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What do people really mean when they say "Long Island"?
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I'm not from New York. But I watch a lot of TV.
There's this thing people say on television shows set in NYC, like "She's from Long Island" and it sounds like it's supposed to be derisive, like "she's not really from New York."
But, looking at a map, both Brooklyn and Queens are on Long Island. So what are people really saying or implying when they say "Long Island?"
Top Comment:
Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Brooklyn and Queens are physically located on the landmass called Long Island, but 95% of the time "Long Island" refers to the non-NYC portion of it.
Long Island, better than expected?
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I was one of those people who said I would never live on Long Island. My impression of LI when I visited the south shore in 2012 was old/pretentious, abrasive, architectural-hellscape...
Two years ago, I moved from California to Mineola, and have been shocked how great the lifestyle is. Mineola is a small village in central Nassau, a few miles outside Queens. Most of the homes were built between 1910-1950... making it feel... well not exactly like a typical cul-de-sac suburb America is known for.
First, I have a young family... and wouldn’t live here if I was single.
My neighbors have been the kindest, most welcoming people I’ve ever lived by. Everyone knows each other. My neighbors drop off fresh vegetables from their gardens whenever they can— my neighbor just brought me soup the other day for no reason. If they notice I’m out of town, they collect packages and secure them without me asking. And yes, the attitude can feel abrasive. They talk with their hands... they’re quick to point out if you have some dead grass in your lawn lol
Culture seems like nostalgic 80’s / 90’s America. There is a feeling of community pride, togetherness, and safety. Kids bike around the neighborhood playing with each other or meeting up at the park (a long way from the scheduled play dates I’m used to). People pay with cash... they’re still record stores and ma / pa shops for every need
Long Island has notoriously high taxes, but due to its commercial zoning (NYU Hospital), Mineola has some of the lowest taxes comparatively.
While our school district doesn’t rank in the top districts (like our neighboring villages who often are on top 25 lists for the USA) on standardized tests, it prioritizes dual language immersion and STEM programs. The elementary school has a top notch robotics program, music, and puts their own TedX event on for 3/4th grade. The HS just won state champs for marching band.
We’re ~28min from JFK airport... 30min from LGA
We’re 37min, 2 stops express from Manhattan with several LIRR lines to choose from.
We have a public swimming pool with water slide, library, multiple parks, and a community center. Our taxes help subsidize summer camp, making village summer camps more affordable ($250 for a month)
We’re 20min from beaches...
Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Home Depot, Target, REI, Movies etc + the mall are all < 8min drive away
We have organic farms like Young’s Farm or the Jericho Cider Mill just a short drive away
We have English style pubs like The Black Sheep and breweries like The Lost Farmer within walking distance
Lots of food diversity with Portuguese, Colombian, Indian, Asian Grocery store, Italian, Peruvian, Chinese...etc
Extremely safe community with a crime rate lower than a random rural town in Iowa.
Functioning local government: my neighbors complained about some pot holes and they were fixed within a month. The village just won a grant from NY state for “downtown” upgrades
Unlike California, trash pickup is included in taxes. So everyone regardless of income or owner/renter status everyone gets 2x weekly pickup. This helps keep things very clean.
Ok so what’s not to like? I can see how if you grew up here and all your family was here it would be a huge bubble that you would either absolutely love or couldn’t wait to escape
Architecture is indeed mostly terrible. Except Garden City (probably the most beautiful suburb in NYC area), most homes feel a weird blend of old world European with hints of pre-WW2 “affordable housing”. I was lucky to find a home with modern but tasteful upgrades.
Housing has increased in price drastically since 2020. You’re looking at $750-920k to buy a 1600sq ft home here (which is typical for anywhere this close to NYC).
TL’DR: Mineola is a great place to raise a family if you want a small town feel but access to NYC
Top Comment:
I mean if you don’t mind smaller towns and suburbs and can afford it, Long Island can be great. Lots of semi-walkable historic communities with good transit access to NYC.
For younger people, it can be underwhelming if they want to be closer to the nightlife and entertainment in NYC though.
What’s life like on Long Island outside of NYC?
Main Post: What’s life like on Long Island outside of NYC?
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North shore of Nassau/west Suffolk Co: estates and golf courses for wealthy folk working in NYC. Very quiet and quaint. White collar. Nice forested bluffs and beaches looking at Connecticut.
South shore of Nassau/west Suffolk Co: Endless suburbs of small towns. Feels more stereotypically "Jersey Shore" than the actual Jersey shore. Blue collar. Nice beaches on Fire Island.
East Suffolk Co: Boujee and touristy in the Hamptons. U-pick farms and beaches. Montauk is cool.
Long Island tends to be very insular and isolated because it is cut off from everywhere else by NYC. But overall very friendly and gregarious people. Feels like there is a heavy drinking culture- you are either a functioning alcoholic or in AA lol. Access into NYC on the LIRR is awesome and makes for a fun overnight/weekend trip. There is also a surprising amount of MAGA culture on the island, which at least I can understand for the fabulously wealthy folk on the north shore and the hamptons, but less so for the average joe on the south shore... Source: my family lives there, but I do not.
Looking to move out Of Long Island New York
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Hello folks of suburbia. I am not a wealthy person and I live in a middle class section of Long Island (Levittown) that is starting to transition to upper middle class with the construction of multilevel Mcmansions. Id like to move to another state like Pennsylvania or North Carolina that is cheaper to live in. Its only myself and my mom and we have a house that is worth a little over 500k and we would want a house that costs maybe half the cost of our house(250k) because we need the money. My mom likes to shop so she would need another suburban type of neighborhood where she wouldnt have to travel more than 5 minutes to the nearest store or gas station.
Long Island is becoming congested as well. Any safe, cheaper neighborhoods in North Carolina, Florida(I think Florida is not as cheap as it used to be), or Pennsylvania. Preferably quiet as well because we live near a high school and its very loud with the kids. People are also extremely rude here and Im too old (almost 41 and my mom is almost 70) to deal with youth and crime.
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This is not the sub you think it is.
Long Island problems...
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Seriously, has anybody on LI ever seen ANYTHING available on this app that wasn't frickin' pizza or bagels???? 😭😭😭😭 Set my pickup prefs to a 5 mi radius and I swear it's NOTHING but bread bread cheesy bread and more bread as far as the eye can see. I could've kept going, the literal dozen screenshots I've got here are only about half the local offerings and it's all. The. Same. Some of you don't know how good you'd have it because I'd seriously KILL to score some sweet baked goods, Japanese or Indian food on the cheap. This is almost comedic man. Talk about a New York stereotype!
Top Comment:
In LA it's all donut shops, with new donut shops added every week.
TGTG probably spreads faster from word of mouth between restaurants than direct outreach, so however the pizza shops communicate probably excludes other restaurants by default, like a unofficial Pizzeria Chamber of Commerce.
Vunny's looks like your best bet. High ratings, walking distance, and comes with veggies.
So what's wrong with Long Island? It seems to be close enough to the big city without being the big city, but also not being atrocious urban sprawl. Im west coast so I really dont know. Looking around Eastern Queens/Western Nassau County
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it seems people on reddit hate Long Island but places like Greatneck showed up as great places to live. Any insights locals can provide?
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The sprawl can get bad. And a lot of LI is Trump and republican central with everyone who fled from the "dangerous and war-torn NYC." Not a problem if you identify with those politics of course.
Why does Long Island seem to get such a bad reputation?
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It seems like whenever I bring it up to people, they get that disgusted look or assume the worst about it. When I was going there to visit a friend, a coworker told me to "be careful there in this kind of a climate, people there feel emboldened". I didn't ask them to specify too much but why does the place get a bad reputation?
Top Comment:
Long Island is cold Florida at times, some really amazing parts but often it’s what the worst of middle America has to offer.