fourfourto: lol, i was the same way...until i was lucky enough to be able to live off the island for a while.
Once i left I realised how much you give up on long island, you really cant see it unless you live somewhere else for a while.
You can compare to anywhere, but for me its Colorado:
Long Island Colarado
---------------------------------------------
Traffic TONS Little to none.
Off Roading Beaches THOUSANDS of miles.
City Nearby NYC Denver
Taxes (similar House) $8,000/yr $951/yr
Sunny Days A few A LOT
Mountains None Tons
Cost of living: HIGH Low
Health Insurance: $400/mo $65/mo
For single men, i cant see how they can deal with the attitude of most women on Long Island. Attitude even though most all of them are overweight?! Average size in LI seems to be 6-8 for women. Average size in CO is 0-2 for women (including those that have had kids!). For me (And my friends that have visited from CO) this alone makes LI gross. They couldnt beleave 170+ pound girls getting hit on at the bars by multiple guys?! Crazy! Not trying to be mean, but its the truth.
In the defense of Long Island, it was virtually unaffected by the economy compared to most other places. The average income on LI is awesome. Where else does a cop make over $100,000 starting salery?!
I rest my case.
--John