midde class african amer. neigh. (Hempstead, Brookhaven: middle-class, fit in, homes)

[AlexisT]

Originally Posted by sean sean sean sean

How come most of the areas that are listed as places to ABSOLUTELY STAY AWAY FROM in other threads are suggested to an African American family here?

Welcome to the racist little not-so-secret of LI... Black families have a choice: a nice area or lots of other black families. White flight is still happening. If I knew how to fix it, believe me I'd tell you. (At the moment all I can suggest is fixing the school districts, since with districts being so small, shifts are more pronounced and areas "turn" much more quickly.)

Baldwin, at least by the harbor, is not unsafe or bad. It's clean and well kept. The issue is that the schools are not at the level of Oceanside or RVC, and it borders Freeport and Hempstead which are not so nice.

Freeport I wouldn't touch with a barge pole. If affluent black families are living there, they're paying for private school. There are some gorgeous properties and it's commercially vibrant, but the schools are poor.

[Transpl]

Interesting that I don't see the usual replies in this "where should we live" thread. Usually I see postings from folks pumping up their town, which I completely understand, civic pride and all.

I wonder where the "come live next to me" posters are?!?!

I'm moving to Babylon Village next week and encourage you to look into Babylon or W Babylon. Beautiful area, diversity in the schools. I think you should look into it.

[Jennifer06]

Originally Posted by Transpl

Interesting that I don't see the usual replies in this "where should we live" thread. Usually I see postings from folks pumping up their town, which I completely understand, civic pride and all.

I wonder where the "come live next to me" posters are?!?!

Well, I posted "Come and live in my Town" on this thread. I'm not sure the OP wants to move so far east, and I'd also ask what grade his children are in, but I'd be thrilled to share experiences with the hamlets in and around Riverhead Town.

There are socio-economic divisions along racial lines in some but not all areas here, and it is up-and-coming, not up-and-leaving. I'd be very happy to hear more about what the person is looking for in a town and recommend specific areas here. The longer I'm here, the more I like it. I do not like some of the schools, but especially if their children are HS age, I think it's a fantastic choice. FWIW, according to greatschools.net our HS is roughly 40% white, 30% black and 30% hispanic. (Our own concern is for our Asian child, that he doesn't feel uncomfortable as a minority.)

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by Transpl

Interesting that I don't see the usual replies in this "where should we live" thread. Usually I see postings from folks pumping up their town, which I completely understand, civic pride and all.

I wonder where the "come live next to me" posters are?!?!

I'm moving to Babylon Village next week and encourage you to look into Babylon or W Babylon. Beautiful area, diversity in the schools. I think you should look into it.

They moved into a big colonial down the street from me to use as their summer/vacation home. They were both professionals in Manhattan, who owned a codo there, had two kids who went to private school and had a full time Nanny.

I think the problem was more their liftestyle than their race. They were almost never in that house. I think I saw the wife maybe 2 times and the Nanny and kids maybe 4 times. The majority of the time the home was empty. They were there once in a blue moon on a weekend, for Christmas break, and maybe a month in the summer.

Because they never really lived in that house, they never had the chance to develop any relationships or sense of community in the area.

Since I now, unfortunately, live in Florida, I would compare it to the snowbirds down here. Oh, hi, you are back. How are you doing? That is about it. You really don't have anything more to say to them, because you never really get to know them.

[KellyFG]

People are responding with accusations here that are off base the OP STATED

Originally Posted by fyrisle

My wife, whom is african-american, felt comfortable near Huntington village even though it's predominately white. Are you looking for a large african-american population?

Why would people that live in 99.9% white towns suggest they move there?
The responses (most anyway)IMO have been appropriate to the question!!!!

[nbres]

Originally Posted by sean sean sean sean

How come most of the areas that are listed as places to ABSOLUTELY STAY AWAY FROM in other threads are suggested to an African American family here?

Dix Hills is probably the best neighborhood that is also diverse.

[Transpl]

Originally Posted by KellyFG

People are responding with accusations here that are off base the OP STATED

Why would people that live in 99.9% white towns suggest they move there?
The responses (most anyway)IMO have been appropriate to the question!!!!

Agreed, but Garden City and North Babylon aren't 99.9% white....

[GigiBowman]

Originally Posted by sean sean sean sean

How come most of the areas that are listed as places to ABSOLUTELY STAY AWAY FROM in other threads are suggested to an African American family here?

lol Sean, did you notice that too?

[GigiBowman]

Originally Posted by sean sean sean sean

Baldwin, Valley Stream, Elmont, Shirley, Mastic, Amityville....really all of them. Even somewhat upscale places like Malverne or Wheatley Heights typically get trashed on here.

BTW: It's not my opinion at all that these are places to "stay away from".

I'm pretty sure Sean and I have spent quite some time defending these places.....isn't it ironic

[KellyFG]

Originally Posted by Transpl

Agreed, but Garden City and North Babylon aren't 99.9% white....

When someone posts that they are looking for "middle class" with no price range, I don't think Garden City. The same goes for Dix Hills, that is why I suggested Wheatley Heights. As for North Babylon, my Dad & my grandmother each owned homes in North Babylon & I don't recall it being particularly diverse.