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Those blue collar workers in Jamaica, ENY, Bronx or whatever are *ahem* minorities then you can forget them being "displaced" by moving to various upstate areas. Again peeps have seen what happened to Poconos and other areas where a large influx of former "urban" residents fled to, and don't want it happening in their back yards.
This does not sound like the kind of people fratured in the NY Times story. If anything, the people in the story sound like ones who could have bought starter homes in south shore LI or Middlesex county NJ, if they upped their budgets a bit more and if they changed to two income HH. They probably dont feel good about paying through the nose for starter homes and want one spouse at home which is why they looked further away.
Does the words "eminent" and "domain" mean anything in your vocabulary? And the MTA (who I'd assume will front the project), will do what they always do, they'll float bonds. If we're talking empty farmland or similar out of what's currently considered the NYC metro area, it would not be that expensive.
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Originally Posted by BugsyPal
Who is going to pay for acquiring all that "empty land"?
If you think upstate land owners are just going to lay down and give a RR their property and or grant easements for ROW, then I suggest you think again.
The "bennies" are also better in PA. Why live in squalid Section 8 housing here if you can qualify for a Section 8 townhouse in Bethlehem or Harrisburg? PA isn't only for NYers buying in the Pocanos.
Does the words "eminent" and "domain" mean anything in your vocabulary? And the MTA (who I'd assume will front the project), will do what they always do, they'll float bonds. If we're talking empty farmland or similar out of what's currently considered the NYC metro area, it would not be that expensive.
Eminent domain is not exactly cheap, even for the MTA. Case in point the recent SAS construction where the MTA found out how expensive it was to move obtain property and or move people out of it.
If you recall early plans had a station on the southwest corner of 86th and Second (that red brick building where Gothic Cabinets once was ground floor retail). Well those plans were scrapped largely due to costs of acquiring the property and moving tenants (residential out).
Contrary to popular belief eminent domain is not a always a cheap land grab. The USC is still in effect and those owning affected property are entitled to just compensation. Given land values today even with ED obtaining things isn't exactly cheap.
*You* might consider property (empty farmland), but you don't own it do you? Stop being a bit so free in giving away other peoples property.
MTA is already drowning in debt, and seriously cannot afford to continue forever "floating bonds". Forget the exact number but a large share of current MTA budget already goes to servicing debt. That number will continue to grow in future years as more and more debt becomes due.
I worked for Transit and I remember it taking me 2 1/2 hours to get home to Staten Island from Far Rockaway on the midnights. Glad I only had to do it for a week. Commuting from the Island can be rough especially on off hours by public transport.
How do you define a better life? A big house in the sticks with nothing else around?
Some people get tired of renting, but finding an "affordable" house in a good area can mean looking (as the NYT article mentions), "driving until you qualify". Meaning keep looking further and further out until you find a home you can afford.
Anyone who has looked at home prices lately not just in NYC but NJ, Westchester, Long Island, Connecticut knows for the most part low hanging fruit (nice home in a good school district, with less than one hour commute into the city) is going to be very dear price wise.
They're jerking themselves really. There's no way a commute like that is sustainable. You pay either way - with money or with time, nothing is free
This regimen is manageable, if the commute can at least be made more comfortable even if it cannot be shortened. Having direct bus/ferry service to midtown and downtown without the need for subway transfers or riding cheap rickety vehicles should reduce the burden of it. And as the NY Times article alluded, it helps to have an attitude that fits.
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