compare LI with other places you've lived (Colonie, Bath: homes, buy)

[vlorak]

i have found that people who were born in LI love LI. i am very surprised when i ask long islanders whether they have lived elsewhere and i get that look: why would i want to live somewhere else? LI is the best. I am also surprised to also see how kids don't leave homes even after high school graduation. Kids depend on parents for everything. Why don't kids move away once they can? see the world? the rest of the country? or are they waiting to get their hands on family inheritance . beats me
so, to answer your question, I have lived in Northern California, Georgia, SC, FL, MD. I hated florida. The weather, snakes, lizards, snow birds was just too much for me. Since I have moved to LI, even florida seems better. A lot to do. From libraries, bookstores, parks (free, yay, what a concept), beaches, restaurants, diversity. all of it.
GA, SC, CA, FL had their beaches. I never had to pay for parking or anything of the sort to pay for going to the beach. That is not the case with LI beaches. LI is very expensive, people talk about how cultural it is. i am still looking for that 'cultural' aspect of the LI, unless you're talking about the pizza joints. oh well, then, yes I have found them.
LI is very expensive, not much to do here, and if you say there is so much to do here, then my much and your much are different.
If you want to leave the island and go let's say poconos, hershey park, lancaster, whatever you really want to ask yourself do i really need a break, because of the traffic getting off the island. It kills a few hours of your precious vacation time.
I always loved visiting the city when I was single. Not even then did I want to live in Manhattan or anywhere in NY for that matter. Just not my thing.
now, we have moved to LI and we're trying to make the best of it. But I can tell you once I leave, I shall never look back.
But you won't understand my feelings having never left the island, and see for yourself how much better, cheaper, cultural other places are. this is not it.
oh and one more thing: can anyone please explain why do long islanders say aksed instead of asked? I have even heard people with master's degrees say aksed instead of asked? and what is the polite way of saying to someone please you're hurting my ears. it's not aksed it's asked. the other kids came home one day from school, and lo and behold they both used the word aksed. drives me nuts must be an LI thing i don't understand

[rh71]

the "axed" thing is more from the ebonics side (or grew up around those who speak it) from everything I've seen and it's not just LI. I personally don't know anyone who says that around here.

and see for yourself how much better, cheaper, cultural other places are. this is not it.

The culture thing is more being around NYC, not LI, but that still counts being exposed to it if we choose to. Cheaper is practically a given everywhere else. But when you say "better" this is what I'm trying to get at in this thread. We all know what there is to do on LI and the NYC area. What is there to do everywhere else - is there more? If it's the same stuff, how is it better or worse?

I agree it's a downside having to pay for parking at beaches & parks here. But that goes back to the cheaper thing. Other factors... are their beaches & parks any more enjoyable, more plentiful, etc.?

[vlorak]

what's ebonics side?

[rh71]

Originally Posted by vlorak

what's ebonics side?

black folks mostly... watch the news when they interview ppl... or the show COPS (nationwide). Around here it's usually in the city, hardly on LI. *shrug*

[vlorak]

ah, well, no, the people i have heard using this word are well hate to use the word but white educated folks

[anotherNYer]

I guess I too "lurk" here since I moved about a year ago. I found this sight when I was looking for info on NC and since then I look all around citi-data, it's interesting. Besides LI was home for 49 years so I think I can have an opinion. I agree with slynn41072 and DKVA, there are plenty of places out there that offer as much (if not more and at a much less cost) than LI. I want to know what LI has that other places don't. And please don't say NYC. I lived on LI my whole life and visited NY alot, went to shows, dinner, concerts, etc. But with 3 kids it is beyond expensive. And life is too busy most of the time to get there. Plus NC has Raleigh, not as big as NY but it offers excellent restaurants and shows, plus you can get there and back easily. So exactly what does LI have that no one else does? I can go to the beach and the mountains, there is a city nearby, schools are good (I'm a teacher and my kids are working hard), houses are new and taxes are low. It may take 2 hours to get to the ocean but it is a quick drive with no traffic. My sister has a house in the hamptons and whatever day I went there it was a good 2-3 hour drive and I lived in Suffolk. Forget trying to get off LI, you can fly home only to hit the bridges and sit for 3 hours. So much for relaxation. We are not bashing LI, it was a great place to grow up, but there is more out there. What's wrong with moving for a lower cost of living, it's nice to actually have money left over each month to enjoy and yes even save. I think if you move and have a positive mindset you will like wherever you go. I guess it's also a little exciting to leave one place and go to another, I will probably live here forever, but I'm not afraid to try someplace else at some point. I think it was good for my kids to experience something new.

[DKVA]

What is so ironic is that if my husband hadn't been relocated ,we would still be living there. All our family is still there.Our last home there was in Manorville-I don't think today he could do 2 1/2 hours one way to NYC. We do miss the beach terribly especially out in the Mid West. Huge lakes don't cut it. But I do remember on LI the season is very short-water too cold-horse flies-jelly fish.
In Va work was 10 minutes away no highway. Here in IL he goes to St Louis-35 minutes.
Now are kids are in Va-all we think about is visiting them and moving back there-we miss our family but they have to visit here-our kids come first. Unfortunately we cannot afford to fly to NY &Va consistently. It's all about the kids.

[vlorak]

ok then i will try to be more specific. i know LI has beaches but to me after paying so much in taxes it doesn't justify the 12 dollars a day parking for the beach. then again even if it does, it's not worth it to live in LI for the beaches for the two weeks summer that you get. same thing for public parks. why are they so unkept, and yet you have to pay? i mean, we have to take our kids somewhere. we hear so much talk about obesity. it's because there aren't many places to take the kids to to run around, go wild, hence exercise. we are taxpayers, and i mean taxpayers as the taxes here are highest i have ever encountered. we should hold our representatives responsible for such a high cost of living, and then some.
Example: i lived in Monterey, CA. If I wanted the big city feel, drove to SF two hrs, no traffic, beautiful scenery, and was there. lots of places to choose from for lunch, then a walk down to fisherman's wharf, then always some kind of a parade. go by the golden bridge, and get amazed by looking at alcatraz. had enough? drive back to monterey, while enjoying the scenery. want something less hectic, 15 min to carmel. enjoy the beach (not actually get in the water, but then again i never get in the water since it's the oceans/too scared). want the mountains, drive to big cyr. never had to deal with traffic. people are laid back, friendly, lots of caffe places, to sit outside and enjoy life.
florida: if you really love the beach that much, you could pretty much go 9 months out of 12. want the nightlife, there's miami (too crazy for me). but lots of 'downtown places' with variety of restaurants, theaters, shopping, all of it.
back to shopping...i heard someone say all the shopping in LI is right here? WHERE? not really. outlets ok for 2nd hand goods or last year's stuff most of the time.
i guess when i ask long islanders why do you live here the response i get is: i can't explain it.
i guess that is how i feel to about why i don't like LI. is it the run down towns and roads? is it the scary feeling i get every time i make a wrong turn? am i so sick of pizza joints? where is the gourmet food?
schools. man, that was one thing. all i heard prior to moving here was the NY schools are the best. even the worst ones are still better than the rest of the country. that is all i heard.
i agree, maybe compared to florida schools, yet here i am not daring to send my kids to public school. just not good enough. so much importance is given to rankings that you know teachers are helping kids pass the tests. they have to so the school ranks high.
georgia...except atlanta, the rest of GA was ok. rural yet close to many things, mountains, beaches, again, nice restaurants. atlanta, on the other hand, was just hands down really close to how i feel about LI. traffic was very bad. it gave you e very empty feel. just can't put it into words, but atlanta was one of those cities built without a plan so now everywhere you try to get you have to add 2-3 hrs for traffic.
SC, again, rural enough yet close to a lot of things. charleston gave you that olde town feel, with great night entertainment, great schools etc.
i know, and don't say it., why don't you move. because i chose to be a mom and took a break on my career while i raise my children so husband is the main bread-winner and because of his job we are here. nothing i can do about it.

[Rachael84]

I lived outside of Portland, Maine for 2 years at college. Much colder and snowier there. I found the people much more friendly there. When meeting people, they spoke to me like we had known one another for years. I met so many nice people while traveling all over the state during weekends and breaks. It's really pretty up there, but no where I'd want to live. I felt like I didn't have anything in common with people there, despite how nice they are. They're all into hunting, Nascar, four wheeling, etc. Just stuff most LIers aren't into, lol.

[J5K5LY]

Born on LI, grew up in NH and came back to LI as a young adult, raised kids, then moved to Pa for 11 years and guess what? Back on LI! LOL
I was brought up in a town with the population of 400 in NH. Went to a 3 room school for grades 1 thru 8. Across the street from my parents' restaurant. Sadly, because this was in the 60's, and they hated outsiders, we were never really accepted there and it was difficult, especially for a kid. It did give me a profound appreciation of the country, nature and animals. That has shaped my entire life.
LI, with raising kids, was just wonderful. Lived out east cuz I wanted to still live in the "country". We spent the summers at the beaches, in the pool, at parks, plays, you name it, we did it.
Pa was just plain weird. I have said this before in an old thread on NE Pa that NY and NJ are cleaning out their states of all the mentally challenged people and sending them to the Poconos. and I am not kidding. I moved away from the heart of the poconos and was much happier but found that people in the area were like they were in NH. Also, let me tell ya- there are way too many locals there that need a life. I was spied on, harassed, my life was watched with a magnifying glass and all I did was go to work and come home. It actually got frightening when the neighbor told me he had night vision goggles and was following stray cats onto my deck at 5 am.
Not to write a book here- I found that NH and Pa were full of very small minded people and the only way I could live in either place again is if I was rich and retired and had my house in the middle of 100 acres and could travel to see my kids here all the time. (Adult kids are still here on the east end and not moving in the near future)
So I am back here, struggling financially something fierce, but have the wildlife refuge, Montauk, pumpkin picking, my fresh veggies at farm stands (not in Pa cuz of the rocky soil), parks, beaches, and most of all, my family. Oh and NO nosy neighbors! They could not care less about me cuz all I still do is go to work and come home! Thank you, dear neighbors, for having a life of your own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, the hunting blood lust in Pa just about made me sick. They can keep Bubba and his pick up and his possum stew.
Gee, I think I just vented!