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I was born and raised on Long Island. I used to love living here, and I am going to move. There is nothing for children to do here that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Traffic is intolerable. Taxes, utilities, and food costs have sky-rocketed. We were lucky, we bought our house 15 years ago and we paid in the $130's. In 2002, I could have sold it for almost $600K, I should have. Crime is on the rise, and the local PD's and governments hide the facts from the general populace. There is a serious gang problem from Central America threatening the schools, and the schools have been eroding even before that. There are more homeless people in Nassau County than ever. Burglaries and other property crimes are up. I told my wife that it is safer to walk through Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn now than it is through certain parts of Nassau County (and I can back that up with crime stats - guess you can figure out what I do for a living. AVOID LONG ISLAND !!!!! I can't emphasize that enough!! You are better off renting/buying a loft in Williamsburg/Park Slope, Brooklyn/most of Queens, than moving to Long Island, especially if you plan to work in the City.
Awesome post.. you are in the same position that I am in and a lot of other people. Where did you decide to move to, by the way?
We have decided to go the the Raleigh area in North Carolina, we have friends and family who moved there and love it!....we are still looking at houses. planning on relocating by next summer....My husband wants warmer weather because he works outside a lot....this is as far south as i will go.
it's the Wyndanch's and the Roosevelt type SD's that I would avoid.
There are very few districts on Long Island that can be classified as really bad The list is very short and does include the above mentioned with the addition of maybe Hempstead, Brentwood, Central Islip and perhaps Westbury. There might be a few others.
What I was really trying to find out from you is why do you think a Roslyn type school district is so much better than an Island Trees or a North Babylon. What do you think the difference is?
There are very few districts on Long Island that can be classified as really bad The list is very short and does include the above mentioned with the addition of maybe Hempstead, Brentwood, Central Islip and perhaps Westbury. There might be a few others.
What I was really trying to find out from you is why do you think a Roslyn type school district is so much better than an Island Trees or a North Babylon. What do you think the difference is?
I don't neccesarily feel that they are so much better and I don't know why everyone keeps saying that I do..LOL.. The conversation was about affordability. Living in Roslyn or E. Williston SD is living in a High end neighborhood.. one that is DEFINATELY NOT AFFORDABLE. The whole point is that even what is supposed to be "affordable" is not really affordable anymore. It got into SD's because someone mentinoed that there were other choices of neighborhoods that are still "affordable" and my point was that those homes are located in terrible areas.. (but alas are still expensive) But not once did I put down a N.B or Island Trees.. alas.. i think those are perfectly Good schools and I am a product of NB SD.
The only difference is the money that is in one district versus another. You can't deny that money gives advantage. and if there's difference then that is it.. and that is the ONLY difference. I feel that as far as the academics are concerend there is no difference. There is a difference between a NB,Island Trees vs. a Brentwood, Wyandanch and some of the other Districts you mentioned and that can't be denied. It's there in their test scores and the precentage of students who graduate etc. (there isn't that much of a differnce inthose numbers between an Island trees vs. a Roslyn but there is when dealing with the bad districts).
While the schools maybe better in NY, the flip side is that while teachers make a living wage, each district duplicates the same exact services from top to bottom as the ones that surround it. Tremendous overhead, especially in facility services and administration, where the really out of hand costs are. You will see that school taxes on average go up 5% to 10% a year depending on the district. It may not seem like a lot, but I adds up.
In Florida, teachers had no authority and weren't trusted. To save money (your concern) they are building a school for 10,000 high school students in Orange County. To save money, MOST schools use temporary trailers permanently. To save money, developers are only taxed based upon the number of people currently living and students living in the area of development. Thus, sewers, schools, and roads fall on the city. Impact fees are paid by the buyer, not the developer. Thus, the schools are overrun because no one has the political fortitude to tax enough to build the requisite schools. To save money, the districts are county-wide with a corporate structure. However, these county offices are staffed by failed teachers moved out of schools, sheltered in county offices. There is no authority in the principal, or in the teachers. Top down baby!
Whereas your concerns about school taxes rising rapidly is a concern, note that health care increases at about 20% a year. Yet, everyone complains about school taxes. This is all encouraged by corporations who'd much rather you dislike government, the only institution strong enough to keep them in check, than have you challenge the health insurance industry.
In Florida, teachers had no authority and weren't trusted. To save money (your concern) they are building a school for 10,000 high school students in Orange County. To save money, MOST schools use temporary trailers permanently. To save money, developers are only taxed based upon the number of people currently living and students living in the area of development. Thus, sewers, schools, and roads fall on the city. Impact fees are paid by the buyer, not the developer. Thus, the schools are overrun because no one has the political fortitude to tax enough to build the requisite schools. To save money, the districts are county-wide with a corporate structure. However, these county offices are staffed by failed teachers moved out of schools, sheltered in county offices. There is no authority in the principal, or in the teachers. Top down baby!
Whereas your concerns about school taxes rising rapidly is a concern, note that health care increases at about 20% a year. Yet, everyone complains about school taxes. This is all encouraged by corporations who'd much rather you dislike government, the only institution strong enough to keep them in check, than have you challenge the health insurance industry.
School taxes are just one of the compaints of rising costs , particularly in NY. And again.. just becasue we pay a lot of taxes doesn't mean that there aren't just as good schools in other parts of the country that do not overtax. There is a lot of wasted and a lot of money going nowhere in our SD's.. just look at what happend in Roslyn and other SD's that had their books audited in the past couple of years. And these are only the ones we found out about!
You talk about health care costs.. yup. that's a HUGE probleim in the entire country!! I totally agree.. that's why I'm voting for hillary Clinton...(well that's one of the reasons..). And it's also one of the reasons I ened to leave. I should't have to decide between health care or living in an overtaxed section of the country. Also. your premiums for health insurance are higher in NY than in other parts of the country.. even depending on what county in NY you live in (Queens, NYC, Nassau and Suffolk). So my health insurance will cost me less someplace else.. but I will be able to afford it because I won't be paying 3x's the national average in property taxes on top of it! My car insurance will be significantly elss, as will my utilitites too.
Oh.. nad then add on top of that the fact that insurance companies what to charge homeowners MORE insurance on LI because there MAY be a hurricane ony because we havne't had one in awhile!!! That's just insane!!! Ridiculous and shouldn't be allowed. I read today that state farm was given a 4.5% - 7.5% increase allowance.. which means my insurance will go up next year.. along with my taxes, my healthcare, my utilities..
yes.. these will all increase someplace else.. I'm not so nieve to think it's not going tooo.. but atleast not at the rate it does here AND starting out so much higher than the national average!
Yeah, well it was a nice post until you threw in "you get what you pay for". Are you saying that no other place measures up to LI? The attitude that you seem to be conveying here is that LI is superior to the rest of the country because it cost so much to live there, hence you are getting a superior product.
High utility rates, school/property/state taxes and home costs are the major components of LI’s high cost of living. That is what you are paying for. All of these things are available at lower costs elsewhere. There are places that are doing it better and for less money elsewhere.
Yes you lose the uniqueness of living near NYC, but trade off is you gain the uniqueness of living where you end up. Life is about trade offs for most people. But it seems that some (not all) are willing to sacrifice even more of the things that have become basic parts of our lives (cell phones and other “new basics” - maybe not cable TV – one can still get over the air stations and be happy), just to live on LI. But is that really living? Isn’t each generation supposed to progress a little more than the preceding one? I guess these are the people who say that they have not done better than their parents.
If these people don’t think they’ll ever pay off a $300K or $400K mortgage, what happens to it? Sounds like a Ponzi scheme. I guess they dump it on their kids, who have to sell the house to pay off the note. Hopefully for them prices and equity are up at the time and they don’t loose money.
Sorry to ramble, but the “you get what you pay for” argument is very condescending to the rest of the country.
hey I was not putting down the rest of the country, there are plenty of places to go. I was saying be carefull because you get what you pay for. For example Tennessee nice place big houses and cheap with low taxes. well what do you get no street lights partially paved roads and a shot at tornadoes. so before you go blowing a gasket think about it . and tristansmom I was actually sideing with you, sorry I will never do that again, I was telling you to be carefull because alot of times you get what you pay for , look where the cheapest homes are on the island, there is a reason. That goes for everywhere cheaper is not always better. and Redd do you think you would pay off 300k ? no you live in it and hope it goes up and you sell when you retire. and move somewhere warmer to play golf and go fishing. One more thing where are they doing it better for less money? where is better for less? what is better? I can get in a pissing match if you want but you took what I was saying the wrong way so I will pass. peace Redd and I hope you are happy in your better for less place.
Well.. Florida is only one of the states in this country.. as is New York.. I, for one, will NOT chose to move to Florida.. LOL.. It sounds like you felt the only two places within the country are Florida or NY.
How about Lancaster County PA.. Beautiful, not too far from DC, Phili and NYC (about 5 hours I think)... much lower taxes - but you get ALOT more house for your money.. Awesome schools (I've been doing my research)..yup.. there are some not so great areas..but I will avoid those. And . ... a lot of NY'rs considering that area as well. Much better quality of life.. Friendly neighbors with that small town feel but not too rural... there's also so many other places..
Will I have ALL the services my extremely bloated taxes pay for.. no .. but guess what.. I WILL have financial security, less financial stress and I will be able to enjoy my surroundings rather than having me or my husband work all the damned time to get nowhere and treat water.
You also get lots of snow in PA, bears in the garbage, and where is the closest hospital, health center? what about street lights? Look close there are reasons it is cheap. you mite not see them at first, but look. I checked PA once also, if you like the cold and snow for longer then you have here, it could be for you. Why not new hampshire that is very nice.
hey I was not putting down the rest of the country, there are plenty of places to go. I was saying be carefull because you get what you pay for. For example Tennessee nice place big houses and cheap with low taxes. well what do you get no street lights partially paved roads and a shot at tornadoes. so before you go blowing a gasket think about it . and tristansmom I was actually sideing with you, sorry I will never do that again, I was telling you to be carefull because alot of times you get what you pay for , look where the cheapest homes are on the island, there is a reason. That goes for everywhere cheaper is not always better. and Redd do you think you would pay off 300k ? no you live in it and hope it goes up and you sell when you retire. and move somewhere warmer to play golf and go fishing. One more thing where are they doing it better for less money? where is better for less? what is better? I can get in a pissing match if you want but you took what I was saying the wrong way so I will pass. peace Redd and I hope you are happy in your better for less place.
I live in Nashville and it sounds like you have never been here. I surely have street lights and sidewalks. All the streets are paved and we have a wonderful system of interstates that Zips you from part of the city to the other at 70mph, with not much traffic. No tornados south of the city as we are not on flat land, very hilly.And yes, I have a 4200sq ft house with $3500 a yr taxes, and its all brick, High Ceilings.
We have Malls, restaurants galore. It's surely not the hick town that you invision.
I'm from Lawrence, LI orginally, then Mt Sinai, North Babylon, Manalapan, NJ-Nashville, TN where I will stay.
Diane
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AVOID LONG ISLAND !!!!! I can't emphasize that enough!! You are better off renting/buying a loft in Williamsburg/Park Slope, Brooklyn/most of Queens, than moving to Long Island, especially if you plan to work in the City.
Keep pressure on, but don't throw out baby
