 2 years ago, was born in Mineola, and lived her whole life on Long Island. She is buried there in St. Charles cemetary. Sadly, all four of his children no longer reside on LI...some after leaving for college in the 70's and 80's, and never moving back. None of his grandchildren have made LI their home.

So, "close the book", "turn the page", or apply whatever eupherism you can think of, to explain the end of a typical 1960's Long Island family. Most likely, and hopefully not soon, I will be back one more time...but I know it won't be for a happy occasion.

Good-bye, Long Island. It was nice while it lasted.

It's a rich mans Island now.

Levittown was 60 years ago, there are very few Middle Class enclaves left.

Today they ponder false prosperity and bury dreams with work.

I too wonder where the soul of Paumanok lies when money is its spirit?

Godspeed

C

[GypsySoul22]

The thing is, this sort of 'degeneration' is not unique to Long Island.

You can find many cities and towns that are not the same anymore. Blame it on a thousand little things all adding up to 'change.'

Maybe it's the illegals, maybe it's the rising prices and low wages, maybe it's the rich not giving a darn about the working poor, maybe it's the Republican governments that want people to 'pull themselves up' by working 2 low paying jobs and cutting health care for kids...

Some people will always be happy on Long Island because they have money or a great job or they are fixated on living there (either they like it or can't part with their families or the NY attitude).

I've tried over and over to convince my parents there is life after Long Island. They blamed us for 7 years because we lived with them and 'they couldn't move'. Now we moved and they have another excuse, and continue to pay $10,000 in taxes. (at least I don't have to hear about it anymore).

My brother lives in Florida and is doing okay. We're up in New England trying to adapt (just moved a month ago). My sister and her family are down in Long Island swamped in debt. She is begging her husband to move upstate where his parents will help them out.

My brother in law works incredibly stupid hours and can't support his family.
He refuses to move because a million little reasons...
It's driving my sister nuts.

To move or not---it's a difficult decision...Some people can't or won't entertain it.

[ClarkStreetKid]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

This past weekend, I made what may be my next-to final trip to Long Island. Even though I grew up there, and lived there for 31 years, I left in 1988 and moved upstate, which turns out to be the best decision I ever made! My 82-year old father has just sold the house that he bought for $13K in 1959. After spending many a recent weekend down there helping him rid almost 50 years of accumulation, we have finally finished that task, and he'll soon be moving to NJ.

While I gave LI the one-finger salute as I left in 1988, my parent's decision to remain on LI kept me visiting and revisiting. With each time back I became more disillusioned with "The Island". Yes, LI was once like the show 'The Wonder Years', especially when I grew up there with the other baby-boomers of WWII-generation parents. But things just never stay the same. That's called 'progress', I guess.

For dad, it's bittersweet. LI is where he met my mom, married, bought a house and raised four kids. While he was born and raised in Brooklyn, he's called Long Island his home, and has lived in that same house, since 1959. My mom, who passed away 2 years ago, was born in Mineola, and lived her whole life on Long Island. She is buried there in St. Charles cemetary. Sadly, all four of his children no longer reside on LI...some after leaving for college in the 70's and 80's, and never moving back. None of his grandchildren have made LI their home.

So, "close the book", "turn the page", or apply whatever eupherism you can think of, to explain the end of a typical 1960's Long Island family. Most likely, and hopefully not soon, I will be back one more time...but I know it won't be for a happy occasion.

Good-bye, Long Island. It was nice while it lasted.

Same story for many of us that grew up during those years JFK. Looking back LI was only a middle class paradise for a short time, and knowing what we know now it couldn't do anything else but to change into what it now is, a victim of it's own successes.

[clamboy]

Originally Posted by ClarkStreetKid

Same story for many of us that grew up during those years JFK. Looking back LI was only a middle class paradise for a short time, and knowing what we know now it couldn't do anything else but to change into what it now is, a victim of it's own successes.

"a victim of it's own successes"
QOTD

I guess Levittown did fail after all.

Nicely put Clark

C

[GCGuy]

Here, here. Peace out, yo. Yes, LI a victim of its own success. This place is too crowded, no one wants to live here. This place isn't worth the money, people pay too much for houses here. Boy, I wish I lived in a place with nicer people, let me move to a place with acres of land and virtually no social interaction.

[Glad2BHere]

Originally Posted by GCGuy

Here, here. Peace out, yo. Yes, LI a victim of its own success. This place is too crowded, no one wants to live here. This place isn't worth the money, people pay too much for houses here. Boy, I wish I lived in a place with nicer people, let me move to a place with acres of land and virtually no social interaction.

LI just has NOTHING to offer, that's why the prices are so high and no one can afford to live here. Yes, I want to live in the boonies, goodbye LI. I am sure it's nice there in the boonies....

[ihatelongisland]

I hate this damn place. I want to move out so badly. Only 25, so i can pretty much pack my bags and leave whenever I want. Just need a nice, quiet place. With nice people, good bars(with good wings!), good looking women.... and a job

Any ideas? heh

[clamboy]

Originally Posted by ihatelongisland

I hate this damn place. I want to move out so badly. Only 25, so i can pretty much pack my bags and leave whenever I want. Just need a nice, quiet place. With nice people, good bars(with good wings!), good looking women.... and a job

Any ideas? heh

Um Buffalo?

C