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Is school district the only thing you would look at when buying a home, or are their perhaps some other things you would want? Based on your comments, you make it sound as though it's a no brainier, buy in the highest rated school district, case closed.
Port Jeff does offer a nice downtown and village amenities, but we didn't want that. While we enjoy visiting Port Jeff, we could never see ourselves living there. In our price range we were looking at older homes in need of renovation, small lot sizes and taxes that were not that far off the mark from Mount Sinai. Should we have settled for this because the schools are suppose to be so far superior? I'm sure you would agree that while they may be slightly better, "settling" for Mount Sinai schools isn't the worst thing in the world.
In our case we moved from Queens. We did not want to go from a congested city with a mixed crowd to a congested village with a mixed crowd. We prefer to be around other young families but have our peace and quite when we want it....we found this in Mount Sinai.
For me, yes I would rather renovate a home in my ideal location. I love Port Jeff Village, and we were looking at Harbor Hills for a while. We wanted our neighborhood to have a downtown. We travel to CT all the time so the ferry being 5 minutes from a house was a big plus.
I'm not saying that Mt Sinai is a bad location, far from it. It is beautiful in the historic district. But since schools are so important to so many buyers I would feel more comfortable investing in a district that is arguably one of the best on LI.
Each person has different priorities, and it is great that you've found a neighborhood that you love.
For me, yes I would rather renovate a home in my ideal location. I love Port Jeff Village, and we were looking at Harbor Hills for a while. We wanted our neighborhood to have a downtown. We travel to CT all the time so the ferry being 5 minutes from a house was a big plus.
I'm not saying that Mt Sinai is a bad location, far from it. It is beautiful in the historic district. But since schools are so important to so many buyers I would feel more comfortable investing in a district that is arguably one of the best on LI.
Each person has different priorities, and it is great that you've found a neighborhood that you love.
My main concern with Port Jeff is the cancer cluster around the LIPA stacks and Poquott.
Port Jeff is beautiful but it would definitely concern me.
Mt Sinai has issues since it was built on pesticide ridden farmland...Miller Place too.
Done even get me started on Terminal(no pun) rd in Setauket aka Belle Meade.
Shoreham has a superfund site right next door to Rocky Point.
Were all doomed, but at least our schools are kick ass.
Its no concidence that LIJ is our largest employer.
We need to deal with our toxic island while our real estate is depressed.
Cancer sucks and its more common that the Chicken Pox around here.
crooks
Last edited by Crookhaven; 01-02-2009 at 09:33 PM..
Schools were our top priority too and we struggled with this same question. We really wanted into 3V because of the schools. It was difficult to look at one small run down home after another and tell our kids how great it was going to be to live there. This was a reflection of the housing market at the time we were looking too. Then we did a bit of research and went and visited the schools. We found the difference in the school scores is more of a reflection of the different social dynamics of the areas. 3V and PJ have alot more upper middle class, highly educated, really smart parents which leads to a lot of really smart kids in the schools which leads to high standardized test scores. Mt. Sinai is more "normally" skewed - they have a lot of educated and non educated parents. So the question became what happens to kids who are really smart in the Mt. Sinai school district. We found that every Honors and AP class that our kids would more than likely take was offered and that kids from Mt. Sinai were accepted to top ranked colleges. So, our kids would have the opportunity to apply and be accepted to the same places that kids from 3V went. In addition, they would be exposed to a pretty diverse economical group of kids which appealed to us. So, newer home, good schools and the ability to save for college rather than buy new windows and roof were our choice.
Schools were our top priority too and we struggled with this same question. We really wanted into 3V because of the schools. It was difficult to look at one small run down home after another and tell our kids how great it was going to be to live there. This was a reflection of the housing market at the time we were looking too. Then we did a bit of research and went and visited the schools. We found the difference in the school scores is more of a reflection of the different social dynamics of the areas. 3V and PJ have alot more upper middle class, highly educated, really smart parents which leads to a lot of really smart kids in the schools which leads to high standardized test scores. Mt. Sinai is more "normally" skewed - they have a lot of educated and non educated parents. So the question became what happens to kids who are really smart in the Mt. Sinai school district. We found that every Honors and AP class that our kids would more than likely take was offered and that kids from Mt. Sinai were accepted to top ranked colleges. So, our kids would have the opportunity to apply and be accepted to the same places that kids from 3V went. In addition, they would be exposed to a pretty diverse economical group of kids which appealed to us. So, newer home, good schools and the ability to save for college rather than buy new windows and roof were our choice.
That is a very accurate assessment.
What really drives the bottom line of any SD is the economics and education level of the parents.
I grew up in 3V, the rest of my family went to Miller Place and we all went to college.When we were looking to buy in, we could've swung Stathmore or South Setauket in 3v or Rustic Acres in Miller Place but we chose Rocky Point so we could be near the water affordably.
We love it out here...the schools are great and they are more normally skewed than other North Shore areas.
When the 2010 census arrives I think you will see a very different story for towns like Mt Sinai,Miller Place,Rocky Point,Shoreham-Wading River and Longwood in regards to HHI and Education.We live in a humble yet well kept area of North Shore Beach, most af my neighbors who moved in over the last 10 years are college educated and earn in excess of 100k.The boom really sent many smart buyers looking for better value plays in some of the more tertiary towns. Fortunately Im not upside down in my home like many of my friends in the surrounding areas.We think Rocky Point is still represents a solid value play and were proud to call her home.
It sounds like you chose well in Mt Sinai for similar resons, and thank you for offering your insights. Its a town that stays fairly anonymous on these boards.
Mt. Sinai is nice but I suggest going 8 minutes further east to Shoreham. The area north of 25A is beautiful, wooded and hilly. The school district is great. Most neighborhoods have private beaches. Try the "village" or "Soundview Acres". Soundview has an association that has parades and beach sleepovers for the kids. Great place to raise a family.
Mt. Sinai is nice but I suggest going 8 minutes further east to Shoreham. The area north of 25A is beautiful, wooded and hilly. The school district is great. Most neighborhoods have private beaches. Try the "village" or "Soundview Acres". Soundview has an association that has parades and beach sleepovers for the kids. Great place to raise a family.
BonnieandMoose, that would be the Hamlet of East Shoreham, not the Village of Shoreham, right?; and, I'm guessing, BonnieandMoose, that you may have a property for sale in the Hamlet of East Shoreham?
For those who may not be familiar with East Shoreham:
East Shoreham is a hamlet (an unincorporated area) in the northeast part of the Town of Brookhaven, in the north-central part of Suffolk County, along the Brookhaven/Riverhead town line.
Beginning on the north and moving in a clockwise direction, the Hamlet of East Shoreham in the Town of Brookhaven is bordered on the north by Long Island Sound; on the east by the Hamlet of Wading River in the Town of Riverhead (the Brookhaven/Riverhead town line); on the south by the Hamlet of Ridge; and, on the west by the Hamlet of Rocky Point and the Village of Shoreham.
East Shoreham is one of those many villages and hamlets on Long Island where none of the places in the community have the hamlet's name in their mailing address: places in the Hamlet of East Shoreham have a "Shoreham, NY 11786", "Ridge, NY 11961" and "Wading River 11792" mailing address.
Mt. Sinai is nice but I suggest going 8 minutes further east to Shoreham. The area north of 25A is beautiful, wooded and hilly. The school district is great. Most neighborhoods have private beaches. Try the "village" or "Soundview Acres". Soundview has an association that has parades and beach sleepovers for the kids. Great place to raise a family.
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