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I've been trolling the threads to read about all the different neighborhoods. We think we've narrowed it down to the Valley Stream Gibson area (within a few blocks of the LIRR station)..but I've noticed that its not recommended much over other areas such as Old Bethpage or even Levittown. I've asked about this area once and got a couple of replies...and no one mentioned anything wrong. But I must ask again, is there anything bad about Gibson that I should be worried about? Since I have no friends or family that have lived there, you guys are my only source of information.
Our budget is roughly $400K (the lower the better!)
Annual tax under $12K
Walking distance to LIRR since both of us work in Manhattan
Short commute (under 40min LIRR ride each way)
Decent schools
Diversity would be nice, but the above listed have higher priority
Or if there are any other LI areas that would be a good fit, please let me know = )
Thanks so much for all the help you've already provided to me in the past and for those who are kind enough to help me again!
The only thing "wrong" with Gibson is the ongoing flood-zone issues that have/will cost some residents extra insurance payments based on seemingly arbitrary flood map lines. Be sure to look up whether or not any prospective property of yours is in the zone, and if so, determine whether or not this added expense would be a dealbreaker.
Other than that, Gibson is safe, neighborly and overall very pleasant, with convenience to Manhattan (35-40 minutes from either Gibson or Valley Stream LIRR stations) and easy access to Sunrise Hwy and Southern State Parkway. Nearby Lynbrook and Rockville Centre have nice downtown areas, and Rockaway Avenue in VS has improved over the last few years and should continue under the village's current mayor. There's also a relatively new civic group that has been very active in village improvements, including the recent opening of a dog park by Village Hall.
Your budget should be more than enough for Gibson, and you'll have plenty of room to stretch your legs, since the old colonials are larger than you'll find anywhere else in their price range.
Gibson is an interesting area - you should look at what part of gibson you are moving into. Some of it is in the Valley Stream school district, and some is in the Hewlett-Woodmere school district. The HW school district is considered to be better than the VS district, especially the music department. However, VS schools are still okay. But it is very convenient to the trains
Hi There, I moved to the Gibson area less than a year ago and so far I like it very much. It is a quiet neighborhood and I live very close to the Gibson railroad which I use regularly to get to and from work. I purchased my house for less than $350 and it is a 4 bedroom so I do believe you will be able to find a nice home in your price range. Depending on the house your taxes will be lower or higher. Some houses have taxes between $8-10K however mine are roughly $14K. There is a house on sale on Gibson Street roughly two blocks from the station for less than $400 but I am not sure how much the taxes are. The area is becoming more and more diverse as new people and younger professional couples move in. I have heard nothing but good things about the school.
Recently however there was an odd occurrence of car break-ins by the Gibson railroad station. It was completely out of the ordinary and seems to be unusual for the area. Other than that I have heard of very little crime. Personally I wish the town could rejuvenate the closed and abandoned stores on Gibson Street because they are an eye sore but I still think it is a lovely area and look forward to living here and raising my family here.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by GibsonNewbie; 07-17-2012 at 01:02 PM..
Reason: Font
Thanks for the feedback. Can you tell me how much flood insurance will be for the area? I also wonder why the home prices are so low...i'm not seeing any other towns in Nassau County with decent schools and short distance to NYC where u can find houses under $400K. Is this totally due to the area being located in a flood zone?
My wife and I did a ton of research before moving from Brooklyn; it seems that there may be some residual fallout from the general decline of valley stream north of the sunrise highway coupled with the fact that the housing market is so bad that people have to take substantially less then their house might be worth in order to move. The flood maps certainly don't help.
We are paying roughly 2000 a year for the extra flood insurance. We have been told, however, that we might be able to pay a surveyor to come out and challenge the map if it proves our lot is not in a flood prone zone. Of course, if it doesn't prove it, you're out 600 bucks for the surveyor...
My wife and I moved to Gibson about 8 years ago. The neighborhood is great, H-W schools are incredible and the neighbors are the best that we've ever had. I'm 2 blocks from Barrett Park and you can get a townhouse near the park, 3 BED/2BA for around $30K, with taxes around $5K. The flood insurance is being protested and during the protest, the annual cost is $365 (it's a special deal during any insurance protest). I used to live in Howard Beach and the words "Valley Stream" always made us cringe. We never would have thought of moving here, but when we came across this area, we fell in love... best move we ever made. As for the low prices, I think it still reflects the negativity behind the words Valley Stream... consider yourself fortunate to find this area because eventually the prices will be competetive with other LI area with good schools (and we have the shortest commute to the city)
Good luck with the home shopping
My wife and I moved to Gibson about 8 years ago. The neighborhood is great, H-W schools are incredible and the neighbors are the best that we've ever had. I'm 2 blocks from Barrett Park and you can get a townhouse near the park, 3 BED/2BA for around $30K, with taxes around $5K. The flood insurance is being protested and during the protest, the annual cost is $365 (it's a special deal during any insurance protest). I used to live in Howard Beach and the words "Valley Stream" always made us cringe. We never would have thought of moving here, but when we came across this area, we fell in love... best move we ever made. As for the low prices, I think it still reflects the negativity behind the words Valley Stream... consider yourself fortunate to find this area because eventually the prices will be competetive with other LI area with good schools (and we have the shortest commute to the city)
Good luck with the home shopping
If you could buy a 3bd 2ba townhouse in VS for 30K......even I would by 5 of them.
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Last edited by BigMike50; 08-04-2012 at 01:16 PM..
Thank you for all the reassurances. We actually drove by the neighborhood today and it was lovely. Saw diversity, which is wonderful (we're asians) and there were plenty of neighborhood kids outside playing. There were two block parties that were in the process of being setting up. I think this is exactly what we're looking for in terms of our next home.
If you could buy a 3bd 2ba townhouse in VS for 30K......even I would by 5 of them.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using Tapatalk 2
Where are these townhouses? I"d even take a chance and buy them and then rent them if you can get them for 30K?
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Gibson Resident
