Long Island. Retail Price: $Too Much

I stepped through the entrance of my friend Jessica’s townhouse on Sunday and was met with an amazing sight. Her place was wonderful…and gigantic. With two floors, two bedrooms, two and a half baths and a living room that could eat Chuck’s entire studio apartment, a place like this would have been perfect for Chuck and I.

Jess and I went to Manhattanville College together and she continued to live in Westchester for a few years after graduating. She’s familiar with the high cost of living in downstate New York. Jess’ townhouse, which she rents with her boyfriend, is in Durham, N.C. and her rent is one third what she would have paid on Long Island for the same place.

This photo of my adorable kitty and I, was taken in front of the doorway to the kitchen of Chuck's apartment. Through that doorway was another 60 square feet. Maybe. (He's was moving out, hence the mess)

Seeing her place on my most recent trip to North Carolina made the cost of living on Long Island even more mind-boggling. Her rent is actually LESS than what Chuck paid for his studio apartment in a renovated mansion dating back to the 1800s.

I’m having trouble comprehending why there is such a disparity.

Sure, we have proximity to New York City, the greatest city in the world. We also have amazing beaches. We’ve got some good wineries too.

And we have…good schools? Sure, in some districts. The quality of our educational system can easily be debated. Without any standardized measure that is used throughout the country, it really could go either way.

So what else do we have that warrants such a high price?

A winter sunset at Jones Beach

I, and anyone else that has had to replace a tire this winter, can tell you it’s not our roadways. With many of our bridges and overpasses deteriorating, they’re downright dangerous.

The people of Brentwood want to know why gangs have taken over their neighborhoods. Suffolk County P.D. gets paid a lot of money to do their jobs. What’s wrong within the department that has allowed crime in this area to get out of control?

While New York has the entire country beat when it comes to a good slice of pizza, a bagel or a deli sandwich, there is nothing offered commercially in New York that can’t be found anywhere else.

You can’t even argue that salaries are that much higher. As I learned at recent Long Beach Board of Education meeting, the salaries are actually on par with the rest of New York State, while the cost of living is higher. I’ve met plenty of people that have actually gotten paid more in similar positions outside of Long Island.

Give it some thought. Is there anything on Long Island that is so spectacularly wonderful that it deserves to stick such a high price tag on it?

I Heart Long Island

Three years ago I had an argument with my ex-boyfriend who was from Pennsylvania. I told him that I wasn’t leaving Long Island and if I did at any point, I would have to move back. His lack of understanding my passion for the Island was one of the many reasons we broke up. Looking back on it now, I may have been subconsciously using my passion as an excuse to avoid taking the next step with him, but that’s neither here nor there.

Words can’t describe how I feel when I drive on the Robert Moses Causeway and see the sun rise over the Great South Bay and catch a glimpse of the never ending ocean on the horizon. I love our small towns, vineyards, farms and, when I’m feeling like a college student again, the local bars.

I love the change in seasons and how it never gets too hot, but never gets too cold. I don’t venture into Manhattan often, but I like that I’m just a train ride away when I feel the need to meet up with a city-living friend or visit a museum.

I love the pizza and a good bagel.

Sometimes I forget about all the things that I love because all I can think about lately are all the things I hate.

I hate that I work 35 miles away from my job, but it takes me an hour to get there because of traffic. I also hate that I have to plan my entire existence on Long Island, and leaving Long Island, on traffic. I hate that when I’m in Nassau County I have to ask questions like, “If I park here, am I going to get towed?” or “Does it have a separate lot or do I need to park on the street?”

I hate that people aren’t polite enough to say thank you when you hold the door open for them or let them cross the street without running them over. I hate that one person will cause 20 minutes of traffic just to get someplace 10 seconds faster. I hate that gas is 10 cents more expensive here than other places in the state.

I hate that property taxes cost more than most mortgages. I hate that the cheapest rent in a complex in a decent area is $1,100 a month plus utilities. I hate that the cheaper option is living in someone’s basement.

Most of all, I hate that the cost of living is so high and the salaries are so low that in order to take the next step in a serious relationship, I need to ask my parents to convert part of their house into a separate apartment or move away.

In the past two years I’ve been hit with a hard dose of reality. One day I’m going to have to leave.