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Oh really? And what do you base this on? And what towns are they located in?
test scores, college rates, 4 year college rates, etc. My sister is currently a grad student at Villanova and lives in Drexel Hill. My aunt and her entire family came from Delaware County (some still live there)
Can you post a link that can be used to compare the 2 area school districts?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smash255
test scores, college rates, 4 year college rates, etc. My sister is currently a grad student at Villanova and lives in Drexel Hill. My aunt and her entire family came from Delaware County (some still live there)
You can't paint the Philly burbs with a broad paint brush, just as you cannot do so with LI. Comparing Philly burbs of Norristown and Paoli is like comparing Garden City and Roosevelt. Same goes with driving, the poster who mentioned you can drive anywhere, anytime is off base. Try driving on the 422 corridor during or the Scuykill during rush hour.
You will pay a premium to be in the nice suburbs of any major metro.
A large amount of our tax dollars goes to special ed and early intervention. Something that is very expensive but extremely important. Most states do not have programs like this.
A large amount of our tax dollars goes to special ed and early intervention. Something that is very expensive but extremely important. Most states do not have programs like this.
This is VERY true! A few people we know would love to move south (one of them has all her family in Florida now) but because they have a special-ed child they are staying here because in the other states such programs either don't exist or are way below the level of what LI schools offer.
People in the South pay less because they get less.
But what do you and your kids get that's so great? Yes, you have decent schools and malls. What else?
Having lived on Long Island (Suffolk County) for most of my life, then in Maryland and now in Tennessee, I don't think you are getting all that much on LI in the area of "things to do" for what you pay to live there. I think you're paying for the privilege to live not that far from NYC (although some of you have awful commutes from parts of Suffolk County) and that's about it. I saw the same thing in my suburban Maryland town. People were paying for the privilege to live not too far from DC but in the area of "things to do" my suburban MD town was deficient. I don't consider "shopping" as "things to do." It was like the LI and MD towns didn't think they had to bother because they couldn't compete with NYC or DC.
I can tell you I hardly ever went into NYC when I lived on LI (where I also worked) and I hardly ever went into DC when I lived in MD (where I also worked). But I didn't realize when I lived and worked in those suburban places I was missing anything, because I didn't have anything to compare it to.
Now I'm retired and I live in a suburban place about 25 miles from downtown Knoxville and I never go to that city, either, but there is so much to do in suburbia and rural places around here. Every week there is some cultural, historic, educational, arts/crafts, nature-related event, in addition to social events, many free or cheap, going on around here and I'm living just fine on my pension and doing those things.
In thinking back on my childhood, young adulthood and my pre-43 year old years, it dawned on me I missed a heck of a lot of "stuff" living on LI. What I know about LI history I could carve on a pin head. How much do you or your kids know about the history of your LI town/township/county? Go to any 1776 Battle of Long Island re-enactments? Or any LI living history events? Is LI culture celebrated annually, anyplace? Been to any LI Culture museums or the LI History Museum? (Not talking about museums located on LI but LI museums about LI). How about "LI music" events? Is there even an identifiable LI music sound? Is there some kind of craft identified with LI? If so, do you do it or know people that do? Do your kids have the opportunity to attend non-school programs about LI sea life? Outside of school, do the State or County parks departments hold events for kids to educate them on/introduce them to LI sea life, LI birds/wildlife or bugs/trees in the pine barrens? How about clubs/organizations providing thos kind of events/programs? How about "LI specialty" food associated with Long Island culture? Do people come to LI, for example, to eat LI food at some annual LI Clam Fair? If your town/township/county throws a fair, what's distinctive at the fair that makes it a fair that couldn't be held in any other town/township/county?
That's why I was curious if people who lived on LI and in other places in addition to Long Island, think they're getting what they pay for. I'm not questioning your choice to live there since most are tied to the Island based on job location, as was I. I'm only interested if you think you and your family are getting what you pay for with your taxes and high cost of living expenses?
So, you were ignorant and many people on LI are--I'm not sure waht this has to do with taxes. Or whether LI is culturally distinctive or makes an effort to exploit that. The different towns and counties (not to mention other groups) DO put on many events. When I was in school, we were taken to the Sunken Forest and the Pine Barrens, as well as other places on Long Island. SUNY Stony Brook offers a Long Island history course (I majored in history at SB). Long Island wineries promote their products and some of the farms (that are left) are starting to as well.
I spent 4 years in London, and I can tell you that my local council was not at the level I was used to.
LauraC, actually both I and my SO have done MOST of the things on your list. Some things in our younger days and some as adults. By the way, while you lived on LI did you do any of the following: Visit the east end farms and/or wineries? Visit Sagamore Hill? Go whale-watching off Montauk Point? Visit the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery or the Lab? Attend the Shinnecock Powwow? Attend one of LI's professional or semi-pro sports events (LI Ducks hockey, LI Ducks baseball, NY Islanders)? Go fishing on a charter boat? Own your own boat? Go skiing on Bald Hill? Attend an open-air concert (which was usually free, btw) at Salisbury Park (now called Eisenhower Park)? Visit any of the nature preserves, such as the Pine Barrens you mentioned? Go to the auto races at either Freeport or Riverhead? Go on a Gold Coast house tour? True there are many people who either don't care about these things or have never bothered to find out everything that's here, but as Alexis says, that doesn't mean that LI'ers don't get as much "bang for our buck" as other areas of the country do.
AlexisT, I also was a history major at SB! I wonder if any of my old professors are still there: I had Dr. Stuart Semel and Dr. Kurt Bottigheimer for British History, and an elderly white-haired gent whose name totally escapes me for Egyptian and Greco-Roman History.
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How about things to do?
I wonder if any of my old professors are still there: I had Dr. Stuart Semel and Dr. Kurt Bottigheimer for British History, and an elderly white-haired gent whose name totally escapes me for Egyptian and Greco-Roman History.
