Long Island Calling

While reading this week’s New York magazine, I came across this article in the “Artifact”  section that focused on some interesting slides that accompanied a recent speech made by Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi at a conference on….um… how to make “cool” downtowns in Nassau county.  Towns that are cool enough that young, single people will want to move to, instead of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Now I know what you’re thinking-  “cool downtowns in Nassau county?  Isn’t that like an oxymoron or something?” But there is actually a very cool downtown out here on LI.  The wifey and I love going there for its great restaurants, shopping, and fun atmosphere.

That town, however, is Huntington; which, unfortunately for Executive Suozzi, is in Suffolk county.  ZING!

The interesting part of this article was the slides which were used to categorize the downtowns in Long Island that are cool, which ones are getting cool, and those with a ways to go.  Here is the list from the article:

Hold up!  My town, the Village of Great Neck Plaza, is cool?  In defense of it, yes it does have ample shopping, good restaurants, very good LIRR access to the city, gyms, and a movie theater.  It is a good downtown, but it is NOT a cool one, at least not in the minds of the single young people that Suozzi is trying to get to move to Nassau county.  The main reason why it’s not cool is that (wait for it) there is no NIGHTLIFE WHATSOEVER that young, single people would find interesting.  Actually, last I checked, there isn’t even a bar in the town.

Granted, that don’t phase me no mo’. I’m married, 32 years old, and way past my prime drinking age.  But for young, single folk, that is the common scene they gravitate towards.  If they move to VGNP looking for that, they will end up just as bored as the teenagers hanging out at Grace Ave park and loitering at Cold Stone.  At least the other cool towns listed here actually have nightlife for the youngs to hang out in.  For example, Garden City has places like Novita for people to go to at night, which has a very good cocktail lounge.

As for some of the others on the list:

On The Way to becoming cool:

• Glen Cove-  Too far!
• Westbury- Isn’t that the mall?
• Mineola- Choo Choo!

And for the ones that are not even close, this list was accurate:

• Freeport- there is only one thing that comes to mind when I think of that town
• Hempstead- J.E.T.S. Jets, jets, jets! Cool town…no, no, no.
• Hicksville- I think I went on a date there once…

When I was single, I lived in Manhattan.  And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Okay, by now you are probably aware of the fact that Bloomberg’s traffic plan has been shot down, Albany didn’t see eye to eye with him, his approach was wrong, er, um, zzzz…

Look I can care less about the dramatics and egos behind the fight itself.  From my perspective, as a freshly born LI to NYC commuter on a fairly popular line at a high traffic station, the mayor’s idea has the right intentions, but I’m not sure the public transit out in the burbs would have been ready in a year to absorb additional riders on the LIRR, and Metro North that would no longer be commuting by car. Don’t get me wrong, its a shame that the city will now lose potentially $13 billion and of course, the $354 million in federal mass transit funds. But for anyone riding LIRR, these days, many times it feels like this:

and that would not have gotten any better with the plan.

But according to the NYTimes, if the plan did pass, this money still wouldn’t have covered everything:

“But under a new spending plan released Wednesday by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, so-called congestion pricing would cover a relatively small portion — 15 percent — of money needed for transit improvements. That would leave the authority still scrambling for money. The authority said that it would need $29.5 billion from 2008 through 2013 for system improvements (like thousands of new buses and modernized subway signals) and expansion (like work on the Second Avenue subway).”

So regardless of my own desire to get a seat in the morning, this issue must be revived.  The issue must be addressed, but in a way that meets the needs of the city and of the commuters.  Otherwise, the city will still be full of cars, smog and the MTA won’t be able find the money for all of its capital projects and the maintenance, new buses, subway/train cars that are needed.   Do I have the answer?  Well…no.  Would I be blogging if I did?  Umm, no, I would actually be busy.

Particularly there is a project that is already underway and VERY important to me that might be in jeapordy of losing out on funding.  Let all LIers pray that nothing happens to this one-

Okay, so my hiatus from blogging took a little longer than I expected, but with good reason…the wifey and I have moved!

Remember- the origin of this blog was to chronicle my transition from city life to the suburbs, but I left out a key detail when I started this thing back in December. Until about 3 weeks ago, the wifey and I were living in my in-laws’ house.

Now don’t get it twisted! My in-laws are fantastic, most likely better than yours and they were the most accommodating of hosts. We were newly married, the lease was up in the city and we had no place else to go. They let us stay there until we we got our act together and for that, I will be forever grateful.

So in that downtime, we were able to continue saving money and finally fulfill our true objective in moving to the burbs, which was to become homeowners. We were both sick of renting and for us to stay in the city and upgrade to a bigger place, it would have been lots of costs, but little return. We figured out that we had enough for a down payment to buy a place. Don’t get me wrong, I still miss the lifestyle accouterments of the city, but as much as I liked Luigi’s, it was time to move on.

So now, at long last, we are proud home owners, buying at the right time in this market and able to enjoy the benefits of living in Long Island - like um…a comfy train ride, mad food at Cheesecake Factory and driving.

As for where we livin’ now, see the picture below:

HOLLA!

If I write one more post about the LIRR or any NYC area public trans, I just might have to rename this “Scott’s Choo-Choo Blog” and get myself linked to 2nd Avenue Sagas. But I have to blog about this one, only cause I can’t believe I didn’t find out about this earlier.

Seems that Amtrak workers may go on strike which would effect both LIRR and NJ Transit trains coming into Penn Station every day. As this AP article states:

“Just over half of NJ Transit’s 740 weekday trains travel for all or part of their routes on lines owned by Amtrak; if Amtrak employees aren’t at work, trains can’t run on those tracks. Some 218,000 daily trips are taken on the affected lines. East of Manhattan, the vast majority — about 85,000 — of the Long Island Rail Road’s morning rush-hour passengers travel to Penn Station, where Amtrak owns the tracks and handles the dispatching. Without the use of its only Manhattan terminal, the LIRR faces the prospect of thousands of extra customers overwhelming smaller stations in Queens as they get off to transfer to the subway.”

For my LIRR homeys, here is an update on the MTA’s contingency plan in case Amtrak wokers decide to fight the power.

Yeah…um…uh..this move to LI is really working out so far…um…

UPDATE- The strike has been averted, THE STRIKE HAS BEEN AVERTED!

Praise Jebus!

An open letter to Long Island commuters (and the ones from Queens too)-
Dear LIRR riders,

After commuting  for a little over month now,  I have to call your attention to an issue that I can’t ignore anymore.  Good guess, but no it is not about the loud prick on his cell phone, nor is it about the people eating ghastly food or an attack of Jappy girls yapping away about meaningless bullshit (though I do appreciate this man’s dedication to his war against these offenses).  It’s not even about the LIRR fare hike,  part of the recent middle finger given to us by the MTA.

No fellow riders, my complaint may actually seem much less signifcant, maybe even a little picky. But it is valid nonetheless.  My issue, nay question I pose is this:  why do so many people seem compelled to sit in the MIDDLE SEAT ON THE TRAIN?!?

“But Scott, the train is crowded. Over 300,000 people take the LIRR everyday…” blah,blah snooze..Yeah I know the trains get crowded and yes seats are hard to come by during rush hour, but I’d sooner tough it out standing than subject myself to life as a sardine.   When I used to take NJ Transit, it seemed that less people sat in the middle seats on that system.  Are there just that many more people coming from the island than the Garden State? Are Jersey people more willing to tough it out? And maybe it’s just me, but the main offenders always seem to be the fattest people on the train. Come on people! If you weigh over 300 pounds, please do the right thing, don’t sit there.

Or maybe the real issue is the seats themselves?   Maybe the next generation of LIRR trains need to put dividers or something to make the middle seat more palpable. Maybe it is matter of adding more double decker cars to rid us of these seats completely? Or maybe I am freaked out by any tangential contact with strangers?

Or maybe I’m just an asshole?

LIRR riders, I welcome your perspective on this issue.  Thank you for your time and patience.

Keep on ridin’ in the free world,

Long Island Calling

Fun with posters on the LIRR:

“As you exit the train, please remember to take your Eddy Curry by the hand as you mind the gap.”

Whoever is doing this on the LIRR, please keep up the good work! Your vision is appreciated here at Long Island Calling.