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I didn't realize Levittown was looked down upon. For whatever reason, this board seems to attract the upper class of Long Island rather than the middle and lower classes. I live in Ronkonkoma, which people on this board look down upon, but I don't know of anybody in real life who feels so unfavorably of Ronkonkoma. People here tell me that I won't be able to survive on Long Island with my income, when I know plenty of people who are surviving here on similar incomes. Also, there are frequent threads here where people ask whether to live in Great Neck North or Great Neck South (as if it really matters), yet the poorer people who ask whether they should live in Central Islip or Brentwood just get flamed. The people on this board need to realize that not everyone is as rich and materialistic as you are.
I didn't realize Levittown was looked down upon. For whatever reason, this board seems to attract the upper class of Long Island rather than the middle and lower classes. I live in Ronkonkoma, which people on this board look down upon, but I don't know of anybody in real life who feels so unfavorably of Ronkonkoma. People here tell me that I won't be able to survive on Long Island with my income, when I know plenty of people who are surviving here on similar incomes. Also, there are frequent threads here where people ask whether to live in Great Neck North or Great Neck South (as if it really matters), yet the poorer people who ask whether they should live in Central Islip or Brentwood just get flamed. The people on this board need to realize that not everyone is as rich and materialistic as you are.
Location: Prince Georges County, MD (formerly Long Island, NY)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mitsguy2001
I didn't realize Levittown was looked down upon. For whatever reason, this board seems to attract the upper class of Long Island rather than the middle and lower classes. I live in Ronkonkoma, which people on this board look down upon, but I don't know of anybody in real life who feels so unfavorably of Ronkonkoma. People here tell me that I won't be able to survive on Long Island with my income, when I know plenty of people who are surviving here on similar incomes. Also, there are frequent threads here where people ask whether to live in Great Neck North or Great Neck South (as if it really matters), yet the poorer people who ask whether they should live in Central Islip or Brentwood just get flamed. The people on this board need to realize that not everyone is as rich and materialistic as you are.
You know, Mits-- I actually agree with you. Never thought I'd say that, actually.
Now I know I'm going to get flamed really bad for this, but I'm going to go ahead and say it...
If Levittown was a black or hispanic neighborhood, its reputation on this board would be much worse.
Originally, Levittown wasn't on our list of areas to look for a home in for the following reasons only: Taxes in Levittown are disproportionately high for the typical sizes of the homes/properties (no basement), reputation of the school and the fact that there is no LIRR stop. However, the effects of Hurricane Sandy put Levittown back on our list, because suddenly, the middle of the island seemed more desirable to us, versus Bellmore, Merrick, Wantagh, Seaford and Massapequa, which had previously been higher on our list.
For the record, we felt the same way about Plainedge as we did Levittown, where the taxes were astronomical and schools were just considered so-so. It's all personal choice, really. Some areas tick off more items on ones list of desired criteria than others, that's all.
I don't think Levittown has a bad or good rep....its pretty much meh...as someone else said many would consider it rather provincial and nondescript. Its noted for its lack of diversity (I guess the legacy of William Levitt still exists to some extent) and generally poor housing stock. Its one of those towns that if you bought back in the day when it was cheap you stay but I wouldn't recommend it to a new family seeking a home on the Island. Just my opinion and I am no snob.
I was wondering why Levittown has such a bad reputation. I recently moved from Brooklyn and bought a house here and absolutely love it. My neighborhood is quiet, safe and I feel very comfortable. My house was gut renovated and is great (besides walking directly into the kitchen, that will have to change) I've heard the school system is solid as well. No kids yet but hopefully soon. My wife is from Seaford and her father voiced his displeasure with the area when we told him we were buying a house there.Can anyone explain why Levittown seems to be frowned upon?
[quote=msarran;31788311]
Some (maybe many?) people view Levittown as a 'white trash' town; I think it's just a reputation, not necessarily based in fact, that just carries forward. It's something I've always wondered about as well.
I only learned of this when I got into high school and somebody on the track team (it was a district-wide team then) told me about a meet the year before where one of the schools wrote in our sand/long jump pit 'white trash' (apparently the meet was against Uniondale and East Meadow). That person then told me about a football championship game between Division and Garden City (maybe in '96?) where the Garden City fans brought signs that said things like 'take out the trash' and had other allusions to Levittown residents being trashy. Anecdotal so take it for what it's worth.
A friend said an acquaintance told him people look down on Levittown because 'your houses were built in 5 minutes.' So I guess the relatively small plots and small houses, a perceived cheap housing stock, play into it.
I've also been told that when Levittown was created, people saw it as a dumping ground for loser g.i's who wouldn't amount to anything.
I met someone in law school who was from a neighboring town, when she found out I was from Levittown she told me she lived in fear of Levittown and didn't think she would have survived at MacArthur. I asked what scared her about it, she said she just heard crazy things about MacArthur.
Levittown is not diverse in the racial/ethnic sense, but I find it odd that other Long Islanders would frown upon Levittown for that when most areas probably consist of a similar racial makeup. I guess the implication is that people in Levittown are racists? According to this website, Levittown is 81.2% white alone, while Seaford is 91.4%, so I doubt that's it, at least in your father in law's case.
I've heard the teachers' strike, I think in the 1970's, hurt Levittown's reputation, but I don't know if that's still the case. Levittown schools seem pretty well regarded these days, I think they 'ranked' above Seaford the last time a list ranking LI schools came out.
But then I know people who seem to relish in this reputation and act like tough guys looking for fights, and an Asian acquaintance once told me he felt uncomfortable walking around Levittown (he lived here too) that he felt like people stared at him, regarded him as an outsider.
i never heard of levittown having a bad reputation. lots of people live in levittown. I'd say if you asked 10 random people in nassau county what town they live in atleast a few would say levittown.
I didn't realize Levittown was looked down upon. For whatever reason, this board seems to attract the upper class of Long Island rather than the middle and lower classes. I live in Ronkonkoma, which people on this board look down upon, but I don't know of anybody in real life who feels so unfavorably of Ronkonkoma. People here tell me that I won't be able to survive on Long Island with my income, when I know plenty of people who are surviving here on similar incomes. Also, there are frequent threads here where people ask whether to live in Great Neck North or Great Neck South (as if it really matters), yet the poorer people who ask whether they should live in Central Islip or Brentwood just get flamed. The people on this board need to realize that not everyone is as rich and materialistic as you are.
LMAO!
That's what they say on an anonymous internet message board.
Who knows what their real situation is.
I'm sure you'd be surprised in many cases at how the "snobs" on here really live.
Some (maybe many?) people view Levittown as a 'white trash' town; I think it's just a reputation, not necessarily based in fact, that just carries forward. It's something I've always wondered about as well.
I only learned of this when I got into high school and somebody on the track team (it was a district-wide team then) told me about a meet the year before where one of the schools wrote in our sand/long jump pit 'white trash' (apparently the meet was against Uniondale and East Meadow). That person then told me about a football championship game between Division and Garden City (maybe in '96?) where the Garden City fans brought signs that said things like 'take out the trash' and had other allusions to Levittown residents being trashy. Anecdotal so take it for what it's worth.
A friend said an acquaintance told him people look down on Levittown because 'your houses were built in 5 minutes.' So I guess the relatively small plots and small houses, a perceived cheap housing stock, play into it.
I've also been told that when Levittown was created, people saw it as a dumping ground for loser g.i's who wouldn't amount to anything.
I met someone in law school who was from a neighboring town, when she found out I was from Levittown she told me she lived in fear of Levittown and didn't think she would have survived at MacArthur. I asked what scared her about it, she said she just heard crazy things about MacArthur.
Levittown is not diverse in the racial/ethnic sense, but I find it odd that other Long Islanders would frown upon Levittown for that when most areas probably consist of a similar racial makeup. I guess the implication is that people in Levittown are racists? According to this website, Levittown is 81.2% white alone, while Seaford is 91.4%, so I doubt that's it, at least in your father in law's case.
I've heard the teachers' strike, I think in the 1970's, hurt Levittown's reputation, but I don't know if that's still the case. Levittown schools seem pretty well regarded these days, I think they 'ranked' above Seaford the last time a list ranking LI schools came out.
But then I know people who seem to relish in this reputation and act like tough guys looking for fights, and an Asian acquaintance once told me he felt uncomfortable walking around Levittown (he lived here too) that he felt like people stared at him, regarded him as an outsider.
These days that silly "white trash" reputation is just ridiculous and outdated. It probably started back in my parents' time and before ... the 70s and 80s ... and was probably only because Levittown had a lot of lower middle class and working class homeowners ... nobody "horrendous" at all; just working people! (And seriously, Long Islanders really do not know what TRUE white trash is anyway!)
Fast forward to times like they are now when a single wage earner cannot keep a household owning a home afloat and Levittown gets more families/homeowners with two college educated wage earners at the helm of the family ... it's no longer as easy to slur Levittown's residents as "trashy folk" now is it?
Nothing wrong with Levittown. Most of the little cookie cutter houses people make fun of have been updated too, so not much to make fun of there even. If you look, you can find a middle class house to like in Levittown. If you're looking for McMansions, you're obviously not going to look in Levittown, so pass it on by. The only thing I find fault with in Levittown is excessive property/school taxes compared to the values of the homes, but there are other towns in LI that are similar or are not far behind it.
The housing prices in Levittown are inexpensive for Nassau County. You can find many homes there between $250-$350k, but I imagine the lesser expensive need more renovations and updates. I never heard or thought of Levittown as having bad reputation, it's an average middle class community.
Last edited by Coinnle Corra; 10-15-2013 at 04:48 PM..
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