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Keep in mind that if you live on Long Island and work in NYC, your commute is going to be much longer. There are very few jobs on Long Island, so if I lose my current job, my only option will likely be to commute to NYC. Also, any job that I get is not likely to pay enough to be able to move any closer to the city that I am currently living.
Also, engineering firms in NYC generally expect you to work, at an absolute minimum, 7 AM to 5 PM if you want any chance of keeping your job. You also did not factor in breakfast. I can pass out if I am on an empty stomach, so I need to eat breakfast in the morning.
Let's take the "best" case scenario: if I was able to get a job in One Penn Plaza (many engineering firms are located there), and was working "only" 7 AM to 5 PM, and was allowed to eat lunch during that time (I am not able to skip meals, and I would consider lunch to be a "reasonable accommodation". Whether or not employers agree, I don't know).
There is a 5:42 AM train that would get me to Penn Station at 6:58. That is probably not early enough if I have a job that expects me to report to work no later than 7 AM. So I would probably have to take the 5:29 AM train, which would get me to Penn Station at 6:38 AM. That could work if I'm working at One Penn Plaza.
Leaving work, I am not likely to be able to make the 5:01 PM train. Maybe, if I'm lucky, the 5:22 PM train, which would get me to Ronkonkoma at 6:38 PM.
I would probably leave home at 5:15 AM and return home around 7:00 PM on a "good" day. That is less than 10 hours. Suppose I sleep 6 hours, which is usually considered the minimum. That leaves 4 hours. And I haven't even factored in yet getting up in the morning, having breakfast, getting dressed, nor have I factored in yet having dinner, taking a shower, going to the gym, etc.
Dexter Morgan seems to factor in 1 hour for his morning routine (subtrating the half hour he assumed for commuting, which is not realistic if you live on LI and work in NYC), 1.5-2.5 hours for working out (say, 2 hours), 45 minutes for for dinner, and 15-30 minuts for generic chores. That all adds up to the 4 hours that I calculated above. And, again, this is under the absolute best case scenario: no overtime, a job at One Penn Plaza, and being on time to the 5:22 PM train.
My point is that if I had to commute from Ronkonkoma to NYC, I would, literally, have no free time at all. My life would be nothing but commuting, working, and sleeping.
I do not understand how anyone can consider that to be an acceptable quality of life for themselves or for their family. This is why I do anything I can to hang onto my current job (on Long Island), at all costs, even if the pay and other aspects aren't ideal. It is far better than the alternative.
I agree with those who are stating that geography is an enemy to attracting business, especially when tied to the NIMBYism. Sandy eliminated any doubts about the vulnerability of the area... It's an island slowly losing its battle against mother nature. Beyond that - even if the army corp knew what they were doing and weren't incompetent, any island has specific constraints with moving goods on and off.
So where is the incentive to put your business on LI? Manufacturing is a no go - costs for moving the raw materials or finished product are prohibitive... Something like a centralized IT services, call center, or datacenter is a no go - I don't see how anyone could argue that makes sense when you could lose it during a storm for days... There's only so far the labor pool argument can go - yes, you'll likely find good candidates to staff some service type business, but what people centric function makes sense to house on LI - where costs in general are prohibitive?
At the end of the day, it's a bedroom community for NYC. That's the draw. The higher paying jobs will be in the city itself. The revenue stream to sustain LI into the future will be property taxes.
At the end of the day, it's a bedroom community for NYC. That's the draw. The higher paying jobs will be in the city itself. The revenue stream to sustain LI into the future will be property taxes.
As I have said, that is not a reasonable quality of life.
But not all of us can afford to live in areas like Sea Cliff.
I was responding to the fact that you asked him how he does it. Do you have a map handy? Take a look at Sea Cliff in relation to NYC and then take a look at Ronkonkoma and east in relation to NYC. There's your answer "how does he do it".
I was responding to the fact that you asked him how he does it. Do you have a map handy? Take a look at Sea Cliff in relation to NYC and then take a look at Ronkonkoma and east in relation to NYC. There's your answer "how does he do it".
I am well aware of that. It seemed that he was suggesting I move to Sea Cliff. My point is that not all of us can afford to live in places like Sea Cliff. I do not see commuting from Ronkonkoma to NYC as an acceptable quality of life, and it is something that I will do whatever it takes to avoid, unless I have absolutely no choice.
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