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Old 08-29-2007, 12:24 AM
 
Location: Wellsville, Glurt County
2,845 posts, read 10,471,532 times
Reputation: 1417

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Back to the point, in my opinion Valley Stream is a great town. Don't live there but I wouldn't mind it. Location is great, housing is nice and older style, neighborhoods are very clean, the Green Acres Mall (where plenty of white people shop) is right there along with plenty of other shopping areas. It's an area with some character to it and it's TOTALLY safe...assuming your idea of safe isn't living on a block that has a 24 hour guard and electronic gate at the beginning of the block.

 
Old 09-10-2007, 08:59 PM
 
62 posts, read 204,949 times
Reputation: 19
Default Incorporated village a plus??

I spent over 30 years in Queens/Brooklyn and a few years back moved into the incorporated village of VS. What are the pros to being in the incorporated village... as I see it I pay an additional tax for - not being allowed to park my car on the street in front of my house and having to go through the village for every single public works request. I have worked for the coty of NY for 20+ years and as slow to respond as city service workers are, they are still much better than they are here...... So, my question again is ...What is the pro to being in an incorporated village?

I read the argument that there in no onstreet parking so that is a deterrent to illegal renters and commuters but in my area I know of at least 4 homeowners who rent illegally and share the driveway, and on the point of commuters - they purchase non-resident parking passes so the village gets money but they still park in the streets

It doesn't seem to be a plus to me , what am I missing?

SGC
 
Old 09-11-2007, 08:03 PM
 
Location: Albany (school) NYC (home)
893 posts, read 2,851,409 times
Reputation: 377
uhh the pools, tennis courts, basketball courts.

Where all the kids in my school go to hang out after school. Or during the summer
 
Old 09-12-2007, 09:23 PM
 
62 posts, read 204,949 times
Reputation: 19
Default That doesn't address the question

Those amenities are no different from a non-incorporated village or ,for that matter, a lot of NYC communities with MUCH lower taxes. So ,again ,I ask what are the pros to being in an incorporated village other than the extra taxes?

I attended public school in NYC and my house was in a development that had tennis courts , basketball courts, all sporting fields and a secluded (not-private) beach. We also , when I was a teenager, had a "country club" ... more notably a community pool with amenities.
 
Old 09-12-2007, 10:07 PM
 
1,876 posts, read 2,656,334 times
Reputation: 86
Quote:
Originally Posted by sgc from LI View Post
Those amenities are no different from a non-incorporated village or ,for that matter, a lot of NYC communities with MUCH lower taxes. So ,again ,I ask what are the pros to being in an incorporated village other than the extra taxes?

I attended public school in NYC and my house was in a development that had tennis courts , basketball courts, all sporting fields and a secluded (not-private) beach. We also , when I was a teenager, had a "country club" ... more notably a community pool with amenities.
Id take Queens over VS hands down

C
 
Old 09-13-2007, 03:07 AM
 
Location: Wellsville, Glurt County
2,845 posts, read 10,471,532 times
Reputation: 1417
sgc from LI - In NY all a "village" means is that the area is more autonomous than the unincorporated areas - even though the town still may handle some governmental and public works functions. It can be good or bad depending on how well the village management is and how active the residents are in local politics, because in a village you should theoretically have a much greater say in how things get done. I don't know exactly what duties are split between ToH and Village of VS where you live, but if you're unhappy why not look into it and see what you can do about changing things? Also, if you don't mind relocating to the south or north, both those sections of Valley Stream are unincorporated and are solely under the rule of the Town of Hempstead.

clamboy - Queens is a big place! I assume you mean something comparable right over the border like Rosedale? Somebody who wants to live in an area like Valley Stream probably wouldn't have an interest in more than a handful of Queens neighborhoods, and even then it comes down to personal preference and what fits your lifestyle best. You can find a bargain in VS and you can find a bargain in South Ozone Park, but they're still apples and oranges.
 
Old 09-13-2007, 06:52 AM
 
1,876 posts, read 2,656,334 times
Reputation: 86
Quote:
Originally Posted by sean sean sean sean View Post
sgc from LI - In NY all a "village" means is that the area is more autonomous than the unincorporated areas - even though the town still may handle some governmental and public works functions. It can be good or bad depending on how well the village management is and how active the residents are in local politics, because in a village you should theoretically have a much greater say in how things get done. I don't know exactly what duties are split between ToH and Village of VS where you live, but if you're unhappy why not look into it and see what you can do about changing things? Also, if you don't mind relocating to the south or north, both those sections of Valley Stream are unincorporated and are solely under the rule of the Town of Hempstead.

clamboy - Queens is a big place! I assume you mean something comparable right over the border like Rosedale? Somebody who wants to live in an area like Valley Stream probably wouldn't have an interest in more than a handful of Queens neighborhoods, and even then it comes down to personal preference and what fits your lifestyle best. You can find a bargain in VS and you can find a bargain in South Ozone Park, but they're still apples and oranges.
Correct...I wasnt talking Ozone Park

However its more like comparing Apples to Green Apples.

If youre going to deal with the same density and demographics.
Id prefer to be closer to Manhattan with lower taxes and better public transportation.

C
 
Old 09-13-2007, 01:49 PM
 
62 posts, read 204,949 times
Reputation: 19
Default Just venting

SEAN

I am in South VS, it is incorporated and I have tried MANY,MANY times to correct inadequacies in the village (more specifically traffic, pedestrian and other safety issues which I had accomplished while in Queens). I spent a lot of years in Queens (Howard Beach)as a transportation and safety engineer ... much lower taxes, better services ,approximately the same plot size and I was allowed to have friends park in the street whenever there was a need.
I guess one of my main gripes is the ToH taxation, more precisely when I purchased my home in 2005 the taxes were in the $6500 range and since it was reevaluated with a few improvements my current taxes are over $13K. My main reason for moving to LI was to start a family but with the additional $600 per month going to taxes there is no money to start a family now so my move was moot. Now , I work to pay my bills, property and school tax and have others go to a good school (Hewlett-Woodmere) which I will probably never get to use.

P.S. - when you use Rosedale and South Ozone Park as the comparison model you are not doing justice to the borough of Queens, that would be like trying to compare Hempstead, Roosevelt and Uniondale to Douglaston Manor and Malba ... you need to use either larger scale comparisons or much more comparable ones

SGC
 
Old 09-13-2007, 01:52 PM
 
1,876 posts, read 2,656,334 times
Reputation: 86
Quote:
Originally Posted by sgc from LI View Post
SEAN

I am in South VS, it is incorporated and I have tried MANY,MANY times to correct inadequacies in the village (more specifically traffic, pedestrian and other safety issues which I had accomplished while in Queens). I spent a lot of years in Queens (Howard Beach)as a transportation and safety engineer ... much lower taxes, better services ,approximately the same plot size and I was allowed to have friends park in the street whenever there was a need.
I guess one of my main gripes is the ToH taxation, more precisely when I purchased my home in 2005 the taxes were in the $6500 range and since it was reevaluated with a few improvements my current taxes are over $13K. My main reason for moving to LI was to start a family but with the additional $600 per month going to taxes there is no money to start a family now so my move was moot. Now , I work to pay my bills, property and school tax and have others go to a good school (Hewlett-Woodmere) which I will probably never get to use.

P.S. - when you use Rosedale and South Ozone Park as the comparison model you are not doing justice to the borough of Queens, that would be like trying to compare Hempstead, Roosevelt and Uniondale to Douglaston Manor and Malba ... you need to use either larger scale comparisons or much more comparable ones

SGC
Couldnt agree more.
I love Queens.(Born in Flushing...Let's Go Mets)
I prefer it in most instances.

I still cant understand the benefit of Nassau.
It feels like Queens to me ....except with oppressive taxes and a bad attitude.
C
 
Old 09-13-2007, 03:15 PM
 
Location: Wellsville, Glurt County
2,845 posts, read 10,471,532 times
Reputation: 1417
sgc - Maybe my understanding of how the "village" jurisdiction works but I didn't think South VS (or North VS) were incorporated, just hamlets in the ToH linked to Valley Stream proper in geography and name alone...but you live there, you'd probably know better than I do. Is it possible you live south of Sunrise Highway but also east of Mill Road? Cuz that isn't South Valley Stream even though it is "south" Valley Stream.

In any case that's insane that your taxes have doubled in two years...have you challenged it? That just seems downright criminal. I wouldn't be too thrilled with Valley Stream if I was in your shoes either.

Also I don't know Queens as well as I know Nassau (born in Levittown...lets go Islanders), Rosedale and S. Ozone Park were the two that came to mind -- and I didn't mean any negative connotation by that because I've got nothing but good impressions of both. I've got a bunch of friends in Howard Beach and that's a great town too...I'd rather live there than Valley Stream, I'd rather live there than most places to be honest...between New Park and Lenny's I'd probably put on a solid 50lbs though.

clamboy - Most people on the south shore don't have a bad attitude except maybe the 5 Towns area or the super-wealthy parts of Massapequa. North shore absolutely, outside of the scenery I don't like it much up there at all and I know that's not the way it is in north shore Suffolk either. I like it here, the beaches the bars...I even kinda like that it is a little bit congested, I feel out of place sometimes out in Suffolk. I like having people around, and when it gets to be overbearing I just take a ride up and down the Ocean Parkway to clear my head.
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