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We're looking to move, but know very little about Long Island towns. We (my husband, young son and I) have been driving around on and off since summer, trying to get a feel for different towns. I also pop in here and read every now and then. I feel overwhelmed by how much I just don't know. If you didn't grow up on LI (I didn't, my husband did), HOW do you go about learning? We spend a day here and there, in the towns we've heard of or do know, but I can tell we're missing out on info about towns that we just don't know to look into. My question really is: The island is so big, and there are so many towns with so many personalities, how would a family set about looking to move?
There are 2 cities and 13 towns (as well as 2 Indian reservations) in the bi-counties and the 13 towns (3 in Nassau and 10 in Suffolk) are further sub-divided into 96 villages (municipal corporations) and 195 hamlets (unincorporated areas), yielding 293 communities (2 + 96 + 195 = 293).
Definitely interesting data and history. But I'm looking for more of a feel for the communities. Is there a published book anyone can recommend? Should I call each Chamber of Commerce? How do people learn about such a large area with so many small areas and personalities? You mentioned in one of your posts that when you received your first tax bill in Oyster Bay you became curious about LI. How did you wind up in Oyster Bay? That's either rhetorical or not...but know what I mean? How does someone just moving to LI know where to go?
Is there a published book anyone can recommend? Should I call each Chamber of Commerce? How do people learn about such a large area with so many small areas and personalities? How did you wind up in Oyster Bay? That's either rhetorical or not...but know what I mean? How does someone just moving to LI know where to go?
There's no published book that I'm aware of.
Not all areas have a Chamber of Commerce, which are geared towards promoting and attracting businesses, not homeowners.
It's my experience that most people learn by word of mouth from friends and others already living on LI.
I wound up in a hamlet in the Town of Oyster Bay (there are all or parts of 18 villages and 18 hamlets in the Town of Oyster Bay) because I was looking for a predominantly Jewish community with a good school district (the two usually go hand-in-hand) where my commute would not begin farther east of the Hicksville LIRR station (moving from north Queens, I actually reduced commuting time by moving from Queens to the east part of Nassau County).
What are you looking for: do you want to live in a predominantly Jewish (secular or observant), predominantly Roman Catholic or predominantly Protestant community?; do you want to live in a good school district or does this not matter?; will you be sending your children to private school?; how far east are you willing to begin your commute into NYC?; do you want to be near the south shore or the north shore?
What are you looking for: there are excellent realators and real estate agents out there who can help you if first you know what you want.
This is a post I wrote on this Bulletin Board back in Aug 2007 -- I guess I've been asking questions here on and off for months now. The same basic criteria apply. (To answer your question, we are raising our son Jewish and that is very important.)
-------- The post I wrote that I think describes us fairly well : --------
I don't want to spark a debate; everyone has opinions and places they feel comfortable. I'm looking for where we'd fit in, so please don't take anything I write as having ill feelings toward something different, but that we want a sense of belonging and permanence. But, since you asked:
Something like Park Slope meets the Village (Greenwich Village) in a town like Amagansett. A school district with 100% graduation and college-placement rates. Oh and a house for under $350,000. We can dream, right?
I'm from Brooklyn, went to both undergrad and grad school at NYU, then moved to the East End for more grad school at Southampton College. I adored living there the eight years I did (I was farther east). Once married, the commute Up Island was too far for my husband and we moved to Riverhead to be between the two. My husband grew up in Miller Place, which he found suffocating and uniform in its ideology (this was the 1970s-1980s). Our son is Asian (adopted), and we need to be somewhere he'll feel comfortable. Our school district is awful. Between the three of us we are Italian, Jewish and Asian. We need a reform temple. We'd like to have sushi and produce that doesn't come from a supermarket. We value academia, art, artists, and an artistic community. We prefer a small town and a slow pace. We aren't materialistic. I don't wear make-up or high heels. I'm now, I guess, "granola" since leaving the city. We're not Republican. We have some, what are now called, "traditional values" and feel one parent should stay home while our son is young. We live on one income. "White collar." It's probably around an average income for LI, which puts us at a housing disadvantage. I think the main thing we can't afford on our income is education for our son. It seems that affluence and education go hand-in-hand, which is very unfortunate.
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I've evolved in my thinking as we've searched. Recently we've been thinking about Huntington. One thing I realize is that moving west or giving up the country/small-town dream would likely be more beneficial than trying to find Jewish/Asian/academic/culture where it either doesn't exist or my son will only see another Asian face when he looks in the mirror. I'd been very attached to living in East Hampton, and it's been hard for me to give that up. I grew up in the city and was thrilled to be out. But now that I have a family, my son's education and childhood are most important. My husband works in Hauppauge, so half hour or so from there would be ideal for that. I suppose while I'm at it, stellar medical care (a good hospital nearby) would be lovely too.
Perhaps you could consider the North Shore....Stoney Brook to Shoreham. there are lots of quiet cozy towns with lots of character. We moved to Sound Beach in the last few months. On these boards I learned so much about the surrounding towns and I think just about all of them along the North shore are fine. Port Jeff Station and Stony Brook are more "New Englandy" in looks...with charming downtown areas. Sound Beach and Rocky point have hilly windy and tons of local businesses (not a Walmart to be found...its wonderful!!) Ridge (not right on the Sound) has Lake Panamoka which is breathtakingly beautiful. Everything you would need is here...and its all within commuting distance to Happauge. Miller Place and Rocky Pt schools are very good. Houses of all sizes are available and there are deals to be had. We looked at about 18 homes and found a gem for under 300K.
One of the tools I used to pick a place to live was the real estate situation. Using mlsli.com I looked at house after house in the price range I could afford. this gives you a sense of the neighborhoods.
However...I think the best thing you could do for yourself is take a drive. Visit the places you are interested in. trust your feelings...if a certain place feels inviting to you....chances are it will be a good place to investigate further. We did this in Shirley and Mastic....then ran like the wind!!
Best wishes on your search....I just finished mine and it is draining. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Port Jeff Station and Stony Brook are more "New Englandy" in looks...with charming downtown areas.
I agree! I would strongly suggest zooming in on Stony Brook or Port Jeff. I think they have so much of your wants and needs, and they have a decent sized asian population (esp for LI, North Shore Suffolk towns). And you could definitely find something in your price range (may need work or may be a bit small), esp in today's slowing market.
Jennifer 06 - your personal profile is very interesting. I think you are wise to consider Huntington. There is a vibrant academic/liberal scene there, alongside the more conventional upscale vibe of the town. Curiously, these seem to coexist nicely. Your family demographic would encounter no troubles there, I am sure. There are several temples in Huntington, of which people speak very highly (sorry I can't give you more info in that regard - perhaps others on the board can enlighten you more). I know at least one of the temples has a very popular program for children. There are art galleries and museums, a great bookstore (Book Revue), and an indie art cinema. I believe there is even a Birkenstock store (I mention this because of your remark about the sandles/aversion to high heels). All this is just steps away from some very high end boutiques, yacht clubs and gourmet markets and, yes, sushi places and a natural market. You stated you're not a fan of materialism, but I'm guessing the proximity of the high-end stuff wouldn't bother you, as you are surely used to that in East Hampton. The dilemma does arise in the education arena -- as you correctly noted, affluence and quality education do seem to go hand-in-hand. Although the Huntington SD has received various forms of commendation, many residents are deeply troubled by the diverse nature of the SD's population, and there is increasing conflict. (When I speak of diversity, I don't mean Asians -- I mean the Hispanic population in Huntington Station, which feeds into the school district.) I know of numerous families who have moved away from Huntington to escape the schools there. The stories they tell are disturbing, and not all of them are related to race. Typically, people who are looking to leave opt for one of the two neighboring districts -- Cold Spring Harbor or Harborfields. In fact, much of Huntington (a rich part, mostly) feeds into Harborfields. Both are excellent districts and you'd be hard pressed to find anything better than Cold Spring Harbor, academically. It just can't be beat. Problem is, both districts have high taxes. You could find some cheaper housing stock in Harborfields, especially in certain areas, or if you don't require a large house. Also, from your description of your persona, I think you may not be very happy in Cold Spring Harbor. I think it's a great place, but maybe not for someone who has an aversion to materialism. I think you would be troubled by a lot of your neighbors and the importance that is attached to this concept. Doesn't bother me, but again, I'm just going by the comments you posted about yourself. As for Harborfields, depending on your spouse's income, you may be able to get by as a SAHM. There are lots of them, to be sure. The district is not ranked as high as CSH, but it beats Huntington SD in many regards. I wouldn't describe the area as liberal at all, and there is a good deal of materialistic focus in Harborfields too, but perhaps not as much as CSH. Also, in both CSH and Harborfields (depending on how close you get to the water), you may be able to preserve a little of the "country feel" that you like so much. Both feel removed from most of "the rest of the island." As for hospitals, I would say Huntington Hospital (which serves all of the areas I mentioned) is OK. It's certainly not a bastion of "stellar medical care," and it's tiny, but most needs are served. More serious cases are referred to hospitals in Nassau County.
I totally agree. You can't go wrong anywhere in Cold Spring Harbor or the parts of Huntington-Centerport-Greenlawn that are in Harborfields schools.
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