Valley Stream (New York, Union, Uniondale: mortgage, buying a house, neighborhoods)

[Smash255]

Valley stream is a fine area, it does have some incidents from time to time, but what areas don't? All in all its a safe area and the schools are solid. As far as the "changing" aspect which some people suggest, the area has gotten much more ethnically and racially diverse. As far as changing in a way that really matters, such as how safe it is, the quality of the schools, or the socio-economic standing of the neighborhood it hasn't.

[grant516]

There were shots fired during Tupac Ressurection- though nobody reported injury-
as well as a Stabbing of a teen During My Bloody Valentine in 3-D in January of 2009. The theater has had Metal Detectors for over 6 years now- and you can make your own assumptions as to why. Godfather III is not necessarily an isolated incident; albeit more movies obviously take place without a hitch there.

The Green Acres mall also hosts the outskirts of the Wal*Mart in which this Black Friday's epic trampling happened where the young man was crushed by the mobbed crowd.

... and yes Walter Greenspan, that's wonderful that this is in the "Hamlet" of South Valley Stream- but the OP is talking about Valley Stream without any specifics defined- and there are odds that such stabbings and mishaps involve people from the Hamlet, the Village, or just in general the surrounding areas.

I'm speaking for what it is- given the trend of White Flight on Long Island- expect by 10 years for Valley Stream to be similar in demographic to Elmont or Lakeview.
Does that make it a bad neighborhood, certainly not. Given it's proximity to NY and short train trip into Penn- while maintaining it's charm, parks, and close distance to the beach- it's pretty splendid. Same can be said though for area's like Canarsie- I couldn't say exactly what's up with a lot of these areas, given my age I've only heard of their hayday.

The school systems aren't bad- but where will they be in 10 years- I couldn't tell you.

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by grant516

... and yes Walter Greenspan, that's wonderful that this is in the "Hamlet" of South Valley Stream- but the OP is talking about Valley Stream without any specifics defined- and there are odds that such stabbings and mishaps involve people from the Hamlet, the Village, or just in general the surrounding areas.

The general convention is that when someone says, "Valley Stream", this refers solely to the Village of Valley Stream and when someone says, "Greater Valley Stream area", this means the Village of Valley Stream, the Hamlet of North Valley Stream, the Hamlet of South Valley Stream, and adjoining areas in other villages and hamlets that may have a "Valley Stream, NY 11580 & 11581" mailing address.

[grant516]

Originally Posted by Walter Greenspan

The general convention is that when someone says, "Valley Stream", this refers solely to the Village of Valley Stream and when someone says, "Greater Valley Stream area", this means the Village of Valley Stream, the Hamlet of North Valley Stream, the Hamlet of South Valley Stream, and adjoining areas in other villages and hamlets that may have a "Valley Stream, NY 11580 & 11581" mailing address.

If that is the case, why is it that you informed the OP in the inital post, that when he talks about Valley Stream he might be talking about areas OUTSIDE what is the legal definition of the Village?

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by grant516

If that is the case, why is it that you informed the OP in the inital post, that when he talks about Valley Stream he might be talking about areas OUTSIDE what is the legal definition of the Village?

As I opened my comment to the OP, " ... (I)n case you are not aware ... " because, unfortunately, many people are unaware that "http://www.city-data.com/forum/long-...you-think.html".

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by grant516

given the trend of White Flight on Long Island- expect by 10 years for Valley Stream to be similar in demographic to Elmont or Lakeview.
Does that make it a bad neighborhood, certainly not. Given it's proximity to NY and short train trip into Penn- while maintaining it's charm, parks, and close distance to the beach- it's pretty splendid. Same can be said though for area's like Canarsie- I couldn't say exactly what's up with a lot of these areas, given my age I've only heard of their hayday.

The school systems aren't bad- but where will they be in 10 years- I couldn't tell you.

One of the interesting things about Valley Stream in the 15 years I've been here (and there were blacks here in general before I moved here), is that in many neighborhoods there has not been any white flight.

On my block, for example, a black family moved in over 10 years ago to a home from an elderly couple that were retired and left the area. No white flight, the family is very nice and everyone likes them and welcomed them. A few years ago on the next block, a black couple bought another home that had been empty for awhile because its elderly owners moved before selling it. They paid $505K for it and recently installed a new fence, etc. Nobody on that block fled to this date either.

So perhaps you should rethink your "doom and gloom" predictions for Valley Stream. Old fashioned ideas about white flight should be rethought IMO.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by grant516

There were shots fired during Tupac Ressurection- though nobody reported injury-
as well as a Stabbing of a teen During My Bloody Valentine in 3-D in January of 2009. The theater has had Metal Detectors for over 6 years now- and you can make your own assumptions as to why. Godfather III is not necessarily an isolated incident; albeit more movies obviously take place without a hitch there.

Just because you live in Valley Stream does not mean you are "doomed" to go to the movie theatres in Green Acres. I don't go to them. I don't like a rowdy young crowd on the few occasions that I do spend money on movies out.

As for the "My Bloody Valentine" stabbing, it was not because the theatre attracts dirtbags, but because the theatre employed one. A security guard ordered a teenaged boy to leave the theatre. The boy said it was cold and wanted to wait for his ride inside and the security guard got angry and stabbed him.

[maisy123]

VS has had pretty violent crimes in the news in just the last couple of years. Couple robbed entering their own home, body in the dumpster in Gibson...and then there's the smaller robberies around the train station and other areas. That being said it's a big community. I don't even consider the multiplex to be in VS even though it is. Always seemed more like Queens to me even when it first went up. As for it changing what community on LI isn't. The LI demographic is changing and it's not all that bad just different.

[DawnSells]

You should try East Rockaway. I grew up there. It is a small town with charm. I would say it is very safe. Everybody knows everybody. Nice little beach at the edge of town. Great place to raise your family.

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by DawnSells

You should try East Rockaway. I grew up there. It is a small town with charm. I would say it is very safe. Everybody knows everybody. Nice little beach at the edge of town. Great place to raise your family.

East Rockaway is a village in the Town of Hempstead, and if there is a beach, wouldn't that beach be at the edge of the Hamlet of Bay Park which is in the "Rockaway, NY 11518" ZIP Code postal zone but is a separate community from the Village of East Rockway?


For those who may not be familiar with East Rockaway:

East Rockaway is a village (incorporated in 1910) is in the south part of the Town of Hempstead, in the southwest part of Nassau County..

Beginning on the north and moving in a clockwise direction, the Village of East Rockaway in the Town of Hempstead is bordered on the north by the Village of Lynbrook; on the east by the Village of Rockville Centre and the Hamlet of Oceanside; on the south by the Hamlet of Bay Park and the Village of Hewlett Harbor; and, on the west by the Village of Hewlett Harbor and the Hamlet of Hewlett.





The Village of East Rockaway has a different border than does the "East Rockaway, NY 11518" postal zone (i.e., a place can have an "East Rockaway, NY 11518" mailing address and not be in the Village of East Rockaway and a place can be in the Village of East Rockaway and have other than an "East Rockaway, NY 11518" mailing address): places with an "East Rockaway, NY 11518" mailing address that are not in the Village of East Rockaway are in the Hamlet of Hewlett, the Village of Lynbrook and the Hamlet of Bay Park and, at the same time, there are places in the Village of East Rockaway with a "Lynbrook, NY 11563" mailing address.


For a good set of town-by-town maps showing all the villages and hamlets in each of LI's 13 towns (3 in Nassau County and 10 in Suffolk County): http://www.city-data.com/forum/long-...-resource.html