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View Poll Results: North vs South Shore LI
North Shore 30 61.22%
South Shore 19 38.78%
Voters: 49. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 04-27-2012, 11:29 AM
 
Location: Massapequa Park
3,172 posts, read 6,719,648 times
Reputation: 1374

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Okay, we've seen a few polls bumped from the last decade. Let's see how each shore comes out in a 2012 version of this poll.

North vs South, all real world factors included.
Schools
Commute
Convenience
Beaches
QOL
The people
Cost, value
Atmosphere
Dining, shopping, etc.

The dividing line is what you consider North vs South.
Eg:
South Shore is South of the Southern State Pkwy Nassau / Sunrise Hwy in Suffolk
North Shore is North of 25A
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Old 04-27-2012, 11:33 AM
 
Location: Glen Head, NY
840 posts, read 2,436,122 times
Reputation: 396
IMO, most of the better school districts are on the NS. The geography is prettier. there are less strip malls by leaps and bounds. there are more little restaurants and less chain ones. it is more out of the way. in my neighborhood and the surrounding areas, no one is driving through unless they live there, are visiting someone who does or are lost. what people believe makes the ns inconvenient is what i like about it. the beaches are less crowded. the people are hit or miss, neither better nor worse than the south shore but my friends are my friends. a lot of people in affluent areas suck, but there are simply more on the north shore so that's why there very well be more awful people there. my commute sucks somewhat, but i have a beautiful area to bike ride and walk around, a backyard that looks like an english garden and great schools for my kids to attend. I happen to like some south shore towns, east rock and roc, but I just think the ns is a lot more picturesque.
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Old 04-27-2012, 11:38 AM
 
Location: Massapequa Park
3,172 posts, read 6,719,648 times
Reputation: 1374
Not sure if this poster is still an active member, but these are some good observations:

Quote:
Originally Posted by OvertaxedOnLI;
There are many differences between the North and South shores, as any LI'er will easily tell you! Some that come readily to mind are:

1. Geography: The north shore is part of or just behind the ancient glacial moraine that formed Long Island eons ago; therefore, the topography can be quite hilly in many places and the soil tends to be acid rocky clay. The south shore was formed by the "wash-out" from the moraine, so it is almost entirely flat; the soil tends to be light, sandy and well drained except in the areas that were or are near salt marshes. If you are a gardener, these distinctions are important! :-)

2. Climate: Yes there is a difference in climate even on LI! The south shore, because of its proximity to the bay and ocean, is always several degrees cooler in the summer (from the offshore breezes) and warmer in the winter. The dividing line between "south shore" climate and the rest of LI is usually the Southern Parkway or just north of there. You may not think this is important, but trust me: When the rest of LI gets several inches of snow dumped on it from a storm, yet everyplace south of Sunrise Highway gets rain instead, you'll appreciate the difference between having to shovel or not!

3. Property size: In most cases, zoning on the south shore allows for smaller lots (1/4 or 1/3 acre minimum) than many areas on the north shore. There are more communities in the center (Woodbury, Dix Hills, etc) or north shore with 1/2 acre or more minimum lots, than there are on the south shore. Not saying there are NO larger lots on the south shore! Only that overall, there are more areas with larger-lot zoning on the north shore than the south.

4. If you are talking about The Forks (north or south) there is a big difference . The south fork (i.e., the Hamptons) is extremely expensive and attracts the rich and wannabe-rich from Manhattan and elsewhere. It's all about "see and be seen" down there, and everything is obscenely overpriced, especially in summer. The north fork (Mattituck, Greenport, etc) is much more casual although it has begun to be "the new place to go" in the past couple of years. However, I don't think it will end up being "Hamptons North" anytime soon.

5. You've already noticed a difference between the general economics of the north and south shores, but be wary of applying that across the board. There are some extremely wealthy communities on the south shore, and there are some extremely depressed communities on the north shore. If I had to pinpoint the difference, though, I'd say that there has always been more "old money" on the north shore, especially in Nassau and Western Suffolk. However, see my comments on The Hamptons which are a entity unto themselves in that respect (the Hamptons are not typical).

Between the areas you are looking into, you will find a more relaxed casual atmosphere in Bellmore and Merrick. These have been middle-class "bedroom communities" ever since they were built in the early 1950s. If you go to Woodbury, Jericho, Syosset and Great Neck, be prepared to either "keep up with the Joneses" or to not even try to. There is, overall, much more conspicuous consumption in those towns (i.e., people will be more likely to judge you by whether or not you drive a Lexus or Mercedes "like everyone else in the area").
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Old 04-27-2012, 11:45 AM
 
Location: now nyc
1,456 posts, read 4,310,771 times
Reputation: 1291
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pequaman View Post
Okay, we've seen a few polls bumped from the last decade. Let's see how each shore comes out in a 2012 version of this poll.

North vs South, all real world factors included.
Schools
Commute
Convenience
Beaches
QOL
The people
Cost, value
Atmosphere
Dining, shopping, etc.

The dividing line is what you consider North vs South.
Eg:
South Shore is South of the Southern State Pkwy Nassau / Sunrise Hwy in Suffolk
North Shore is North of 25A

Schools: North Shore (The bulk of the best performing districts are on the North Shore)

Commute: South Shore (since it's more convenient to the island's 4 main roadways)

Convenience: South Shore (since it's less spread apart)

Beaches: South Shore (no competition)

QOL: North Shore (more affluence=better QOL but not more happiness)

The people: South Shore (I wanted to leave this blank since everybody has their own personality but since people on the South Shore are for more likely to be exposed to income and ethnic diversity, they may be more aware of other people's stories and less sheltered. Less materialisticness).

Cost/Value: South Shore (well, you definitely get more for your money on the South Shore, generally speaking)

Atmosphere: North Shore (much of the North Shore has a very quaint and New England type atmosphere, though there are a number of places on the South Shore with this vibe)

Dining/Shopping: South Shore (the South Shore has more Shopping Malls and overall much more commercial activity)


I consider the dividing line to be the I-495 but west of the Meadowbrook Pkwy, I would say the dividing line turns into Rt. 25. That's of course, if there is no mid-island category.
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Old 04-27-2012, 11:59 AM
 
Location: Massapequa Park
3,172 posts, read 6,719,648 times
Reputation: 1374
Quote:
Originally Posted by LongIslandPerson View Post
Schools: North Shore (The bulk of the best performing districts are on the North Shore)

Commute: South Shore (since it's more convenient to the island's 4 main roadways)

Convenience: South Shore (since it's less spread apart)

Beaches: South Shore (no competition)

QOL: North Shore (more affluence=better QOL but not more happiness)

The people: South Shore (I wanted to leave this blank since everybody has their own personality but since people on the South Shore are for more likely to be exposed to income and ethnic diversity, they may be more aware of other people's stories and less sheltered. Less materialisticness).

Cost/Value: South Shore (well, you definitely get more for your money on the South Shore, generally speaking)

Atmosphere: North Shore (much of the North Shore has a very quaint and New England type atmosphere, though there are a number of places on the South Shore with this vibe)

Dining/Shopping: South Shore (the South Shore has more Shopping Malls and overall much more commercial activity)


I consider the dividing line to be the I-495 but west of the Meadowbrook Pkwy, I would say the dividing line turns into Rt. 25. That's of course, if there is no mid-island category.
Good post +1. Commute is true for both car and LIRR. Aside from the picturesque factor (which NS definitely has but would lose some of its luster for me after a while), South Shore probably has more positive attributes. Schools are more of a local issue but something to consider; ie- if you're in an average NS school district (which there are plenty of mediocre ones), that has no bearing really that CSH or Roslyn is on the NS. Also, you'd be surprised how many South Shore schools are up there with NS schools. I'm putting together a new list of SD ranks.

Last edited by Pequaman; 04-27-2012 at 12:42 PM..
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Old 04-27-2012, 12:00 PM
 
Location: Glen Head, NY
840 posts, read 2,436,122 times
Reputation: 396
^the whole school thing i think is largely a real-estate tool more than anything.
but yes, in many ns districts, average or below students are an afterthought
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Old 04-27-2012, 12:06 PM
 
Location: Massapequa Park
3,172 posts, read 6,719,648 times
Reputation: 1374
Also to add; South Shore has plenty of picturesque neighborhoods and sights. Like Ocean Pkwy, the preserves, lakes, the Bays, trails, the beaches themselves, etc.
The picturesque factor is also somewhat negated by the abundance of well-kept parks usually found throughout South Shore towns.

Last edited by Pequaman; 04-27-2012 at 01:11 PM..
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Old 04-27-2012, 12:27 PM
 
Location: Kings Park, NY
1,441 posts, read 2,740,509 times
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As i stated in the other thread - I like to be able to get places in a human time, South Shore all day.
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Old 04-27-2012, 12:46 PM
 
Location: Islip,NY
20,818 posts, read 28,141,533 times
Reputation: 24672
I voted north shore but actually I like both for different reasons. There are some homes on the north shore that look very secluded and tranquill and I would live there but I also like a down town feel of some of the southshore towns as well and right now I am minutes from the beach.
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Old 04-27-2012, 12:54 PM
 
Location: Inis Fada
16,966 posts, read 34,561,716 times
Reputation: 7722
Quote:
Originally Posted by ydsavaged View Post
As i stated in the other thread - I like to be able to get places in a human time, South Shore all day.
It all depends on where one wants to get to. Those of us who don't have to make the commute into NYC or Nassau do have the luxury of living further out east on either shore.

Some spots on both shores are so freaking congested it's a nightmare.

The real world factors which Pequa gave are fine for helping determine which is preferable to an individual. For each person who likes trees and hills, there's someone else who likes flat and near NYC.

If Massapequa had been hilly and loaded with trees, filled with colonial era history, and wasn't so congested, I wouldn't have left. Bay or Sound is not important to me and the schools are good in either locale.

That written, I cast my vote based solely on what matters to me.
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