Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We are a young family moving to LI looking for a long term rental in a safe area. School district and proximity to LIRR is NOT important since we will be homeschooling and using our own transportation. My husband will be working in Garden City and will be commuting by car. Could I get suggestions for neighborhoods to the North, East and possibly South of Garden City within ~25 driving minutes. We prefer to be closer to Suffolk County. I'm not sure of realistic commute times in that area though I have an idea we don't want to go much farther East than Huntington based on google maps? We hope to not spend more than $2800 a month and would prefer a single family rental or legal duplex. I've read through many forums and searched but so many families were looking for good school district neighborhoods and we hope we can get a better value in a less desirable school district? Ideals but not necessities would be nearby safe/well kept parks, libraries, Whole Foods/Trader Joe's type grocery stores, and local shops. Open to any and all advice regarding renting on LI and if we need to adjust our expectations or housing budget. Also if someone wanted to shed light on neighborhoods to AVOID that are affected by this toxic plume I'm reading about that would be spectacular. Thanks so much!
Our oldest is 2 and we may not even be in New York the 4 years before we'd be required to start some form of schooling, but by then I'll definitely have connected with local homeschoolers and have a better grasp on it all. Is there something in particular you're thinking of that should play into our choosing where to live, regarding NY's homeschooling law?
What I want to know is why Parents choose to home school over sending their kids to a public or private school. I have always wondered what the benefit is but never asked anyone because I don't know anyone who has done this.
What I want to know is why Parents choose to home school over sending their kids to a public or private school. I have always wondered what the benefit is but never asked anyone because I don't know anyone who has done this.
Homeschooling is very common in other parts of the country and now that I've stopped drinking the LI Kool Aid I wish I had done it. A lot of people do it for religious reasons, but the other reasons are spreading the curriculum out over a year, tailoring a richer or more engaging curriculum to your child's interests and abilities, teaching when and where you want (I know a family that home schooled here and they went on amazing local field trips that gave their kids great real world experiences) and last but not least NO TESTING. Yes, kids have to prove they meet the state standards (and they should, I know someone who tried to homeschool and the state made her send her kid back to public school after just two months) but kids today are spending more and more time getting ready for state testing and it sucks.
It also gives families a lot more freedom to travel and have great experiences learning first hand about things instead of reading about them in the books.
To the OP, if you go into Suffolk make sure you are close to a highway to get to GC in under 25 minutes, otherwise it's not going to be a fast commute. If you're willing to extend that time frame, I would definitely look at Huntington (I have no idea if your budget it do-able there though) as there are tons of fun things to do around there with little kids and the YMCA is great if you're interested in that.
What I want to know is why Parents choose to home school over sending their kids to a public or private school. I have always wondered what the benefit is but never asked anyone because I don't know anyone who has done this.
Our reasoning is very similar to twingles explanation. My husband was homeschooled and it allowed for so much time for experiential learning, pursuing individual interests, even starting his own small businesses before graduating high school. He was able to graduate early and learn in ways that suited him well. There are many co-ops and connections available today that help with stereotypical concerns regarding socialization/sports/extracurriculars in homeschooling.
Homeschooling is very common in other parts of the country and now that I've stopped drinking the LI Kool Aid I wish I had done it. A lot of people do it for religious reasons, but the other reasons are spreading the curriculum out over a year, tailoring a richer or more engaging curriculum to your child's interests and abilities, teaching when and where you want (I know a family that home schooled here and they went on amazing local field trips that gave their kids great real world experiences) and last but not least NO TESTING. Yes, kids have to prove they meet the state standards (and they should, I know someone who tried to homeschool and the state made her send her kid back to public school after just two months) but kids today are spending more and more time getting ready for state testing and it sucks.
It also gives families a lot more freedom to travel and have great experiences learning first hand about things instead of reading about them in the books.
To the OP, if you go into Suffolk make sure you are close to a highway to get to GC in under 25 minutes, otherwise it's not going to be a fast commute. If you're willing to extend that time frame, I would definitely look at Huntington (I have no idea if your budget it do-able there though) as there are tons of fun things to do around there with little kids and the YMCA is great if you're interested in that.
Thanks so much for your reply. I've seen a few doable options in Huntington but am a little concerned about the commute in real time. Would any neighborhoods in Oyster Bay or Glen Cove have a similar feel/amenities to Huntington?
Homeschooling is very common in other parts of the country and now that I've stopped drinking the LI Kool Aid I wish I had done it. A lot of people do it for religious reasons, but the other reasons are spreading the curriculum out over a year, tailoring a richer or more engaging curriculum to your child's interests and abilities, teaching when and where you want (I know a family that home schooled here and they went on amazing local field trips that gave their kids great real world experiences) and last but not least NO TESTING. Yes, kids have to prove they meet the state standards (and they should, I know someone who tried to homeschool and the state made her send her kid back to public school after just two months) but kids today are spending more and more time getting ready for state testing and it sucks.
It also gives families a lot more freedom to travel and have great experiences learning first hand about things instead of reading about them in the books.
To the OP, if you go into Suffolk make sure you are close to a highway to get to GC in under 25 minutes, otherwise it's not going to be a fast commute. If you're willing to extend that time frame, I would definitely look at Huntington (I have no idea if your budget it do-able there though) as there are tons of fun things to do around there with little kids and the YMCA is great if you're interested in that.
It’s actually quite the opposite IMO. There’s barely any testing now especially in LI.
Thanks so much for your reply. I've seen a few doable options in Huntington but am a little concerned about the commute in real time. Would any neighborhoods in Oyster Bay or Glen Cove have a similar feel/amenities to Huntington?
The problem with either of the towns is it's all pretty much back roads to Garden City. Where in GC is the job? Is it in the village or is more in East Garden City? It will make a big difference how close the job is to, say, the Meadowbrook Parkway.
One thing you should be aware of is the sentiment already expressed in this thread - homeschooling is not popular on Long Island and the extracurriculars for homeschoolers that are available in other parts of the country will be few and far between there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
