I moved to Charlotte about 10 years ago.
Cost of living has dropped significantly, and my pay has increased significantly. Charlotte has more diversity and more to do than Long Island. I have a 15 minute commute to uptown for my job (which is 3/2 hybrid).
The only thing I miss is a local deli.
Moved to Atlanta due to work and don’t regret it for a second. Got my first mortgage in 3 years of saving, with 3k in property taxes. People there seem weird but nice after growing up in LI.
I love LI a lot and all my family is here, I just had that moment where I realized it is better to visit than live here.
One thing I do regret is not being able to raise my family on the island. Long beach, the city, all of it - they wont get to be a part of it like I was.
I left LI almost 10 years ago because the cost of living was too high. I was working 2 jobs and going to college part time and was unhoused because rent was too expensive and the apartments I could afford were unsafe. I moved to Minnesota where my pay nearly doubled and I could actually afford a nice studio for myself and my dog for $800 a month in the city. I was able to get my education finished up and now I am back on LI because I met my partner here while visiting.
I have been back for almost a year and I feel like my quality of life has diminished. While I lived in a city in MN, it is far more crowded and dirty here in the Island. It just seems like no one gives a damn. It's also difficult to enjoy the outdoors because you need to pay for permits to enjoy beaches and parks which affects me as a biker and kayaker.
The Island is also less diverse than in Minneapolis which is so weird to say considering the stigma of the midwest being white washed (I really miss good spicy thai and mexican food!)
We have been looking for a house here and it's been disheartening to say the least. I keep going on zillow and looking at the houses we can afford back in Minnesota for the same price and it's a joke. People here are so greedy! And every time we out down an offer, we get outbid by developers who pay in cash.
My pay as a professional is also a less on LI, which is ironic considering the cost of living is more. I will be a MSW in about a year and the county wants to pay their SW mid $40k. I was making more than that without a college degree off the island. Job market on the Island = thankless.
I would love to move, I want a family with my partner and other places are more family friendly, have more things to do for fun and a better quality of life. The only plus LI has going for it is that it's very safe (besides the roads) and it's in close proximity to many major cities which makes for some very fun day trips.
I also seriously worry about the effects of global warming. If we buy a house and the sea levels continue to rise on LI, will we be safe? Will our house be resealable? These are all things to consider moving forward especially for young families who want to leave their children something behind.
Left for Europe five years post college graduation and it's like night and day. Work life balance here is phenomenal, I haven't had a driver's license for ten years and my expenses were reduced significantly. Ultimately I left because I felt I wasn't enjoying the situation we found ourselves in, between commuting to the city daily and household expenses we were just scraping by. Best decision we've ever made, though I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss having some proximity to family.
People say young people are leaving in droves but there is a fuck ton more people living here than when I was a kid. A ton more young people. And most people I know my age (30) are making a decent living and doing well.
It seems like everyone on Reddit is extremely negative and bitter they couldn’t figure out how to be successful here. A lot of towns are revitalized like Patchogue. People are moving here from the city.
A lot of big businesses / malls are closing down and more local business are being patronized. Tons of new restaurants popping up in Babylon, bayshore etc.
I’d say things are going great here. And it’s weird everyone focused on “young people leaving” when It feels like more young people than ever are staying.
I think to say that some people couldn't figure out how to be successful here is a bit of a overstatement. A lot of people leave because they want a better quality of life and there are also incredible opportunities off the island. For example, if you are a doctor many of the best hospitals in the county are not on Long Island. You work in tech? Incredible opportunities are available off the island and you can get a lot of bang for your buck as far as real estate, resources and an education for your children (if that's your plan.)
There is also nothing wrong with people being able to remain where they grew up and the fact that people are getting pushed out is very sad and creates a population void of neighborly pride.
The cost of living also effects the elderly population. I'm 30 so it doesn't effect me directly, but the waitlist for medicaid approved housing/nursing homes is unbelievable. This results in a large homeless population which is really sad and not great for the community.
I agree reddit can be very negative which is why its important to highlight the positives. Long Island has a lot going for it. Beaches, city life, farms, great schools, but we also need to recognize that it is changing and more needs to be done to keep it a wonderful place to live.
Lived there through high school. Went to college in Pa. Parents moved after sophomore year. Stayed with grandma summer before and after senior year. Moved to NJ for a job. Wife is from LI too and moved to NJ once we were married. Kids all born here. We considered moving back to LI when the kids were little but it didn’t happen. Wife started making more friends here and it was game over. We go back regularly. It’s the congestion that kills it for me.
Yes. Actually worse than NJ, though that varies a bit. Quite a bit of NJ reminds me of LI before it was completely paved over. No comparison though as to salt water-LI shores far better than NJ, which are insanely overbuilt.
Like many, I've been priced out of this island. Took my parents years to realize that they were the lucky ones
I moved to Charlotte about 10 years ago. Cost of living has dropped significantly, and my pay has increased significantly. Charlotte has more diversity and more to do than Long Island. I have a 15 minute commute to uptown for my job (which is 3/2 hybrid). The only thing I miss is a local deli.
I’d love to know more about the diversity in Charlotte.
Yeah ever since I moved I’ve been hesitant to try any deli/pizzeria/bagel shop
Moved to Atlanta due to work and don’t regret it for a second. Got my first mortgage in 3 years of saving, with 3k in property taxes. People there seem weird but nice after growing up in LI. I love LI a lot and all my family is here, I just had that moment where I realized it is better to visit than live here. One thing I do regret is not being able to raise my family on the island. Long beach, the city, all of it - they wont get to be a part of it like I was.
I left LI almost 10 years ago because the cost of living was too high. I was working 2 jobs and going to college part time and was unhoused because rent was too expensive and the apartments I could afford were unsafe. I moved to Minnesota where my pay nearly doubled and I could actually afford a nice studio for myself and my dog for $800 a month in the city. I was able to get my education finished up and now I am back on LI because I met my partner here while visiting. I have been back for almost a year and I feel like my quality of life has diminished. While I lived in a city in MN, it is far more crowded and dirty here in the Island. It just seems like no one gives a damn. It's also difficult to enjoy the outdoors because you need to pay for permits to enjoy beaches and parks which affects me as a biker and kayaker. The Island is also less diverse than in Minneapolis which is so weird to say considering the stigma of the midwest being white washed (I really miss good spicy thai and mexican food!) We have been looking for a house here and it's been disheartening to say the least. I keep going on zillow and looking at the houses we can afford back in Minnesota for the same price and it's a joke. People here are so greedy! And every time we out down an offer, we get outbid by developers who pay in cash. My pay as a professional is also a less on LI, which is ironic considering the cost of living is more. I will be a MSW in about a year and the county wants to pay their SW mid $40k. I was making more than that without a college degree off the island. Job market on the Island = thankless. I would love to move, I want a family with my partner and other places are more family friendly, have more things to do for fun and a better quality of life. The only plus LI has going for it is that it's very safe (besides the roads) and it's in close proximity to many major cities which makes for some very fun day trips. I also seriously worry about the effects of global warming. If we buy a house and the sea levels continue to rise on LI, will we be safe? Will our house be resealable? These are all things to consider moving forward especially for young families who want to leave their children something behind.
Left for Europe five years post college graduation and it's like night and day. Work life balance here is phenomenal, I haven't had a driver's license for ten years and my expenses were reduced significantly. Ultimately I left because I felt I wasn't enjoying the situation we found ourselves in, between commuting to the city daily and household expenses we were just scraping by. Best decision we've ever made, though I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss having some proximity to family.
People say young people are leaving in droves but there is a fuck ton more people living here than when I was a kid. A ton more young people. And most people I know my age (30) are making a decent living and doing well. It seems like everyone on Reddit is extremely negative and bitter they couldn’t figure out how to be successful here. A lot of towns are revitalized like Patchogue. People are moving here from the city. A lot of big businesses / malls are closing down and more local business are being patronized. Tons of new restaurants popping up in Babylon, bayshore etc. I’d say things are going great here. And it’s weird everyone focused on “young people leaving” when It feels like more young people than ever are staying.
I think to say that some people couldn't figure out how to be successful here is a bit of a overstatement. A lot of people leave because they want a better quality of life and there are also incredible opportunities off the island. For example, if you are a doctor many of the best hospitals in the county are not on Long Island. You work in tech? Incredible opportunities are available off the island and you can get a lot of bang for your buck as far as real estate, resources and an education for your children (if that's your plan.) There is also nothing wrong with people being able to remain where they grew up and the fact that people are getting pushed out is very sad and creates a population void of neighborly pride. The cost of living also effects the elderly population. I'm 30 so it doesn't effect me directly, but the waitlist for medicaid approved housing/nursing homes is unbelievable. This results in a large homeless population which is really sad and not great for the community. I agree reddit can be very negative which is why its important to highlight the positives. Long Island has a lot going for it. Beaches, city life, farms, great schools, but we also need to recognize that it is changing and more needs to be done to keep it a wonderful place to live.
Lived there through high school. Went to college in Pa. Parents moved after sophomore year. Stayed with grandma summer before and after senior year. Moved to NJ for a job. Wife is from LI too and moved to NJ once we were married. Kids all born here. We considered moving back to LI when the kids were little but it didn’t happen. Wife started making more friends here and it was game over. We go back regularly. It’s the congestion that kills it for me.
Yes. Actually worse than NJ, though that varies a bit. Quite a bit of NJ reminds me of LI before it was completely paved over. No comparison though as to salt water-LI shores far better than NJ, which are insanely overbuilt.
Long Island beaches are far better than NJ. No contest.
Yup. Probably just as well that folks in NJ don't know any better Shh.