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Our family is relocating from out of state to Long Island. We have narrowed it down to Centerport and Northport, but are having a tough time deciding between the two.
We have children in both elementary and middle school. Currently, our middle school has a huge bullying problem.
We know that it is prevalent at the middle school age (and unavoidable), but do either of these school districts have a reputation for bullying?
Is one school more "accepting" of new kids than the other? Does either district go out of their way to help new students assimilate?
Thanks in advance. Looking for both positive and negative experiences.
We were renting in Northport Village for a year and liked the town a lot. The town park is gorgeous and the feel of the town is amazing -- everyone is a Runner -- there are always people on streets in the village (we liked that) . We just were not able to find anything in the village. It feels like most of residents are there for generations and are reluctant to move.
What we liked about HBCA is that it has a community feel and that it is so close to the water. There is a private beach that has a kid camp during summer // social events etc-- to me it felt like perfect opportunity to mix in and make aquitances early on. So we pulled a trigger on a house that we liked about a month ago.
PS
We have two kids and our older kid is starting K next year, so I can't comment about bullying just yet.
Time to get anywhere south/north from both places is a big concern and will be an even bigger concern moving forward as towns implement "traffic calming" and more developments arise (Oak Tree Dairy).
Watch out for the property taxes in Northport. They look nice now but if they lose their lawsuit with the power company over the property tax issue, they will skyrocket.
As mikeroz pointed out, people tend to grow up in Northport and then move back in adulthood. It can be annoying to live in a town like that. It won't lead to bullying, but you'll meet people who have to drop it in every conversation that they grew up there, and may already have a core of friends. But it's a lovely town and it's close to Huntington when you want something bigger. It is a pain to get anywhere from there, though.
We were looking at places in Northport, before settling in Greenlawn (largely because as "chetstash" mentioned it can add a little bit of time to your commute if you are trying to get to a major road at peak times). For kids Harborfields, Northport, and Elwood are all great school districts. That said other than that its all a tossup depending on the type of house/property you are looking for. No matter where you land you will probably be spending lots of time in Northport Village.
We like Huntington a lot too so we hang out there too. YMCA is great and restaurant scene is better than northport,s.
Let's also not forget summer music festivals in the park
Northport Village is indeed charming. One of the prettiest on LI. Centerport lacks a village square/Main Street, but Northport's is only 5 -10 minutes away. Centerport is quieter, which appeals to some. The schools are a strong notch higher in Centerport (Harborfields), but both districts are among the very best on Long Island. I moved here (Centerport) several years ago and remember a few realtors telling me (and demonstrating with property listings) that I could expect to pay up to 100K more for the same type of house/land in Centerport versus Northport. This was true. Saw some houses in Northport that I really loved, and I almost caved because of it (I could not afford the same level of house in Centerport) but nonetheless, I felt Centerport was the better investment. I could have purchased more house in Northport, but have never doubted my decision. I didn't love that Northport, which is bigger, has some areas that are not so great, whereas pretty much everything in tiny Centerport is really quite amazing. Also, both areas are not diverse at all but Centerport is truly a homogenous area (one of the few left on LI) and I like that too. People here seem to value that a lot. Snobby yes, but not a big deal after you get used to it. Some people think lack of diversity is a minus, I know, but these are my opinions and I'm offering them as a tool to assist the OP. Very happy in C-Port, and frankly, I can't think of anyone who isn't. Hope this helps
I think tables might be turning as far as affordability.
Northport was more expensive than Centerport. I only looked in the village though.
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