compare LI with other places you've lived (Manorville, Portland: how much, houses)

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by Crookhaven

Great post.

Ill take 495 over the 405 anyday.

Crooks

Well I have to say I love, love Long Island. But attended college and lived for 20 yrs in Southern CA. and did quite well there.

Long Island will always be home as I grew up there, and am thankful I did.

We still have a condo near San Diego and have moved to FL since some of the family did the NY to FL move a few years ago.

I can't speak for NC but I don't like FL. It is way too hot most of the year and even though there are a lot of New Yorkers down here, I get the feeling most don't like it here and some will actually tell you that.

For a few months of nice weather( similar to CA weather most of the year) they suffer through months of opressive heat and humidity.

So they trade 3 months of being stuck indoors in NY for 6 months of being stuck indoors down here due to the heat.

And I'm on the thin side,so it isn't a weight issue, you see lots of very heavy people here and this heat can't be comfortable for them. They also walk around barely dressed.....which isn't comfortable for me...LOL.

[slynn41072]

Originally Posted by rh71

Can you please compare and contrast everything as much as you can? Atmosphere, people, beaches, shopping, entertainment, housing, cost of living, salaries, traffic, food, etc. Picture yourself as an unbiased reviewer writing for a magazine. That's what I want to see from this thread.

Cary, NC

Atmosphere - cleaner, less crowded, less rushed or impatient

People - friendly, willing to make new friends, wave to stangers, have a smile, friendly people working in stores, offer to help you out to your car with groceries and really want to help. Neighbors doing favors for one another.

Beaches - beautiful beaches 2 hours away, as well as mountains 2 hours away.

Shopping - great shopping - Macy's, Nordstom, all the same mall stores. Not lacking for shopping.

Entertainment - tons of restaurants and off broadway shows, ballet, concerts, sports events, festivals.

Housing - affordable to unaffordable, low taxes, great services. You can still buy a home for 150,000 thousand

Cost of living and salaries - lower cost of living, same salaries (depending on your field.) Teachers and police do not make over 100K a year (no unions).

Traffic - I wouldn't consider what we have traffic after living on LI

Negatives - it takes time to drive back to NY to visit family.

Honestly in Cary it is very similar to LI without the high prices(and much cleaner).

[slynn41072]

Originally Posted by Crookhaven

So why are you lurking on the LI boards?
Its clearly subpar.

Homesick?


JK.

(You'll notice I said most cant afford to return post exodus)

Crooks

I still have family and friends in the area and like to keep involved in my parents investment which will one day be mine. Thanks for asking though.

Nope not homesick, haven't been home in 2 years, everyones wants to come visit me.

[TANaples]

I was born, raised and lived in NYC (Manhattan and Queens) for 28 years. I lived in
Florida for 6 months as a young single with a move for a BF. I hated Florida at 22. We moved to LI from Queens when my kids were very young and spent 20 years there. I love LI. My husband got a job in Florida (out of work in NY) and have been living here for the past 2 years. I hate Florida even more now. I miss my kids (BOTH live on LI) and want to move back to LI ASAP.

The lower cost of living and "beautiful weather" (sic) mean nothing to me. Some things are worth more than $'s.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by TANaples

I was born, raised and lived in NYC (Manhattan and Queens) for 28 years. I lived in
Florida for 6 months as a young single with a move for a BF. I hated Florida at 22. We moved to LI from Queens when my kids were very young and spent 20 years there. I love LI. My husband got a job in Florida (out of work in NY) and have been living here for the past 2 years. I hate Florida even more now. I miss my kids (BOTH live on LI) and want to move back to LI ASAP.

The lower cost of living and "beautiful weather" (sic) mean nothing to me. Some things are worth more than $'s.

Yes beautiful weather....LOL.. it has been cooler and low humidity for the last few days(feels almost like Southern CA) BUT the humidity and the mid 90's are coming back.

What cracks me up is mostly everyone is thrilled when the temps come down and the humidity lowers so if the weather(even the news people comment) is so "beautiful" why is everyone inside with the A/C on 8 months out of the year.

[DKVA]

Originally Posted by slynn41072

I still have family and friends in the area and like to keep involved in my parents investment which will one day be mine. Thanks for asking though.

Nope not homesick, haven't been home in 2 years, everyones wants to come visit me.

I, like you still "lurk" ( I hate that word) on the LI forum. We were relocated in 2004 to Va. We were born and raised on LI and all of our family is still there. So of course, I like to read what is going on ,on Long Island.

We loved Va for many of the same reasons you love NC.

We were relocated again out to the Mid West/IL-our kids stayed in Va-no thought of moving out here or back to LI. Nothing against the Mid West I can't wait to get back to Va.

[Peter B]

The best things about LI are the beaches & the food. Aside from that, you get waaaaaaaaaaay more for your bucks in most other areas of the country. We left there 5 years ago & couldn't be happier

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by slynn41072

We moved to NC 7 years ago. I was one of those people who never ever thought of leaving LI. Now I would never ever move back to LI.

49 other states exist in this country, people shop, work, have friends, go to dinner and have full lives without ever stepping foot on LI or NY for that matter.

The funny thing about LI/NY is that the only people who think its so great are the ones actually living there. Most people from other states are not dying to live in NY.
Most people from outside the NY area have the thought "nice place to visit, wouldn't want to live there".

As for the previous statement if you move to NC (not sure about Florida) you can't afford to come back to LI is not always the case. My home in NC is worth more money(75,000 more) than my old LI home and we spent less to purchase it than what we sold our LI home for (30,000 less). We also didn't take a pay cut when we moved.

Thank goodness for that!!!

[alexei27]

I'll add my list from the past 6 years...


Utah (SLC Suburb)
Visually stunning due to mountains...but dry and brown 6 months a year. However living at the base of a 9500 peak was pretty cool. Winner...Utah

Traffic was a nightmare as there is only 1 major highway through a city/suburbs of nearly 2 Million. Believe it or not...there is much arrogance on the Utah Highways. Winner...LI

The weather is fantastic....4 vibrant season, and you didn't have to worry about getting rained out with only 7" of precip a year. The downfall was 2-4 weeks of frozen smog in winter. Winner....Utah.

Financially...we were in about the same situation as LI. We carried a lot debt from two adoptions. Taxes and utilities were lower ($1400 for a 2200 sq ft "tri-level" vice $5800 for an 1800 sq ft cape). We bought before the run up...the house cost 160K so total mortgage was $1350 vice $2390 here).

Gas/electric in Utah was about $140 a month.
Pellet stove/Oil/Elec here is about $250 a month.

However...I made 20K a year less in Utah. Winner...Draw.

Schools....SUCK (very religiously motivated and underachieving) Winner....LI by a longshot.

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Colonie/Waterford NY...

cannot compare salaries...I was a starving research assistant.

Other than possibly a lower mortgage, I cannot think of anything superior about the capital region over LI.

If you've ever sat in traffic on the Northway (AKA The Deathway) the LIE aint so bad.

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Other than Hawaii ( 4 years in the early 90's)...the part of LI where we are now is the best place we have ever lived. I travel a lot with my job...and this is the first place I have lived that I feel happy to be home.

[rh71]

Thanks - keep it coming guys, surprised not many CA or northeast entries....