Life

Monday, January 28, 2008

Tell Me Why Long Island

Here are some facts about Long Island, where I call home:

Long Island is 118 miles long and 18-20 miles wide at its widest point. 

Population (all four counties: Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, Kings) 7,448,618.  Thats 5,470 people per square mile!!!

The population for just Nassau and Suffolk Counties (the two counties that are actually considered Long Island, because Kings a/k/a Brooklyn and Queens are actually part of New York City): 2.7 million.  

Long Island is more populated than 97 countries of the world!!

Long Island is the most populated island in any US state or territory.  It is also the 17th most populous island in the world, ahead of Ireland, Jamaica and the Japanese island of Hokkaido.  

Nassau County is ranked fifth highest in income per capita in the entire country.  

Nassau County, according to the 2000 Census, is the third richest county per capita in New York State, and the thirtieth richest in the nation.  If it were an independent nation, it would rank as the 96th most populated nation, falling between Switzerland and Israel.  

Median Long Island Home Price:  In Excess of $400,000

In 2001, the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute reported that Long Island had the highest cost of living/income index in the country.  

The average property tax bill for an average size home is between $8,000 and $16,000 a year... that's just the property tax, folks... no mortgage is included in those numbers.  In fact, Nassau County has the second highest property taxes in the United States.  

The average electric bill for a standard 4 bedroom, 2 bath home is over $300 per month, without air conditioning or holiday lights. 

If you combined all the fire and rescue vehicles, Long Island has more than New York City gand Los Angeles COMBINED!

According to Forbes Magazine, the most expensive home in North America is Three Ponds Estate in Bridgehampton, valued at $75 million.

The Nassau County jail has been probed by the Federal government for prisoner abuses, including death.  

So why am I staying?  Highest cost of living, second hightest property tax, and traffic... oh, did I forget to mention the traffic?  5,470 people per square mile all getting to and from work, I suppose, to pay for all of this.  

In September 1998, a small tornado hit Lynbrook, Long Island; in August 1999, an F-2 tornado hit Mattituck, Long Island; in August 2005, a tornado hit Glen Cove, Long Island; one year later in August, 2006, a tornado hit Massapequa in Nassau County; and on July 18, 2007, a tornado hit Islip Terrace.  

Long Island:  the only place you have to be rich to be poor.  

Sometimes, though, its easier to deal with the devil you know than the one you don't.  Oh, matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match! Find me a town, where i can be a paramedic, where i can give my children more opportunities in life than I ever had myself, where i can life in relative security, where medical care is top notch and cutting-edge.  Find me a place where I can discern the difference between what I am here to do and what I would like to do while I am here.  Can any of you tell me why I'm doing this all on Long Island?  Hope you can help me figure it out.  In the meantime, I will be trying to save some lives.  The more people are alive the more chance I have to come up with answers.  

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

a matcher has come to the rescue...there is only one place that I know of, other than Kansas. LOL. Drum roll please.....CANADA. But the the reality is, anywhere you end up there will always be a devil lurking.
P.S.- i recently read an amazing book "The Alchemist", by Paulo Coelho. It's about a man in search of his peronal legend, as he struggles to break free from comfortable confines of confromity & pursues his life dreams- paramedic anyone. Great book, Great read.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the post, anonymous. i went to an islanders hockey game last nite. they were playing the ottowa senators. i was surprised at how many ottowa fans were in the crowd. and they all looked happy.

Vagablonde Bombchelle said...

... and with all that people still can't figure out why I fled the Island at 18 and never turned back!

If you don't mind freezing your arse off 3 months a year Minneapolis is quite nice... although I could use better pizza and a knish from time to time.

Anonymous said...

here is a link for ya...

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2005/11/new_york_pizza_shipped_to_your_door_1.php


Nothing like NY Pizza, a NY bagel, a knish, and hot dogs from Papaya.

"How U Doin'?" <==== insert heavy brooklyn accent here.

Magpie said...

Hmm. I grew up on Long Island, but when it came time to move out of NYC because the small child had forced us out of our one bedroom apartment, we moved to Westchester. It's on the main land.

Anonymous said...

I grew up in Westchester. Much more bucolic than long island, just not quite sure what the cost of living is there nowadays. Love it up there. Most of my years there i spent in Pleasantville. Its the kind of town where, when you are growing up there, you hate it because its small, everyone knows your business, and its close to (but not in) manhattan. Then after you grow up and leave, you miss it and tell everyone how much you love it because its small, everyone knows your business ,and its close to (but not in) manhattan. (!). Say hi to everyone for me up there! Thanks for the post.