Huntington Village and School District 3

[twingles]

If you aren't familiar with Huntington I strongly suggest you get a realtor on your side who will give you the real facts about good places to live in the Town (hamlet, village) of Huntington. There are plenty of dicey areas. The schools are not terrible. THey are EXTREMELY diverse, not just ethnically but economically as well. You'll have the children of millionaires going to school with kids whose parents don't speak a word of English going to school with children who are on welfare. All in all not a terrible way to get to know the world. I went to Huntington district 3 schools and I was definitely exposed to a lot more cultures than most of the people I went to college with.

[gag]

As some of you know, we're also looking at areas back home there. I hung out in Huntington about 20 years ago, but all things change over time. After living in New York, NY, Boston and Chicago, I've experienced alot of diversity where I called home. IMO diversity isn't a problem until some people stray from the core values of safety, cleanliness, quietness, etc. that we all seek the few hours a week we're home because life is tough enough. Ethnic and economic mixing in schools and communtiy can be a good thing, and realizing that there's also "white trash" out there too, instead of color, we should concern ourselves with how much drugs, bullying, and gang violence exists in our schools and community at large. So, we should also check with the local police and community groups to learn the crime rates of the different areas of town, and don't only trust the drive-by quick glance of the appearance of a neighborhood.

[Eastern Essie]

Eastbound,

I live in Harborfields, in Greenlawn, to be specific. Near the village (not wanting to open a can of worms about the geography of that.) I will give you the good and the not-so-good. As for the school district, it is top top notch. There are lots of smart kids, and lots of very involved parents who would do just about anything to benefit their kids or their schools. Although there have been budget cuts, most of the programs remain excellent. The district is not diverse at all, which I regard as a good thing (please respect my opinion on that.) It's no secret that many of the parents who send their kids to Harborfields are looking to escape diversity. I know because this is openly discussed among the parents, some of whom have recently moved from other districts that are not so homogenous. Here's the not-so-great part: hand in hand with the academics and the parental involvement goes the money. Greenlawn gets a partial pass on this, because it tends to be more toward the middle class, but there is a problem with Centerport. Although there are some really nice people there, it seems that cash is king. You are no one in Centerport unless you have a vacation house or yacht club membership, and own at least one upscale automobile. With few exceptions, you also need to live in the Little Neck Peninsula to rate at all. These are the people who influence the schools and run the community. Because the schools are so good, very few kids go to parochial or private schools (although some do). There is a posse of Centerport moms who run the PTA and the class mom circuit, and it's tough to penetrate their circle. They have husbands who make a lot of money and in a few cases, these moms themselves are high earners. They are very into themselves and distrust others, including a lot of Greenlawn folk. This trickes down to the kids, too, with some Centerport parents preferring that their kids stay with their own kind (meaning other Centerport kids, preferably those in the Peninsula.) Would I love to live in Centerport? Aboslutely, if I could afford the house and the taxes, not to mention the extras that seem to be necessities of life there. In Greenlawn, I always hear a lot of talk about people wishing they could move up to Centeport, like "If my husband gets this big promotion, we'll make the move," or, "We'll start looking for houses there when my inheritance clears," yada yada yada. It can be a little depressing. From what I've heard kids say, they are aware of the "differences' too. You should be told that there are some lovely parts of Greenlawn. One section, in fact, is nicer than almost anything you would find in Centerport, but it's too small to influence the situation as it is. The schools in Greenlawn are great, and most of the neighborhoods are extremely well-kept and safe. I think, though, that living in Harborfields on a budget can land you in one of those situations where you risk being someone who can afford the house, but not much more. Sad but true, you need the "more" regardless of where in the district you live. This means everything from expensive children's clothes and presents to activities like tennis and musical instruments. I think you are looking for an honest opinion from someone who really knows the area from the inside, and what I'm giving you is as honest as I can be. And about that house near Delamere, I wouldn't do it. Several posters talked about being nervous around there, and I would be too.

[Walter Greenspan]

With the majority of the Harborfields Central School District outside the borders of the Hamlet of Centerport, it would then appear that either those other areas either don't mind if, as your write, Eastern Essie, that the Centerport moms control the district or haven't got their own act together.


Beginning on the north and moving in a clockwise direction, the Harborfields Central School District includes all or part of the Hamlet of Centerport, the Hamlet of Greenlawn, the Hamlet of Huntington Station and the Hamlet of Huntington.

A map of the Harborfields Central School District: