As I've already posted before about this and not had much luck I'm hoping that this Title will do the trick. I'm off to Long Island in a couple of months and desperately need to know what the place is like - and if possible more specifically, Wantagh, as I will be residing there.

All info will be news to me.

Cheers verily,

RR

Hi RR. I have a lot of fond memories of the Hamptons and Montauk b/c my aunt has a house in E. Hampton and for most of my childhood I spent a lot of time there.

There is something just magical about the Hamptons. I went to visit my aunt again last year after not being there for years. It was a very nostalagic experience, all of these memories came back to me.

The villages are quaint, pretty, quiet and very clean.

I highly suggest that you spend some time exploring the Hamptons and Montauk.

If you're going in a couple of months it will be well after the peak season and much less crowded. Of course, it will almost definitely be too cold for swimming or watersports but you can still walk along the beach and you will most likely have most of it to yourself.
I recall going to the beach with my aunt when in the fall or winter (it was cold) and with the exception of a jogger or two, we were the only ones. There was something very special about it.

Things not to miss in Montauk include:

Montauk point: the easternmost point of the island which has a lighthouse.

Gosman's seafood restaurant: Very special. Right on the water, you can actually sit on a dock and see the water right under you. I hope they will still be open because they may only be seasonal.

I will try to ask my aunt for some more specific recommendations but in the meantime use some search engines and you should come-up w/ a lot.

Here is the url for the official NY state Tourism site, a good place to start:

http://www.iloveny.state.ny.us/

Good luck and don't forget to tell us how your trip goes.

I've lived on LI all my life (no snickering please). Hopefully, you will have a car as mass transit leaves alot to be desired on LI. You can take the LIRR into NYC which is about a 55 minute ride to Penn Station. You are about an hour from Southampton, a little farther from EastHampton. You are 10 minutes from Jones Beach which is still a magnificent park, and the time you will be on LI the weather will still be nice enough to stroll the boardwalk or walk along the beach. You shouldn't miss it. A trip to the North Shore of LI in the fall is gorgeous, you should visit the Planting Fields in Oyster Bay or Old Westbury Gardens in Old Westbury. Restaurants abound in the Wantagh area, feel free to e-mail me directly for more info. As for shopping, you are 15 minutes from Roosevelt Field, the hub of Nassau County, and has the traffic to prove it. However, this is the mall to go to - Macys, Bloomies, Nordies, etc. Even though you are closer to Sunrise Mall, I would avoid it as it is geared to the 13 - 18 year old set. As I said, feel free to e-mail me directly for more info.

Your question is so general it is a little hard to answer. The first thing you should realize about Long Island is that to get from one end to the other is quite a ride. Yes, the Hamptons are lovely and the "beautiful people" like to vacation there, but you will definitely be nearer to NYC, since you'll be living in Nassau County. Further east, is Suffolk County, where I live. The homes in Nassau tend to be more expensive because as I said, you are nearer to NYC, so it is quicker if you have to commute.

I find it nice to lives in the suburbs. You have more land and you get step out and admire the greenery. There are plenty of cultural things to do without leaving L.I. All the colleges, such as Hofstra offer various shows. Plus, there are many excellent restaurants on L.I. However, one of the posters was correct. We DO love our cars and many families have more than one. I wish you good luck.

Dear RR: Well, for starters, it's NOT in Louisiana--the forum where your question appeared. I think you'll have better luck if you aim for a New York site. Joan

Well, I'm a native Long Islander, presently residing in NJ. Not sure where you currently are living, but...it's pretty crowded there. Wantaugh too. Hope your new job doesn't find you commuting on the Long Island Expressway...you will be in for a rude awakening. All-in-all, Long Island is a very nice place to live. Lots to do to and see - great beaches, close to NYC, great culture and if you have any specific questions, just let me know. I would be more than happy to help you! Good luck. Suzanne

Joan Doyle,

This is a United States Forum! Why did you think it was only a Louisiana forum?

I have lived here on LI my whole life as well, and we are very very car oriented. you must have a car, b/c even if you commute to NYC, you will probably not live within walking distance of the LIRR. Jones Beach is great, there are concerts there in the summer, and there's a nine-hole, par 3 golf course. Also, very good restaurants in Rockville Centre, a town not too far from wantagh. you can expect wantagh and much of nassau county to be tract-type houses on small plots of land, usually well taken care of. of course if you venture into the wealthier areas, there are much bigger houses and properties. we do have a museum in Roslyn and many many seasonal festivals in different towns, Long Beach has a seafood festival, Oyster Bay on the North Shore has it's Oyster Fest in October. You should read our regional paper, Newsday, to get a real feel for LI. They are on the web at newsday.com.

I moved to DC from LI 3 years ago. I have to tell you that I really miss it. I miss the sense of community that I experienced growing up there.
The commute from Wantagh to NYC (assuming thats where you'll work) isn't too bad. (it takes me an hour and a half to commute the 13 miles to work here!) If you will be working East of Wantagh your commute won't be too bad at all.
I agree with all of the previous points, ignore what the nay sayers may think, LI is a wonderful place to live! And no one that I have ever know has ever said "Lawn Gyland"!

RR,
Don't know if this answers your question as I have no idea what your frame of reference is.

Long Island (LI) has several distinct areas. From west to east they are:
Queens and Brooklyn -
Part of NYC they have a wealth of ethnic neighborhoods all with their own charm and personality. 2 of the 3 NYC airports, World's Fair ground, Shea Stadium and National Tennis Center.
Many LIer's have their "roots" in one of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn/Queens.

Nassau County -
Lots of bedroom communities, Wantagh being one of them. Many residents work in NYC. Great beaches, albeit a bit crowded. Home of NY Islanders, Hofstra University, "Gold Coast" on the North Shore and more than it's fair share of great restaurants. Outside of some parks there's not a lot of "open space".

Suffolk County -
~2.5x larger than Nassau in land area w/slightly more people, 2.2 million vs. 1.8 million in Nassau. Suffolk is kind of split into Western and Eastern sections. Western Suffolk is similar to Nassau, with a bit more open space; Eastern Suffolk has "The Hamptons" and is more rural, the beaches are somewhat less crowded and the whole county has more of a historical atmosphere.

General:
LI is crowded and more so in the summer when NYC residents use it as a playground. You'll need a car to get around (mass transit is poor). It's expensive (high taxes) and real estate is approaching straospheric price levels if not there already. Despite it's drawbacks, the quality of life is excellent - if you have the money - and there's something for everyone, if you're willing to look around.

Welcome to the neighborhood!

I have lives on Long Island for most of my life.

Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk counties) are divided in half. The North Shore has hills and trees. The South Shore has beaches etc...

Wantagh is on the South Shore in Nassau County. You need a car if you work elsewhere on Long Island. If you work in NYC you can take the Long Island Rail Road Train service is great there.

You need to earn $80,000 / year to raise a family. Things are not cheap. Homes frequently cost $300000.

Wantagh is near Jones Beach. It is not anywhere near the Hamptons and Montauk.

Good Luck.

Hi,
o.k.u want to know Long Island.I'm the person for u.I have lived hear since I was 3 and a 1/2.I can do 2 things for u.1st call this phone # 1-800-Iloveny
they will send a guide about NYC or Upstate NY,or Long Island exclusively,or all of them.These guides are totally free and come with maps,hotel listings,events going on,historical places,fun things to do,etc. They have these type of guides for every state,major city,and places of interest,for free.Anyone can get them.U'll get the guide in a few weeks or less.I got mine in 2. If u have more questions about the Island,just e-mail me with what u need.I am the information queen.

Have a good trip,
Angel

If you move to Wantagh, I will be a neighbor of yours. I live about 15 minutes away. When you take the LIRR to the city, it is the same line that I use. How does one describe this area. It is great. We have everything here plus more. Parks,watersports,beautiful beaches, stores, fine restaurants, wonderful people,places of interest.You will be only an hour away from NYC.There are colleges and Universities, concerts and theater groups. Of course our taxes are high but we do get a lot of services. Do you get the idea that I love living here? Well you are right.

Long Island is great. There is so much to see and do here. I live in Roslyn, which is on the North Shore in Nassau County. There are beautiful beaches for swimming. We own a boat and go fishing in L.I. Sound. We also kayak during the summer months. There are great museums, arboretums, parks, etc. If you are commuting into NYC, the LIRR is not so bad. The commute gives me time to read or catch a nap. There are so many fabulous restaurants here, it would take years to try them all.
Long Island is great if you love the ocean. We were walking along the Jones Beach Boardwalk in December, and there were dozens of people there even in the cold weather.
I have friends in Wantagh, so please e-mail me directly if you have any specific questions that I can pass along.

What a ridiculous question, no wonder you haven't gotten any answers. We know who you are and frankly, take it elsewhere, we're sick and tired of your crap. Check the search engines, anything but coming here to ask silly, phony questions.

Author: RR ([email protected])
Date: 9/08/1999, 5:39 pm ET

Message:
As I've already posted before about this and not had much luck I'm hoping that this Title will do the trick. I'm off to Long Island in a couple of months and desperately need to know what the place is like - and if possible more specifically, Wantagh, as I will be residing there.

First, you do not need to earn $80,000/year (as one writer said) to raise a family in LI, especially when you consider the high quality of public schools. You can live well for less, just depends on your lifesyle preferences.

That aside, lots of people mentioned Jones Beach. I suggest Robert Moses, which is less crowded and, generally, cleaner. If you like sports/adventure, they abound: fishing, skydiving, skating, skiing, you name it. When non-New Yorkers think of NY, they usually think of Manhattan, but we have oceans, lakes and mountains, wildlife preserves, incredible sunsets (albeit likely due to pollution). . . Right now, the weather sucks: its snowed and dipped below 0 (123 with wind chill) this week, but Spring and Summer are coming, when we get long periods of the opposite.

Long Island's natives have lots of chioces: restaurants (in the Baldwin/Freeport area, not far from Wantaugh, there's Italian, Chinese, Carribbean, French, seafood, Spanish . . . ), dance clubs, blues/rock bars, gyms, great supermarkets, malls, pretty much anything you could ask for, but if something's missing, the city is close enough. If you can handle the winter, you should be happy whether your single or a family person.

L.I. is a great area with a wide variety of things to do, but it is a pricey place to live. Be prepared to spend $200,000.00+ for a home, you must have a car and wait til you get your first L.I.P.A. bill. Even your monthly cablevision bill will knock you for a loop. On the plus side, this is a place where 24 hours a day there's something to do or see. Lots of great restaurants, clubs, theaters, beaches and the people here are terrific. Best wishes for your move.

I think it’s time to clarify one thing, since the silly database makes this question pop up in OR and WA as well:
There are two “Long Islands.” One in NY and one in WA.
The one in NY is over populated but has all sorts of creature comforts. The one in WA is UN-populated, part of a wildlife refuge, and has no civilized accommodations (the driest spots are under upended canoes). A canoe, kayak, or other form of floating contrivance is the only way to reach WA’s Long Island—alright, unless you’re willing to swim (bring a good wet suit) or arrive via floatplane. But there are black bears and old-growth red cedars.
Please stop confusing the two continentally-opposed islands.
P.S. Did you know that some court decided that "Long Island" is no longer an island but a peninsula?

The court decided that New York's "Long Island" is no longer an island (WA's Long Island quite definitely still is), which has made the folks on Whidbey Island, WA, claim that their's is now the "longest island in the U.S." But they've stopped short of renaming their sausage-like glacial moraine.

Leave it to the courts to redefine yet another "non legal" word.

This inquiring LI'er would appreciate anyone that has the the info. about the court and/or judge that is rewriting the dictionary?