Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello all...
My husband and I are a young couple with a 3 month old daughter. We currently live on a great, family friendly block in Whitestone, Queens. We would love to stay here, but the NYC public school system is just terrible, and Whitestone is getting more and more congested as time goes by.
Before I get into our problem, I should tell you what we are looking for...an upper middle class community, with great schools, friendly people, low crime, an overall great place to raise a family. Money is not an issue, we are willing to spend anywhere from 700k to 1.5 million.
Our problem is this...I would like to move to the south shore. I feel the people are nicer, there is a more tight knit feeling among neighbors, and the beaches can't be beat. I've researched areas, and driven through many and the ones I really like are- the Wantagh Woods and Mandalay sections of Wantagh, the Massapequa Shores, Biltmore Shores, Old Harbour Green, and Nassau Shores sections of Massapequa, and the South Merrick and Merrick Woods sections of Merrick.
My husband is all about the north shore. He loves the affluent, ritzy lifestyle that many people in these towns enjoy. The towns he loves include Bayville, Lattingtown, Garden City, East Hills, Oyster Bay Cove, Syosset, and Port Washington.
Which of these towns (sorry I listed so many!) would be the best for our family, based on the criteria I mentioned above? Thank You all in advance!!
Whitestone is a great area. Are you taking advantage of your access to the best cheesecake in the world, Cascon cheesecake? Why would you want to leave there? Whitestone is crime free, has beautiful well maintained houses, and a sense of European ethnic identity that is not found almost anywhere in the states.
You are going to create problems in your life by moving to a place that either you or your husband does not feel comfortable in. This will create a division in your marriage. If you feel like your kid is above the NYC schools why not send the kid to Catholic schools, solve you problem the easy way instead of uprooting the entire operation. Have you realized that Kids in the suburbs are apt to use drugs, be generally clueless about the world and are found loitering in malls.
Do yourself a favor and stay in Whitestone. Long Island 2007 is a horrorshow.
Lexismommy, you're in an unenviable situation because as you already know, the ambience is very different between the South and North shores (not saying either one is BETTER... just DIFFERENT!).
One inescapable fact is that even in your price range, you will get noticeably less house for your dollar in those North Shore communities (except possibly Syosset and some parts of Port Washington) than you will in any of the South Shore ones on your list. Let's say you want to spend $875K on the house itself (not including any renovations you'd want to make). For 875K you will get a very nice home in those South Shore areas, but for the same price in Lattingtown, etc., you'll get something that is mediocre-to-average and may need around 100K in upgrades (a new kitchen can easily cost half that amount). An 875K home is not "high end" in many Gold Coast communities, especially Lattingtown, Old Brookville, Mill Neck, Matinecock, etc. A 700K house in those N. Shore towns is either tiny or a fixer-upper or both (or has a major negative such as being on a busy main road, which I'm sure you don't want).
If your husband has never actually lived in one of those North Shore areas, he might not realize how much social and financial pressure can be put on people who live there without having a high annual income (say, mid to upper six figures). Especially if he has visions of joining one of the local private golf clubs with their hefty fees and membership requirements. That "North Shore Lifestyle" does not come cheap.
Last edited by OvertaxedOnLI; 02-18-2007 at 10:13 PM..
I just moved from Whitestone (by Malba) to Garden City. It sounds like you are in the same boat. We have a 20 month old and one on the way.
We looked all over Nassau and into Suffolk (Northport, Dix Hills, etc.). We looked at demographics, houses, blocks, schools, proximity to the city, proximity to shopping and other parts of the island. We looked at everything and the winner was Garden City.
Yes, it is a fairly affluent town, but the people are absolutely outstanding. VERY family and community oriented. You can't beleive how many people sell their houses only to get another one in GC. Also, you'd be amazed by how many people that grew up here come back with their kids. It's really great.
Close to everything, it really seems to have it all...other than being on the water (but, hey, you're in the middle so the N Shore and S Shore are not far).
I think it would fit all of your needs, plus it's right in the middle...so there's no North Shore/South Shore debate!!
If you'd like to ask me some more questions, please PM me. I would STRONGLY suggest you take a look at the area. At any rate, a move to LI would be good for you and your family. Don't listen to all the whiners on this board. The Queens I knew and love it just about gone. Even Whitestone, a holdout, is succombing. You seem to know it. Take all these boards with a grain of salt. Hey, it may not be paradise, but it's pretty damn good.
Good luck with everything. Hey, maybe we'll be neighbors some day.
I second GCGuy's motion in favor of Garden City. As he pointed out, not only is it a beautiful village but it is convenient to both the North and South shores. Garden City has always been a high-end area which has never gone through any of the "fluctuations" that some other places on LI have experienced.
Thank you all for your responses! Garden City seems like a great area, and it was actually on our original list! Our only problem, and I know we are being picky here, is that it borders Hempstead. Do these two towns share a school district?
Overtaxed on LI, I completely agree about the "North Shore" lifestyle. We actually both really liked Oyster Bay Cove. The people use the Syosset schools, which is supposed to be wonderful, and the houses are all set back from the road, giving the town a rural feel. However, 1.5 million is the CHEAPEST we found there! Some 6 million dollar homes for sale! We are going to take a very close look at Garden City, maybe take a drive through town next weekend and see what its all about. Added bonus: very close to Roosevelt Field!
I just wanted to make one thing clear...we DO NOT feel that we are "above" Queens or that our daughter is "above" the NYC public schools. I was just stating a fact...anyone will tell you that the NYC board of ed. is in trouble. Even in nice places like Whitestone/Bayside. Many Catholic schools are closing down, people just can't afford to send their kids there, the enrollment in to little. Long Island seems like the best move for us, of course we would stay in Whitestone, we love it here! But 10 years from now, Wi'm afraid Whitestone, too, will become just like many other Queens communities.
Thank you all again for your help!
Thank you all for your responses! Garden City seems like a great area, and it was actually on our original list! Our only problem, and I know we are being picky here, is that it borders Hempstead. Do these two towns share a school district?
Overtaxed on LI, I completely agree about the "North Shore" lifestyle. We actually both really liked Oyster Bay Cove. The people use the Syosset schools, which is supposed to be wonderful, and the houses are all set back from the road, giving the town a rural feel. However, 1.5 million is the CHEAPEST we found there! Some 6 million dollar homes for sale! We are going to take a very close look at Garden City, maybe take a drive through town next weekend and see what its all about. Added bonus: very close to Roosevelt Field!
I just wanted to make one thing clear...we DO NOT feel that we are "above" Queens or that our daughter is "above" the NYC public schools. I was just stating a fact...anyone will tell you that the NYC board of ed. is in trouble. Even in nice places like Whitestone/Bayside. Many Catholic schools are closing down, people just can't afford to send their kids there, the enrollment in to little. Long Island seems like the best move for us, of course we would stay in Whitestone, we love it here! But 10 years from now, Wi'm afraid Whitestone, too, will become just like many other Queens communities.
Thank you all again for your help!
No, they each have their own district. If you can afford it, Garden City is a great choice. You will have "sticker shock" when your LI property tax bill comes in, compared to what you paid in Queens! If you love Whitestone why not, as another poster suggested, just go private school? I see changes in LI that mirror the demographic changes in Queens. Garden City has been stable, but other areas are changing rapidly.
Thank you all for your responses! Garden City seems like a great area, and it was actually on our original list! Our only problem, and I know we are being picky here, is that it borders Hempstead. Do these two towns share a school district?
Overtaxed on LI, I completely agree about the "North Shore" lifestyle. We actually both really liked Oyster Bay Cove. The people use the Syosset schools, which is supposed to be wonderful, and the houses are all set back from the road, giving the town a rural feel. However, 1.5 million is the CHEAPEST we found there! Some 6 million dollar homes for sale! We are going to take a very close look at Garden City, maybe take a drive through town next weekend and see what its all about. Added bonus: very close to Roosevelt Field!
I just wanted to make one thing clear...we DO NOT feel that we are "above" Queens or that our daughter is "above" the NYC public schools. I was just stating a fact...anyone will tell you that the NYC board of ed. is in trouble. Even in nice places like Whitestone/Bayside. Many Catholic schools are closing down, people just can't afford to send their kids there, the enrollment in to little. Long Island seems like the best move for us, of course we would stay in Whitestone, we love it here! But 10 years from now, Wi'm afraid Whitestone, too, will become just like many other Queens communities.
Thank you all again for your help!
That was our one concern, too. EVERYONE says there are virtually no issues at all, unless maybe you are on the block that borders Hempstead. The C police are vigilant and on top of things. The GC school district is almost entirely GC proper. There are literally a couple houses in GC that are Franklin Sq. schools I think, but you can be it's 99.9% GC house/GC schools.
I really would not worry about that at all.
Sticker shock, perhaps...but taxes in Queens will continue to go up, perhaps even more than LI...who knows? You save at least $6500 for Catholic schools out in LI, you'll save $ on insurance, too. We actually will be ahead of the game with the move and having our (soon to be) 2 kids in GC public schools. You have to factor everything in, which it seems like you have.
I've always liked Rockville Centre but don't know much about their school district. Everyone that I've know or met who lives in RVC says the community spirit is great and it is convenient to much of the LI amenities too. Similar to Garden City. The prices of homes maybe slightly more tolerable.
I have recently moved from Long Beach and thought that it was great family town as well. If you are considering sending your kids to Catholic School, LB Catholic Regional School is very good. The public elementary schools in LB are good but seem to go down as you get up in grades. If you are beach person, you should consider LB or Lido Beach, too. However, I would not call it convenient as far as access to the rest of the Island. Soemtimes that's a good thing!
Thank you all so much for your suggestions! My husband and I are drove through Garden City yesterday and really liked the neighborhood. We found a home on MLSLI that is having an open house this Saturday, and I think I convinced him to go! It is in the Estates/Adelphi section. Price is 1.1 mil, but we were willing to spend that much if it meant a good place to raise our daughter. Taxes are 14,963 which is more than what we pay in Queens, but again, you pay for the schools, area, etc. GCguy thank you for all your help! Good luck with the new baby! Ours is only 3 months, and we already can't believe how fast time is going! Enjoy them!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
