Help me decide - New Hyde Park/Albertson, Port Washington, Glen Head/Sea Cliff, Plainview/Old Bethpage, or Dix Hills? (Oyster Bay: houses, neighborhoods)
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Hello everyone. We are planning a move very soon, but we are still all over the place in terms of where to go. We are looking for a solid school district (not necessarily the highest ranked one) with resources for special needs and an understanding that extracurriculars such as sports and music are important in addition to strong academics. We are also seeking quick access to the highways and/or LIRR, since my husband and I both work. We want to limit our house budget to around $600k, so we understand that we won't be getting anything close to a mansion. I'm OK with all the neighborhoods above, so I guess my question is: Would you eliminate any of them right away from the list? If so, why? TIA!
I'm impressed that you remember my previous query. Yes, we have crossed Syosset off the list. And while we are certainly doing our own due diligence, touring neighborhoods, visiting schools, and so on, I'm also throwing this question out there to see if I can glean any information from people with actual personal knowledge of these areas. BTW, what do you use this site for?
I don't think Glen Head/Sea Cliff are known for their proximities to the highway if that is important - you said "and/or". You are kind of all over the place. It's like you took the most randomly different places and threw them into a hat. If I were attracted to Sea Cliff I would not even be considering NHP, Plainview or even Dix Hills all of which scream "soulless suburbia" to me. Nothing wrong with soulless suburbia, but Sea Cliff is a breed apart IMHO.
Aside from things like schools and extracurriculars which will be good in any decent town, what do you like to do? What aesthetics appeal to you?
You should really prioritize what is important to you. Not trying to be snarky but you state close to highways or trains as important.
Highway wise.
Port Washington and Glen Head/ Sea Cliff will take you forever to get to the LIE.
New Hyde Park is pretty easy and Albertson is excellent as far as highway accessibility.
Train wise.
Port is the best hands down, followed by New Hyde Park. Albertson and Glen Head/ Sea cliff pull up the rear. New Hyde Park is on the Main line so service is more frequent than the Oyster Bay lines' stations of Albertson, Glen Head or Sea Cliff. I rode the Oyster Bay line for 20 years, frequency of service is not one of the strong suits.
I can't comment on the POB or Dix Hills as I am not well versed enough in those areas.
Now, I would suggest that you go online and look at the train schedules for each of the areas you chose. How do you feel about the schedules? Then I would find a home in Port or Glen Head and see if you were to have to drive to NYC, how long it would take and see if you are content with that drive. Alternatively, you could post an address and perhaps one of us could tell you.
You are spread all over the place as far as the different districts go that to give an effective answer to you would be near impossible. The demographics of the district are also quite different, I suggest you do some more homework and narrow the net so to speak. Then we can certainly help you more effectively.
I don't think Glen Head/Sea Cliff are known for their proximities to the highway if that is important - you said "and/or". You are kind of all over the place. It's like you took the most randomly different places and threw them into a hat. If I were attracted to Sea Cliff I would not even be considering NHP, Plainview or even Dix Hills all of which scream "soulless suburbia" to me. Nothing wrong with soulless suburbia, but Sea Cliff is a breed apart IMHO.
Aside from things like schools and extracurriculars which will be good in any decent town, what do you like to do? What aesthetics appeal to you?
Not sure what you mean by 'soulless suburbia'- I know people in Sea Cliff and they don't seem any different to me than the other places you mentioned. Or are you referring to the terrain? The terrain of Sea Cliff is more interesting, I'll give you that (but also sort of a pain to get to and a lot of the roads are a mess in bad weather).
I agree that you have to consider which aesthetics appeal to you more- Sea Cliff has a rustic, quaint feel with narrow little streets with houses close together while Dix Hills is the complete opposite with perfectly manicured properties with wide, open streets and one acre zoning. Which appeals to you more? Most people have a strong preference for one over the other.
Ooops- just saw your budget is $600k. Some of the places you mentioned are going to be tough. Can you find anything decent for that price in Port Washington or Glen Head/Sea Cliff? I am very familiar with Dix Hills & I know it's going to be hard to finding anything there for $600k unless you look in areas that aren't considered the best (or houses that need a ton of updating). Have you looked in Dix Hills? Are you ok with the houses in your price range?
Have you considered the Harborfields district? Very good schools, close to Huntington & all of the wonderful things it offers and I think you'll find more in your price range.
Last edited by monkeygorilla; 05-05-2014 at 06:27 PM..
I really am all over the place, which is driving me insane. My favorite area is definitely Glen Head/Sea Cliff for aesthetics and proximity to the water. But, it seems that Herricks, Plainview-Old Bethpage, and HHH school districts are better than North Shore. I guess I was wondering if anyone would say that the discrepancy in schools would be a sufficient reason to choose Albertson or Plainview over Sea Cliff.
I am hesitant about Harborfields because it is a smaller school district than others and possibly more susceptible to budget issues.
All school districts on LI are going to be susceptible to budget issues in the coming years.
If you want to be near the highway then you need to do what nuts suggested and make the drive from the north shore to the LIE - it's not going to be pretty on a daily basis. However, you may love the area so much that making that drive on a daily basis doesn't matter that much to you. I grew up in Huntington and while the ride to the highway to go anywhere was a chore, at least it was on nice roads with pleasant scenery.
Your budget is fairly high for the other areas so I would try to find a house in a really nice area (maybe a cul de sac) of the other places if transportation is a BIG concern.
I really am all over the place, which is driving me insane. My favorite area is definitely Glen Head/Sea Cliff for aesthetics and proximity to the water. But, it seems that Herricks, Plainview-Old Bethpage, and HHH school districts are better than North Shore. I guess I was wondering if anyone would say that the discrepancy in schools would be a sufficient reason to choose Albertson or Plainview over Sea Cliff.
I am hesitant about Harborfields because it is a smaller school district than others and possibly more susceptible to budget issues.
As twingles said, the school budgets are what they are. Some will be better managed than others, some will have more debt than others, and some will offer a more diverse program for its' students. As I said, once you determine several things we can better help you.
Prioritize your wants, first. Commute, schools, aesthetics, proximity to the water, Is this a starter home or a forever home?
For example, if a better commute is more important than a better school, I would immediately remove the Sea Cliff area from the discussion because as I pointed out the drive to NYC is tough. It does little to no good for us to say district A has better schools than district B if you have decided that the commute is your number 1 priority.
Granted, you are not comparing a great/good districts to others that are terrible, they are all just fine but you are asking us for an opinion and yet remain all over the map. Do you really want to live as far out as POB? (Not really far, but compared to Sea Cliff). Before we can help you need to narrow the area of selection.
I agree that Sea Cliff is a charming little town, but many homes in Sea Cliff are older and you are also going to pay a premium for the charm and proximity to the water. Is a possibly smaller, older home worth the extra dollars it may command over a possibly newer, larger home? We can't answer that for you. There is no wrong answer here.
Some 30 years ago, my sister fell in love with a home with a water view in Northport, but she and DH were NYC commuters, who had often late night meetings and entertaining. As much as she hated to pass on the house, she did, and made the commute her priority and schools a close second. She settled in East Williston, with a great school district and when they had a late night she was able to get to Mineola, where she would park the car at the meter or take a cab to her home. You really need to focus on what you want for your house. It is a big decision but it will be easier if you narrow the area and prioritize your wants.
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