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We left LI for NC three years ago and are now back north..in Jersey but back. We know people who left and love it and many, many who are soo sorry & trying to come back home. Food for thought - the grass is not always greener and for us "The Charlotte Experiment" failed.
I love when a first poster just drops in on a 6 page long thread. Especially when their conribution only relates to the last things posted about. What a co-in-kee-dink. Just like all the first posters over the last 4 days who are suddenly coming to LI in droves.
I agree with you for the most part, especially about the people who have not lived elsewhere and I see this on the general boards quite alot. You really get the impression that people do not appreciate the things they have and imagine somewhere else must be perfect. Any other place that is decent will soon have its own problems:
40 to 50 years ago, Long Island was the utopia, the Shrangi-La that people came streaming out of the city to have their own home, a garden and a nice school for the kids. But too many people came, the developers overbuilt every last farm and woodlot and then moved on, the costs of schools and government went up drastically.
20 years ago, South Florida was the utopia, the Shrangi-La that people moved to escape the 'horrible' winters, to escape taxes and the crowds. But too many people came, many of them poverty stricken, the developers overbuilt every last ranch and woodlot and then moved on, the cost of flood insurance went up drastically.
Today North Carolina is the utopia, the Shrangi-La that people are moving to so they can get their very own McMansion, to escape taxes and the crowds. But too many people are coming and the developers are overbuilding on every last farm and woodlot and one day will move on.
Now, I would love to have my dream house in North Carolina but guess what? Out of the areas I mentioned above, only Long Island offers easy access to one of the world's greatest cities.
But again...what PART of LI do you live in...if it is 30 miles from my town, how is your comment about an entire regions decline accurate? I might never drive through or spend time in the area of LI you dislike.
The town next to mine growing up in Connecticut was eh, and starting to struggle with some public housing issues and flagging schools when I was growing up. But I did not live in that town, and although it was next door (literally) to my town the problems associated with that town were said only about that particular town...novel concept. They were not subsequently said about the entire surrounding 100 mile radius....that would be ill-informed. For whatever reason LI critics feel they can lay claim to an accurate opinion of the entire land mass, which is ridiculous.
I'm currently in East Moriches - grew up East Islip... several other towns along the way. I don't believe anyone would knock either location and depending on your needs for a commute one would work much better then the other - obviously. I could afford a reasonable home in many districts between the 2 towns (hamlets for Walter). So, I didn't grow or live in Mastic, Brentwood, Gordon Heights or on the other side Manhasset, Roslyn Harbor, or Upper Brookville. I've always lived in what has historically been good solid middle to upper middle neighborhoods (albeit maybe more on the blue collar side). So take my comment in that context... the "middle". This is where LI is suffering the most and what I am upset about.
No matter how bad the economy gets certain people will always have money. No doubt... The luxury market will be fine - I'm not questioning that. But what is suffering the most is the CORE and I don't see relief anywhere in the near future. The lowest areas are going to get absolutely hammered and it's eminent to trickle up into those middle areas even more then it already has. There's so much pressure for affordable housing and something has to give... what I see giving is the QoL for raising a middle class family here. Neighborhoods are going to change - some of them drastically in the next 5-10 years. I just don't see these being positive changes. So call me the Doom n Gloomer - that's fine.
As a side note to those that have boomeranged back to LI... the smart ones who didn't even look at the 5-6ksqft McMansions are not generally coming back. There's always more to those stories then you get.
I agree with you for the most part, especially about the people who have not lived elsewhere and I see this on the general boards quite alot. You really get the impression that people do not appreciate the things they have and imagine somewhere else must be perfect. Any other place that is decent will soon have its own problems:
40 to 50 years ago, Long Island was the utopia, the Shrangi-La that people came streaming out of the city to have their own home, a garden and a nice school for the kids. But too many people came, the developers overbuilt every last farm and woodlot and then moved on, the costs of schools and government went up drastically.
20 years ago, South Florida was the utopia, the Shrangi-La that people moved to escape the 'horrible' winters, to escape taxes and the crowds. But too many people came, many of them poverty stricken, the developers overbuilt every last ranch and woodlot and then moved on, the cost of flood insurance went up drastically.
Today North Carolina is the utopia, the Shrangi-La that people are moving to so they can get their very own McMansion, to escape taxes and the crowds. But too many people are coming and the developers are overbuilding on every last farm and woodlot and one day will move on.
Now, I would love to have my dream house in North Carolina but guess what? Out of the areas I mentioned above, only Long Island offers easy access to one of the world's greatest cities.
You left out the utopia of the 90's - Las Vegas - and we all know what happened there.
Today North Carolina is the utopia, the Shrangi-La that people are moving to so they can get their very own McMansion, to escape taxes and the crowds. But too many people are coming and the developers are overbuilding on every last farm and woodlot and one day will move on.
.
Big difference is that in these areas when there isn't enough money to cover the expenses - they put out a budget freeze. My sister is a teacher in NC - guess what, she's not getting a raise this year. And guess what else - no one is complaining. The people don't like the bussing situation down there. Guess what? The voters voted out the entire school board this year and voted in a slate of board members who are opposed to bussing, which means that situation is going to stop. People are actually paying attention and doing something about problems before they grow. Pretty amazing for a bunch of toothless country bumpkins.
They also just run things completely differently down there. No illegal rentals. Landlords must file with their county, so if there is trouble with the rental the cops and towns know whom to call. This also gives the neighbors of these rentals enormous power...problem with the renters? All the neighbors have to do it go online, find out the landlord, and file a complaint. Ever think that'll happen in LI? They aren't even collecting the proper taxes from these slumlords.
There are reasons these places become meccas. IT's because NY and Li more specifically are run like crap, and people are sick of it.
[quote=MikeyKid;11787631As a side note to those that have boomeranged back to LI... the smart ones who didn't even look at the 5-6ksqft McMansions are not generally coming back. There's always more to those stories then you get.[/quote]
Yeah. People who are in debt up to their eyeballs on LI are not going to change their ways just because they move somewhere else. They are just taking their LI "more is better" 'tude with them when they go.
I love when a first poster just drops in on a 6 page long thread. Especially when their conribution only relates to the last things posted about. What a co-in-kee-dink. Just like all the first posters over the last 4 days who are suddenly coming to LI in droves.
There are numerous turnaround tarheels on this board, the ones who could afford to return. Then there's the other camp who are too embarrassed to admit the move was a failure and yet another who love it and will never return. I'm relatively confident that the high price of LI RE illustrates a very healthy demand to live here.
Please don't ever say co-in-kee-dink on this board again.
; )
Crooks
Last edited by Crookhaven; 11-26-2009 at 08:25 PM..
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The grass is always greener on the side.....
