Looking for a nice place to raise a family (Oceanside: crime rates, schools)

[maisy123]

Originally Posted by seyi

Currently, I am looking to purchase in Long Island and am in need of some information as to the best places to move. I am an African American female with a husband and a 5 year old. Obviously my number one concern is finding a good school district that is diverse. However, the problem that I have found is that the areas with the higher minority rates, tend to have the worst schools and the most crime. While this saddens me I have to put my daughters needs first and find a school district that is good. Additionally, I would like to find an area that would be welcoming of my family and myself. While I do not want to be the only black person in the neighborhood, I am more concerned with being safe and living in an area that feels like a community where neighbors interact with one another. I was told that Nassau County is very racist and that I should stay away (not sure if this is true). I was looking at areas like Hicksville, Rockville Centre, Massapequa, Bayshore, etc..... While I am an attorney, do not want to live in an area where the people are stuckup and turn their noses up to the rest of the world. I want to live around good people with values. Any help would be appreciated.

Take a look at Malverne. The school district has the diversity you seek with a rising hispanic and white population. The scores are above county averages at the elementary and middle school level. The HS is making a oush but needs 2-3 more years but the momentum is there. The village of Malverne has a small AA population that has been growing past 10 years and they are all upper middle class families. Neighboring Lakeview may be on interest also. Majority AA, same schools-hence the diversity and LAkeview is a middle class community. If you need more info you can PM me.

[suzook]

Originally Posted by maisy123

Neighboring Lakeview may be on interest also. Majority AA, same schools-hence the diversity and LAkeview is a middle class community. If you need more info you can PM me.

Your kidding? Right?

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by suzook

Your kidding? Right?

I guess the poster didn't realize the OP is an attorney and can do better?

IMO the OP can go anywhere they want and I wouldn't necessarily recommend a mostly black community just because they are black. If they WANT a community with more blacks, at their range I would recommend Dix Hills because I know it attracts some upscale black business owners, etc., as I know a few who moved their, built houses there, etc.

[Aim For The Sky]

Seyi- I'm also an AA professional women with a husband and toddler. I live in Baldwin and love it. I love Baldwin because its diverse, has great schools, convenient to shopping, and close proximity to NYC. I don't know where you have lived, but I've lived in CA, MD/DC, and Boston; and compared to those areas the traffic is nothing here. Even when there is a little traffic there are so many alternative routes. I also like Rockville Centre and the Sterns Park part of Freeport. I would not recommend Hempstead, Roosevelt, or Uniondale. Merrick and Oceanside are nice to shop and visit, but your child may be one of the five black children in the school. I have friends who love Valley Stream and Lynbrook. I don't know much about Suffolk, I wasn't interested in finding out because it was too far for us. The North Shore is nice also, Roslyn and Manhasset.

[MegDrew]

Originally Posted by Aim For The Sky

Seyi- I'm also an AA professional women with a husband and toddler. I live in Baldwin and love it. I love Baldwin because its diverse, has great schools, convenient to shopping, and close proximity to NYC. I don't know where you have lived, but I've lived in CA, MD/DC, and Boston; and compared to those areas the traffic is nothing here. Even when there is a little traffic there are so many alternative routes. I also like Rockville Centre and the Sterns Park part of Freeport. I would not recommend Hempstead, Roosevelt, or Uniondale. Merrick and Oceanside are nice to shop and visit, but your child may be one of the five black children in the school. I have friends who love Valley Stream and Lynbrook. I don't know much about Suffolk, I wasn't interested in finding out because it was too far for us. The North Shore is nice also, Roslyn and Manhasset.

I second Freeport. I've been living here for just over two years and it truly feels integrated to me (particularly in the middle, where I live). It has a bit of a poor reputation, but I'm not sure why. I haven't seen any crime and I don't live in the fancy schmancy south area (which is beautiful, by the way).
BUT (there's always a but), I have heard bad things about the high school. I don't know if these are rumors or truths, but you might want to check out the school report card and ask other posters about their experiences there.
Rockville Centre is a great village as well and I hear the schools are top notch.
Good luck!

[AlexisT]

Freeport schools are poor. The professionals who live in Freeport (which has some beautiful houses) send to private. RVC has excellent schools. Baldwin has suffered over the years due to its proximity to other poor districts (Hempstead, Roosevelt, and Freeport).

I think Oceanside is a little more diverse now than it was when I lived there, but Merrick doesn't seem to have changed at all over the years. From Merrick east, the South Shore of Nassau is very white.

HHH school district is excellent, diverse (as LI goes, anyway), and contrary to what some may tell you, not all the black kids live in Wheatley Heights. It is further from NYC though and about the tolerable limit for commuting.

[llaurenn]

Originally Posted by I_Love_LI_but

If they WANT a community with more blacks, at their range I would recommend Dix Hills because I know it attracts some upscale black business owners, etc., as I know a few who moved their, built houses there, etc.

I live in Dix Hills and I second this.

[hotkarl]

Originally Posted by Aim For The Sky

I also like Rockville Centre and the Sterns Park part of Freeport. I would not recommend Hempstead, Roosevelt, or Uniondale. Merrick and Oceanside are nice to shop and visit, but your child may be one of the five black children in the school.

um, there are way more than 5 black children in the Oceanside school district...Some of them are not Oceanside residents.
Merrick may have only a handful of black children, and I wouldn't totally recommend Merrick for an AA family, they're a little more snobby over there and not as accepting as O'side.

[E4025]

i live in merrick. the blacks that live in merrick- are young,educated professionals - very well accepted .... y.
South of Merrick rd. - it is a very snoby area - but snoby in general -not only the blacks...
but bet. merrick rd and sunrise - very good area ,good re-sale value..unlikly north merrick .

[sean sean sean sean]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

um, there are way more than 5 black children in the Oceanside school district...Some of them are not Oceanside residents.
Merrick may have only a handful of black children, and I wouldn't totally recommend Merrick for an AA family, they're a little more snobby over there and not as accepting as O'side.

Greatschools.net says Oceanside SD is 1% Black, which equals 61.26 students....but there are 9 different schools in the district, so each one of them has approximately 6.8 black kids in it. I dunno if I would consider that "way more" than the 5 estimate per school....