Bethpage & area LI towns/cities (Hempstead, Islip: for sale, foreclosure, to rent)

[mcj79]

It looks like Northrup Grumman might be adding some jobs in Bethpage, NY if they win the contract they are up for with the Navy. So, we are trying to check out the area a head of time and see if we might want to consider it for relocation.

A little back ground. My wife is from upstate NY but, the closet we've been to LI is a couple vacations to NYC years ago. Neither of us have ever been on Long Island.
I've been trying to read about the area and different cities/towns. Honestly it is a bit confusing to a outsider. And with the recovery of Sandy, flooding and so forth I think we could use some help.

Any constructive feed back you can give would be great.

-I have read on other treads that Flood Insurance costs are expected to increase and locations for such coverage from mortgage lenders/home owners insurance companies is likely to expand. Any one have any incite on this topic?

-I noticed LI has one or more LBGT community centers, a few bars and areas considered to be LBGT vacation spots... how are the areas near by? Don't get me wrong we love all types of people. But find it nice to have other LGBT folks/families in the same area.

-Are there any issues with the number of Dogs one can have? We have 3. I know some places have limits.


A little about us and what I'm looking to learn about &/or find in a town/ neighborhood:

-Obviously if the job in at NG in Bethpage a 5-30 commute would be ideal. Also, 1hrs less to the city for games, shows & such would be great.
-Diversity community: LBGT, Race, Economics with opportunities to get involved and develop relationship with others in the community. (We have lived in S.Cali & MA and would enjoy having other LGBT families in the neighborhood & schools. Also, other multiracial &/or adoptive families would be nice.)
-Generally safe by big city standards anyway (we lived in LA/S.Cal I get big cities)
-Greatly prefer to be able to walk to a few neighborhood amenities preferably on side walks! (bike-able would be an okay 2nd) such as a couple neighborhood restaurants, coffee shops, bars, parks, markets within 5-20 or 1-2 mile. (Something we can not currently do and greatly miss from CA)
-Close to public transport would be a major bonus (walking to bus or metro would be ideal, but a short 0-20 drive is not a deal breaker.)
-Neighborhoods that have activities for adults/couples and kids/families. Pet/ dog walking friendly. A mix would be great.
-Good school would be great but, private school are a option for us. But good schools are always good for resale.
-Some place you can buy a modest 3+bed, 1.5+bath, garage, home with at least a little yard for (ideally) $250,000-$425,000 or under. Lower the better as we know how high NY state property taxes run.
-For the right price we are willing to do some renovations or buy short sale/foreclosure (But our budget would drop with respect the work that needs to be completed)

Of course parts of our list could be flexible. (But a private yard of some sort is required.)

We are just trying to get a head of the rush... so if we do take an offer we can hit the ground with some ideas.

[ovi8]

Bethpage is a great pick for what you describe. Full of activity areas, a new ice rink, big community pool, they have Bethpage State Park, and a small village as well. Even away from the village there are enough stores without it being too commercial. Good schools. The only knock on it is the "toxic plume" that may be affecting the water supply due to dumping many years ago. Study up on that and if you're still in the running for Bethpage I wouldn't vote against it otherwise.

//www.city-data.com/forum/long-...-bethpage.html

BTW, there won't be a need for flood insurance as Bethpage is near the center of the island which is not affected. Public buses are hit or miss. On LI, best to have your own car. You can also have as many dogs as you like in a private home (just don't let them defacate on other properties without cleaning up). Don't really know anything about LGBT around there but overall people are accepting being so close to NYC.

[qlty]

My best advise is rent before you buy,there are many nice areas within a 1/2 hour commute to Bethpage

[LIgirl74]

Grew up in Bethpage for 27 years. Love the area and would have loved to move back to the area but after hearing about the toxic plume (if you search in google, you will find the latest and there are many threads on this board about it if you search "Bethpage" you will find lots of good info on it) we decided not to move there. We are happy we made that decision but miss the area very much. Plainview is a nice area and is close as well as Syosset. There are many nice areas south of Bethpage as well, such as Massapequa, etc. but I'd avoid those areas as well right now b/c the toxic plume from Bethpage is heading in that direction and will contaminate their water supply if nothing is done. I'd try to stay North of Bethpage if you could afford it. North means more $$ though. Good luck to you..def don't disregard the Bethpage plume issue. Funny you would be looking to move there for work from Grumman...they are the ones who caused the whole toxic plume issue back in the 40's and 50's when it was legal to dump everything into the soil. Good luck to you!

[twingles]

Look into Farmingdale as well. Cute downtown area and still close to Bethpage State Park.

[unctorious]

If you buy in Bethpage, you would be governed by the Town of Oyster Bay Town Code, and there isn't anything in it about the number of dogs you can own. Here's a link to TOB's code on animals: Town of Oyster Bay, NY Animal Protection and Control

[mcj79]

Thanks for the information on Bethpage! We look into and follow the toxic water issue and hopefully the clean up. Raytheon created a similar issue out here in MA. Though most of that area is still zoned for industrial uses.

rh71, Thanks for the info. Oh, and we always clean up after our doggies. It is just the curtious thing to do and makes the neighborhood better for everyone!

qlty, We would love to rent for a 6-12 months to get a better idea of the area. But, with large dogs it is often very difficult to find a rental. The relocation benefits/time lines can be tricky too. Hopefully we will at least have a couple months there before having to buy.

LIgirl74 & twingles, Thanks for the information on Plainview, Syosset, Farmingdale and the migration of the toxic plume.

unctorious, Thanks for the link. I did not realize Bethpage was governed by the Town of Oyster Bay.

Keep the great information coming.

[mcj79]

So, I did a little search on Trulia of citys/towns with homes for sale in 15 minutes of Bethpage. Hear are some of the 'larger print' ones that came up: Syosset, Woobury, Jericho, Melville, Hicksville, Plainview, Salisbury, Old Bethpage, East Meadow, Levittown, Farmingdale, East & South Farmingdale, North Lendenhurst, North Merrick, North Bellmore, North Wantagh, Wantagh, North Massapequa, North Amityville, Merrick, Seaford, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, East Massapequa, Amityville.

Of course if I include a 30 minute commute this list is longer Adding in Ocean Side, S/Hempstead & , N/Lynbrook, Rockville Center, Rossevelt, W/N/Babylon, West Islip.

I think if we could find a nice area with a shorter commute that would be ideal. Any feed back on the towns listed above? Are there ones with more fold damage then others from Sandy?
Also, if the toxic water moving south, south east, south west? Are any of them better then others for commuting into the city? How about public parks or beaches in the summer?

Oh, hey... I'm noticing many homes do not have garages or only a 1 car is a 2 or 3 car garage really hard to find or hard to get a permit to build? I am I correct in guessing being closer to the water and further south you guys don't get tons of snow? (Upstate NY & NE can get feet over night.) Or do a lot of folks only have one car or just deal with shoveling it out all winter?
Also, noticing a lot of baseboard heating and window AC unites. Is this common? Are the summers more mild with lower humidity then upstate? How well does the baseboard heat work in cost & efficiency? Is Central Heat/AC found in newer builds or at a higher price point? Is this a common upgrade folks make later to there homes or is it to expensive to do in the area?

Thanks for any help!

[ovi8]

Those towns vary greatly in price - how important are schools to you and what exactly is your budget figuring in ~10k/yr taxes? That will most determine the town best suited for you. Usually the better the school district, the higher the taxes.

- baseboard heat is the most efficient, just not the best looking nor most efficient use of space, but heating-wise, it is still best. Forced air heat tends to be dry and is less efficient.

- AC units instead of central air because most homes on LI were built in the 50s and 60s and people are still lagging behind in updating. Central AC is common in newer builds/upgraded homes, not really anything to do with being in an expensive area.

- 1 car garage because the lots are small, typically 100x60. People use snowblowers or just shovel, yes. Most people have 2 cars out of necessity. Doubtful you'll end up building a bigger garage because of the available space. Some people even convert their only garage to living space. Winter isn't that bad nor that long - I've been living without a garage the last 2 years and I'd rather have the space (dining room that we use everyday). The amount of snow is the same for the most part north vs. south of the island - I believe it's only ~15 miles from one end to the other.

- if you are commuting into the city, you want the LIRR, unless you'll have designated parking and patience to drive through rush-hour traffic twice a day. Without traffic, it's about an hour driving into the city from Bethpage, so you can imagine. The LIRR stations are spread out across the island and some are better than others in terms of frequency of trains. Hicksville for example is one of the major stations and most from nearby towns take that - 45 minute ride into Penn Station. We find Bethpage to be much more stress-free however, and only a few minutes longer. Syosset also has its own station but runs less frequently.

- public parks and beaches for the summer is the one thing you won't have to worry about on LI. There's almost too many and all are easily accessible by car within a reasonable time.

- use MLSLI.com instead of trulia. I believe redfin will give you the last sold price on a house which can help you during negotiations.

[mcj79]

rh71,

Thank you for your detailed and informative response.

I will check out MLSLI.com too!