“Why I used to hate Long Island and why I Love it now!”
To All My Fellow "City People"!
I proudly present to you the story of the transformation of one Russian city girl into a true Long Islander.
A little about me first – I moved from Russia to Long Island about 4 years ago. I came here as au-pair and then I met my husband and stayed. Prior to my coming here I only lived in large cities, even when I lived in Germany.
Here is what made me not like Long Island (I am still debating about some of it).
Being used to 24/7 bakeries, liquor and grocery stores with decent meals, bars and anything else you can think of, I soon discovered my talents in cooking to avoid eating fast food and other junk. The best part is that I mastered a few new dishes that I never thought I would cook. Imagine, how lucky my husband is?!!!
Being used to a public transportation system that could get you anywhere you need to go and right on time (talking more about the German system than Russian now) I soon discovered that without your own car you are just lost!!! Taking into consideration I didn’t have enough papers to get a NY state driving license I started walking to work and back. (Some of my neighbors thought I was a crazy lady in a blue jacket – what a nice nickname to have, isn’t it???). The best part is that it puts you in a great mood and keeps you in shape. Other than that – thank god I have a car now!!!
And how can I not talk about taxis??? I slowly graduated into taking taxis – hmmmmmmm … They don’t let you book them in advance (you’d think it’s for their own advantage, but no) and it seems as if they live in their own time system – if they tell you 15 minutes, it could be 2, could be 10, could be 30 – you guess!!! Not to mention sometimes they tell you that they don’t have any – A walking habit helps a lot of this dilemma. The best part is – I got to know a lot of characters, some of who became my customers.
Those of you who haven’t heard about Fire Island (picture above), I am begging you – call me now. It is a paradise within a 20 minute wonderful ride on a ferry. It has everything you ever wanted from the beach and more – cafes and playgrounds, bars and restaurants, rentals, investments, residencies, even schools and camps!!! One weekend there changed my mind about Long Island forever!!!
And when you come home after a wild weekend or a night in the city or a crazy busy day at work, get a chilled beer, glass of wine, apple juice, water or anything else that you prefer to drink, change into your bathing suite and enjoy the time in your hot tub under the stars.
You can often make a wish – so many of them are falling (how else do you think all of mine have come true?!!)
The ride to the Robert Moses beaches is across the bridges(picture above) – the rest of the world just stays behind and nothing exists except paradise and you!!!
Variety in Long Island exceeds anybody’s expectations.
Written by Irina Renner, Licensed Sales Associate & Buyers Assistant to Jim Netter
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