Question about Long Island towns (Huntington, Hicksville: to rent, cheap house, neighborhood)

[ponysmom]

Need feedback regarding some good Long Island towns to settle and raise kids. Grew up in Jersey and loved it, wonder if I'll feel the same way about LI.
Can anyone comment on towns of Great Neck, Roslyn, Manhasset, Old Westbury, Brookeville? Want to find a good town with good neighb that's not too far driving-wise to my fam in NJ who live in central and northern jersey.
Thanks much. Also which school districts the best?

[AlexisT]

What's your budget? You've picked some very, very pricey areas.

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by ponysmom

Need feedback regarding some good Long Island towns to settle and raise kids. Grew up in Jersey and loved it, wonder if I'll feel the same way about LI.
Can anyone comment on towns of Great Neck, Roslyn, Manhasset, Old Westbury, Brookeville? Want to find a good town with good neighb that's not too far driving-wise to my fam in NJ who live in central and northern jersey.
Thanks much. Also which school districts the best?

If you're not sure you're going to like it, do you want to rent first? and what size house are you looking for? Different areas have different availabilities...

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by ponysmom

Need feedback regarding some good Long Island towns to settle and raise kids. Grew up in Jersey and loved it, wonder if I'll feel the same way about LI.
Can anyone comment on towns of Great Neck, Roslyn, Manhasset, Old Westbury, Brookeville? Want to find a good town with good neighb that's not too far driving-wise to my fam in NJ who live in central and northern jersey.
Thanks much. Also which school districts the best?

Bring plenty of dough!

[KENNY GUIDO]

if you want to live where the stars are and can afford it, those towns are nice. I love the south shore with cool breeze of the ocean.

[monack]

North shore reminded me most of central NJ - with hills and yard space.
The further east you go, the less expensive the houses tend to be - generally. I mean, if you look at Cold Spring Harbor or West Hills, you're going to get really expensive houses.
Also keep in mind - most of the houses out here are going to not have central air, and not oil heat as opposed to gas/forced hot air. Though houses are beginning to convert - but it's still more of an exception as a rule.
I live in Huntington now - while it hasn't been ideal for getting to NJ for my family, I have found that it's not as bad as it could be - though I am moving back to NJ now. I've been doing this for 12 years, however. - of the places that I've live on Long Island, I like this town the most. Just for frame of reference, we've lived in:

* Hewlett (can be expensive - not bad - definitely close to queens - far away from ANYTHING else on Long Island)
* East Meadow (didn't mind living here either - was a schlep to the train station)
* Hicksville (also not too bad - this was more a matter of hating the house I was living in)
* Amityville Village (we owned a home here - not a horrific place to live - but not a place I would want to live if I had kids. Train station was great - not many from this town take the LIRR, so the train was never crowded from this station. I could always find a place to park.)
* Huntington/West Hills (Love the neighborhood. Hate having someone live above me. We sold the house, and have been renting for 2 1/2 years now. Great landlord. Like living in close proximity to Jericho Turnpike, and easy access to highways.)

I'm not sure what your budget it. But the houses also tend to be more expensive for desirable areas - at least more expensive than comparable houses in Central NJ are.

I hope some "Jersey Girl" perspective helps.

[AlexisT]

I don't think "no central air" is going to be applicable if she's got the money to buy in those towns--high end houses almost all have it. Even above average ones do. It's definitely not "most" houses--in fact, most people I know have central air. It's all about the price bracket. Smaller, older, cheaper houses don't have it.

as for gas/oil heat, this is totally dependent on the area. If gas lines are laid, she has a good chance of getting gas heat. The problem on LI is the number of towns without gas lines, or where the houses were built before gas lines were laid.

[monack]

That is true - I was just giving it from the perspective of someone who was completely shocked by it - I grew up in Jersey - and even the small cheap houses here have central air.