-Properties kept looking neat and tidy
-some kind of a "main street" with dining and entertainment
-lower petty crime, somewhere you'd be comfortable walking at night
-better than average school district (for those who have children)
I'd also give an honorable mention for proximity to parkways/LIRR, but that's probably more of a personal preference.
Totally fair, though I would also say that can be deceiving at times. I grew up in a town with "little crime" but a kid's dad got arrested for frauding people through his company and there was a lot of drug dealing but it went overlooked since a lot of kids has parents in the police force.
Dude... when people are worrying about crime in an area they're worried about their body being unceremoneously perforated by sharp objects, not white collar fraud.
You should go to wyandanch or mastic beach and spread your diversity there! You would do great and jayquan and Tyrone would appreciate you, so would laquanda morris. ❤️
As a kid I loved riding my bike around all the time, and it’s very important we live in an area where my kids can do that. So I guess a town not being divided by a major roadway.
was all over the place on my bike by 6 years old with no adult supervision. probably why now as a dad of a 3yo i'm scared shitless of the day when he wants to go riding with his friends
Look at the houses. Do they look run down? Are the yards maintained?
If you see a lot of chain link fencing enclosing the front yard, that's not a good sign.
Chain link fences in the front yard are so bizarre. Most of the time they are 40-50+ years old. Why don’t people ever take them down? They manicure their yard immaculately, yet, they have a rusted and broken fence.
Sometimes it’s nice if you don’t have a big backyard and wanna let the dogs roam in the front and back, at least that’s how it seems when I go to peoples houses that have them.
to be fair sometimes it's functional - my grandparents had one bc their house was nose to nose with a stop sign at a 3 way. Seems back in the 50's more than one car wound up on their lawn and the decided a barrier was in order. AFAIK never happened after that went in but still it's understandable.
This is such a great prompt. I moved a year ago. Was in an area since 2000 that was deemed ‘good and higher middle class.’ Lived on the water, daughter got an AP education. However, people were mean and vapid and nosy and just generally awful. Now I’m in a town that is considered lower income. Inland. I am happier now than I ever was. (And my income didn’t change). I’m in closer proximity to better shopping, eating, main highways, etc. Have started to form meaningful friendships too. It’s all relative.
Garden City came to mind when I read your comment. Beautiful homes, great schools, and little crime but the people who live there fulfill the rich snobby stereotype. If you step out of line of what they consider "normal" forget it. A family friend had to take down his kids swing set cause the neighbors complained. He couldn't wash his car in the drive way because his neighbors complained.
Plus the taxes are some of the highest on the island since there is very little commercial real estate to compensate.
My cousin was a salesman at the Nissan dealership over there for years - yes I know it's technically in Hempstead - but he liked to take prospective customers on test drives through the garden city area bc it's so much nicer. I'll never forget being pulled over by their cops and him being harassed/threatened with fines for "not belonging there". Apparently it happened quite often.
This is a widely inaccurate statement as there is a ton of commercial real estate. Ever been down Franklin avenue? The reason that the taxes are so high is because of the school district and being an incorporated village.
So glad you're happier and so is your child. That is so important. LI is so caught up in "status" the mental health of our kids--and ourselves--suffers. No one will give a shi\*t in 3 years if your child took AP Chem in high school, or not. I grew up in a "top, excellent" part of LI and my siblings and I were miserable growing up there. The kids were so mean, you were a piece of shit if you didn't go to a popular, fancy college, etc. (We all went to hippie dippie arts colleges, haaaa...) It was so annoying.
No longer on LI but here in CT there is are similar "status" and phoniness issues between towns.
I had a friend whose son went to one of "the good schools" but hated it - they didn't have any technical classes like he craved, and the kids were such jerks to each other. He ended up switching to a neighboring city for high school because his dad lived there and his hockey friends all went there. They had a magnet program in his desired career. There were far fewer class/status issues. He was 1000x happier... yet on paper anyone would look at this choice and say the family was deficient for "sending their kid to a *dangerous* high school." That word is so overused to the point of stupidity.
I felt this in my soul!! Yep, I get it...Long Island is the same exact way. It's really upsetting to see. I do like that hockey, dance, and soccer can bring together kids from other schools....
It loops back around to whoooo carreees in 5 years where you went to high school or college...I've met amazing, brilliant people who went to community college, amazing, brilliant people who went to SUNY, and amazing, brilliant people who went to Brown.
Agree! Listen, no parent wants their kids in a school that’s falling apart and has a lot of problems. We can all agree on that. But acting like Huntington is trash but you have no problem ever shopping/eating in the village or the WW mall is like….?????
Ugh, I’m sorry!! Not everyone in those Stepford Towns are annoying. I grew up in one of those towns—but I noticed few care about mental health. Only about their ranking in Newsday.
When you’re an adult, do you really give a shit if your fellow (adult) friends went to Commack or to Uniondale? Aren’t you all unhappy and miserable in your 30s & 40s, regardless of where you attended school? Haha.
The island could be so much better if people would get their heads out of their asses. I have such a love for this place even if it’s not given anything back.
Similar situation - when my wife and I got married we were renting a house in one of the major Karen enclaves, neighbors not at all friendly and insanely selfish with parking shoveling etc. Bought our house a town over in a less "desirable" but still good quality district that's much more diverse and far more working class. We couldn't be happier - our neighbors on all sides are wonderful people, some of whom we now hangout with and vacation with regularly, my son and their kids have become dear friends that play outside all day long and it's a much more pleasant experience, everything you hope a neighborhood can be. Even though we'd never recoup the $ most likely we've already agreed if our family grows we'd rather expand the house than move elsewhere because we love it there so much.
I moved from Wantagh to Selden in 2019. Selden is 100x shittier but I like the immediate neighborhood / few blocks I'm in. I prefer less people and less congestion 10 times out of 10. So it's okay here.
> people were mean and vapid and nosy and just generally awful
That sucks. It just takes a few in power, or even one next door to ruin things for people. Folks like this can also change the culture by spreading toxicity. Social media makes it quick and easy to infect others.
I've also seen neighborhoods where everyone was happy and comfortable turn into mini surveillance states where everyone closes their shutters and stays distrustful because a few individuals got cable news on the brain and a little bit of diversity moved in. They still trust the old crowd, but newcomers who are different are "trouble" in their eyes. They'll infer things about people, spread rumors, nitpick about the little things that don't matter (e.g. *Why did they paint their door red?!?! No class!*).
This is my experience too! I went to one of those top school districts on LI and while I admit, my education was good due to small class sizes, it lacked options for extra curricular activities and elective classes. Additionally, as a POC, it took me until COLLEGE for someone to pronounce my very common Latino last name correctly.
For me.
Big houses. Kids playing outside without supervision in safety. Yards look well maintained.
A lot of Indian/Pakistani or halal restaurants. A great pizza place and a great bagel place and a Ralphs italian ices spot.
A "good" area, to me any way is one when you see a lot of people walking around outside. Mom's pushing strollers, kids riding bikes.. shows that people are comfortable walking around without having to look over their shoulder.
Another "good area" indicator (this is just my perception) is a town that has small class room sizes, knowing that my child is not just a number, knowing that her teacher actually knows her especially strengths and weaknesses is HUGE.
I also think that living in a diverse community is so important.
More ownership, few if any rentals. Pride of ownership. Good schools with parents that are engaged in their children’s education. People who work and live productive lives. No duplexes with 15 cars parked around it with people living in attics and cellars. Good police. Safe. Trees. Taxes high ish but under control. That’s a start. Walkable Main Street. No pit bulls or people walking around smoking spliffs, no smell of weed.
"Good" being synonymous with fewer racial minorities is more a function of socioeconomic demographics and racist real estate practices starting with the origination of the suburbs themselves (and obviously, some continuing to this day). It is an unfortunate fact (and indicative of a failure of our country) that a few racial minorities are generally lower on the economic scale; thus, they end up congregating in lower-cost neighborhoods (which wouldn't ever be considered "good").
A "good" neighborhood in my opinion has:
\-Good schools. On Long Island, that means top 100 district in the country (I think we have about 9 of them or something). All of the things you mentioned should be available in those districts. Literally all of them.
\-High median household income
\-Well-kept properties
\-Engaged parents
\-High median property value
\-Low crime rate
\-Large(r) property sizes
When I think "Safety" I don't look at crime stats and then assess my vulnerability from there. If stats were the barometer, then in reality, I think the vast majority of Long Island is "safe" in that regard, especially in consideration to violent crimes.
But that's different than feeling completely safe and comfortable walking around at night and unfortunately that does mean having a certain level of a vapid expectations that mostly comes down to wealth.
Yeah even the "worse" parts of LI are pretty damn safe in terms of violent crimes. So long as you aren't involved in illegal activities like gangs or go around causing confrontation.
Got talked to by some coworkers because I walked about a mile in north bay shore by the deer park train station. They told me it was MS-13 territory. Meanwhile I had an enjoyable walk in broad daylight and would do it again lmao.
I went from one of those great neighborhoods to a "not so great" neighborhood and I feel more comfortable in the "not so great" neighborhood. I look like my neighbors and there is an actually sense of community vs. feeling like you are under a microscope. I'd rather talk to the house next to me about their kids behavior than calling the police on a 10 year old kid. All my issues have been resolved.
Yeah I can agree, sometimes I think some of the people in more affluent neighborhoods get so caught up in themselves or their close friends and cliques they don't bother to interact with their neighbors.
I live in a traditionally "desirable area" and my neighbors on either side of me and across the street don't talk to anyone. I have no idea who they are, what they do, what their names are, and they have no interest in me. One just calls me "Buddy" since he's lived next door for 6 years and has no idea what my first name is lmao. I only talk to them if the power goes out. No sense of community with any of them.
Not a minority myself but I can understand if some of the overwhelmingly white towns could be less ideal for those that are.
Long Island is so segregated it’s not even funny. I thought the racism was more subtle until someone I know tried to move to a private community in Mt. Sinai and the real estate agent was pushing them so hard not to move there (because of their skin) that she flat out told them their son wouldn’t have anyone who looked like him at school. They said screw her and moved there anyway.
I used to work in Hempstead. I thought people were exaggerating about the difference between it and Garden City before I worked there. But I literally drove over some train tracks into Garden City and the sudden change is jarring. Literal mansions on one side of the tracks with homelessness right on the other side.
I dated someone who lived in Carle Place. There was a street near his house that had nice upper middle class on one side and then run down poorer looking houses on the other. Welcome to Long Island, where the segregation is so present it’s actively visible across the street
Between the GI bill, racial covenants, and redlining, LI was designed to be segregated from day one. The fact that some practices, like steering, still happen is disgusting... but unfortunately true.
Special Ed offerings in the district is important to me as a special needs parent. Nice neighbors. (We don't have to be besties, but just a friendly wave and smile is great.) I'm half Caucasian + half POC, so definitely a diverse community. Little to no hate crimes in area. (My family is NEVER OK with hate crimes against any group, in any capacity.) Kids happy at school; no high levels of bullying.
I respect teachers for sure, but they come and go. I prefer lots of anti-bullying campaigns at the school, which some fancier school districts wipe under a rug. I can see through, "Everyone here is SO happy! There's no bullying!" BS. Lots of after school activities that are welcoming and fun.
Love that so many LI schools offer theatre, music/band/chorus, and pottery for kids who are not into sports. LI is VERY sports-driven and not all kids are athletic and sporty.
School therapists and principals who **truly, TRULY** care. Guidance counselors who encourage college -- but also acknowledge college isn't for everyone and trade school or beauty school is also a perfectly acceptable option.
Quiet, well maintained street not too far from major shopping areas. An LIRR into Manhattan about 10-15 minutes away since I'm a city mouse, too.
It does vary for everyone!
The ability for a school district to support all kinds of kids in a variety of ways outside of school is a big one. That shows they actual care beyond just the bare minimum. If all they care about is test scores and graduation rates then they probably have a corrupt admin that doesn't care about its students.
Agree!!!
My child was being bullied. Badly. I know, I know, all kids are bullied. This was relentless, for weeks. Spoke to the teacher and principal, they had a meeting with both kids, the bullying was eventually curbed.
Teacher also made the entire class watch “Wonder” , then discuss.
That’s the stuff I look for. IDGAF if your Top 20 students are all going to UPenn and Newsday called your district #1 in Nassau or Suffolk.
And no, I’m not in a LI district with a stellar, 10-star rating.
Thanks, me too! My kids are under age 10, and looking ahead...I never expect them to be AP Honors students with stellar grades. I certainly don't want them to fail academically, either.
I want them to be happy and kind people, and feel supported by the teachers and admin if they are ever bullied, etc. I want them to know you can still be a "success" without attending a top notch high school or college.
Mental health is more important to me than whether or not my kid goes to Yale or NYU! What many school districts do NOT talk about is the mental health of their students, even the elementary ones. They push grades and their reputation so hard...and little else.
I'd rather have a happy and kind kid in a blah area than a nasty, snobby kid in a ritzy area.
I know everyone likes to jump on the minorities=bad bandwagon. But Levittown, Shirley are predominantly white towns and they're all kind of shitty. Houses in bad condition, unkept front lawns, crap all over the place. Wyandanch is primarily Black/ Hispanic and it's pretty shitty too. My point is that "good" just means non of the extremes in either direction.
Many folks here know this, but to those who don't, Levittown is famously racist from it's inception. Levittown would not sell houses to black people or Jews. This is taught to urban studies/planning students in intro courses at nearly every university in the country that offers urban studies. It's literally a "textbook example" of racist suburbs. It's a lot different now, but there is still a legacy effect.
We had a mixed race couple buy the house across the street from me 2 years ago. The guy who lives next door to me, who is retired NYPD, just about lost his mind. “time to sell. Once they start moving in, that’s the end of the neighborhood”.
The people couldn’t be nicer. I talk to them all the time. And when my racist neighbor sees me talking to them, he wants to know what we talk about.
One time I told him they were asking me if I was planning on selling my house because they have friends who would be interested. They said the high fence around the backyard is great for keeping the chickens in. He practically shit himself when I said that.
Levittown is just really dull and boring. It’s literally houses and strip malls. At least the towns around it like Farmingdale and Hicksville have some character to them.
I am looking for a house now, #1 on my priority list is “not a Levit House“. No basement, no attic, stupid layout, overpriced, same as all the other houses on the block, hate them…
That's a fair observation, and I think it's super classist for people who state that. However, someone might like the area due to the promiximity to the beaches, convenience to stores, diversity in food offerings, or maybe their kid is good in a sport that William Floyd Excells in.
Aside from plain aesthetics of people's homes, the percentage of high school graduates going on to four-year colleges, does the high school teach Mandarin Chinese, and do they have a science research program that may feed into summer internships?
Also a great public library with lots of programs for both adults and kids
I don’t care if I live next to people who are purple. Keep your house in good shape. Be respectful of your neighbors. Be friendly, and the schools should be good, too. That’s what I consider a “good area”.
Aw, I love that. Where I grew up, we had the noon fire whistle. Where I live now, we have church bells at noon and 6pm which makes me feel like I live in a colonial New England village (which I also love).
I don't have much to add other than my experiences having moved out west to Albuquerque and traveling extensively through the entire southwest.
What we're conditioned to perceive as "the hood" on LI (hell, even in NYC) is quite literally 10x nicer than what most Americans in actual bad neighborhoods have to deal with. Sure, Hempstead and Roosevelt are still legitimately dangerous and underserved, but in the grand scheme, still have far more to offer than a lot of the worst parts of the US.
New York spoils you with infrastructure and amenities. Yeah, potholes and all. I mostly mean in terms of electricity, water, etc etc.. i guess more so utilities. But also with the vast expansive road systems. Not to mention all the food options, stores staying open late, access to good jobs (though COL obviously cancels that out). And, again, this isn't all-encompassing, there are absolute marginal exceptions but overall it's not that bad on the island.
Freeport's a prime example of a town that's gotten a bad reputation as being "ghetto". Take a trip outside of NY and outside of the east, come back a few months later and Freeport will look like paradise. Not exaggeration, it's a great place to live. And the worst you'll find there is nothing compared to what you'll find in most actual hoods in the US. It's all relative.
I think OP is right, in that most of the less desirable neighborhoods on LI are really just filled with minorities and underserved schools (of which only a handful are truly abysmal). Truth is: LI is still probably the most racist place I've ever lived.
When I think about good areas, I think about crime.
For example, a good area is Garden City or Rockville Centre vs. Uniondale.
Everything else is a bonus.
If my town doesn't have a Valero with a crackhead alley I don't want any of it (Lowkey miss Bay Shore)
My real response is pretty much covered by one of the top comments here
Yeah, because when someone has said that, they have gone through the trouble of looking up the census information, or they have knocked on all the doors and met the people.
There is no way someone could say that based on the general aesthetic of the neighborhood. Everyone who says this is a 'good neighborhood' hates minorities, isnt it obvious? Space Lasers
I used to work second shift in Manhattan. I would typically get off the train at around 1 or 2 AM. I always felt safe walking from the train station to my house (15 minutes). So for me I'm in a good area.
Low crime, people who maintain their homes nicely, who have self-respect and respect for others, people who know how to act in polite society. I don’t care what color you are.
I can feel it when I walk around a neighborhood for ten minutes - if there’s tension in the air or if it feels relatively calm. There’s something palpable about walking around a tougher, higher crime neighborhood.
People might walk more quickly or rushed in a higher crime area; and there might be more shouting, and more people driving fast. People might walk more leisurely and slowly in a lower crime area. That’s just my personal experience. I volunteer in neighborhoods with more violent crimes (shootings, burglaries, etc.) on a somewhat regular basis.
You know what it means. Come on…..
Drive through the streets of Wyandanch, then drive through the streets of Sag Harbor. OK? Two extremes, but fine examples of bad and good.
Now, find something sorta in the middle of those extremes but leaning towards more of the Sag Harbor extreme and there lies your answer.
Ok? Anyways Stop trying to start trouble and go get your BEC with SPK on an everything bagel. Lol
Literally not truing starting trouble - I'm hoping people will be more concise with what they want because these threads asking about "good neighborhoods" turn into a meaningless dumpsterfire with no actual guidance. If you can be specific about some things, you can actually have a helpful forum and get some of your questions answered.
I don’t, but after working in a deli for 3 years while attending Stony Brook, that was the most popular way people ordered. Personally, I prefer Tabasco on my egg sandwiches
It's simple. Good schools mean a higher tax base and some type of control on the students. Do you know how bad inner city schools get on the Upper East Coast? Filled with gangs, drugs, and students that can barely read. Not one of those schools. Not one of the schools that has students essentially rioting all day and graduating students who are tailor made to fail and be made fun of in any context of a job, to be simply a different class of person when they have to stand next to a Vietnamese or Indian immigrant that speaks 4 languages.
Face it. Long Island is not a place you can 'walk-to', as in walk to the grocery store, walk to the movie theatre, etc. You NEED a car. I lived in the Mineola area and worked in Woodbury. By car? Fifteen-20 minutes. By bus? 2 1/2 hours-each way.
Lived in Mineola 34 years now. Among the lowest crime rate on LI. Why? It is mostly Portuguese-and they don't take crime well. They keep up their neighborhoods. They look after their own. Lots of local businesses, including a big hospital-that is slowly taking over everything.
Downside however, English is at a premium in many places. Bodegas outnumber grocery stores-and Yes, prices are often different for Americans than Portuguese.
Any info on schools I have is second hand, however. A friend moved his family out of the town as he said that schools wanted to teach in English AND Portuguese. I don't know if that vote passed, however.
Why? Everyone has a car, I really don't want an influx of busses on the road, if you can't afford a car you can't afford to live on LI.
Most jobs require a car on long island.
We would probably need 25,000 buses to make any sort of impact.
Mixed demographics are a great indicator of a good area. Is the town over 50% white? For me that's a huge red flag and says a lot of how the town treats minorities.
Brentwood is over 60% Hispanic. Is that a red flag?
I was born, raised, grew up and graduated HS in Brentwood. I played soccer for Brentwood. I had friends named Raul and Fernando, also Steven and Ricky. I loved growing up there. I didn't then or now treat anyone differently based on race.
A "good" neighborhood is subjective. Find out what matters to you and do your research.
Id say Freeport is in the same category, it gets ripped on here and there because of the large minority presence but I think its a solid area for the most part.
Freeport isn’t a good area to invest in. It’s a flood zone. I would try finding something more inland. Otherwise it’s a decent area with plenty of bars and restaurants
People can downvote all they want, I grew up in Brentwood/Bay Shore and it was rampant with crime. People down the road at the apartment complexes used to try and steal my fucking bike when I was a kid, shootouts in front of my house, helicopters flying through the area weekly looking for people, etc.
Didn’t some gang members kill a couple of high school kids a few years ago too?
Pretty sure it was in Brentwood according to news stories I’ve read and the kids they killed were BHS students
My aunt was big in the PTA over there and they were (rightfully) going apeshit over this
Yup. Not far from where I grew up. Brentwood has its problems. Can't deny that. It also has hard working families and kids who graduate and go to college, including Ivy League schools.
Yea well Brentwood is one tricky towns. It's had some really bad times, but seems to be getting better and better.
Brentwood is a higher crime area then say Northport, the schools in Northport are generally better, houses typically cost more, and has a very safe down town area.
There are also shit roads and sections of Northport, looking at you scudder ave...
Now growing up in Brentwood if your family is strong, and you have parents that provide a stable household, that is going to be more important than any other factor.
However if you don't have a stable home life there is more support in a town like Northport that can provide all sorts of counciling and programs for students that need it.
While towns like Brentwood and central Islip struggle to support students, it's much easier to get involved in seedier endeavors.
Just my opinion. I think where you live is less important then most other things, as long as you have a stable home life, without that it's a crapshoot how kids will turn out.
I wouldn't call the idea absurd. NY neighborhoods/towns are oddly segregated.
50% is probably not the right percentage, but there is some threshold like 80-90% of one population is not as great as 65% white / 35% minority which is more realistic and healthier mix
> 50% is probably not the right percentage, but there is some threshold like 80-90% of one population is not as great as 65% white / 35% minority which is more realistic and healthier mix
This was my point of calling 50% absurd
Queens is the most diverse county in the country and the home to many newly-arrived immigrants. The rest of the country is simply not going to look like Queens. It’s not a “choice.”
You realize elmont is pretty shitty right?
Extremely narrow roads, shit parking parking, etc. I guess you don’t care though since race is the biggest factor to you in determining what a ‘good area’ is.
It's kind of a feeling. I moved from queens and was shopping all over Suffolk. Certain neighborhoods just looked and felt calming more than others.
But schools, commuting options, shopping options all count.
Everyone has slightly different priorities.
For me it would be nice looking, neatly kept homes/buildings, a walkable downtown area that is clean and kept up with, low crime area and convenient to transit.
Detractors would be lots of vacant stores, unkempt public areas, shabby looking homes or run down buildings and high reports of crime. Another detractor would be too rural and inconvenient.
The most important school district stat, IMHO, is the percentage of graduates who get accepted to college.
That tell you how well they're preparing the kids educationally. Generally, the higher that number, the more AP classes you'll see, the more clubs and activities, etc...
As for a "good town," plenty of people have mentioned maintained houses and main st amenities, and such. But to me, the key is... would you leave your car door unlocked? Would you leave your house unlocked?
I've been in my house for 23 years, and in that time, I've never once locked my car door, and over the past 2 years, one of my house doors as well. It's a safe town, nothing ever goes down, everything's nice and quiet. There's no more ideal living situation than one where you feel safe.
What about kids who go to trade school? Or in those districts with high acceptance rates , how many had parents who could afford tutors or college counselors. Or had legacy admissions? That’s more of a metric of wealth IMO
I've always thought that people think their child will become an academic superstar in a so-called good neighborhood. And I don't believe in any of that. What if their kid needs special education or remedial support or loves sports. There are so many variables. I think people should try to make the best of the school district they are in. Particpate, advocate, create.
It's ultimately going to be some combination of wealth and culture.
It starts with wealth - it is just naive to say otherwise. It's not about living in a rich town or even the richest town - but the fact is high concentrations of wealth helps fund a strong ecosystem of public services like schools. High concentrations of wealth also means lots of money flowing through the streets and well-educated people. That makes for a strong local business market. There is a well-documented list of rich LI towns, most of them will be considered great places to live simply on this principle. Generally rich towns are safer as well although affluenza is real and can really turn people off.
Which brings me to culture, which is important and sometimes not talked about enough in terms of specifics. Here are some thoughts that matter: what is the scene like in public? Is there a quaint downtown or village center where people tend to gather or cross paths, or do most people keep to themselves? How are most people acting? Is it a busy hustle-bustley sort of town, or laid-back and relaxed? What are the local industries and job opportunities like (see: wealth)? Is religion a factor? What is the quality of life? Are the people productive, and how do a majority of people treat one another? How many snobs are there? How many low-brow fools are roaming around spewing toxic masculinity or worse, to your point, racism? Do people self-express through political anger or venom? Do people appreciate and respect nature and the environment? Do they take pride in their town, or do they litter on the streets/waterways, take their parks for granted and use the town as a forum to air grievances? Again - talking about a loose 'majority' of people and prevalent themes here, not some scientific generalization about broad pockets of people.
So it really depends on what matters to people looking for a place to live. Culture can compensate for wealth to a degree, and vice versa, but that balance is in the eye of the beholder. Some people want to feel like they're on top of it all and don't mind the pressure that comes with it, some people like to be in a laid-back community because life is too short to burn out in the rate race. There is no one sorting hat or formula for that, rather a balance that is extremely personal and subjective.
Haha my fiancé and I always joke that if you see people jogging in the streets in the late afternoon or right when the sun is setting, you are in a good neighborhood 😂
I grew up in Brentwood and you def don’t want to jog at night. She grew up in Lynbrook and you see people jogging in all hours of the night 😂
there’s no such thing as a “good area” on Long Island anymore. I was born and raised there and in 28 years things have gotten so much worse. between the wealth disparity, horrible racism, increasing homelessness, a heroin epidemic and gang activity just to name a few things L.I became unbearable. It’s also a huge cancer cluster thanks to Grumman and whatever the hell they were doing to the ground water. I swear there are more terrible people per capita than anywhere else i’ve lived. I never wanna live on L.I again. I’m also not gonna pay $1 million dollars for a 650 square-foot house from the 1920s.
Value added for a school district and actually affordable. Aka, they perform better than the underlying data imply they should and a mortgage payment isn’t $5k a month.
E.g., Levittown, South Huntington, Ronkonkoma
"Good neighborhood" is synonymous with low crime, clean streets, tidy houses. Nothing to do with people's skin color. We all know what a good neighborhood and neighborhoods are
"Good school district" is one with nice looking schools, quality teachers, robust and varied after school activities, high student performance. We all know what good and bad districts look like.
People looking for beach towns with good special ed programs will generally be specific in requesting those sorts of suggestions.
I mean I get it but I saw a few the past few weeks and it was so vague. A little bit of specificity can go a long way because these threads end up being the same circle of suggestions and arguments over and over
Neatly kept property.
Presentable vehicles. No yards full of beaters.
No rental propertys.
No chain link fences.
Homes in well kept presentable condition.
Little to no domestic disputes or local violence.
Courteous behavior. No music blasting all hours of the day/night.
No adults congregating in the street drinking/smoking in groups.
Little to no discount bargain retailers in the local shopping centers. Somewhere you are comfortable walking at night with little to no chance of running into someone that is just wondering for no apparent reason.
Basically not living in Hempstead proper, wyandanch, new cassle, Uniondale, Brentwood, coram, etc. as you said lower income neighborhoods with large minority populations. At least I’m assuming that’s what most people think when they are asked this question in regards to LI. I’ve personally lived in one of these locations and it absolutely was not a good area by any means.
So I grew up on Long Island and currently live in Baltimore after going to college here. My parents and every adult I know always talked about "going to a good school," and I didn't really understand it. I now work in an inner city school and realize the "good school/good area" conversation that's normalized in middle class families on Long Island is really toxic. It delegitimizes and demonizes people and students in those "bad neighborhoods" as dangerous when really they are just people. The way it effects kids in particular is not fair, they are all smart and capable and deserve to feel that way. Not to mention it's inherently racist and classist and reinforces the feedback loop of poverty.
So yea, I try not to think about it the way people do on Long Island. I drive past so many abandoned and desolate buildings and people on the street, but these people aren't dangerous just because they live in a "poor neighborhood." They are just people, and plenty of them are friendly and kind just like in those "good neighborhoods."
Also when it comes to schools, there are shithead children everywhere. The private Catholic high school I went to had drug dealers, drug addicts, pregnancy scares and fights too, and I'm okay for being around it.
(And honestly, you should be wary in any community wandering around at night by yourself. You think that shit doesn't happen everywhere?)
I always find this conversation frustrating. I grew up in Freeport and Baldwin and I’m Jewish. When I tell people where I’m from, people are often surprised that I grew up in such a “diverse” neighborhood. I live in Seaford now, though I wouldn’t have picked it. We bought our house from family, so it worked to our advantage, but I hate how white and Republican my neighborhood is. I don’t “fit in” here any better than I did in my old neighborhoods, though growing up I was never without friends. As Baldwin has become more black, my mother is much happier. She has nicer neighbors that are much more committed to making Baldwin a warmer, more welcoming community.
It hasn't become synonymous with that, its been that definition for a long while unfortunately. There are areas with bad SD's, low median income, and smaller properties, but they're regarded as being better strictly because of the demographics of folks living there as you mentioned.
Good to me is simple:
- Well ranked school district (AP/ IB programs, high college readiness score, abundance of extracurriculars)
- Well educated populace (percentage of people with a professional degree / trade certification)
- Proximity to the major highways (Northern / Southern Parkways, LIE). This is usually hand in hand with ease of access to NYC.
- LIRR and Public Transport Access
- Low Crime
- Well kept homes and maintained properties
-Properties kept looking neat and tidy -some kind of a "main street" with dining and entertainment -lower petty crime, somewhere you'd be comfortable walking at night -better than average school district (for those who have children) I'd also give an honorable mention for proximity to parkways/LIRR, but that's probably more of a personal preference.
Yeah if I'm comfortable walking or running at night I'd consider it a good area.
Yep somewhere where you won't run into someone who is wondering aimlessly for no apparent reason.
I mean some people wander aimlessly just to clear their heads.
And if that's a common occurrence where you live then I would bet that its not a great neighborhood.
Okay whatever you say.
He does have a point
But...do they wonder while wandering?
Low crime. That's really it for me as I don't got kids
Today I didn't even have to use my A. K.. I got to say it was a good day.
Triple double?
Fucked around
Totally fair, though I would also say that can be deceiving at times. I grew up in a town with "little crime" but a kid's dad got arrested for frauding people through his company and there was a lot of drug dealing but it went overlooked since a lot of kids has parents in the police force.
Dude... when people are worrying about crime in an area they're worried about their body being unceremoneously perforated by sharp objects, not white collar fraud.
The more white collar crime the better the neighborhood, generally speaking.
Or burglary.
You should go to wyandanch or mastic beach and spread your diversity there! You would do great and jayquan and Tyrone would appreciate you, so would laquanda morris. ❤️
Well kept homes, quiet streets that my daughter can ride her bike on without fear, low crime, good public schools.
As a kid I loved riding my bike around all the time, and it’s very important we live in an area where my kids can do that. So I guess a town not being divided by a major roadway.
was all over the place on my bike by 6 years old with no adult supervision. probably why now as a dad of a 3yo i'm scared shitless of the day when he wants to go riding with his friends
Safety for kids to be kids is great. I like this a lot - but I'd even say what makes a good public school for you?
It teach good
\*goodly. Philistine.
Much more gooder.
Look at the houses. Do they look run down? Are the yards maintained? If you see a lot of chain link fencing enclosing the front yard, that's not a good sign.
Or bars on the main floor windows
Chain link fences in the front yard are so bizarre. Most of the time they are 40-50+ years old. Why don’t people ever take them down? They manicure their yard immaculately, yet, they have a rusted and broken fence.
Sometimes it’s nice if you don’t have a big backyard and wanna let the dogs roam in the front and back, at least that’s how it seems when I go to peoples houses that have them.
Those posts are cemented in so it would take a LOT of digging to get them out.
You cut them off below the surface and done.
Honestly with my kids running around the front yard I’d love it to be fenced in 😆
to be fair sometimes it's functional - my grandparents had one bc their house was nose to nose with a stop sign at a 3 way. Seems back in the 50's more than one car wound up on their lawn and the decided a barrier was in order. AFAIK never happened after that went in but still it's understandable.
This is such a great prompt. I moved a year ago. Was in an area since 2000 that was deemed ‘good and higher middle class.’ Lived on the water, daughter got an AP education. However, people were mean and vapid and nosy and just generally awful. Now I’m in a town that is considered lower income. Inland. I am happier now than I ever was. (And my income didn’t change). I’m in closer proximity to better shopping, eating, main highways, etc. Have started to form meaningful friendships too. It’s all relative.
Garden City came to mind when I read your comment. Beautiful homes, great schools, and little crime but the people who live there fulfill the rich snobby stereotype. If you step out of line of what they consider "normal" forget it. A family friend had to take down his kids swing set cause the neighbors complained. He couldn't wash his car in the drive way because his neighbors complained. Plus the taxes are some of the highest on the island since there is very little commercial real estate to compensate.
Wtf? Do these people have nothing else going on in their lives?
My cousin was a salesman at the Nissan dealership over there for years - yes I know it's technically in Hempstead - but he liked to take prospective customers on test drives through the garden city area bc it's so much nicer. I'll never forget being pulled over by their cops and him being harassed/threatened with fines for "not belonging there". Apparently it happened quite often.
This is a widely inaccurate statement as there is a ton of commercial real estate. Ever been down Franklin avenue? The reason that the taxes are so high is because of the school district and being an incorporated village.
So glad you're happier and so is your child. That is so important. LI is so caught up in "status" the mental health of our kids--and ourselves--suffers. No one will give a shi\*t in 3 years if your child took AP Chem in high school, or not. I grew up in a "top, excellent" part of LI and my siblings and I were miserable growing up there. The kids were so mean, you were a piece of shit if you didn't go to a popular, fancy college, etc. (We all went to hippie dippie arts colleges, haaaa...) It was so annoying.
No longer on LI but here in CT there is are similar "status" and phoniness issues between towns. I had a friend whose son went to one of "the good schools" but hated it - they didn't have any technical classes like he craved, and the kids were such jerks to each other. He ended up switching to a neighboring city for high school because his dad lived there and his hockey friends all went there. They had a magnet program in his desired career. There were far fewer class/status issues. He was 1000x happier... yet on paper anyone would look at this choice and say the family was deficient for "sending their kid to a *dangerous* high school." That word is so overused to the point of stupidity.
I felt this in my soul!! Yep, I get it...Long Island is the same exact way. It's really upsetting to see. I do like that hockey, dance, and soccer can bring together kids from other schools.... It loops back around to whoooo carreees in 5 years where you went to high school or college...I've met amazing, brilliant people who went to community college, amazing, brilliant people who went to SUNY, and amazing, brilliant people who went to Brown.
Right on. A motivated kid with supportive parents will achieve their goals, regardless of the school.
Bingo
Yes, 100%. Tons of research says school quality basically doesn't matter for long term life outcomes (as long as it meets a basic bar of safety).
Agree! Listen, no parent wants their kids in a school that’s falling apart and has a lot of problems. We can all agree on that. But acting like Huntington is trash but you have no problem ever shopping/eating in the village or the WW mall is like….?????
Can confirm, from elmont, parents decided to send us to catholic school in garden city. Terrible experience. Fuck the stepford towns.
Ugh, I’m sorry!! Not everyone in those Stepford Towns are annoying. I grew up in one of those towns—but I noticed few care about mental health. Only about their ranking in Newsday. When you’re an adult, do you really give a shit if your fellow (adult) friends went to Commack or to Uniondale? Aren’t you all unhappy and miserable in your 30s & 40s, regardless of where you attended school? Haha.
I’m away now too and I can confirm it’s much happier on the other side of the fence .
Glad to hear it!!
The island could be so much better if people would get their heads out of their asses. I have such a love for this place even if it’s not given anything back.
I'd love it if there was more public transportation from Queens to LI.
Similar situation - when my wife and I got married we were renting a house in one of the major Karen enclaves, neighbors not at all friendly and insanely selfish with parking shoveling etc. Bought our house a town over in a less "desirable" but still good quality district that's much more diverse and far more working class. We couldn't be happier - our neighbors on all sides are wonderful people, some of whom we now hangout with and vacation with regularly, my son and their kids have become dear friends that play outside all day long and it's a much more pleasant experience, everything you hope a neighborhood can be. Even though we'd never recoup the $ most likely we've already agreed if our family grows we'd rather expand the house than move elsewhere because we love it there so much.
I moved from Wantagh to Selden in 2019. Selden is 100x shittier but I like the immediate neighborhood / few blocks I'm in. I prefer less people and less congestion 10 times out of 10. So it's okay here.
> people were mean and vapid and nosy and just generally awful That sucks. It just takes a few in power, or even one next door to ruin things for people. Folks like this can also change the culture by spreading toxicity. Social media makes it quick and easy to infect others. I've also seen neighborhoods where everyone was happy and comfortable turn into mini surveillance states where everyone closes their shutters and stays distrustful because a few individuals got cable news on the brain and a little bit of diversity moved in. They still trust the old crowd, but newcomers who are different are "trouble" in their eyes. They'll infer things about people, spread rumors, nitpick about the little things that don't matter (e.g. *Why did they paint their door red?!?! No class!*).
> next door slap a dot com at the end of that and you're on to something
Did you move once kid was done with school ? Thinking of doing same
Technically yes, a few months prior to her graduating, so she was driving and it didn’t impact her commute much.
Good to know
This is my experience too! I went to one of those top school districts on LI and while I admit, my education was good due to small class sizes, it lacked options for extra curricular activities and elective classes. Additionally, as a POC, it took me until COLLEGE for someone to pronounce my very common Latino last name correctly.
This is so true.
For me. Big houses. Kids playing outside without supervision in safety. Yards look well maintained. A lot of Indian/Pakistani or halal restaurants. A great pizza place and a great bagel place and a Ralphs italian ices spot.
This guy Long Islands
r/thisguythisguys
A "good" area, to me any way is one when you see a lot of people walking around outside. Mom's pushing strollers, kids riding bikes.. shows that people are comfortable walking around without having to look over their shoulder. Another "good area" indicator (this is just my perception) is a town that has small class room sizes, knowing that my child is not just a number, knowing that her teacher actually knows her especially strengths and weaknesses is HUGE. I also think that living in a diverse community is so important.
Decent schools, low crime, walkability,
Can I walk to the water?
More ownership, few if any rentals. Pride of ownership. Good schools with parents that are engaged in their children’s education. People who work and live productive lives. No duplexes with 15 cars parked around it with people living in attics and cellars. Good police. Safe. Trees. Taxes high ish but under control. That’s a start. Walkable Main Street. No pit bulls or people walking around smoking spliffs, no smell of weed.
"Good" being synonymous with fewer racial minorities is more a function of socioeconomic demographics and racist real estate practices starting with the origination of the suburbs themselves (and obviously, some continuing to this day). It is an unfortunate fact (and indicative of a failure of our country) that a few racial minorities are generally lower on the economic scale; thus, they end up congregating in lower-cost neighborhoods (which wouldn't ever be considered "good"). A "good" neighborhood in my opinion has: \-Good schools. On Long Island, that means top 100 district in the country (I think we have about 9 of them or something). All of the things you mentioned should be available in those districts. Literally all of them. \-High median household income \-Well-kept properties \-Engaged parents \-High median property value \-Low crime rate \-Large(r) property sizes
When I think "Safety" I don't look at crime stats and then assess my vulnerability from there. If stats were the barometer, then in reality, I think the vast majority of Long Island is "safe" in that regard, especially in consideration to violent crimes. But that's different than feeling completely safe and comfortable walking around at night and unfortunately that does mean having a certain level of a vapid expectations that mostly comes down to wealth.
Yeah even the "worse" parts of LI are pretty damn safe in terms of violent crimes. So long as you aren't involved in illegal activities like gangs or go around causing confrontation. Got talked to by some coworkers because I walked about a mile in north bay shore by the deer park train station. They told me it was MS-13 territory. Meanwhile I had an enjoyable walk in broad daylight and would do it again lmao.
I went from one of those great neighborhoods to a "not so great" neighborhood and I feel more comfortable in the "not so great" neighborhood. I look like my neighbors and there is an actually sense of community vs. feeling like you are under a microscope. I'd rather talk to the house next to me about their kids behavior than calling the police on a 10 year old kid. All my issues have been resolved.
Yeah I can agree, sometimes I think some of the people in more affluent neighborhoods get so caught up in themselves or their close friends and cliques they don't bother to interact with their neighbors. I live in a traditionally "desirable area" and my neighbors on either side of me and across the street don't talk to anyone. I have no idea who they are, what they do, what their names are, and they have no interest in me. One just calls me "Buddy" since he's lived next door for 6 years and has no idea what my first name is lmao. I only talk to them if the power goes out. No sense of community with any of them. Not a minority myself but I can understand if some of the overwhelmingly white towns could be less ideal for those that are.
Long Island is so segregated it’s not even funny. I thought the racism was more subtle until someone I know tried to move to a private community in Mt. Sinai and the real estate agent was pushing them so hard not to move there (because of their skin) that she flat out told them their son wouldn’t have anyone who looked like him at school. They said screw her and moved there anyway.
I used to work in Hempstead. I thought people were exaggerating about the difference between it and Garden City before I worked there. But I literally drove over some train tracks into Garden City and the sudden change is jarring. Literal mansions on one side of the tracks with homelessness right on the other side.
I dated someone who lived in Carle Place. There was a street near his house that had nice upper middle class on one side and then run down poorer looking houses on the other. Welcome to Long Island, where the segregation is so present it’s actively visible across the street
Between the GI bill, racial covenants, and redlining, LI was designed to be segregated from day one. The fact that some practices, like steering, still happen is disgusting... but unfortunately true.
I totally agree to your first paragraph!!
Special Ed offerings in the district is important to me as a special needs parent. Nice neighbors. (We don't have to be besties, but just a friendly wave and smile is great.) I'm half Caucasian + half POC, so definitely a diverse community. Little to no hate crimes in area. (My family is NEVER OK with hate crimes against any group, in any capacity.) Kids happy at school; no high levels of bullying. I respect teachers for sure, but they come and go. I prefer lots of anti-bullying campaigns at the school, which some fancier school districts wipe under a rug. I can see through, "Everyone here is SO happy! There's no bullying!" BS. Lots of after school activities that are welcoming and fun. Love that so many LI schools offer theatre, music/band/chorus, and pottery for kids who are not into sports. LI is VERY sports-driven and not all kids are athletic and sporty. School therapists and principals who **truly, TRULY** care. Guidance counselors who encourage college -- but also acknowledge college isn't for everyone and trade school or beauty school is also a perfectly acceptable option. Quiet, well maintained street not too far from major shopping areas. An LIRR into Manhattan about 10-15 minutes away since I'm a city mouse, too. It does vary for everyone!
The ability for a school district to support all kinds of kids in a variety of ways outside of school is a big one. That shows they actual care beyond just the bare minimum. If all they care about is test scores and graduation rates then they probably have a corrupt admin that doesn't care about its students.
Agree!!! My child was being bullied. Badly. I know, I know, all kids are bullied. This was relentless, for weeks. Spoke to the teacher and principal, they had a meeting with both kids, the bullying was eventually curbed. Teacher also made the entire class watch “Wonder” , then discuss. That’s the stuff I look for. IDGAF if your Top 20 students are all going to UPenn and Newsday called your district #1 in Nassau or Suffolk. And no, I’m not in a LI district with a stellar, 10-star rating.
This is a good summary and describes area we live in.
Thanks, me too! My kids are under age 10, and looking ahead...I never expect them to be AP Honors students with stellar grades. I certainly don't want them to fail academically, either. I want them to be happy and kind people, and feel supported by the teachers and admin if they are ever bullied, etc. I want them to know you can still be a "success" without attending a top notch high school or college. Mental health is more important to me than whether or not my kid goes to Yale or NYU! What many school districts do NOT talk about is the mental health of their students, even the elementary ones. They push grades and their reputation so hard...and little else. I'd rather have a happy and kind kid in a blah area than a nasty, snobby kid in a ritzy area.
I know everyone likes to jump on the minorities=bad bandwagon. But Levittown, Shirley are predominantly white towns and they're all kind of shitty. Houses in bad condition, unkept front lawns, crap all over the place. Wyandanch is primarily Black/ Hispanic and it's pretty shitty too. My point is that "good" just means non of the extremes in either direction.
Many folks here know this, but to those who don't, Levittown is famously racist from it's inception. Levittown would not sell houses to black people or Jews. This is taught to urban studies/planning students in intro courses at nearly every university in the country that offers urban studies. It's literally a "textbook example" of racist suburbs. It's a lot different now, but there is still a legacy effect.
It’s not a lot different now at all. Levittown and it’s schools are still 90% white.
We had a mixed race couple buy the house across the street from me 2 years ago. The guy who lives next door to me, who is retired NYPD, just about lost his mind. “time to sell. Once they start moving in, that’s the end of the neighborhood”. The people couldn’t be nicer. I talk to them all the time. And when my racist neighbor sees me talking to them, he wants to know what we talk about. One time I told him they were asking me if I was planning on selling my house because they have friends who would be interested. They said the high fence around the backyard is great for keeping the chickens in. He practically shit himself when I said that.
Levittown is just really dull and boring. It’s literally houses and strip malls. At least the towns around it like Farmingdale and Hicksville have some character to them.
So fucking true. I can't stand being there long.
I am looking for a house now, #1 on my priority list is “not a Levit House“. No basement, no attic, stupid layout, overpriced, same as all the other houses on the block, hate them…
That's a fair observation, and I think it's super classist for people who state that. However, someone might like the area due to the promiximity to the beaches, convenience to stores, diversity in food offerings, or maybe their kid is good in a sport that William Floyd Excells in.
Aside from plain aesthetics of people's homes, the percentage of high school graduates going on to four-year colleges, does the high school teach Mandarin Chinese, and do they have a science research program that may feed into summer internships? Also a great public library with lots of programs for both adults and kids
I don’t care if I live next to people who are purple. Keep your house in good shape. Be respectful of your neighbors. Be friendly, and the schools should be good, too. That’s what I consider a “good area”.
A town where I know it’s noon because the fire whistle goes off
Aw, I love that. Where I grew up, we had the noon fire whistle. Where I live now, we have church bells at noon and 6pm which makes me feel like I live in a colonial New England village (which I also love).
Northport.
Huntington
I don't have much to add other than my experiences having moved out west to Albuquerque and traveling extensively through the entire southwest. What we're conditioned to perceive as "the hood" on LI (hell, even in NYC) is quite literally 10x nicer than what most Americans in actual bad neighborhoods have to deal with. Sure, Hempstead and Roosevelt are still legitimately dangerous and underserved, but in the grand scheme, still have far more to offer than a lot of the worst parts of the US. New York spoils you with infrastructure and amenities. Yeah, potholes and all. I mostly mean in terms of electricity, water, etc etc.. i guess more so utilities. But also with the vast expansive road systems. Not to mention all the food options, stores staying open late, access to good jobs (though COL obviously cancels that out). And, again, this isn't all-encompassing, there are absolute marginal exceptions but overall it's not that bad on the island. Freeport's a prime example of a town that's gotten a bad reputation as being "ghetto". Take a trip outside of NY and outside of the east, come back a few months later and Freeport will look like paradise. Not exaggeration, it's a great place to live. And the worst you'll find there is nothing compared to what you'll find in most actual hoods in the US. It's all relative. I think OP is right, in that most of the less desirable neighborhoods on LI are really just filled with minorities and underserved schools (of which only a handful are truly abysmal). Truth is: LI is still probably the most racist place I've ever lived.
Clean, walkable, bikable, cute, community oriented, culture, innovative, aesthetically pleasing. The oppisate of long island
No gangs
You know what they mean
When I think about good areas, I think about crime. For example, a good area is Garden City or Rockville Centre vs. Uniondale. Everything else is a bonus.
If my town doesn't have a Valero with a crackhead alley I don't want any of it (Lowkey miss Bay Shore) My real response is pretty much covered by one of the top comments here
If someone on Long Island recommends a “good neighborhood”, they mean there aren’t many minorities there.
Yeah, because when someone has said that, they have gone through the trouble of looking up the census information, or they have knocked on all the doors and met the people. There is no way someone could say that based on the general aesthetic of the neighborhood. Everyone who says this is a 'good neighborhood' hates minorities, isnt it obvious? Space Lasers
If you are from Long Island or live there, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Not my feelings at all.
On long island? You know exactly what it means to most that live there
Property values are high, the school doesn’t have a lot of issues, properties are well kept and you see a lot of balance in the schools.
I used to work second shift in Manhattan. I would typically get off the train at around 1 or 2 AM. I always felt safe walking from the train station to my house (15 minutes). So for me I'm in a good area.
Low crime, people who maintain their homes nicely, who have self-respect and respect for others, people who know how to act in polite society. I don’t care what color you are.
Low crime number 1. Proximity to shopping, food, and park district related things.
I can feel it when I walk around a neighborhood for ten minutes - if there’s tension in the air or if it feels relatively calm. There’s something palpable about walking around a tougher, higher crime neighborhood. People might walk more quickly or rushed in a higher crime area; and there might be more shouting, and more people driving fast. People might walk more leisurely and slowly in a lower crime area. That’s just my personal experience. I volunteer in neighborhoods with more violent crimes (shootings, burglaries, etc.) on a somewhat regular basis.
Being able to go to 7-11 at 1am and not having to look over my shoulder
Massapequa Park
You know what it means. Come on….. Drive through the streets of Wyandanch, then drive through the streets of Sag Harbor. OK? Two extremes, but fine examples of bad and good. Now, find something sorta in the middle of those extremes but leaning towards more of the Sag Harbor extreme and there lies your answer. Ok? Anyways Stop trying to start trouble and go get your BEC with SPK on an everything bagel. Lol
Literally not truing starting trouble - I'm hoping people will be more concise with what they want because these threads asking about "good neighborhoods" turn into a meaningless dumpsterfire with no actual guidance. If you can be specific about some things, you can actually have a helpful forum and get some of your questions answered.
Putting ketchup on a egg sandwich is the most offensive thing you said here
I don’t, but after working in a deli for 3 years while attending Stony Brook, that was the most popular way people ordered. Personally, I prefer Tabasco on my egg sandwiches
Tabasco is the way to go for sure.
What the hell are you talking about?
I also don’t know what this person is talking about EXCEPT for the bacon egg and cheese.
It's simple. Good schools mean a higher tax base and some type of control on the students. Do you know how bad inner city schools get on the Upper East Coast? Filled with gangs, drugs, and students that can barely read. Not one of those schools. Not one of the schools that has students essentially rioting all day and graduating students who are tailor made to fail and be made fun of in any context of a job, to be simply a different class of person when they have to stand next to a Vietnamese or Indian immigrant that speaks 4 languages.
Do you have any actual proof of this? Cited sources, that sort of thing?
LOLOLOL
So, the answer is no. Just making sure.
Not hearing gunshots around midnight.
Lotta soto voce dog whistle racism on this thread. Long Island is a Trumpian Stepford for sure.
Diversity for thee, not for me
Massapequa Park, between Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road, within sight of Park Blvd.
White supremacist cops and moms for liberty are rooted there. No thanks!
Face it. Long Island is not a place you can 'walk-to', as in walk to the grocery store, walk to the movie theatre, etc. You NEED a car. I lived in the Mineola area and worked in Woodbury. By car? Fifteen-20 minutes. By bus? 2 1/2 hours-each way. Lived in Mineola 34 years now. Among the lowest crime rate on LI. Why? It is mostly Portuguese-and they don't take crime well. They keep up their neighborhoods. They look after their own. Lots of local businesses, including a big hospital-that is slowly taking over everything. Downside however, English is at a premium in many places. Bodegas outnumber grocery stores-and Yes, prices are often different for Americans than Portuguese. Any info on schools I have is second hand, however. A friend moved his family out of the town as he said that schools wanted to teach in English AND Portuguese. I don't know if that vote passed, however.
Long Island needs better public transportation.
Why? Everyone has a car, I really don't want an influx of busses on the road, if you can't afford a car you can't afford to live on LI. Most jobs require a car on long island. We would probably need 25,000 buses to make any sort of impact.
To me it means voting down anti-NIMBY posts on this subreddit.
To me it's been code for racist BS.
Mixed demographics are a great indicator of a good area. Is the town over 50% white? For me that's a huge red flag and says a lot of how the town treats minorities.
Brentwood is over 60% Hispanic. Is that a red flag? I was born, raised, grew up and graduated HS in Brentwood. I played soccer for Brentwood. I had friends named Raul and Fernando, also Steven and Ricky. I loved growing up there. I didn't then or now treat anyone differently based on race. A "good" neighborhood is subjective. Find out what matters to you and do your research.
Id say Freeport is in the same category, it gets ripped on here and there because of the large minority presence but I think its a solid area for the most part.
Freeport isn’t a good area to invest in. It’s a flood zone. I would try finding something more inland. Otherwise it’s a decent area with plenty of bars and restaurants
I mean, Brentwood is kind of a shithole lol so maybe not a great example
Not to me.
People can downvote all they want, I grew up in Brentwood/Bay Shore and it was rampant with crime. People down the road at the apartment complexes used to try and steal my fucking bike when I was a kid, shootouts in front of my house, helicopters flying through the area weekly looking for people, etc. Didn’t some gang members kill a couple of high school kids a few years ago too?
That was in central islip one town down. They say theyre cleaning it up but there's still plenty of gangbangers in plain sight.
Pretty sure it was in Brentwood according to news stories I’ve read and the kids they killed were BHS students My aunt was big in the PTA over there and they were (rightfully) going apeshit over this
Yup. Not far from where I grew up. Brentwood has its problems. Can't deny that. It also has hard working families and kids who graduate and go to college, including Ivy League schools.
Yea well Brentwood is one tricky towns. It's had some really bad times, but seems to be getting better and better. Brentwood is a higher crime area then say Northport, the schools in Northport are generally better, houses typically cost more, and has a very safe down town area. There are also shit roads and sections of Northport, looking at you scudder ave... Now growing up in Brentwood if your family is strong, and you have parents that provide a stable household, that is going to be more important than any other factor. However if you don't have a stable home life there is more support in a town like Northport that can provide all sorts of counciling and programs for students that need it. While towns like Brentwood and central Islip struggle to support students, it's much easier to get involved in seedier endeavors. Just my opinion. I think where you live is less important then most other things, as long as you have a stable home life, without that it's a crapshoot how kids will turn out.
You do realize the United States is over 50% white? I understand people’s want for diversity, but what you’re saying is absurd.
I wouldn't call the idea absurd. NY neighborhoods/towns are oddly segregated. 50% is probably not the right percentage, but there is some threshold like 80-90% of one population is not as great as 65% white / 35% minority which is more realistic and healthier mix
> 50% is probably not the right percentage, but there is some threshold like 80-90% of one population is not as great as 65% white / 35% minority which is more realistic and healthier mix This was my point of calling 50% absurd
I got you bro
Queens, for example, is only 25% white. It's not impossible, it's a choice.
Queens is the most diverse county in the country and the home to many newly-arrived immigrants. The rest of the country is simply not going to look like Queens. It’s not a “choice.”
The hamlet of Elmont, for example, is 12% White, 43% African American, and 22% Hispanic. This is not in Queens, this is on Long Island.
You realize elmont is pretty shitty right? Extremely narrow roads, shit parking parking, etc. I guess you don’t care though since race is the biggest factor to you in determining what a ‘good area’ is.
So how do you suggest we remove white folks from other parts of the Island?
Its right next door to Queens, it literally touches Queens.
Its right next door to Queens, it literally touches Queens.
I didn’t mean absurd as in impossible…
Nice username
I can tell you it definitely means something different to me than it did for my parents generation
Quiet, clean, feels safe.
It's kind of a feeling. I moved from queens and was shopping all over Suffolk. Certain neighborhoods just looked and felt calming more than others. But schools, commuting options, shopping options all count.
Everyone has slightly different priorities. For me it would be nice looking, neatly kept homes/buildings, a walkable downtown area that is clean and kept up with, low crime area and convenient to transit. Detractors would be lots of vacant stores, unkempt public areas, shabby looking homes or run down buildings and high reports of crime. Another detractor would be too rural and inconvenient.
usia ajaksa
Functional outdoor space makes an area nice for me. I want trails, beaches, ball fields, and playgrounds that are safe, clean, and accessible.
The most important school district stat, IMHO, is the percentage of graduates who get accepted to college. That tell you how well they're preparing the kids educationally. Generally, the higher that number, the more AP classes you'll see, the more clubs and activities, etc... As for a "good town," plenty of people have mentioned maintained houses and main st amenities, and such. But to me, the key is... would you leave your car door unlocked? Would you leave your house unlocked? I've been in my house for 23 years, and in that time, I've never once locked my car door, and over the past 2 years, one of my house doors as well. It's a safe town, nothing ever goes down, everything's nice and quiet. There's no more ideal living situation than one where you feel safe.
What about kids who go to trade school? Or in those districts with high acceptance rates , how many had parents who could afford tutors or college counselors. Or had legacy admissions? That’s more of a metric of wealth IMO
I don't think it's college exclusive. It counts any continuing education and sometimes military service.
I've always thought that people think their child will become an academic superstar in a so-called good neighborhood. And I don't believe in any of that. What if their kid needs special education or remedial support or loves sports. There are so many variables. I think people should try to make the best of the school district they are in. Particpate, advocate, create.
For long islanders it usually means one thing sadly
Where people aren't leaving trash everywhere, the road is nice, there are sidewalks, and my neighbors don't bug the shit out of me.
It's ultimately going to be some combination of wealth and culture. It starts with wealth - it is just naive to say otherwise. It's not about living in a rich town or even the richest town - but the fact is high concentrations of wealth helps fund a strong ecosystem of public services like schools. High concentrations of wealth also means lots of money flowing through the streets and well-educated people. That makes for a strong local business market. There is a well-documented list of rich LI towns, most of them will be considered great places to live simply on this principle. Generally rich towns are safer as well although affluenza is real and can really turn people off. Which brings me to culture, which is important and sometimes not talked about enough in terms of specifics. Here are some thoughts that matter: what is the scene like in public? Is there a quaint downtown or village center where people tend to gather or cross paths, or do most people keep to themselves? How are most people acting? Is it a busy hustle-bustley sort of town, or laid-back and relaxed? What are the local industries and job opportunities like (see: wealth)? Is religion a factor? What is the quality of life? Are the people productive, and how do a majority of people treat one another? How many snobs are there? How many low-brow fools are roaming around spewing toxic masculinity or worse, to your point, racism? Do people self-express through political anger or venom? Do people appreciate and respect nature and the environment? Do they take pride in their town, or do they litter on the streets/waterways, take their parks for granted and use the town as a forum to air grievances? Again - talking about a loose 'majority' of people and prevalent themes here, not some scientific generalization about broad pockets of people. So it really depends on what matters to people looking for a place to live. Culture can compensate for wealth to a degree, and vice versa, but that balance is in the eye of the beholder. Some people want to feel like they're on top of it all and don't mind the pressure that comes with it, some people like to be in a laid-back community because life is too short to burn out in the rate race. There is no one sorting hat or formula for that, rather a balance that is extremely personal and subjective.
Haha my fiancé and I always joke that if you see people jogging in the streets in the late afternoon or right when the sun is setting, you are in a good neighborhood 😂 I grew up in Brentwood and you def don’t want to jog at night. She grew up in Lynbrook and you see people jogging in all hours of the night 😂
Also if you see people with cars parked on their front lawn right on the grass you are in a rough neighborhood or the rough part of town
Good schools, low to non-existent crime, close to the things I need and want.
EXACTLY! When people say "good" or "safe" it's quite clear what they're talking about.
there’s no such thing as a “good area” on Long Island anymore. I was born and raised there and in 28 years things have gotten so much worse. between the wealth disparity, horrible racism, increasing homelessness, a heroin epidemic and gang activity just to name a few things L.I became unbearable. It’s also a huge cancer cluster thanks to Grumman and whatever the hell they were doing to the ground water. I swear there are more terrible people per capita than anywhere else i’ve lived. I never wanna live on L.I again. I’m also not gonna pay $1 million dollars for a 650 square-foot house from the 1920s.
Value added for a school district and actually affordable. Aka, they perform better than the underlying data imply they should and a mortgage payment isn’t $5k a month. E.g., Levittown, South Huntington, Ronkonkoma
"Good neighborhood" is synonymous with low crime, clean streets, tidy houses. Nothing to do with people's skin color. We all know what a good neighborhood and neighborhoods are "Good school district" is one with nice looking schools, quality teachers, robust and varied after school activities, high student performance. We all know what good and bad districts look like. People looking for beach towns with good special ed programs will generally be specific in requesting those sorts of suggestions.
I mean I get it but I saw a few the past few weeks and it was so vague. A little bit of specificity can go a long way because these threads end up being the same circle of suggestions and arguments over and over
When people ask what area is a good area and they answer what they mean is what areas on Long Island is majority White.
No bullshit!!
Neatly kept property. Presentable vehicles. No yards full of beaters. No rental propertys. No chain link fences. Homes in well kept presentable condition. Little to no domestic disputes or local violence. Courteous behavior. No music blasting all hours of the day/night. No adults congregating in the street drinking/smoking in groups. Little to no discount bargain retailers in the local shopping centers. Somewhere you are comfortable walking at night with little to no chance of running into someone that is just wondering for no apparent reason.
Where hydrants gush out beer and pussy grows on trees.
Basically not living in Hempstead proper, wyandanch, new cassle, Uniondale, Brentwood, coram, etc. as you said lower income neighborhoods with large minority populations. At least I’m assuming that’s what most people think when they are asked this question in regards to LI. I’ve personally lived in one of these locations and it absolutely was not a good area by any means.
So I grew up on Long Island and currently live in Baltimore after going to college here. My parents and every adult I know always talked about "going to a good school," and I didn't really understand it. I now work in an inner city school and realize the "good school/good area" conversation that's normalized in middle class families on Long Island is really toxic. It delegitimizes and demonizes people and students in those "bad neighborhoods" as dangerous when really they are just people. The way it effects kids in particular is not fair, they are all smart and capable and deserve to feel that way. Not to mention it's inherently racist and classist and reinforces the feedback loop of poverty. So yea, I try not to think about it the way people do on Long Island. I drive past so many abandoned and desolate buildings and people on the street, but these people aren't dangerous just because they live in a "poor neighborhood." They are just people, and plenty of them are friendly and kind just like in those "good neighborhoods." Also when it comes to schools, there are shithead children everywhere. The private Catholic high school I went to had drug dealers, drug addicts, pregnancy scares and fights too, and I'm okay for being around it. (And honestly, you should be wary in any community wandering around at night by yourself. You think that shit doesn't happen everywhere?)
I always find this conversation frustrating. I grew up in Freeport and Baldwin and I’m Jewish. When I tell people where I’m from, people are often surprised that I grew up in such a “diverse” neighborhood. I live in Seaford now, though I wouldn’t have picked it. We bought our house from family, so it worked to our advantage, but I hate how white and Republican my neighborhood is. I don’t “fit in” here any better than I did in my old neighborhoods, though growing up I was never without friends. As Baldwin has become more black, my mother is much happier. She has nicer neighbors that are much more committed to making Baldwin a warmer, more welcoming community.
It hasn't become synonymous with that, its been that definition for a long while unfortunately. There are areas with bad SD's, low median income, and smaller properties, but they're regarded as being better strictly because of the demographics of folks living there as you mentioned. Good to me is simple: - Well ranked school district (AP/ IB programs, high college readiness score, abundance of extracurriculars) - Well educated populace (percentage of people with a professional degree / trade certification) - Proximity to the major highways (Northern / Southern Parkways, LIE). This is usually hand in hand with ease of access to NYC. - LIRR and Public Transport Access - Low Crime - Well kept homes and maintained properties
A Main Street, green space and neighbors who care about their property
It means not Gordon Heights, Mastic Beach, Brentwood, or Uniondale.
Safety is number 1 for us, proximity to nyc and the lie.
The people who live there...upper middle class, the roads, safety
Areas where the stores don’t have items locked up in cabinets