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And, I am employed again. Thank Heavens. In Civilization, as opposed to horrid BURB Land.
I do have an unfortunate habit of venting bile on LI'ers - it is not your fault (well - the lowlife who killed my sister and got off with probation excepted) that I got stuck in what I call "the hole" for too many years.
I am sorry about your sister's death. My extended family has also suffered such a loss, and I can understand how that would impact your feelings about an area.
Quote:
There are many nice people there but no, I will never find anything nice to say about it. Think twice, parents, about stranding your hapless kids out on "safe" LI - the teenage heroin overdose capital of the USA, and a national park for reckless and distracted/drugged/drunk drivers.
I am one of the tens of thousands of 'hapless kids' whose parents moved from NYC to LI. Prior to moving out here, my family took me to the Bronx Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Museum of Natural History, theater, etc. After moving to LI, we continued to do the same thing and incorporated LI sites into that as well. Going out on a little ledge here: I feel it is safe to reason that families who pursue cultural events and activities will raise children who do the same, whereas those who do not, won't.
With regard to the OD capital and remaining comments -- this can apply to thousands of areas across the USA. Would you be so kind as to back it up with stats?
[quote=h-tonian;15954917]If he randomly replied to one of your posts on an unrelated topic and announced the neighborhood you live in (from information culled from other threads) and insisted you and the rest of its residents were illiterates, you might feel differently. Does anyone else find this creepy?]
Oh I just wanted to acknowledge each valuable comment. To be honest,I don't know anything about any of the locations mentioned so I have no idea what's the right name or not.
I thought your post on the topic matter this thread was written for was right on.
Last edited by nyfreesia; 09-20-2010 at 02:58 PM..
Reason: just to make a space
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 22 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,095,590 times
Reputation: 15538
Interesting reading on these posts 2 things seem to stand out:
1) The attitude that NYC's proximity means all cultural needs can be met within a train ride away
2) There are too many layers of governing bodies. Half the arguments seem to be what legal
jurisdiction you legally fall into whether it be a town, hamlet, village... It seems to change block by
block.
Rockland has the same mentality wrt #1 especially with medical care, if you need a real doctor you go to the city. This leaves the local hospitals worse than a free vet clinic. Rockland is a cultural desert, maybe it is a good thing tha NYC is just a bumper to bumper ride away.
Surburbia in general tends to be somewhat devoid of cultural activities(i.e. music, theater, museums). That being said, The suburbs of NYC including Long Island tend to have more things to do than say, the suburbs of Harrisburg, PA or Kennewick, WA. This is due to the area being more developed and older as well as the ethnic and historical significance of several smaller towns. The downside of Long Island in my opinion is because of the immense population of Nassau and Suffolk counties, there is no separation between towns and Long Island becomes a vast area of tract housing developments in the middle with the exception of towns on the Shores(Long Beach, Bay Shore, Huntington Village, Port Jefferson) and the East End. Westchester County tends to have more density in certain areas while maintaining a rural atmosphere in other parts.
Surburbia in general tends to be somewhat devoid of cultural activities(i.e. music, theater, museums). That being said, The suburbs of NYC including Long Island tend to have more things to do than say, the suburbs of Harrisburg, PA or Kennewick, WA. This is due to the area being more developed and older as well as the ethnic and historical significance of several smaller towns. The downside of Long Island in my opinion is because of the immense population of Nassau and Suffolk counties, there is no separation between towns and Long Island becomes a vast area of tract housing developments in the middle with the exception of towns on the Shores(Long Beach, Bay Shore, Huntington Village, Port Jefferson) and the East End. Westchester County tends to have more density in certain areas while maintaining a rural atmosphere in other parts.
This is why I always get a giggle out of comments from people who live in towns of Central Nassau like Bethpage or Bellmore stating they love their town's small town life. What small town life? They are in the middle of an overcrowded suburb. Along the spine of the parkways and LIE, Long Island is densely populated and real small town life probably only begins in the area around the Wm Floyd Pkwy. Living in Calverton, Peconic or Water Mill (Riverhead 15 years ago) is small town life. Not places like Bethpage or Deer Park.
I agree in Westchester it's the reverse because their densely populated city centers allow for better zoning ordinances in the other towns. So you actually do have a small town feel in towns as far south as Harrison, Pelham Manor and the many river towns such as Ardsley on Hudson or Sleepy Hollow. However, those residents pay dearly in home prices for that small town living.
This is why I always get a giggle out of comments from people who live in towns of Central Nassau like Bethpage or Bellmore stating they love their town's small town life. What small town life? They are in the middle of an overcrowded suburb. Along the spine of the parkways and LIE, Long Island is densely populated and real small town life probably only begins in the area around the Wm Floyd Pkwy. Living in Calverton, Peconic or Water Mill (Riverhead 15 years ago) is small town life. Not places like Bethpage or Deer Park.
I agree in Westchester it's the reverse because their densely populated city centers allow for better zoning ordinances in the other towns. So you actually do have a small town feel in towns as far south as Harrison, Pelham Manor and the many river towns such as Ardsley on Hudson or Sleepy Hollow. However, those residents pay dearly in home prices for that small town living.
Several college classmates were from Chappaqua, my cousin was raised and lives there, raising her (almost adult) child. Many of them had the same gripe -- nothing to do -- as others on this thread had. Like you've written, they have paid steep home prices for the small town living.
There are some folks on this thread whose comments were honest -- they are city people, not cut out for suburban life. Then there are those who want the suburban life who can't tolerate the constant motion which is NYC. Lifestyle and life preferences dictate what one defines as culture -- whether it's the arts or outdoor beach activities, reading groups or author readings at a bookstore, The Met or the Mets.
I think we are lucky on LI to have many places to turn to both locally and in the city. My preference is for suburban bordering on rural living, but with access to all the things which make me tick. The community within which I reside is a good fit, perhaps I am lucky in that respect.
Several college classmates were from Chappaqua, my cousin was raised and lives there, raising her (almost adult) child. Many of them had the same gripe -- nothing to do -- as others on this thread had. Like you've written, they have paid steep home prices for the small town living.
There are some folks on this thread whose comments were honest -- they are city people, not cut out for suburban life. Then there are those who want the suburban life who can't tolerate the constant motion which is NYC. Lifestyle and life preferences dictate what one defines as culture -- whether it's the arts or outdoor beach activities, reading groups or author readings at a bookstore, The Met or the Mets.
I think we are lucky on LI to have many places to turn to both locally and in the city. My preference is for suburban bordering on rural living, but with access to all the things which make me tick. The community within which I reside is a good fit, perhaps I am lucky in that respect.
True, that's why I believe residents from Westchester on average frequent the city for some of their cultural events more often than Long Islanders. You don't have the strip malls, excessive traffic and indusry you find on Long Island. Central Park ave. is their only answer to our Jericho/MC rd.. Hillside ave., Northern Blvd, Sunrise hgwy, Rt 58, rt. 110 or rt.347. I am surprised that the people you know from Westchester have felt their towns to be boring. Most of those small towns are landmarked by "Main streets" that are typical of Southampton village. Main streets of the river towns, upper Westchester and old money villages are filled with 5 star restaurants, art galleries, poet night coffee shops and art movie houses. I did a summer at SUNY Purchase and every weekend whatever event that took place was always well received. Lines of cars on the stonewalled street of rt. 120 heading to Suny Purchase was typical. Westchester has the look of "small town" America but clearly has the sophistication of Manhattan.
My college friends who complain about eveything including where they lived were usually from Long Island. They seemed to mirrored the posters on this board. Friends from Westchester and upstate rarely had bad things to say about their hometowns and in fact through visits I learned to appreciate their part of New York. My best friend gave me the true reality of growing up in Woodstock and not what history makes it out to be. He gave me an experience of "true" culture.
Several college classmates were from Chappaqua, my cousin was raised and lives there, raising her (almost adult) child. Many of them had the same gripe -- nothing to do -- as others on this thread had. Like you've written, they have paid steep home prices for the small town living.
Just like to point out the biggest and largest growing threads on the LI boards are a debate on if LI is devoid of culture and Why Long Islanders complain all the time.. I read and post on three C-D boards. the NY boards is where I find the friendliest posters, the Westchester boards is where I find the most enlightened and helpful posters and the LI boards is where I find the biggest complainers but sometimes most interesting debates from posters. On the LI boards they can complain about anything. On the NY boards the only thing that they are really sensitive about is any disrespect to the Bronx.
True, that's why I believe residents from Westchester on average frequent the city for some of their cultural events more often than Long Islanders. You don't have the strip malls, excessive traffic and indusry you find on Long Island. Central Park ave. is their only answer to our Jericho/MC rd.. Hillside ave., Northern Blvd, Sunrise hgwy, Rt 58, rt. 110 or rt.347. I am surprised that the people you know from Westchester have felt their towns to be boring. Most of those small towns are landmarked by "Main streets" that are typical of Southampton village. Main streets of the river towns, upper Westchester and old money villages are filled with 5 star restaurants, art galleries, poet night coffee shops and art movie houses. I did a summer at SUNY Purchase and every weekend whatever event that took place was always well received. Lines of cars on the stonewalled street of rt. 120 heading to Suny Purchase was typical. Westchester has the look of "small town" America but clearly has the sophistication of Manhattan.
My college friends who complain about eveything including where they lived were usually from Long Island. They seemed to mirrored the posters on this board. Friends from Westchester and upstate rarely had bad things to say about their hometowns and in fact through visits I learned to appreciate their part of New York. My best friend gave me the true reality of growing up in Woodstock and not what history makes it out to be. He gave me an experience of "true" culture.
I believe it would have been best if I added "When they were younger" -- we're talking late '70's and very early '80's. Sorry about that! When you're a teen, those 5 star restaurants and coffee shop poets aren't high on the 'to do' list. However, of everyone I knew up there, my cousin is the only one who remains and she is pulling in a very good salary as a buyer for a high end retailer. She has a fabulous home which has been in the family for a very long time. The rest have scattered across the US post college, but live in areas remarkably similar to Chappaqua in aesthetics and economics.
The remainder of my extended family is a little further north in Duchess county. Others are scattered between Rockland and Orange. Growing up south shore Nassau, I have to admit envying all of my cousins' environs - sylvan and hilly, horses, large yards, spacious homes....such a contrast from Massapequa!
I have a place in VT and spend part of my time with my business up there. One thing I certainly do miss when I am up there is the smell of the salt water in the air. And older gentleman I met in VT (moved there from Great Neck over 50 years ago) says he misses the open sky -- even in a treed area on LI we still have some good visibility as opposed to the canopy of trees up north. Granted, things clear up as the trees drop their leaves, but sometimes a hill or mountain impedes one's view of the horizon.
Long Island's post WWII development was poorly planned and should be held up as a model of what not to do everywhere else. The unchecked growth and lack of infrastructure to support it is the bane of most LIer's existence and may very well prevent people from heading into NYC to enjoy the arts as the Westchesterites do. Westchester is also (and has been) one of the wealthiest counties in NYS as well as the US -- a fact which probably had a strong influence as to what would be developed (museums, historic sites, community theater and dance) and who was or wasn't moving there. The wealthy supported the arts, while the working class soldiers, returning from war and in need of inexpensive housing, settled on LI. Completely different breeds of people. Go into more affluent communities on LI and you will see people who have more in common with those in somewhat affluent parts of Westchester.
It irks me that LIers are labeled complainers -- there are many of us who do not do so -- we just can't be heard over the squeaky wheels!
I am sorry to be going off on tangents.
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