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I just Google Street viewed Elder Drive and I can't imagine what house you're referring to that looks 'sweet'. I just spent 5 minutes traveling down the street and all I see are run down shanties.
the one with the multi garages. Great price at $99, that is why it is sweet. the number is in the 160's
anyway. house sold. looking now on woodside drive, now that house is not that pretty BUT good garage space and right price. I'm looking for multi garage space. but i really don't want to get burglarized every month or whatever.
anyway. house sold. looking now on woodside drive, now that house is not that pretty BUT good garage space and right price. I'm looking for multi garage space. but i really don't want to get burglarized every month or whatever.
Dont kmow anything about shirley but had an great aunt and uncle that lived in mastic beach until they both passed. I remember going there when i was young and it seemed nice but i was a kid so idk this was thirty years ago then as i got older and went and walked around with my cousins i realized how sketchy the people looked. Seemed like a lot of toothless womders, meth heads and i remember there we stray dogs roaming the streets this was prob 18-20 yrs ago now if it is anything like what i remember it is a hellhole it was all WT it seemed in that area where they lived anyways. Walter white would make a killing there.
I guess I'm sort of necro'ing here, but I felt like sharing first hand my experiences in the Tri-Hamlet area after living in it for around 8 months.
My finance and I purchased a home last June in Shirley. I previously rented in Patchogue with a number of friends (One of my friends' parents owned the property, and rented it out to us). It was right on North Ocean avenue, and I loved living in Patchogue.
Eventually though, I wanted my own place and started hunting for homes. When my friends heard I was considering the Shirley/Mastic Area, they were all shocked. They told me horror stories of the bad schools, drugs, gangs, crime, violence, abandoned buildings, and absentee landlords, etc. Almost all of them strongly advised me to avoid the area.
Most of the people giving advice grew up on Long Island, so my Fiance and I took their words seriously. We were careful in our hunting and were very thorough, speaking to would-be neighbors, coming back to areas at night and driving around, doing circles around blocks to get a feel for more than just "our" street.
Eventually we settled on a home on one of the dead end streets on the canals. East side of the parkway, right before the big condos at the very end before the bridge.
For starters, I can't say enough about our immediate area. Half the homes on our street are vacation homes, and our street doesn't directly intersect with William Floyd, so its extremely quiet. The homes that are occupied year round are either elderly couples or wholesome appearing families with kids.
I watch the sunrise over Fire Island from my bed every morning and catch the ocean breeze on my deck, from which I can see the whole bay. Our neighbors gave us welcome champagne and offered the use of their boat deck across the street on the canal if we ever wished. Not to mention, I could launch a small boat from the easement right at the end of our street if I wanted. It's overall so nice I can't believe we almost missed out on such an opportunity. I'm literally an 8 minute walk from the sand on the beach at Smith Point.
I go running and biking in the area, and virtually all of the homes on the canals down at that end of the parkway are equally as nice as mine. Across the parkway there are also nice homes, especially the ones on and in the vicinity of Grandview Dr, which look out onto the water.
Further up the road, following Smith Rd. into the Golden Gate or Carmen View neighborhoods, we have more nice homes. Some of these are massive, almost mansions! Seriously, that neighborhood is a little tricky to find your way into, but those are some of the nicest homes I've seen since moving down here. (Outside of the Hamptons). You'd never guess they were in Shirley, New York by the way some people spoke about the region.
Back on the East side, along Elm and down Forest (getting into Mastic) the homes are smaller. On some of these streets you see storm damage, and some homes are vacant or a little run down. Every once in awhile you see a lot that looks a little white trashy. You know, just under landscaped or unkempt. I've never seen broken down cars, appliances on the lawn, or large amounts of garbage accumulating. Some homefronts could just use a little TLC. The homes are smaller but for the most part they are well kept. They definitely have a "beach cottage" feel to them. There are some larger and nice houses here, too. (How about that pink hampton-esque home on Hickory..whats the story behind that place?) I go running alone, at night, almost every night with my iPod around this neighborhood, down Cranberry and past the smaller marina in Mastic Beach, before returning back to the parkway and down to my street- and I have never felt unsafe or unwelcome.
I will admit that Neighborhood Rd. is a little sketchy, but in my time here I haven't seen any signs of crime or gang activity that would deter me from walking around there at night. Just some store fronts that could use a little attention. They could also use some restaurants or more upscale bars/pubs to fill the place up make it a real business center. Right now it's not so much bad as it is void of profitable and attractive business ventures (like the ones that have been springing up in Patchogue).
Edit: The Motel on the Parkway is quite unnerving. I do often wonder who it is who stays there to keep the place afloat. On the other hand, the small establishment on the corner of that property is being renovated, a new, painted sign went up labeling it as "Crabby Rob's at Smith Point". Often when I run past they are doing work inside. I read that it is going to be an old fashioned burger and shake joint- somewhat like Flo's in Blue Point was what came to mind. Anyway...
Further north from there, you find that massive new development that is being built with $300K + homes in what it seems will be a gated community...nothing bad about that. Other than Neighborhood Rd. the only area that strikes me as a bit sketchy is the train station and some of it's immediate surroundings. I haven't ever seen anything that made me feel unsafe, again. The station could just use a little cleaning up. The pathmark plaza also isn't the nicest plaza I've ever been to, but I have shopped there before- the staff are polite and helpful. There are sometimes people hanging around somewhat aimlessly out front, but they don't appear to be criminals- I saw this at every grocery store I ever went to when I lived upstate (Previously lived in Endicott, NY outside Binghamton...in Amherst, NY outside Buffalo...and in Fredonia NY). I remember shortly after moving in, my allergies were bugging me and I was shocked at how many strangers said "Bless you!" at that Pathmark when I couldn't seem to stop sneezing. No one came across as sinister, trashy or rude.
Oh, and the reservation. That was trashy and rude. While exploring one day we ended up there, and that was a little frightening. We quickly made our way through it, and we won't be returning any time soon.
But other than those few locations- (Which are in no way worse than anywhere else I have lived or been to) where is all the white trash? Where are all the transient hobo alien scum people? Where are the people that could "have their homes flattened" or "burnt down" and whom no one would notice their absence for days?
I can't understand how someone could say such things about my new home, which I have found to be almost wholly welcoming and enjoyable to live in.
As far as the school goes, I'm sure there are bad apples in attendance. But that's how high school is these days. I graduated from my High School (Union-Endicott) with honors. I was a three sport athlete. Went to college and got a bachelor's degree. Ran cross country and track through my senior year of college. I now manage a group home for individuals with Autism. My school had a state of the art football field, baseball stadium and track. Our tech club built a solar car. There were too many musical clubs (jazz band, choral, show choir, etc) to count.
And yet, some of my fellow students brought weapons to school, messed around with drugs (even heroin, no exaggeration) cut class to smoke on the corner, got pregnant at 16 (or younger) and just generally did terrible things for a high schooler to do. This is a fact of life almost anywhere these days.
Considering all that, William Floyd has a star up on Union-Endicott according to Great-Schools, so how bad can it be?
Every town has its bad patches and bad apples. From what I have seen in my 8 months as a resident of Shirley, there are few more, if any bad apples or bad patches in the Tri-Hamlet area than anywhere else I have been.
And I couldn't walk to the beach in 8 minutes from any of those places. It would be more like an 8 hour drive to get to the ocean from any of them.
Anyone badmouthing this area hasn't been to it in the last year, or is operating on old stereotypes from the regions early history. I highly suggest they revisit the area with an open mind, or keep their mouths shut. My fiance and I are kind, educated, clean, and responsible people, and all of our neighbors are too. We welcome you to explore our little hamlet and beachside town
I hope this post clears up some misconceptions and helps influence someone who might be considering settling in the region!
I guess I'm sort of necro'ing here, but I felt like sharing first hand my experiences in the Tri-Hamlet area after living in it for around 8 months.
My finance and I purchased a home last June in Shirley. I previously rented in Patchogue with a number of friends (One of my friends' parents owned the property, and rented it out to us). It was right on North Ocean avenue, and I loved living in Patchogue.
Eventually though, I wanted my own place and started hunting for homes. When my friends heard I was considering the Shirley/Mastic Area, they were all shocked. They told me horror stories of the bad schools, drugs, gangs, crime, violence, abandoned buildings, and absentee landlords, etc. Almost all of them strongly advised me to avoid the area.
Most of the people giving advice grew up on Long Island, so my Fiance and I took their words seriously. We were careful in our hunting and were very thorough, speaking to would-be neighbors, coming back to areas at night and driving around, doing circles around blocks to get a feel for more than just "our" street.
Eventually we settled on a home on one of the dead end streets on the canals. East side of the parkway, right before the big condos at the very end before the bridge.
For starters, I can't say enough about our immediate area. Half the homes on our street are vacation homes, and our street doesn't directly intersect with William Floyd, so its extremely quiet. The homes that are occupied year round are either elderly couples or wholesome appearing families with kids.
I watch the sunrise over Fire Island from my bed every morning and catch the ocean breeze on my deck, from which I can see the whole bay. Our neighbors gave us welcome champagne and offered the use of their boat deck across the street on the canal if we ever wished. Not to mention, I could launch a small boat from the easement right at the end of our street if I wanted. It's overall so nice I can't believe we almost missed out on such an opportunity. I'm literally an 8 minute walk from the sand on the beach at Smith Point.
I go running and biking in the area, and virtually all of the homes on the canals down at that end of the parkway are equally as nice as mine. Across the parkway there are also nice homes, especially the ones on and in the vicinity of Grandview Dr, which look out onto the water.
Further up the road, following Smith Rd. into the Golden Gate or Carmen View neighborhoods, we have more nice homes. Some of these are massive, almost mansions! Seriously, that neighborhood is a little tricky to find your way into, but those are some of the nicest homes I've seen since moving down here. (Outside of the Hamptons). You'd never guess they were in Shirley, New York by the way some people spoke about the region.
Back on the East side, along Elm and down Forest (getting into Mastic) the homes are smaller. On some of these streets you see storm damage, and some homes are vacant or a little run down. Every once in awhile you see a lot that looks a little white trashy. You know, just under landscaped or unkempt. I've never seen broken down cars, appliances on the lawn, or large amounts of garbage accumulating. Some homefronts could just use a little TLC. The homes are smaller but for the most part they are well kept. They definitely have a "beach cottage" feel to them. There are some larger and nice houses here, too. (How about that pink hampton-esque home on Hickory..whats the story behind that place?) I go running alone, at night, almost every night with my iPod around this neighborhood, down Cranberry and past the smaller marina in Mastic Beach, before returning back to the parkway and down to my street- and I have never felt unsafe or unwelcome.
I will admit that Neighborhood Rd. is a little sketchy, but in my time here I haven't seen any signs of crime or gang activity that would deter me from walking around there at night. Just some store fronts that could use a little attention. They could also use some restaurants or more upscale bars/pubs to fill the place up make it a real business center. Right now it's not so much bad as it is void of profitable and attractive business ventures (like the ones that have been springing up in Patchogue).
Edit: The Motel on the Parkway is quite unnerving. I do often wonder who it is who stays there to keep the place afloat. On the other hand, the small establishment on the corner of that property is being renovated, a new, painted sign went up labeling it as "Crabby Rob's at Smith Point". Often when I run past they are doing work inside. I read that it is going to be an old fashioned burger and shake joint- somewhat like Flo's in Blue Point was what came to mind. Anyway...
Further north from there, you find that massive new development that is being built with $300K + homes in what it seems will be a gated community...nothing bad about that. Other than Neighborhood Rd. the only area that strikes me as a bit sketchy is the train station and some of it's immediate surroundings. I haven't ever seen anything that made me feel unsafe, again. The station could just use a little cleaning up. The pathmark plaza also isn't the nicest plaza I've ever been to, but I have shopped there before- the staff are polite and helpful. There are sometimes people hanging around somewhat aimlessly out front, but they don't appear to be criminals- I saw this at every grocery store I ever went to when I lived upstate (Previously lived in Endicott, NY outside Binghamton...in Amherst, NY outside Buffalo...and in Fredonia NY). I remember shortly after moving in, my allergies were bugging me and I was shocked at how many strangers said "Bless you!" at that Pathmark when I couldn't seem to stop sneezing. No one came across as sinister, trashy or rude.
Oh, and the reservation. That was trashy and rude. While exploring one day we ended up there, and that was a little frightening. We quickly made our way through it, and we won't be returning any time soon.
But other than those few locations- (Which are in no way worse than anywhere else I have lived or been to) where is all the white trash? Where are all the transient hobo alien scum people? Where are the people that could "have their homes flattened" or "burnt down" and whom no one would notice their absence for days?
I can't understand how someone could say such things about my new home, which I have found to be almost wholly welcoming and enjoyable to live in.
As far as the school goes, I'm sure there are bad apples in attendance. But that's how high school is these days. I graduated from my High School (Union-Endicott) with honors. I was a three sport athlete. Went to college and got a bachelor's degree. Ran cross country and track through my senior year of college. I now manage a group home for individuals with Autism. My school had a state of the art football field, baseball stadium and track. Our tech club built a solar car. There were too many musical clubs (jazz band, choral, show choir, etc) to count.
And yet, some of my fellow students brought weapons to school, messed around with drugs (even heroin, no exaggeration) cut class to smoke on the corner, got pregnant at 16 (or younger) and just generally did terrible things for a high schooler to do. This is a fact of life almost anywhere these days.
Considering all that, William Floyd has a star up on Union-Endicott according to Great-Schools, so how bad can it be?
Every town has its bad patches and bad apples. From what I have seen in my 8 months as a resident of Shirley, there are few more, if any bad apples or bad patches in the Tri-Hamlet area than anywhere else I have been.
And I couldn't walk to the beach in 8 minutes from any of those places. It would be more like an 8 hour drive to get to the ocean from any of them.
Anyone badmouthing this area hasn't been to it in the last year, or is operating on old stereotypes from the regions early history. I highly suggest they revisit the area with an open mind, or keep their mouths shut. My fiance and I are kind, educated, clean, and responsible people, and all of our neighbors are too. We welcome you to explore our little hamlet and beachside town
I hope this post clears up some misconceptions and helps influence someone who might be considering settling in the region!
Thanks for your post and I'm glad you like your section of Shirley. However, when people warned you against it on a whole, they were NOT operating on old stereotypes, nor is the high school the same as where you went.
This is the reality of William Floyd HS and it's a trendsetter, but not in a good way:
(Reuters) - An in-school drug and alcohol abuse clinic is opening at a public high school on Long Island, the first of its kind in New York state and possibly in the nation, treatment advocates said on Wednesday.
Responding to soaring rates of substance abuse among students, the William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach will house the clinic starting in August.
It will be run by Daytop Treatment Services, a network of drug and alcohol abuse centers, at no cost to the school district.
So your high school had kids experimenting with heroin? Did it also create an in-house treatment program like William Floyd? Of course not. And you say "how bad can it be?" Isn't that bad enough for you?
As for "operating on old stereotypes from the regions [sic] early history," the drug rehab was added in 2011, nothing to do with "early history." It only shows things have gotten worse on a whole in that area than the "early history."
I highly suggest you do more research on the schools and the area, as you have lived there for only 8 months and apparently don't know everything. (I am not going to add the rude "keep your mouth shut" like you did, although I have to say Abe Lincoln's old saying "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt" could fit here.)
I hope this post clears up some of your misconceptions.
My posts in this necro'd thread were based on (a) the fact that I grew up there and am a product of the schools; (b) have friends and family who still live there; and (c) am in the area 3-5 times a month for various things. It's great that you're happy with your home, but the schools are objectively bad (just look up the average scores on state exams/4 year graduation rate/college continuation rate and compare it to other districts), and the area as a whole has a significantly higher-than-average crime rate. You feel safe, so good for you, I guess, but is the area safe? Ask the clerks at the Rite Aid on William Floyd Parkway who get robbed at gunpoint at least a few times a year, every year, and then get back to me.
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