Cons
1. Unless you live steps from the Ferry terminal, or want to drive, the commute to Manhattan is a nuisance. If you work anywhere other than the lower tip of Manhattan, its doubly so. The drive at peak hours is impossibly traffic-laden and expensive at any hour.
I HATED IT.
2. If you are commuting by express bus from the south shore through NJ, be prepared to spend a lot of time commuting and be prepared to leave the city before the "last bus" which is earlier than you'll want it to be, at least some of the time
3. You will need to have a car for many or most of the neighborhoods.
True!
4. If you care about "all NY has to offer" there is less of it here.
5. I refuse to believe the area around the old Fresh Kills landfill is environmentally safe, no matter what they say. When the dump was still open, you could smell it on both sides (depending on the wind), as far as the mall, and well into the Huguenot area. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they find groudn water and air contamination in those areas years down the road.
6. I have met more people who live on SI that spend all their time in their own borough than any other. Hardly scientific, but I think there is something to it since leaving can be more complicated, particularly if you are too young to drive, or don't have access to a car. Therefore It is possible to be less aware of things outside your immediate environment until you are older. Admittedly the Internet has probably helped this int he time since I left.
7. If you are out late in Manhattan, and you want to get home to any other borough, a cab is an expensive but not out-of-reach choice in a pinch. If you live on SI it is a much more expensive option, and you will have hard time finding anyone who wants to drive out there even if you are willing to spend the money
I personally did not enjoy it there. I don't drive so i felt kind of marooned. It was too suburban for me. As it is less populous than the other boroughs and more family-focused i found it harder to meet people to connect with who were close to my age, and weren't there to raise children. However, if you thrive in that kind of environment, it could be a very pleasant place to live.[/quote]
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.
