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Long Islanders get reamed by taxes. I honestly don't know how people do it. My sister lives in Dix Hills and I visit once a year. LI is a nice place and I like it, enough to talk with her about buying a beach house together in a few years. The taxes are an obstacle, however. People in LI aren't angry so much as sullen.
You can get by..but can you get ahead being Middle Class on LI?
C
My parents didnt live any easier 30 years ago living in Bklyn and Queens. My father worked 3 jobs. Bought a 2 family house that needed work, and could only get a mortgage by borrowing from his BIL. He fixed up the 2 family house on his own (when not working his 3 jobs and tending to his children), and rented the apt out (still does) for extra income (when he doesnt even need the extra income anymore).
It is what it is. You either make it work or choose to leave. If I wanted to live in Manhattan (I dont! Just an example based on HIGH costs) and could not afford it, that is life. So on to plan B. Or C. Or D.
Sometimes we cannot have what we want. That is what you get when you live near NYC or a major city. You cannot expect things to be "affordable".
So you can either move upstate or Pennsylvania or wayyy out in Suffolk County. Or you can move away from NY all together. You have choices. They may not be your first choice but they do exist.
But dont try make it sound as though ALL Long islanders feel that way. That is simply untrue. It is all about supply and demand.
Last edited by Glad2BHere; 08-13-2007 at 08:45 AM..
My parents didnt live any easier 30 years ago living in Bklyn and Queens. My father worked 3 jobs. Bought a 2 family house that needed work, that he fixed up on his own and rented the apt out (still does) for extra income (when he doesnt even need the extra income anymore).
It is what it is. You either make it work or choose to leave. If I wanted to live in Manhattan (I dont! Just an example based on HIGH costs) and could not afford it, that is life. So on to plan B. Or C. Or D.
Sometimes we cannot have what we want. That is what you get when you live near NYC or a major city. You cannot expect things to be "affordable".
So you can either move upstate or Pennsylvania or wayyy out in Suffolk County. Or you can move away from NY all together. You have choices. They may not be your first choice but they do exist.
But dont try make it sound as though ALL Long islanders feel that way. That is simply untrue. It is all about supply and demand.
Exactly. I grew up in Brooklyn, in a one family, semi-attached house that backed up to subway tracks. My father was a sheetmetal worker, and my mother worked as a part-time secretary. We didn't have a car (my parents said that they couldn't afford to buy and upkeep a car, as well as paying a mortgage), and my parents had no credit cards, save for one department store charge card.
The vast majority of our relatives, most of whom were at least my parents' age or better, managed to move out to the suburbs. If they themselves weren't college educated (and most were), they made sure that their children had that opportunity. I am convinced that much of my parents' lack of upward mobility had to do with their own, and sadly far from unusual, blue collar chip-on-the-shoulder and envy. Everyone who moved on was as nice as ever, but my parents saw them as "who do they think they are?" The sad fact was that these people did change -- for the better -- while my parents lived in their own little world where nothing ever changed.
Not everything is possible in life, no matter how hard you might work. Yes, you do have choices, though, as Glad2bhere has said. If one place is too expensive for you, then live somewhere else that is, whether on Long Island or off.
I spent more than a life of just dreaming of how life could be; I made it be. Was it easy? No way. Much of my early adult life was a series of starts and stops, with lots of nasty bumps along the way and lots of Ramen noodles. Will life always be this way? There are no guarantees. The higher you rise, the farther the fall. But that's a risk I think most people would be happy to take.
Last edited by Keeper; 03-19-2008 at 02:09 PM..
Reason: name change
Exactly. I grew up in Brooklyn, in a one family, semi-attached house that backed up to subway tracks. My father was a sheetmetal worker, and my mother worked as a part-time secretary. We didn't have a car (my parents said that they couldn't afford to buy and upkeep a car, as well as paying a mortgage), and my parents had no credit cards, save for one department store charge card.
The vast majority of our relatives, most of whom were at least my parents' age or better, managed to move out to the suburbs. If they themselves weren't college educated (and most were), they made sure that their children had that opportunity. I am convinced that much of my parents' lack of upward mobility had to do with their own, and sadly far from unusual, blue collar chip-on-the-shoulder and envy. Everyone who moved on was as nice as ever, but my parents saw them as "who do they think they are?" The sad fact was that these people did change -- for the better -- while my parents lived in their own little world where nothing ever changed.
Not everything is possible in life, no matter how hard you might work. Yes, you do have choices, though, as Glad2bhere has said. If one place is too expensive for you, then live somewhere else that is, whether on Long Island or off.
I spent more than a life of just dreaming of how life could be; I made it be. Was it easy? No way. Much of my early adult life was a series of starts and stops, with lots of nasty bumps along the way and lots of Ramen noodles. Will life always be this way? There are no guarantees. The higher you rise, the farther the fall. But that's a risk I think most people would be happy to take.
I own a home wayyy out in Suffolk county.
There is no wayyy out left ...just the Hamptons and I assure you it costs a hell of a lot more than living in Nassau.
Now as for that Limbaughesque bootstrap jibberish you guys are selling.We started out in Queens then moved to LI,my Hardhat Union father and stay at home mom had twice as much as we do in Suffolk for a fraction of the price in the 70's.Crunch the numbers ...account for inflation and you will plainly see why we are the first American generation to actually have it worse than our parents.
There are no victims, only willing participants...that's why were off to the wealthiest state in America, CT, for relief.
Enjoy your stay....and remember LIfe's not an endurance contest.
C
Last edited by Keeper; 03-19-2008 at 02:08 PM..
Reason: name change
There is no wayyy out left ...just the Hamptons and I assure you it costs a hell of a lot more than living in Nassau.
Now as for that Limbaughesque bootstrap jibberish you guys are selling.
My Hardhat Union father and stay at home mom had twice as much as we do in Suffolk for a fraction of the price in the 70's.
Crunch the numbers ...account for inflation and you will plainly see why we are the first American generation to actually have it worse than our parents.
There are no victims, only willing participants...that's why were off to the wealthiest state in America, CT, for relief.
Enjoy your stay....and remember LIfe's not an endurance contest.
C
I'm sorry, but my experience has been different. I have it far better than my parents, so many, many times better.
Sure, there are homes in the Hamptons selling for $65,000,000 and more, but that's still the exception, not the rule. Homes selling for $2,000,000 or more? Closer to the rule. But if you think there are homes in some parts of Nassau County where this, too, is not unusual, you would be wrong.
And as far as Rush Limbaughesque bootstrap jibberish I'm selling, I'm sorry to report that there are those of us out there who have actually chosen to grab books off shelves rather than six-packs, read them, attend public colleges, and work toward the life we are now leading. We do have choices. It was a start and stop road for me, because I had no role models. But it is possible.
Exactly. I grew up in Brooklyn, in a one family, semi-attached house that backed up to subway tracks. My father was a sheetmetal worker, and my mother worked as a part-time secretary. We didn't have a car (my parents said that they couldn't afford to buy and upkeep a car, as well as paying a mortgage), and my parents had no credit cards, save for one department store charge card.
The vast majority of our relatives, most of whom were at least my parents' age or better, managed to move out to the suburbs. If they themselves weren't college educated (and most were), they made sure that their children had that opportunity. I am convinced that much of my parents' lack of upward mobility had to do with their own, and sadly far from unusual, blue collar chip-on-the-shoulder and envy. Everyone who moved on was as nice as ever, but my parents saw them as "who do they think they are?" The sad fact was that these people did change -- for the better -- while my parents lived in their own little world where nothing ever changed.
Not everything is possible in life, no matter how hard you might work. Yes, you do have choices, though, as Glad2bhere has said. If one place is too expensive for you, then live somewhere else that is, whether on Long Island or off.
I spent more than a life of just dreaming of how life could be; I made it be. Was it easy? No way. Much of my early adult life was a series of starts and stops, with lots of nasty bumps along the way and lots of Ramen noodles. Will life always be this way? There are no guarantees. The higher you rise, the farther the fall. But that's a risk I think most people would be happy to take.
Well said... well said!
Last edited by Keeper; 03-19-2008 at 02:08 PM..
Reason: name change
I'm sorry, but my experience has been different. I have it far better than my parents, so many, many times better.
Sure, there are homes in the Hamptons selling for $65,000,000 and more, but that's still the exception, not the rule. Homes selling for $2,000,000 or more? Closer to the rule. But if you think there are homes in some parts of Nassau County where this, too, is not unusual, you would be wrong.
And as far as Rush Limbaughesque bootstrap jibberish I'm selling, I'm sorry to report that there are those of us out there who have actually chosen to grab books off shelves rather than six-packs, read them, attend public colleges, and work toward the life we are now leading. We do have choices. It was a start and stop road for me, because I had no role models. But it is possible.
College is a given for most of us on LI, simply put, we're overeducated and underemployed.
Many are struggling to get ahead on 100k .
We just dont the have the jobs on LI to support our crushing tax burden(unless of course youre a cop).
I do understand you possess a different frame of reference being a Brooklyn transplant.
I imagine many of your friends may have bypassed obtaining a degree in favor of the trades.
Theres absolutely nothing wrong with that, there's just a different level of expectation in the borough public schools.
I do appreciate your optimism, I find it refreshing but unfortunately naive.
I wish you well in your pursuit of the American Dream.
Don't you live upstate and moved there quite some time ago? What are you talking about? Stop trolling.
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