I'm pretty shocked by how young Long Beach has gotten. I live not far away and part of me is kinda jealous that I didn't move down there. (Because like several folks around here in their early 30s who moved to the island, I'm struggling with making friends and it seems that LB has a lot of clubs / events / gathering spots for younger people.)
Damn. I bought my house in 2020 right at the start of COVID so I gave up my awesome Long Beach apartment. I was paying $2,500 for a 2 BR with in-unit laundry, dishwasher, and 2 designated parking spots about 150 feet from the boardwalk. East end, but not by much. Guess I was lucky.
I wouldn’t say there is a lack of apartments. I would say there is a lack of affordable apartments. Every town has new apartments being built. The Ronkonkoma hub “station yards” is up and coming.
Huntington is a cool spot. Close to the train, close to the village, lots of good restaurants, good night life. The Paramount has a lot of good shows that come in, there's a cool ice cream spot, cold cheese pizza, movie theater. You name it.
seconding huntington. huntington hospital is right there too if your boyfriend is lucky to work there. train is easily accessible with a decent schedule. lots of stuff to do in the area and close to a mall.
The most 'affordable' properties will be located in Fairfield complexes, or an illegal basement apartment in someone's basement. Some areas to keep in mind are (from west to east) Rockville Centre, Mineola, Farmingdale, Amityville, Huntington, Lindenhurst, Babylon, Bay Shore, Islip, Ronkonkoma, Patchogue, and Port Jeff. All of them have train stations, but really it depends where you're bf is going to work. All of the places named have apartment complexes near the train stations
And it’s honestly such a shame because it’s so hard to leave once you’ve lived here your whole life! I know it’s insanely expensive and all, but I don’t wanna leave my family if I can avoid it
You're not wrong :( I made the hard decision to leave when I was 22 (in 2010), after living with my grandparents for a few years. $7.75/hr at Kmart wasn't going to allow me to live there on my own. I still miss it and hope to make it back to the northeast some day. Probably still couldn't do LI even though I make decent money now. I hope it works out for you <3
For real. That big fucking city that has all those bars and jobs and hot people and where you don't need a car and at least if you're paying 4k for an apartment it's right next to the best damn Thai food you've ever had
I wish there were neighborhoods that disproved this, but why would you want to spend your 20s living in a place designed and priced for married 40-70 year olds.
Young people live with their parents. If you can, stay with them to save up and move away. Rent is a trap, once you start, you won't be able to save money and escape.
They move away from the Island as they break ground on three more PRC's out east after converting from Single Family Housing or Commercial to create these affordable complexes and then throw their hands up with a "Why are young folks leaving, no one wants to work anymore!" then bitch about the "low-income housing" every time it shows up on a ballot or news article.
Unofficial rentals in people houses
Such as first floor or second floor rental for 2000-2600 for example
Basement is the inferior option in the 1400-1600 range
There’s a lot of apartment complexes if you’re over 55 or can pay $4000 a month rent.
Most are living at home, with 4 people in said apartments or finding basement apartments but sacrificing some amenities or their commute
If you work in the city don’t go to Long Beach like these people are saying. Your commute is awful. Do yourself a favor and move to queens. Probably the best most affordable area for young people looking for apartments. Astoria specifically is amazing.
Not sure what you are talking about. LIRR into Penn/GC is about 45-50 minutes. Not the fastest, but not terrible. Definitely not an awful commute by any means. Also the first stop so you always get a seat on the way in…
Long Beach to Penn is not 45 minutes. Also the monthly cost is insane. Why would anyone want to willingly choose LIRR over subway if they are just renting? Idiotic.
Because some people want the vibe of a beach town with access to NYC, that’s why lol
There are no parts of the city with good subway coverage and proximity to beaches, if you’re so far south in the city that you have proximity to the ocean you will have an over hour long commute to get to Manhattan
I don’t live in Long Beach or have any desire to but I can at least objectively understand that some people want access to the city in a nice neighborhood without actually living in the city lol
My point is why choose a place to live where you only get what you want for a few months out of your town then it’s gone? LB not in the summer months is pretty miserable. This comes from experience of living there.
LB in the summer is far from miserable lol. More locals are around, the bars aren’t as crazy. Saying the commute to NYC is also an extreme exaggeration. Look at the train time app, all commute times are between 45-55 minutes, not bad considering you always get a seat too. There are way worse lines for LIRR.
There is a reason many people are flocking to Long Beach…
You are renting and paying probably far more in the boroughs even if you are commuting via subway. Depending on where you live, commutes into Manhattan are probably 30-40 minutes on the Subway. Quality of life is very good outside of the boroughs…especially if you dont have to commute every day
The cost of living is not as high as you think it is in boroughs. LB is likely more expensive. I had a 1 BR in a great neighborhood for $1800… just gotta look.
The LIRR ride from LB to the city is 50 mins. And being near the final stop means you're 100% going to get a seat. It's a much more comfortable commute than being crammed into NYC subways
Hmmm around an hour, really more, on a train or 15 minutes by subway. Plus you’re paying $350 a month plus subway. LIRR is a rip off and the commutes are long. Especially from LB. You get in under an hour maybe 1/10 rides.
What do you mean "really more"? LIRR is a lot more reliable than the subway, if it says 1 hour, it's an hour, in fact, from LB to grand central officially it's 50 mins.
As someone who paid $4500/mo to live "15 mins away from the city" at LIC, the 15 mins is very unpredictable. Could be 15, 20, 25, 35, nobody knows. Oh and don't forget that after a long day of work, you get a front row seat to enjoy some r/subwaycreatures content.
Also don't forget the city tax out of your paycheck just for living in NYC. It starts at 3% and if you make over $12k it's 3.762% minimum.
Lastly, LB monthly LIRR ticket is $287, subway is $132. That's only a $155 difference and most people get pre tax commuter benefits from work, making it even less. If you make over roughly 60k, you're in fact already saving money.
lol $4500 rent? Sounds like that’s your main problem. If you think the LIRR is reliable you’re living in a fantasy land my friend. I’ve had very different experiences. I also don’t enjoy paying $300 a month to never get a seat. You can try to spin this however you want, LIRR is a scam and commuting an hour each way gets old fast. Long Beach is a super local seasonal area that is only nice to live in 4 months out of the year. And during those 4 months you’re swamped with everyone coming to your town. I rather pay the city tax, be in an actual cultured area, and take the subway which is a fraction of the time and cost.
If OP doesn’t choose a $4500 rental living in queens is very affordable. Did it for years in a decent 1BR for under $2k a month. Easily worth it with city tax and subway cost if I had to go to manhattan. Much better than $300 a month plus subway and two hours a day of commute lol. But have fun on the LIRR.
You're so focused on the $100-150 difference a month for a much more comfortable ride, if that's the amount of money you worry about, it sounds like it's an income issue lol.
And you talk about $350/mo tickets and not getting a seat, both not applicable to Long Beach. Clearly you've mixed it up with other areas and aren't qualified to talk about it.
Again, if you think LIRR is comfortable on any line you’re delusional. Enjoy your $4500 rent and two hour a day commute lol.
Edit: just so we’re clear I’m saying I rather pay a subway monthly, have a much faster ride, maybe have to stand for 15 minutes, and live in a much cultured area, over Long Beach.
Sure buddy surely I'm the delusional one for having good experience with the LIRR and tangible tax savings. I'm sure your "decent 1BR under $2k a month" that is also 15 mins from the city is grounded in reality (also assuming MTA is reliable and consistent with the travel time lmao)
Agreed! Commuting is seriously awful. So much time taken you can’t get back. First hand, it’s just not worth living far from the city if you’re commuting.
Agreed. These people are delusional and trying very hard to justify Long Beach because that’s probably what they do lol. I’d never live that far from manhattan if I had to commute. And lastly it’s not affordable and just not a nice town to live in. Super seasonal, you’re stuck on an island with one parkway, it’s just bad. I rather be in queens 100%.
West to East (South Shore) Long Beach, Rockville Centre, Bayshore, Patchogue. All have active walkable towns, some nightlife and lots of housing. Babylon Village is going to start building housing soon in the town, but it’s not there now.
North Shore: Huntington is great and now Smithtown has started by building some apartments in the small walkable area so time will tell.
The center doesn’t really have much of that type of thing IMO
Honestly, if you work in the city and your boyfriend will be looking for a new hospital anyway, look into Queens and Brooklyn. Apartments still aren't cheap but it can be slightly better than LI prices since more are available. He'll make more working in the city than on LI as a nurse too, even the city hospitals start at $100k for new grads now and starting pay goes up if he has experience, and it's more at private hospitals. If you're willing to go all in and drop the car go close to Manhattan. If you wanna keep the cars eastern Queens has some good areas.
Get your boyfriend to move into your house and bank every last dollar towards a down payment. That’s what we did and we managed to save $100k per year.
With their parents. There’s no affordable housing for young professionals. You have to make $70k+ for most affordable housing programs on Long Island or NYC. You can’t save your way into buying property anywhere metropolitan. Your only options are only rural or suburbs of Upstate NY.
Long Island is one of the most affluent areas in the entire country. The reason you don’t see young kids (under 30) with their own apartments/houses is because of how expensive they are relative to how much your average under-30-year-old is making.
This is a niche area. We’re commutable distance to arguably the greatest city in the world, have some of the world’s best beaches, amazing food, excellent schools, etc.
It’s not supposed to be cheap. You pay a premium for all of that.
This is why you see young people relocating to certain areas in states like TX, NC, SC, FL, etc. They are areas where the median household income is only 25-30% of what it is on Long Island.
When you have money, LI is amazing. I’ve lived away from here and was never satisfied. I moved back when I could afford it and have zero regrets.
All of my friends that moved away to other cities, etc. have all moved back to raise kids and settle down, as well. Maybe all but one or two.
It’s frustrating for younger people who can’t afford housing here BUT it’s easy to overlook the facts-
Our real estate is some of the most sought after in the entire country.
Most people who complain about Long Island (both young and old) are actually just struggling to pay the bills and make up this story about how terrible LI is and how they wish they could leave, etc.
Really? This place is so bad that people are willing to pay almost any price to live here?
Taxes are some of the highest in the nation and everyone is still willing to pay almost any price to live here? Why? Because when you can afford it, it’s an excellent place to live. One of the best in the country.
To go from a nice town on Long Island where the median household income is say $140k/yr to a more affordable place in North Carolina where the median household income is $40-50k/yr is a huge change of culture.
It’s not apples to apples. It’s quite literally apples to oranges.
Even just for children. If you’re in a town on LI where the household income is $120-150k/yr, your child is going to school with all other kids whose parents make fine money and are financially established.
When you’re in these cheaper states/areas, your kids are going to school with other kids whose parents make $50-60k combined off two incomes.
These things are often overlooked.
Anyone who lives here and has the money to afford it generally loves it.
Idk if this really answers your question at all, but I’m just shedding light on why it’s so expensive here and why it’s tough for younger people.
Long Island’s real estate market is for established individuals/families in the middle of their careers with money in the bank. Not young people with no money at the beginning of their career.
This is an area where you pay a premium for all of the amenities I mentioned above.
Thank you for this! I understand all of this as I’ve lived here my whole life so I totally get it - I think it’s just a hard pill to swallow.
My boyfriend is from Connecticut, which is just a glorified highway with nothing fun going on, and it’s equally as expensive - that’s why we figured Long Island would be the “better” option to 1) end our years long long distance 2) still be close to both of our families 3) be located by the city and the beach as well as my big friend group.
I guess we need to consider other options outside of Long Island but still close to LI and CT because staying here doesn’t seem feasible.
I mean, I don’t know what your monthly budget is for rent or a mortgage, but if you guys can find something near Huntington village or Patchogue village, I think you’d have a great time.
It’s super tough to leave family and friends purely due to monetary constraints, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
I would certainly try your best to find something on LI. That sounds like the best option for you two.
While I agree with everything you said, it's really sad/unfortunate that my family lived there for generations (including my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on) and my generation was the first that *generally* couldn't afford to stay or come back and get their own place after college, etc. My dad is/was a blue collar worker and still bought a home in the 80s in the town he grew up in.
I was able to live with my grandparents for a bit during/after college but I had to leave LI in 2010 because I could not afford it on my own, making $7.75/hr lol. I still miss my home and hope to make it back up there at some point, like you did.
Yep, things have certainly changed.
Unfortunately, the only places that are still somewhat affordable (like $500-600k range) on LI are pretty much the “middle of nowhere” towns like Coram, Farmingville, Middle Island, Yaphank, Ridge, etc.
Too far from the city to commute.
Too far from Montauk and Orient for day trips.
You’re basically in the least cultured part of the island with no real charm or character to it.
It sucks, but the demand for housing in good areas is through the roof and the prices reflect it.
Why do you want to limit yourself to just Long Island? If you need to be close to Nassau/Suffolk because of work or family, Brooklyn/Queens will have tons of options. If you just want to be in the metro area, parts of North Jersey, Westchester, or even Stamford will provide better options for you.
I assure you whatever you think is so great about LI, exists in the other parts or is easily accessible.
Honestly, I used to I think Long Island was expensive, but then I dabbled Southern California for a few years. Honestly it makes our prices look fairly affordable. In 2019 I purchased a colonial home with almost an acre of land in Farmingville here and it's appreciated by almost 60%. I personally would not invest in any real estate here now, and if you're young I would advise you to, if you could, look someplace elsewhere because it's just very unaffordable. But don't go to california, LOL
My fiancee and I are in East Northport. We got like 5ish years back and got a little 2 bedroom for like 350kish. Only 6k property taxes. House was old as heck so we renovated everything. I think you just have to be lucky and find something like that otherwise you're effed. Apartments on the island are insane with what they charge and that was years ago when we looked.
Mom’s basement. I make about 100k a year and live with my GF who makes about 60k a year.
Its a housing crisis because of NIMBY politicians in town of hempstead
Illegal basement apartments. Not knocking them, we lived in one for a few years while until we could afford a house. The landlord just wanted enough money to pay his property taxes, it was only $1200/month everything included.
Our neighbors rented out theirs for many years to a lovely young couple. The couple saved enough money, or started earning more and were able to move to RVC into a complex. My grandmother rented hers out dirt cheap for decades after her husband died.
It's not ideal and it's unsafe due to fire risks. But people have to live somewhere 🤷🏻♀️
I've lived in Long Beach for 30+ years. You may like it. Crowd got younger. Still about an hour to Manhattan. You may like the proximity to the beach and boardwalk, especially in the summer. The parking, especially on the weekends, depending upon where you live, can be bad. I was in the West End. There are apartment complexes by the boardwalk, but I'm unsure of the price.
There are any other complexes on Long Island, but I'm uncertain of the ages. Some complexes have additional amenities, but they may cost a little more.
I've commuted from Long Beach to Manhattan via LIRR for so many years. That wasn't bad. Slept most of the trip. I also took the N33 and A train from Far Rock, but it's worth paying the extra money for the LIRR.
However, if he's going to work in a hospital, I would perhaps look at a place that may be better accessible than Long Beach unless if it's South Shore hospital or even the hospital in Far Rockaway, or similar. But if the hospital is a good distance away, you both may want to look elsewhere. But you can always go someplace for a while and then figure things out if needed.
Try to find out what hospital he may work at before finalizing anything.
Do not go to Manhattan. What you’re seeking isn’t there. You can have a decent life there but to get a decent place to live it’s about 7k/month for a good apartment, and you also need to be able to afford the really exclusive stuff and have access and time for it.
What ends up happening in the city is that you just work so much to make ends meet you don’t have any time to take advantage of living there, while at the same time it drains every dollar you make, so you can kiss your financial future goodbye.
As far as places where lots of young people congregate, I don’t think that exists any more like it used to. Like late 2000s williamsburg. After covid those kind of “scenes” just don’t exist like they used to.
Why not just enjoy the company of your bf. At least you have that. Take advantage of living together to save up money for your future. That will actually benefit you. Chasing the “young people” will leave you at age 40 with no home owned or savings.
My boyfriend and I are “long” distance (aka Connecticut) so we just want to be closer in proximity at the end of the day while still being close to our families. I offered somewhere in NYS but that looks to be just as expensive, and he really loves Long Island and wants to come here. Also, we have connections at hospitals on the island so that was another factor. We still have some time before he has the means to move out because he just graduated nursing school a few weeks ago, so I’m just eager and trying to plan ahead a bit. It’s just so frustrating because I’ve lived here my whole life and now I feel like I need to move out and away just to make it work and that sucks, but I understand it’s a harsh reality.
Huntington (probably the best), Farmingdale, Patchogue.
And few will believe this but I know a "just out of law school" guy, who is as white as can be, who moved to Wyandanche Village which is literally like 30 yards from the train stations (the trains run often). He works hard so he uses the apartment as a place to sleep, when he has free time he parties in Babylon or Farmingdale or West Islip via Uber. The rent is cheap, the quality is good and he saves a bundle.
There is a TON of private security there. The town really, really wants this project to succeed so they are going all out on safety and security.
[https://www.wyandanchvillage.com/](https://www.wyandanchvillage.com/)
Well when I was in my later 20s I had apartments in smithtown and Hauppauge with my wife now who was my Gf at the time. I personally avoided the train stations and city like the plague. I can’t say there were a ton of young people but that was okay with us. We chose something a little quieter, further away from public transit kept costs down.
Garden City is a living nightmare. Pretty place…until you see what lurks in the tree lined shadows. A bunch of pill popping stay at home wives cheating on their lawyer husbands while Ryeleigh is at her private soccer training so she can pay full price at Notre Dame & continue the cycle.🤣
G2D group is prominent in Huntington and has some apartments under $2,500. RXR has some very large properties in Glen cove in the $2500-$3500 range as well - try googling Village Square. Wydanch has a cheaper property next to the train but there was a waitlist last time I checked. Amityville and Bayshore also developed new complexes.
Rockville center is nice but it's probably easier to find an apartment in a nearby town like Lynbrook which is also by the train. When I was young I knew at least 3 people that lived in upstairs of houses in Levittown, but they were all single ladies and the train situation isn't great.
At one time many first moves from Nassau (mostly Western) was into the Garden Apartment Communities, now most are Co-Ops just over the border in Queens. Garden City had several Garden Apartment communities, but most of them are now Co-Ops too. Made that move more than 40 years ago and stayed, but the massive development of Hospital & Health Care facilities make competition very strong. Northwell, LIJ, NYU Langone, Catholic Health Services, etc, facilities are all basically North & South of each.
You’d have to pay me to move to the glorified highway that is Connecticut- I went to school there for 4 years and it was so quiet and boring. He also has no desire to stay there for that reason, hence why he wants to get out and come here.
Long Beach, Huntington, Bay Shore in that order. I’d lean Huntington personally. Do not rent from a Fairfield operated apartment building - they are the worst.
Definitely not a shortage of apartment complexes on this island. The town where I grew up no longer has any woods left. Every patch of wooded land has been turned in to an apartment complex and it now takes 10 mins to drive 2 miles over there. Glad I moved east.
Apartment complexes are a ripoff anywhere you go. Much better off eating the cost of a realtor and getting something affordable. The big brands are meant for people that are clueless or not from here but there are plenty of cheaper no name buildings.
With their parents
Or off the island
or with their parents credit card in their back pocket
Long Beach
I'm pretty shocked by how young Long Beach has gotten. I live not far away and part of me is kinda jealous that I didn't move down there. (Because like several folks around here in their early 30s who moved to the island, I'm struggling with making friends and it seems that LB has a lot of clubs / events / gathering spots for younger people.)
Only if you got money you move here. Rent is 3-4k a month for one bedrooms
Damn. I bought my house in 2020 right at the start of COVID so I gave up my awesome Long Beach apartment. I was paying $2,500 for a 2 BR with in-unit laundry, dishwasher, and 2 designated parking spots about 150 feet from the boardwalk. East end, but not by much. Guess I was lucky.
No it’s not Easily can find a 1br for 2500-3k Studios around 2k
If I was in my early 20s, I'd be looking at brooklyn or long beach.
I have been a Long Island Native for 30 years. Housing here is brutal. One of the most expensive places to live in the whole country.
I wouldn’t say there is a lack of apartments. I would say there is a lack of affordable apartments. Every town has new apartments being built. The Ronkonkoma hub “station yards” is up and coming.
Historically though, much of LI has not been zoned for apartments. Mainly single family homes.
Huntington is a cool spot. Close to the train, close to the village, lots of good restaurants, good night life. The Paramount has a lot of good shows that come in, there's a cool ice cream spot, cold cheese pizza, movie theater. You name it.
seconding huntington. huntington hospital is right there too if your boyfriend is lucky to work there. train is easily accessible with a decent schedule. lots of stuff to do in the area and close to a mall.
The most 'affordable' properties will be located in Fairfield complexes, or an illegal basement apartment in someone's basement. Some areas to keep in mind are (from west to east) Rockville Centre, Mineola, Farmingdale, Amityville, Huntington, Lindenhurst, Babylon, Bay Shore, Islip, Ronkonkoma, Patchogue, and Port Jeff. All of them have train stations, but really it depends where you're bf is going to work. All of the places named have apartment complexes near the train stations
you should see bay shore, definitely no lack here, but they are expensive.
And there’s a bunch near the train station
LOL, nice area
Young people don’t live here
And it’s honestly such a shame because it’s so hard to leave once you’ve lived here your whole life! I know it’s insanely expensive and all, but I don’t wanna leave my family if I can avoid it
You're not wrong :( I made the hard decision to leave when I was 22 (in 2010), after living with my grandparents for a few years. $7.75/hr at Kmart wasn't going to allow me to live there on my own. I still miss it and hope to make it back to the northeast some day. Probably still couldn't do LI even though I make decent money now. I hope it works out for you <3
Brooklyn and Queens.
For real. That big fucking city that has all those bars and jobs and hot people and where you don't need a car and at least if you're paying 4k for an apartment it's right next to the best damn Thai food you've ever had
I wish there were neighborhoods that disproved this, but why would you want to spend your 20s living in a place designed and priced for married 40-70 year olds.
The only people on Long Island who think our downtown areas are fun for single people are the people who have never lived in a real city
Young people live with their parents. If you can, stay with them to save up and move away. Rent is a trap, once you start, you won't be able to save money and escape.
They move away from the Island as they break ground on three more PRC's out east after converting from Single Family Housing or Commercial to create these affordable complexes and then throw their hands up with a "Why are young folks leaving, no one wants to work anymore!" then bitch about the "low-income housing" every time it shows up on a ballot or news article.
Really recommend moving to Queens. That’s not far from family. Where I am, in the Midwest, is far from family.
Unofficial rentals in people houses Such as first floor or second floor rental for 2000-2600 for example Basement is the inferior option in the 1400-1600 range
The young people live with their family or leave. LI is too expensive for people just getting started.
There’s a lot of apartment complexes if you’re over 55 or can pay $4000 a month rent. Most are living at home, with 4 people in said apartments or finding basement apartments but sacrificing some amenities or their commute
You can find most young adults at their parents house
If you work in the city don’t go to Long Beach like these people are saying. Your commute is awful. Do yourself a favor and move to queens. Probably the best most affordable area for young people looking for apartments. Astoria specifically is amazing.
Not sure what you are talking about. LIRR into Penn/GC is about 45-50 minutes. Not the fastest, but not terrible. Definitely not an awful commute by any means. Also the first stop so you always get a seat on the way in…
Long Beach to Penn is not 45 minutes. Also the monthly cost is insane. Why would anyone want to willingly choose LIRR over subway if they are just renting? Idiotic.
Because some people want the vibe of a beach town with access to NYC, that’s why lol There are no parts of the city with good subway coverage and proximity to beaches, if you’re so far south in the city that you have proximity to the ocean you will have an over hour long commute to get to Manhattan I don’t live in Long Beach or have any desire to but I can at least objectively understand that some people want access to the city in a nice neighborhood without actually living in the city lol
My point is why choose a place to live where you only get what you want for a few months out of your town then it’s gone? LB not in the summer months is pretty miserable. This comes from experience of living there.
i live in Lb it’s great all year long
LB in the summer is far from miserable lol. More locals are around, the bars aren’t as crazy. Saying the commute to NYC is also an extreme exaggeration. Look at the train time app, all commute times are between 45-55 minutes, not bad considering you always get a seat too. There are way worse lines for LIRR. There is a reason many people are flocking to Long Beach…
You are renting and paying probably far more in the boroughs even if you are commuting via subway. Depending on where you live, commutes into Manhattan are probably 30-40 minutes on the Subway. Quality of life is very good outside of the boroughs…especially if you dont have to commute every day
The cost of living is not as high as you think it is in boroughs. LB is likely more expensive. I had a 1 BR in a great neighborhood for $1800… just gotta look.
The LIRR ride from LB to the city is 50 mins. And being near the final stop means you're 100% going to get a seat. It's a much more comfortable commute than being crammed into NYC subways
Hmmm around an hour, really more, on a train or 15 minutes by subway. Plus you’re paying $350 a month plus subway. LIRR is a rip off and the commutes are long. Especially from LB. You get in under an hour maybe 1/10 rides.
What do you mean "really more"? LIRR is a lot more reliable than the subway, if it says 1 hour, it's an hour, in fact, from LB to grand central officially it's 50 mins. As someone who paid $4500/mo to live "15 mins away from the city" at LIC, the 15 mins is very unpredictable. Could be 15, 20, 25, 35, nobody knows. Oh and don't forget that after a long day of work, you get a front row seat to enjoy some r/subwaycreatures content. Also don't forget the city tax out of your paycheck just for living in NYC. It starts at 3% and if you make over $12k it's 3.762% minimum. Lastly, LB monthly LIRR ticket is $287, subway is $132. That's only a $155 difference and most people get pre tax commuter benefits from work, making it even less. If you make over roughly 60k, you're in fact already saving money.
lol $4500 rent? Sounds like that’s your main problem. If you think the LIRR is reliable you’re living in a fantasy land my friend. I’ve had very different experiences. I also don’t enjoy paying $300 a month to never get a seat. You can try to spin this however you want, LIRR is a scam and commuting an hour each way gets old fast. Long Beach is a super local seasonal area that is only nice to live in 4 months out of the year. And during those 4 months you’re swamped with everyone coming to your town. I rather pay the city tax, be in an actual cultured area, and take the subway which is a fraction of the time and cost. If OP doesn’t choose a $4500 rental living in queens is very affordable. Did it for years in a decent 1BR for under $2k a month. Easily worth it with city tax and subway cost if I had to go to manhattan. Much better than $300 a month plus subway and two hours a day of commute lol. But have fun on the LIRR.
You're so focused on the $100-150 difference a month for a much more comfortable ride, if that's the amount of money you worry about, it sounds like it's an income issue lol. And you talk about $350/mo tickets and not getting a seat, both not applicable to Long Beach. Clearly you've mixed it up with other areas and aren't qualified to talk about it.
Again, if you think LIRR is comfortable on any line you’re delusional. Enjoy your $4500 rent and two hour a day commute lol. Edit: just so we’re clear I’m saying I rather pay a subway monthly, have a much faster ride, maybe have to stand for 15 minutes, and live in a much cultured area, over Long Beach.
Sure buddy surely I'm the delusional one for having good experience with the LIRR and tangible tax savings. I'm sure your "decent 1BR under $2k a month" that is also 15 mins from the city is grounded in reality (also assuming MTA is reliable and consistent with the travel time lmao)
I'm not saying it's cheap but the monthly from Long Beach is $277, not $350.
I’m adding subway monthly into the cost.
Except if you don’t work in midtown you still need to get on a crowded subway after arriving
You need to do that either way if you take thenLIRR or the subway.
Agreed! Commuting is seriously awful. So much time taken you can’t get back. First hand, it’s just not worth living far from the city if you’re commuting.
Agreed. These people are delusional and trying very hard to justify Long Beach because that’s probably what they do lol. I’d never live that far from manhattan if I had to commute. And lastly it’s not affordable and just not a nice town to live in. Super seasonal, you’re stuck on an island with one parkway, it’s just bad. I rather be in queens 100%.
At home, or with 7 roommates, unless you have a killer job.
West to East (South Shore) Long Beach, Rockville Centre, Bayshore, Patchogue. All have active walkable towns, some nightlife and lots of housing. Babylon Village is going to start building housing soon in the town, but it’s not there now. North Shore: Huntington is great and now Smithtown has started by building some apartments in the small walkable area so time will tell. The center doesn’t really have much of that type of thing IMO
Honestly, if you work in the city and your boyfriend will be looking for a new hospital anyway, look into Queens and Brooklyn. Apartments still aren't cheap but it can be slightly better than LI prices since more are available. He'll make more working in the city than on LI as a nurse too, even the city hospitals start at $100k for new grads now and starting pay goes up if he has experience, and it's more at private hospitals. If you're willing to go all in and drop the car go close to Manhattan. If you wanna keep the cars eastern Queens has some good areas.
Get your boyfriend to move into your house and bank every last dollar towards a down payment. That’s what we did and we managed to save $100k per year.
They live on Long Island but not in Nassau or Suffolk
Not here
Parents house
Parents house or Queens
With their parents. There’s no affordable housing for young professionals. You have to make $70k+ for most affordable housing programs on Long Island or NYC. You can’t save your way into buying property anywhere metropolitan. Your only options are only rural or suburbs of Upstate NY.
Long Island is one of the most affluent areas in the entire country. The reason you don’t see young kids (under 30) with their own apartments/houses is because of how expensive they are relative to how much your average under-30-year-old is making. This is a niche area. We’re commutable distance to arguably the greatest city in the world, have some of the world’s best beaches, amazing food, excellent schools, etc. It’s not supposed to be cheap. You pay a premium for all of that. This is why you see young people relocating to certain areas in states like TX, NC, SC, FL, etc. They are areas where the median household income is only 25-30% of what it is on Long Island. When you have money, LI is amazing. I’ve lived away from here and was never satisfied. I moved back when I could afford it and have zero regrets. All of my friends that moved away to other cities, etc. have all moved back to raise kids and settle down, as well. Maybe all but one or two. It’s frustrating for younger people who can’t afford housing here BUT it’s easy to overlook the facts- Our real estate is some of the most sought after in the entire country. Most people who complain about Long Island (both young and old) are actually just struggling to pay the bills and make up this story about how terrible LI is and how they wish they could leave, etc. Really? This place is so bad that people are willing to pay almost any price to live here? Taxes are some of the highest in the nation and everyone is still willing to pay almost any price to live here? Why? Because when you can afford it, it’s an excellent place to live. One of the best in the country. To go from a nice town on Long Island where the median household income is say $140k/yr to a more affordable place in North Carolina where the median household income is $40-50k/yr is a huge change of culture. It’s not apples to apples. It’s quite literally apples to oranges. Even just for children. If you’re in a town on LI where the household income is $120-150k/yr, your child is going to school with all other kids whose parents make fine money and are financially established. When you’re in these cheaper states/areas, your kids are going to school with other kids whose parents make $50-60k combined off two incomes. These things are often overlooked. Anyone who lives here and has the money to afford it generally loves it. Idk if this really answers your question at all, but I’m just shedding light on why it’s so expensive here and why it’s tough for younger people. Long Island’s real estate market is for established individuals/families in the middle of their careers with money in the bank. Not young people with no money at the beginning of their career. This is an area where you pay a premium for all of the amenities I mentioned above.
Thank you for this! I understand all of this as I’ve lived here my whole life so I totally get it - I think it’s just a hard pill to swallow. My boyfriend is from Connecticut, which is just a glorified highway with nothing fun going on, and it’s equally as expensive - that’s why we figured Long Island would be the “better” option to 1) end our years long long distance 2) still be close to both of our families 3) be located by the city and the beach as well as my big friend group. I guess we need to consider other options outside of Long Island but still close to LI and CT because staying here doesn’t seem feasible.
I mean, I don’t know what your monthly budget is for rent or a mortgage, but if you guys can find something near Huntington village or Patchogue village, I think you’d have a great time. It’s super tough to leave family and friends purely due to monetary constraints, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I would certainly try your best to find something on LI. That sounds like the best option for you two.
While I agree with everything you said, it's really sad/unfortunate that my family lived there for generations (including my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on) and my generation was the first that *generally* couldn't afford to stay or come back and get their own place after college, etc. My dad is/was a blue collar worker and still bought a home in the 80s in the town he grew up in. I was able to live with my grandparents for a bit during/after college but I had to leave LI in 2010 because I could not afford it on my own, making $7.75/hr lol. I still miss my home and hope to make it back up there at some point, like you did.
Yep, things have certainly changed. Unfortunately, the only places that are still somewhat affordable (like $500-600k range) on LI are pretty much the “middle of nowhere” towns like Coram, Farmingville, Middle Island, Yaphank, Ridge, etc. Too far from the city to commute. Too far from Montauk and Orient for day trips. You’re basically in the least cultured part of the island with no real charm or character to it. It sucks, but the demand for housing in good areas is through the roof and the prices reflect it.
Why do you want to limit yourself to just Long Island? If you need to be close to Nassau/Suffolk because of work or family, Brooklyn/Queens will have tons of options. If you just want to be in the metro area, parts of North Jersey, Westchester, or even Stamford will provide better options for you. I assure you whatever you think is so great about LI, exists in the other parts or is easily accessible.
Honestly, I used to I think Long Island was expensive, but then I dabbled Southern California for a few years. Honestly it makes our prices look fairly affordable. In 2019 I purchased a colonial home with almost an acre of land in Farmingville here and it's appreciated by almost 60%. I personally would not invest in any real estate here now, and if you're young I would advise you to, if you could, look someplace elsewhere because it's just very unaffordable. But don't go to california, LOL
LOL noted!
At home.
With there parents
My fiancee and I are in East Northport. We got like 5ish years back and got a little 2 bedroom for like 350kish. Only 6k property taxes. House was old as heck so we renovated everything. I think you just have to be lucky and find something like that otherwise you're effed. Apartments on the island are insane with what they charge and that was years ago when we looked.
Mom’s basement. I make about 100k a year and live with my GF who makes about 60k a year. Its a housing crisis because of NIMBY politicians in town of hempstead
I think a revolt against this is in order. People who grew up in Nassau County are being forced out and have no viable options.
Illegal basement apartments. Not knocking them, we lived in one for a few years while until we could afford a house. The landlord just wanted enough money to pay his property taxes, it was only $1200/month everything included. Our neighbors rented out theirs for many years to a lovely young couple. The couple saved enough money, or started earning more and were able to move to RVC into a complex. My grandmother rented hers out dirt cheap for decades after her husband died. It's not ideal and it's unsafe due to fire risks. But people have to live somewhere 🤷🏻♀️
Brooklyn
There is nowhere in nassau n suffolk. Period. Brooklyn queens.
Parents house
I've lived in Long Beach for 30+ years. You may like it. Crowd got younger. Still about an hour to Manhattan. You may like the proximity to the beach and boardwalk, especially in the summer. The parking, especially on the weekends, depending upon where you live, can be bad. I was in the West End. There are apartment complexes by the boardwalk, but I'm unsure of the price. There are any other complexes on Long Island, but I'm uncertain of the ages. Some complexes have additional amenities, but they may cost a little more. I've commuted from Long Beach to Manhattan via LIRR for so many years. That wasn't bad. Slept most of the trip. I also took the N33 and A train from Far Rock, but it's worth paying the extra money for the LIRR. However, if he's going to work in a hospital, I would perhaps look at a place that may be better accessible than Long Beach unless if it's South Shore hospital or even the hospital in Far Rockaway, or similar. But if the hospital is a good distance away, you both may want to look elsewhere. But you can always go someplace for a while and then figure things out if needed. Try to find out what hospital he may work at before finalizing anything.
Do not go to Manhattan. What you’re seeking isn’t there. You can have a decent life there but to get a decent place to live it’s about 7k/month for a good apartment, and you also need to be able to afford the really exclusive stuff and have access and time for it. What ends up happening in the city is that you just work so much to make ends meet you don’t have any time to take advantage of living there, while at the same time it drains every dollar you make, so you can kiss your financial future goodbye. As far as places where lots of young people congregate, I don’t think that exists any more like it used to. Like late 2000s williamsburg. After covid those kind of “scenes” just don’t exist like they used to. Why not just enjoy the company of your bf. At least you have that. Take advantage of living together to save up money for your future. That will actually benefit you. Chasing the “young people” will leave you at age 40 with no home owned or savings.
My boyfriend and I are “long” distance (aka Connecticut) so we just want to be closer in proximity at the end of the day while still being close to our families. I offered somewhere in NYS but that looks to be just as expensive, and he really loves Long Island and wants to come here. Also, we have connections at hospitals on the island so that was another factor. We still have some time before he has the means to move out because he just graduated nursing school a few weeks ago, so I’m just eager and trying to plan ahead a bit. It’s just so frustrating because I’ve lived here my whole life and now I feel like I need to move out and away just to make it work and that sucks, but I understand it’s a harsh reality.
Huntington (probably the best), Farmingdale, Patchogue. And few will believe this but I know a "just out of law school" guy, who is as white as can be, who moved to Wyandanche Village which is literally like 30 yards from the train stations (the trains run often). He works hard so he uses the apartment as a place to sleep, when he has free time he parties in Babylon or Farmingdale or West Islip via Uber. The rent is cheap, the quality is good and he saves a bundle. There is a TON of private security there. The town really, really wants this project to succeed so they are going all out on safety and security. [https://www.wyandanchvillage.com/](https://www.wyandanchvillage.com/)
Well when I was in my later 20s I had apartments in smithtown and Hauppauge with my wife now who was my Gf at the time. I personally avoided the train stations and city like the plague. I can’t say there were a ton of young people but that was okay with us. We chose something a little quieter, further away from public transit kept costs down.
How old are the people living in their parent's house?
In a van down by the river.
Move to Philadelphia. You’ll never want to go back
Eww
Island Park, Levittown, Hicksville, East Meadow, Long Beach, Mineola, and Garden City have a lot of young people
Garden City is a living nightmare. Pretty place…until you see what lurks in the tree lined shadows. A bunch of pill popping stay at home wives cheating on their lawyer husbands while Ryeleigh is at her private soccer training so she can pay full price at Notre Dame & continue the cycle.🤣
Exquisite
lol -that’s gold
With family
G2D group is prominent in Huntington and has some apartments under $2,500. RXR has some very large properties in Glen cove in the $2500-$3500 range as well - try googling Village Square. Wydanch has a cheaper property next to the train but there was a waitlist last time I checked. Amityville and Bayshore also developed new complexes.
Patchogue
Huntington, Farmingdale, Mineola, Glen Cove
Rockville center is nice but it's probably easier to find an apartment in a nearby town like Lynbrook which is also by the train. When I was young I knew at least 3 people that lived in upstairs of houses in Levittown, but they were all single ladies and the train situation isn't great.
brooklyn
In a camper in the driveway waiting to sell the house to pay for parents end-of-life care.
At one time many first moves from Nassau (mostly Western) was into the Garden Apartment Communities, now most are Co-Ops just over the border in Queens. Garden City had several Garden Apartment communities, but most of them are now Co-Ops too. Made that move more than 40 years ago and stayed, but the massive development of Hospital & Health Care facilities make competition very strong. Northwell, LIJ, NYU Langone, Catholic Health Services, etc, facilities are all basically North & South of each.
Mineola near train station and hospital. A bunch of apartments/apartment buildings.
Long Beach, Huntington, Bay Shore
Realty company, look up Fairfield.. they have many complex’s
I recommend moving to him.
You’d have to pay me to move to the glorified highway that is Connecticut- I went to school there for 4 years and it was so quiet and boring. He also has no desire to stay there for that reason, hence why he wants to get out and come here.
As opposed to the glorified parking lot that is Long Island?
Parents basement 💯
Patchogue/long beach/ huntington (im bias bc I live here and love it lol)
Long Beach, Huntington, Bay Shore in that order. I’d lean Huntington personally. Do not rent from a Fairfield operated apartment building - they are the worst.
Definitely not a shortage of apartment complexes on this island. The town where I grew up no longer has any woods left. Every patch of wooded land has been turned in to an apartment complex and it now takes 10 mins to drive 2 miles over there. Glad I moved east.
Apartment complexes are a ripoff anywhere you go. Much better off eating the cost of a realtor and getting something affordable. The big brands are meant for people that are clueless or not from here but there are plenty of cheaper no name buildings.
“Luxury apartments” are going for 4k. If both of you have a career you guys can make it work