Deciding where to live is one of the most important decisions of our lives. There are a lot of things that need to be considered. And if you’re choosing between Brooklyn and Long Island that decision can be even harder to make. So if you are thinking about moving from Brooklyn to Long Island but you’re still not quite sure – then you’ve come to the right place! Here’s a little comparison and information to consider before choosing one.
Urban VS suburban
Brooklyn is the most populated borough of New York City. It’s a popular choice because it’s cheaper to live there than in Manhattan, but it’s still close to Manhattan and connected to it by several bridges and tunnels. Brooklyn is characterized by ethnic and cultural diversity. Whereas Long Island is predominantly suburban and as such far less populated than Brooklyn (if you compare Nassau and Suffolk Counties separately). Families are the ones that usually live in Long Island and there’s little ethnic diversity in comparison to Brooklyn. Nassau County, for example, is one of the highest-income counties in the US and its high school students win a lot of STEM-based academic awards.
Entertainment in Brooklyn VS in Long Island
Although many people see suburbs as a place where there’s nothing to do, that’s not necessarily true. Of course, you can’t find in Long Island all the places to go out like in Brooklyn. But don’t get fooled for Long Island has a lot to offer. It has a lot of cities, towns, and villages that differ so much from one another that you can get a unique experience living in them. They also have a lot of art museums, history and heritage museums, galleries and theaters. However, if you prefer outdoor activities, then you’re in for a treat! Long Island offers various outdoor activities – like, for example, sailing, swimming, hiking, fishing, cross-country skiing, ice-skating – that you can enjoy both during summer and winter.
Pay attention to noise levels
I bet that you didn’t even think about noise levels in Long Island! And you most certainly don’t expect all the hustle and bustle of a big city when moving from Brooklyn to Long Island. And that’s perfectly normal. Because when we think about suburbs all that comes to mind is some type of idyll – no noisy streets, clubs, shops, children playing on the streets, peaceful neighborhood. But let me tell you that those children can really make some noise when playing! Especially if you live next to a kindergarten or school! But also be aware of the high traffic areas or restaurants and bars! Try to make time to visit your potential new home both during the weekday and on the weekend. You don’t want to relocate from Brooklyn to Long Island only to find out that you didn’t escape all the hustle and bustle.
Be ready for a different kind of nature
When you think about nature in Brooklyn you probably think about numerous parks that you can find there. Whereas, when you think about nature in Long Island you think about beaches and big mansions. And rightly so. White sandy beaches are abundant in Long Island and they are one of the reasons why people start contemplating about moving from Brooklyn to Long Island. However, apart from popular white sandy beaches, you can find a lot of vineyards, farmlands and gorgeous landscapes.
Be aware of the taxes when moving from Brooklyn to Long Island
One of the common mistakes when moving is not being careful of the money you’ll have to spend. I can’t stress enough how important it is to look up the taxes before choosing your new home in Long Island. If you compare just the prices of a four-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn and a four-bedroom house in Long Island you’ll see that the house is much cheaper. But if you count in the taxes that’ll burst your bubble. If you live in Long Island you won’t be paying NYC income tax, but you’ll have to pay real estate tax. And Long Island is a place famous for its steep real estate taxes.
Other than that there are no hidden taxes or costs. But you should take into account the cost of having a car or using public transport. Owing a car is a lot cheaper in suburbia than in Brooklyn due to lower rates of car insurance. So it’s not uncommon that families have two cars. But if you do opt for using the public transport count in expenses like parking, LIRR taxes, etc.
Do a test-drive in a rush-hour
If you don’t plan on working in Long Island transportation is certainly something to consider before relocating from Brooklyn to Long Island. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to commute in your car or by public transport. This is something you should probably be most careful about apart from the taxes. One of the common mistakes when moving is that people forget about the different transportation problems when choosing their new home. Due to constant traffic jams during rush hour you could spend even three hours getting home or to work. The best thing you can do is to test it. Take one day to go from work to your potential new home and see for yourself how long it takes. Then decide if you’re willing to spend all that time commuting.
The importance of good education
One of the main reasons why people move from Brooklyn to Long Island is because of their children. Other than offering safer neighborhoods, in Long Island children have more room to play. But these are not the only reasons that make Long Island so family-friendly. Schools are causing many families to relocate from Brooklyn to Long Island. Long Island has many schools that offer high-quality education which regularly shows in high scores that students get on SATs.
Schools in Long Island rank highly on the 2020 Best School Districts in New York according to a report by Niche, Inc. Here are the schools that have made in Top 10:
- Jericho UFSD
- Great Neck Public Schools
- Syosset Central S. D.
- East Williston UFSD
- Herricks UFSD
- Manhasset UFSD
New real estate services at your service when relocating from Brooklyn to Long Island
If this wasn’t helpful and you still can’t decide I have great news for you! There are seminars and guided tours for people like you! Many people think about moving from Brooklyn to Long Island but can’t really get themselves to do that. They have a certain image of suburbs that is often exaggerated. Or they simply don’t know enough about it. All that made real estate agents join forces. As I said, “Suburban Jungle” for example, offers guided tours, lectures and seminars. Or if you’re not interested in that they can simply recommend or help you get in touch with some reliable real estate agents in suburbia.