Commuting to the city each day - how do you do it for so many years? (Smithtown: home, safe area)

[bg7]

Originally Posted by I_Love_LI_but

You told me "don't bother" in another thread. I got the list below from this post. Please note, it is not the be all and end all of lists, but it gives us an idea to start with at least. Anyone who wants to see how it was compiled, go to the link below.

//www.city-data.com/forum/long-...l#post24096737

Score - School (District)
110 - PERFECT SCORE
99.9 - Jericho HS (Jericho*)
98.8 - Manhasset High School (Manhasset*)
97.1 - Cold Spring Harbor HS (CHS Central*)
96.5 - Roslyn High School (Roslyn*)
96.4 - Plainview-Old Bethpage (Plainview-Old Bethpage*)
96.2 - Garden City HS (Garden City*)
95.1 - Great Neck South* (Great Neck)
94.7 - Syosset High School (Syosset*)
92.9 - Wheatley School (East Williston*)
92.1 - JFK* (Bellmore-Merrick)
91.5 - Commack High School (Commack*)
91.1 - Half Hollow Hills HS West* (Half Hollow Hills)
90.4 - Half Hollow Hills HS East* (Half Hollow Hills)
90.3 - Harborfields High School (Harborfields Central*)
88.4 - Paul D Schreiber (Port Washington*)
88.1 - Locust Valley HS (Locust Valley*)
87.6 - South Side High School (Rockville Centre*)
87.4 - George W Hewlett (Hewlett-Woodmere*)
87.3 - Massapequa High School (Massapequa*)
87.2 - Herricks High School (Herricks*)
86.4 - New Hyde Park Memorial* (Sewanhaka)
86.2 - Great Neck North* (Great Neck)
85.5 - Elwood/John Glenn HS (Elwood*)
85.4 - Gen Douglas MacArthur HS* (Levittown)
85.2 - Wantagh High School (Wantagh*)
84.3 - Babylon Senior High School (Babylon*)
83.9 - Smithtown HS West* (Smithtown)
83.2 - Floral Park Memorial* (Sewanhaka)
83.0 - Ward Melville (Three Village*)
82.7 - Earl L Vandermeulen HS (Port Jefferson*)
82.2 - Mount Sinai High School (Mount Sinai)
81.8 - Kings Park High School (Kings Park*)
81.4 - Mepham* (Bellmore-Merrick)
81.2 - Smithtown High School East* (Smithtown)
81.2 - Calhoun* (Bellmore-Merrick)
81.1 - North Shore HS (North Shore*)
80.8 - Hauppauge High School (Hauppauge*)
80.7 - Sayville High School (Sayville*)
80.7 - Northport SHS (Northport-East Northport*)
80.5 - Lynbrook Senior HS (Lynbrook*)
80.0 - Seaford High School (Seaford*)
79.6 - Westhampton Beach SHS (Westhampton Beach*)
78.7 - Valley Stream South HS* (VS)
78.7 - Bayport-Blue Point HS (Bayport-Blue Point*)
78.5 - Oyster Bay HS (Oyster Bay-East Norwich*)
78.3 - Mattituck SHS (Mattituck-Cutchogue*)
78.2 - Bethpage Senior High School (Bethpage)
78.2 - Valley Stream North* (VS North)
77.1 - Islip High School (Islip*)
76.9 - Plainedge Senior High School (Plainedge*)
76.8 - West Islip Senior High School (West Islip*)
76.7 - Shelter Island HS (Shelter Island*)
76.7 - Carle Place Senior High School (Carle Place*)
76.5 - Shoreham-Wading River (Shoreham-Wading River*)
76.5 - NASSAU COUNTY
76.0 - Oceanside Senior HS (Oceanside*)
75.5 - East Meadow High School* (East Meadow)
75.5 - Mineola High School (Mineola*)
75.2 - W Tresper Clarke High School* (East Meadow)
74.7 - Division Avenue HS* (Levittown)
74.4 - Valley Stream Central HS* (VS Central)
73.8 - LONG ISLAND
73.6 - Sachem High School North* (Sachem)
73.4 - Pierson (Sag Harbor*)
73.2 - Miller Place High School (Miller Place*)
73.0 - Eastport-South Manor (Eastport-South Manor*)
72.4 - Southold High School (Southold*)
72.1 - H Frank Carey HS* (Sewanhaka)
71.2 - SUFFOLK COUNTY
70.9 - East Islip High School (East Islip*)
70.6 - Huntington High School* (Huntington)
70.4 - Sachem High School East* (Sachem)
70.2 - Lindenhurst High School (Lindenhurst*)
69.2 - Connetquot High School (Connetquot*)
69.1 - Elmont Memorial HS* (Sewanhaka)
68.5 - Island Trees HS (Island Trees*)
68.3 - Comsewogue (Brookhaven-Comsewogue*)
68.2 - Walt Whitman HS (South Huntington*)
68.1 - Sewanhaka HS* (Sewanhaka)
67.7 - Farmingdale High School (Farmingdale*)
66.3 - Baldwin SHS (Baldwin*)
65.4 - Hicksville High School (Hicksville*)
65.1 - Center Moriches High School (Center Moriches*)
64.8 - Bay Shore SHS (Bay Shore*)
64.5 - West Hempstead HS (West Hempstead*)
64.1 - Southampton High School (Southampton*)
63.7 - Deer Park High School (Deer Park*)
63.7 - Riverhead High School (Riverhead*)
63.4 - West Babylon SHS (West Babylon*)
62.7 - Centereach High School* (Middle Country)
62.4 - Lawrence High School (Lawrence)
62.1 - Rocky Point High School (Rocky Point*)
60.5 - East Hampton High School (East Hampton*)
60.4 - East Rockaway SHS (East Rockaway*)
59.7 - Glen Cove HS (Glen Cove*)
58.7 - Malverne High School (Malverne)
58.7 - NEW YORK STATE
58.5 - Long Beach High School (Long Beach*)
57.2 - Longwood High School (Longwood*)
56.3 - Patchogue-Medford HS (Patchogue-Medford*)
56.1 - North Babylon HS (North Babylon*)
55.0 - Newfield High School* (Middle Country)
54.1 - Hampton Bays Secondary (Hampton Bays*)
51.3 - Bellport High School (South Country*)
50.5 - William Floyd High School (William Floyd*)
49.6 - Walter G O'Connell (Copiague*)
49.6 - Brentwood High School (Brentwood*)
49.3 - Bridgehampton School (Bridgehampton*)
48.8 - Amityville Memorial (Amityville*)
44.5 - Westbury High School (Westbury*)
42.9 - Freeport High School (Freeport*)
37.3 - Central Islip HS (Central Islip*)
35.8 - Wyandanch Memorial (Wyandanch*)
32.0 - Hempstead High School (Hempstead*)
31.7 - Roosevelt (Roosevelt*)

73.8 - LONG ISLAND
58.7 - NEW YORK STATE
76.5 - NASSAU COUNTY
71.2 - SUFFOLK COUNTY

As you can clearly see right above, LI and both Nassau and Suffolk's average quality is significantly better than the rest of NYS. For instance, I would rate a high school as to be definitely avoided if it is below a 60 score, and the rest of NYS rates below a 60. Thus, most of the school districts on LI are perfectly fine middle of the road school districts.

You mean significantly better than the state average. There could well be other NYS counties with higher averages. You can't tell that one way or the other from the data here.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by bg7

You mean significantly better than the state average. There could well be other NYS counties with higher averages. You can't tell that one way or the other from the data here.

Duly noted.

[mitsguy2001]

Originally Posted by CD observer

It is very funny to read comments on these boards about how hard people work meanwhile they post on a dead like cd often during worktime. I can only imagine the other sites you people peruse as you work so diligently.

The only time I post during working hours is during my lunch break.

By any chance did you do any research into your field before you invested all that money into a job that pays slightly more than a sanitation employee with much worse hours?

I hadn't expected the economy to get so bad.

[Htown2013]

Originally Posted by mitsguy2001

If that is true that many engineers are leaving the NYC area for the reasons I said, then why aren't the engineering firms in NYC adapting to the situation in order to attract the top talent. The attitude is that I'm always given is that they consider us engineers to be "expendable", and "top talent" means nothing to them, and all they care about is whoever is willing to work the longest hours for the least money and least benefits, and if you don't want to work ridiculous hours or actually expect a decent wage or decent benefits, they can very easily replace you with someone who will gladly work ridiculous hours for low wages and lousy benefits.

A few ways in which engineering firms maybe need to adapt are (yes, I realize all of these will cost more money in the short term):

1. Expect us to work fewer hours, and hire more engineers. This would also somewhat reduce the unemployment problem.

2. Pay us more so that we could afford to live closer to the city.

3. Allow us to work a 4 day work-week, 10 hour days, so that we'd have one fewer commute per week. (I know of at least one engineering firm that, on paper, has this schedule, but in practice, anyone working there works 7 days a week, so it is meaningless).

4. Allow us to work from home at least a few days a week, and supply us with a computer that can run the software that we need.

Another point is that the saddest part of this is that family life is lost. If I lost my job on Long Island, my only 2 choices would be to relocate, and be away from my family, or to commute every day to NYC, and not have time for even my immediate family. That is not an enviable choice to have to make.

Unfortunately, it's a very complex situation that is subject to market-based supply and demand on multiple levels. The engineering firms that hire the engineers have to make money to pay for the overheads, management salaries, and other expenses and profits. The NYC metro area, including Long Island, is an extremely high cost area. The engineering firms have to take in enough money from their clients to pay for all of this. I'm not so sure that the rate for engineering services is that much higher than in other parts of the country to account for this increased cost of living and pay the NYC/LI the higher wages desired. I also don't think of that area as an "engineering region".

When I think of NYC, I think of Wall Street, Investment Banking, World-Class Business, News Media & Television, lawyers and celebrities. There are some high-profile hospitals there as well. I DO NOT think of engineering. Engineering is primarily a support or service function in that metro. I do not think of NYC as an Engineering city. I can see why engineers may live as second class citizens in a city like NYC. There are plenty of other cities in the U.S. where experienced and motivated engineers can have really nice lives, houses, and raise families in safe areas with good schools. It is not that difficult.

I see that you went to MIT for Civil Engineering - that is a very impressive accomplishment! Have you every seriously considered working in the Energy or Oil & Gas Industry? I can assure you that with a degree from MIT and with a positive attitude, you would have no problem getting a world-class engineering job in that industry. It's something to consider.

I wish you the best!

[twingles]

It's laudable that someone wants to be able to live near their extended family and spend a lot of extra time with their immediate family. But the bottom line is you can't necessarily have it all. That's life. There is no perfect world. What it boils down to is people have either made the situation work for them (longer commutes, later bed times than preferable for their kids, overpaying for a house closer to work) OR they move away.

It is really that simple. Life is all about choices. No one ever promised us two excellent choices. At some point, EVERYONE makes a compromise. The question is which compromise can you make work best for you.

[mitsguy2001]

Originally Posted by Htown2013

I see that you went to MIT for Civil Engineering - that is a very impressive accomplishment! Have you every seriously considered working in the Energy or Oil & Gas Industry? I can assure you that with a degree from MIT and with a positive attitude, you would have no problem getting a world-class engineering job in that industry. It's something to consider.

I wish you the best!

The energy or oil and gas industries would mostly be looking for someone with a degree in mechanical engineering or chemical engineering. Both are very different from a civil engineering degree. It is not likely that in this economy, they would hire someone without the appropriate degree and without experience in that field.

To the people who keep telling me to relocate for better job opportunities: I do realize that we all have to make sacrifices, but relocating is the absolute last sacrifice I would be willing to make. I would have to have absolutely no way of making a living at all in the Long Island / NYC area before I would relocate. I do currently have a job on Long Island. There are many other sacrifices I am willing to make in order to keep this job. If I do lose this job, I will admittedly have a difficult decision to make, but one that I will make then, not now. I realize the advice you are giving me is well intentioned, but not what I am looking for.

[Logical95]

I agree with a lot of the posters here and I don't know how some people do it. Unless you live in Nassau county and your LIRR ride is under an hour, then it might be tolerable, however anyone that lives East of 110 is getting into more than an hour ride.

It's all about quality of life, as someone above stated that we can't have it all. Some compromise has to be made somewhere. Do you want to make the big bucks? Then Manhattan is probably your only choice.
Do you want better quality of life, family life and social life? Then, maybe you have to take a job on Long Island making less money.

A friend of mine who lives in Medford used to take the train everyday to Manhattan for a job in the IT field. He would have to drive from Exit 64 to Exit 60, park at the Ronkonkoma train station, then take the LIRR into Penn.

Everytime I saw him he looked exhausted, like a zombie, big bags under his eyes. It got to a point where he wouldn't even come out with us anymore to dinner or a happy hour because he was so tired, it was really affecting his social life and quality of life.

Since then, he found a job on LI in the IT field, but he had to take a bit of a pay cut. However, he is much happier he did it. He has normal 9-5 hours and he's home by 5:45 usually. Plus he doesn't have to wake up as early to catch the train and gets an extra hour of sleep every day now.

So you must make a compromise or really think about your situation. Try to get a job on LI, or maybe move to Nassau county or Queens to make the commute more bearable.

[nsc757]

With a pillow , blanket and a bottle of milk. Many many years on the southern state parking lot.

[Htown2013]

Originally Posted by mitsguy2001

The energy or oil and gas industries would mostly be looking for someone with a degree in mechanical engineering or chemical engineering. Both are very different from a civil engineering degree. It is not likely that in this economy, they would hire someone without the appropriate degree and without experience in that field.

To the people who keep telling me to relocate for better job opportunities: I do realize that we all have to make sacrifices, but relocating is the absolute last sacrifice I would be willing to make. I would have to have absolutely no way of making a living at all in the Long Island / NYC area before I would relocate. I do currently have a job on Long Island. There are many other sacrifices I am willing to make in order to keep this job. If I do lose this job, I will admittedly have a difficult decision to make, but one that I will make then, not now. I realize the advice you are giving me is well intentioned, but not what I am looking for.

Ok, I understand and respect your priorities, and it is a decision that you are fully entitled to make. I support and admire your decision.

Regarding the energy and oil and gas industries (which I am in), while it is true that mechanical and chemical engineering are the most in demand degrees, civil engineers are also in demand. There are basically two career tracks for them:
1) Project Management for major projects - that includes construction engineering & construction management.
2) Discipline Civil Engineering - structures and supports, foundations, land surveys, etc. are an integral part of all operating assets.

FWIW, the economy is doing quite well in energy, provided future regulations don't kill it. Houston is growing leaps and bounds.

This is just an example of what your money can get you close to Houston's energy corridor in a newer house in a family friendly area with nationally ranked exemplary schools:
4922 Erin Ashley, Katy, TX 77494 - HAR.com

There are probably more available jobs in the Project Management side of things, but there are definitely jobs in both. The employers will be impressed with your MIT degree. However, I understand and respect your decision to remain in Long Island. I will not mention this again, but there are world-class engineering opportunities are out there for someone with your background, should you ever be interested later in the future.

[Logical95]

Originally Posted by Htown2013

Ok, I understand and respect your priorities, and it is a decision that you are fully entitled to make. I support and admire your decision.

Regarding the energy and oil and gas industries (which I am in), while it is true that mechanical and chemical engineering are the most in demand degrees, civil engineers are also in demand. There are basically two career tracks for them:
1) Project Management for major projects - that includes construction engineering & construction management.
2) Discipline Civil Engineering - structures and supports, foundations, land surveys, etc. are an integral part of all operating assets.

FWIW, the economy is doing quite well in energy, provided future regulations don't kill it. Houston is growing leaps and bounds.

This is just an example of what your money can get you close to Houston's energy corridor in a newer house in a family friendly area with nationally ranked exemplary schools:
4922 Erin Ashley, Katy, TX 77494 - HAR.com

There are probably more available jobs in the Project Management side of things, but there are definitely jobs in both. The employers will be impressed with your MIT degree. However, I understand and respect your decision to remain in Long Island. I will not mention this again, but there are world-class engineering opportunities are out there for someone with your background, should you ever be interested later in the future.

On Long Island, that would be a million dollar house......