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We're a late 20s-early 30s couple with 7-month-old. We're moving to LI and hope to put down roots there... But I haven't the faintest idea what LI is like and what to expect.
First order of business is buying a house. Can anybody suggest a good place to start - books or on the internet - where I can find out more about what various areas of LI are like, residentially speaking?
Our priorities are:
- closeness to public transport
- walkability (we'd like our kids to be able to walk to school when they get to be that age, and we hate driving in general...)
- good libraries and schools, maybe restaurants but that's not important. Shopping is not a factor.
- a sense of community, if that's not too much to ask... someplace where we can get to know the neighbors (I have heard Long Islanders can be a bit insular, so I am worried that as non-white foreigners we might have an even harder time making connections).
- Can we have all this and still not have home prices that are through the roof? We don't mind living in a relatively small home - condos or even a roomy apartment is fine, we are very flexible.
We're a late 20s-early 30s couple with 7-month-old. We're moving to LI and hope to put down roots there... But I haven't the faintest idea what LI is like and what to expect.
First order of business is buying a house. Can anybody suggest a good place to start - books or on the internet - where I can find out more about what various areas of LI are like, residentially speaking?
Our priorities are:
- closeness to public transport
- walkability (we'd like our kids to be able to walk to school when they get to be that age, and we hate driving in general...)
- good libraries and schools, maybe restaurants but that's not important. Shopping is not a factor.
- a sense of community, if that's not too much to ask... someplace where we can get to know the neighbors (I have heard Long Islanders can be a bit insular, so I am worried that as non-white foreigners we might have an even harder time making connections).
- Can we have all this and still not have home prices that are through the roof? We don't mind living in a relatively small home - condos or even a roomy apartment is fine, we are very flexible.
Any info on what to expect is very welcome...
Thank you!
You can have these things on LI if you have the right amount of money. If you don't, you can't, so the question is, how much can you afford to pay for a house, condo, or apartment? A place like Port Washington can give you all that, but it isn't cheap. Closeness to public transportation generally means being near a LIRR station.
- walkability (we'd like our kids to be able to walk to school when they get to be that age, and we hate driving in general...)
Frankly, if you really do hate driving, it's quite possible that Long Island may not be a very good "fit" for you. We are one of the most "car-centric" areas in the nation. LI was literally designed around the automobile, during the 40s and 50s.
So unless you choose a house or apartment within a few blocks of a community's main shopping area (if there indeed is one; not all have a true downtown), you will have to drive to at least 80% of the places you will need to go to during a typical day.
As far as schools go, most elementary schools are situated within residential neighborhoods. Whether it is walkable depends on the house you choose to buy. I'm not sure what the house-to-school distance qualification is nowadays for a school bus but I'm sure other posters can weigh in with examples from their own community. The distance does vary with grade level, I believe. So if you live further than that distance, your child will be entitled to school bus transport and will only need to walk from your house to the nearest schoolbus-stop corner.
But seriously: If you truly do hate driving, LI may not be your cup of tea at all, for that very reason. Or you may have to end up choosing between a house that's convenient to daily shopping, doctors, etc etc and one that is closer to a school. Given the availability of schoolbus transport, you may opt for a house close to one of the larger village downtowns, such as Babylon, Bay Shore, Sayville, or Huntington Village.
It would also help to know where your husband will be working, and how he intends to commute. If he will be working in NY City, any one of those towns also has a railroad station which may be within walking distance of the home you decide to buy.
As far as apartment or condos, be aware that there are far fewer of both on Long Island compared to other areas. LI was, again, originally designed (via zoning) to encourage home ownership and discourage transient populations. Again, you may be able to find a larger number of rental options near any of those four villages than elsewhere. The vast majority of affordable apartments on LI are in private homes in residential neighborhoods.... where, again, you will end up having to drive in order to get where you need to go.
Public Transportation - Forget about it..... The buses run once an hour (if that much) and the connections don't meet up. Sooooo, a trip that should take 15 minutes could easily be 2 hours or more
Don't like driving? - On Long Island, you HAVE to drive. Even to buy a quart of milk, you will HAVE to drive. See above regarding public trans. Also, I wouldn't allow my child to walk to school alone.
Good libraries - Yes
Good restaurants - Yes
Good schools - Depends on the district
Sense of community - Not too much. Some neighbors might know one another and be friendly, but it's not what I would call a "sense of community". As a "non white foreigner" (as you refer yourself to), you may have a bit more of a hard time making true friends (unless, of course, you move into a community that is primarily of your culture/ethnicity).
Home prices - There are plenty of real estate professionals on these boards. I'm sure they can chime in and give you some educated input on this.
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