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Sorry I have to disagree. Take a drive down Union ave and Prospect ave in New Cassel...or in Freeport around the train station, or Fulton Ave in Hempstead....definately feeling of inner city there, reminds me of Canarsie at the L train terminal or East New York.
Sure Long Island is pretty safe overall, but there are definately pockets that are just as dangerous as the "big city ghettos".
I do travel through these areas on the regular basis and do not feel unsafe. They are very far from being "inner city". Driving and/or on foot.
I do agree however with the shabiness of some of the infrastructure, what gives with the median strips aroun here, how much does it cost to have nicely mowed and kept medians?
I definately agree with that. Out of state medians appear to be much more groomed. With as many landscaping companies on L.I. you would think grassy medians would be pristine. Many times all that required is the use of a weed-whacker after they cut the grass. I see this particularly on the Northern State and even Jericho Turnpike on the Old Westbury/Westbury border.
Hi everyone im new to this thread I enjoy reading all your views so I thought it was time I post some of my own .Its quite sad now how LI is turning out especially with the high taxes we all pay out here its a shame not much is being done about the rising crime/illegal situtation etc.
People shouldn't have to live in fear. I don't even watch the news anymore everytime I turn it on there is always another shooting/home invasion to be honest Im fed up I wanted to stay and raise my family on the island but I dont want to have to worry about my child being a victim of a crime.Its not only here all across the USA the crime rate is soaring its horrible what has happened.
The community needs to work together and do something about this whether it be neighborhood watches etc,years ago we all knew each other on the block we spoke we were neighborly today everyone keeps to themselves we have lost sense of
community
(lets fix this somehow)we need to talk to our governor/local politicians/ local law enforcement we need to step up and try and make some sort of change before LI goes the way of all the other crime ridden areas.
Li is still very much a beautiful place with so much to offer but we are letting these rotten people ruin it for all of us.Every now and then garbage comes into good places and its our turn to rid our towns/villages of low lifes.
We pay way too much money out here to let this place turn into a ghetto.Its a shame years ago you never heard of such things now shootings/home invasions seem like an everyday
occurrence
and thats sad we need to change this for the better .Sorry about the rant im just fed up
Hi, first post here also and just went through the whole spiel. It was one amazing read.
I just got to say the dichotomy of the argument was great.
To those who were raised in the golden years of Long Island, I feel for you. I remember as a child living in an apartment in Flushing visiting my uncle in Glen Cove. It was amazing, the neighborhood was great, the facilities were great (I loved their private beach and my secret fishing spot) and it was safe enough to go around on my own. I remember saying I want to live here. I always told my uncle never sell the house just give it to me (sue me, I was 8 and it turned into our joke). I remember one year my uncle sneaked me into Glen Cove's school for a year while my parents had to take care of business overseas. It was amazing. Flash to 2008, my aunt now has the Glen Cove house and desperately wants to leave since the neighborhood has in her words "gone to hell" and is planning an exodus to NJ (which my uncle already made before Glen Cove supposedly started its downward spiral). So I really do feel for you. I lost my youthful dreams of that wonderland LI house. But going through the process I saw that the beaches were getting more crowded, more traffic and other little tell tale signs. My uncle was smart and moved to Jersey when he said "too much people I'm going". He is okay with being 1.5 hrs minimal from NYC. I lived with him finishing up college and it was the boonies. It was an exercise walking next door. The schools were really nice looking and got excellent scores. The parks were well maintained and it was pretty much how I saw LI when I was a child. So LI isn't what it used to be.
To those who seem to love Long Island, I agree with you. Heck, I would love to move out there. Been to Manhattan and paid massive rent and all I got was loud noises and the city that never sleeps. With the current job market, fearing my job security and Uncle Sam asking for my repayment on my college loan, I sucked it up and asked my parents to take me back in. So back in Flushing with the great commute (insert sarcasm). I remember the LIRR, I know it's not what it used to be but its still so much better than the 7 train (trust me, once a month or on a bad day I take the LIRR so I can just take a nap, I still can get a seat on the LIRR if you take the right train). I go take the LIE and it really doesn't bother me. I realized theres always someplace else worse. Seriously, anybody? Holland Tunnel? Lincoln Tunnel? Yeah an hour delay isn't that bad, heck its normal for this time of day. GWB? And I'm not sure how many people have seen the north NJ's traffic. Ahh fond memories of commuting from NJ to NYC, my first 2.5 hr traffic jam. Sometimes when I go visit my uncle off peak I almost freak out, going where's the traffic? I really think its just a matter of perspective.
And seriously to all the people who trying to sell, I wish my office had more people who's trying to sell come in. I would love it. I know people fear the asian invasion but there are a few of us asians who just want a higher standard of living and we're not going over to pillage your fair land. One of my close friends moved to Hicksville and I'm over there at least three times a week. My dogs can play in his yard, he forces me to help him renovate and we have a BBQ. Do you realize how much fun that is for me. I haven't had a BBQ since I lived in NJ because, Flushing has no space. His neighbors are great (they're all dog people) and they even invited me over to dinner since they see me so much. I can't say much for the school system but I did visit the school with them and it seemed pretty nice (I can't say much since I am a Stuyvie snob). I know cost of living out here is pretty high and realistically I can only hope to maybe buy a house in another 2 years or never. And I mean a house. Not a 2 family house, a nice single family house. Maybe a little yard, a fence to keep my dogs in and if I'm not asking too much a garage so I can start working on cars again. You know that restoration project you always wanted to do. Hopefully neighbors who're friendly or just leaves me alone. After seeing the local HSs around here, yes I believe LI is so better just in terms of space. Seriously the local HS to me has a yard the size of 8000 sq ft roughly for almost 500 students. I don't know, if I put all those kids in the yard it'll look mighty like a prison. Another thing, where are all the parent volunteers for the school systems. I remember Flushing as a child, my elementary school was great so was my Jr HS. I remember lots of volunteers and PITA organized events, they even made arrangements to take us to McDonald and the well-off parents organizing would pay for the underprivileged (the few of us at that time). I really think its the lack of involvement from the local community and parents that caused the public systems to start declining. Seriously when a sudden influx of "new" students came why weren't there parents concerned determining where these "new" students were coming from. I'll tell you a hit, they were coming from illegal apartments created by demand. So bravo to that new development. If enough cheap apartments can be made to satisfy the market, why would the poor live illegally when they can afford to live legally. To the illegal foreign nationals, please come here legally. My family and many of the families I know of asian descent gave up everything, I mean everything to get here legally and try to make it for themselves. And seriously the other nations are probably doing better than us seeing how the US dollar is becoming worthless. But than again I believe in legalizing anybody willing to pay state and federal taxes and holds a real job.
Well enough for my rant and hope to read more on these boards.
Please allow me to compliment you on a thoughtful and well-written post.
It'll be your first rep !
Make that two, great post!
I also had family in Glen Cove growing up, and judging from what you wrote, you're probably around the same age as me. It really seemed like another world back then, very much like what you described! I don't get up there so often anymore, and while I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as people claim, I know exactly what you mean. For better or worse? Who can say....but then again what place hasn't changed in the last 20 years? I think all points of your LI analysis are spot on and it's nice to hear from a different perspective. Not all of us out here are scared of change, but I'm sure you realized reading through this thread that there's really only two sides of the fence...no middle ground. I think the only solution is for all of us and all our neighbors (new and old) to get together more often, BBQ and toss back a few beers, maybe turn some wrenches on an old Chevelle and realize that we all want the same things out of life.
So welcome and don't be a stranger, I'll be looking forward to reading more posts like this one!
I agree with this, but would like to know what those "places to avoid are" - maybe a new thread?
I think what is sad is that LI has so much promise and was probably once a gorgeous place, but due to very very poor city planning, most of the land seems ruined. When you drive east you get a picture of the things might have been: nice little homes from the -30s, farm land, clean air, huge trees, little towns. Then, a few miles later, it's the god-awful cookie cutter 50's suburban Levittown type of sprawl spilling into strip malls, the houses hideously overpriced and overtaxed. People packed wall to wall, barely a backyard. The lack of viable downtown centers really disconnects people.
(Though Huntington seems to have one) Insane drivers weaving in and out of traffic with no highway patrol pressure like in most counties. LI could have been the coolest suburb ever, with a little planning and common sense.
avoid Central Islip, wyndanch in suffolk and Roosevelt area around the Green acres mall in Nassau. also parts of Huntington Station. And usually area's that are on there border. Parts of Whietly(sp) heights are nice and parts not so much. Its hard to nail down just one area. You might be able to go to the suffolk county police web site and see if they have a crime map on there or talk to some cops they can let you know.
I never reported the crime where me and my friends got knifes put to our necks at the 7-11 in Central Islip when we were 11 years old. My friends older brother ( 3rd precinct) put those mother ******* in a world of hurt and had misdemeanors charged against them. The oldest offender was 17. I grew up in Hauppauge schools right next to 7-11 in Central Islip. From one of my best friends older brother to the 2 cops in my family they assure me every time the conversation comes up to stay the hell away from CI.
I too have been victimized by crimes and never reported them. I mentioned car stereo robberies in earlier threads, but did not mention late night instances where my self-defense skills were needed.
One time I pulled up to a neighborhood bar (in Mastic Beach - known for being a bad area, but is close to my home) and a few kids were yanking the stereo out of my friends car. To make a long stroy short, I ended up fighting these kids, while my friends stood there confused about what was going on. Apparently, they made friends with these guys earlier and were also scared of them. Where were the cops when we needed them? From what I heard the one kid (more like a man - 24-26 at the time against us barely 21) was a coke dealer who carried gunbs in his car. I ended up going home on what started a good night with a black eye. If you must live on Long Island make sure to get enrolled in a good self-defense program. LOL.
Other occasions also had a similar basis......
as I mentioned in a previous post even as a kid (12 years old) I got beat up for riding my bike passed a group of thugs in Mastic Beach, again while 2 of my even younger friends watched in horror.
[quote=jared69sib;4441708] Where were the cops when we needed them?
If you or one of your friends had dialed 911 the cops would have been there. You can't expect them to know what's happening unless you call them.
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Is LI Really That Bad Now
