An outsiders view of Port Washington

I’ve always liked the idea of living in a small town with its charm and slower pace of life.  So when I had a chance to stay with my sister in Long Island, I seized the opportunity to experience firsthand this small town appeal. Unfortunately, my experience has been anything but ideal.  I’ll share some of my experiences with you now.

For starters, my niece and nephew attend school locally and I come to find out that the school doesn’t have air conditioning. I was shocked this was the case as New York has its share of hot, humid weather. After running in the playground during recess, a child should be able to relax in their air conditioned class room. Instead, the school has parents supply bottled water to the children in lieu of fixing the real issue--no air conditioning. They claim that there isn't enough money to pay the electricity bills.

Then there’s the Port Washington Children's Center who has a black and white policy for tardy pick up's. Case in point my sister picked up her child from the center 20 minutes late. She had to rush her young baby to the doctor because she ran a high fever and was vomiting. Despite letting them know she was running late, they tacked on a late fee to her monthly charges. No sympathy whatsoever. The center was not interested in her doctor’s note and prescription receipts. If you're late--no matter the reason--automatic late charge. 

One time, I went with my sister and her young baby to an appointment to get her car serviced. When they gave her a loaner vehicle she asked if they could assist her with installing the car seat she had brought. The place did not want to assist her. They claimed it was a "liability issue". Who do you call in a situation like this? After living in many cities, witnessing friends and family run into these types of situations, I suggested the local police department. They could help, right? I mean they wouldn't want a baby not properly restrained. We called the police, in fact several stations, to be told that we were on our own. No one cared. I couldn't believe it. The towns I had previously lived in had police officers specially trained to install many different manufacturers’ car seats. They took courses on it. They were all too happy to install your car seat, if you had an issue with doing it yourself. They install the car seat and then have you re-install it minutes later so that you learn how to do it yourself. All for free. Wow, what a different place this is. The officers were crass and unsympathetic to her plight. If you want a car seat installation appointment in Mineola, the wait could be weeks, if not months.

A friend of mine who has homes on both the East and West Coast got a traffic citation out here. She asked me to come with her to court for moral support and I obliged.  We went to the local court on the day written on the ticket. Lo and behold, the officer didn't show up. I thought the ticket would be dismissed, as this is the protocol in all the cities I have ever lived in. Wrong. The officer gets multiple chances to appear on the same ticket. They set another date for a trial. Hypothetically speaking, if the officer shows that time and asks for an adjournment, it would automatically be granted meaning a third appearance would be in order. I couldn't believe how backwards the town is. She mentioned that she is from out of town, which fell upon deaf ears to the court. In cities I lived in, litigants can represent themselves either in person, telephonically or in writing. This area mandates multiple appearances--regardless of your living situation. We left stunned. Although, I didn't get the ticket, I witnessed firsthand the injustice bestowed upon her.  Another friend visiting town had the same scenario happen to him. You either make repeated trips out or you simply pay the fine--regardless of guilt or innocence.

My sister was given citations by the police while her car was parked in the driveway of her home. Again, as an outsider, I can only give advice based on places I once lived. This is illegal in most places, not Port Washington, but most other places. A police officer cannot walk onto someone’s private property and start ticketing their vehicle. The only way this should be allowed to happen is if it’s on public property, like a street, etc.

I have been spoiled by other cities I lived in where big box retailers like Walmart and Target are in town.  I admittedly expected this moving to a small town, but I didn’t expect the local stores to gouge their customers since they have a monopoly in town. People I bumped into having coffee at the local Starbucks, neighbors, and patrons at the library shared these sentiments and even wanted a modern big box store in town. I didn't understand if there is such desire for one, why there was not one here? Not only that, why are there no drive-thru restaurants? There are times you are in a hurry and need a quick bite. You don't have the time to find parking and go inside to order. I have lived in upscale neighborhoods, where these establishments were part of the landscape. In fact one of the cities I lived in that had these establishments was rated among the top of Money Magazines most desirable neighborhoods to live in. 

Another issue that I had was how expensive Manorhaven is. Is it just me or are the people renting not looking at the neighboring homes? Homeowners build these brand new homes, expecting upwards of $3,000/mo. when your next door neighbor has a pit bull, miscellaneous items strewn across the lawn, a much older home than yours in desperate need of repair, loud parties at night. This is the neighbor you are paying $3,000 to live next door to? In areas I have lived in the past, the homes are all on the same level. You do not typically see a mish mash of homes that are $600,000 next one’s that are $150,000. The landlords should pull the comps in the area and get realistic with pricing. The Manorhaven area does not command $3,000-$5,000/mo in rent.

Don't get me started on the weather. In the short time I stayed, I have experienced Hurricane Sandy, the Nor'easter, Nemo, Andrea, snow storms, rain storms, thunder, lightning, strong winds—I  have never seen weather this terrible in all my life. On a related note, how about the roads riddled with pot holes? I was driving my vehicle one day and hit a pot hole that flattened my tires. The county should pay right? Wrong again. There is a law that states they have a 6 month exemption period where any damage caused by pot holes is your responsibility. It happened to my vehicle multiple times, both on the expressway as well as the local roads. Rim damage, flattened tires. Never since owning a vehicle have I incurred damage just from driving from point A to B. 

The list can go on and on. I, among others mentioned, have moved from this town to where things are more modern. If you lived in this town most of your life and don't know how other cities operate, you don't have anything to compare to. A place where roads are paved, weather is nice, tickets are dismissed if the officer doesn’t appear the first time.  Police officers help people in need, homes are reasonably priced and built next to others in that same price point, Targets and drive-thrus are within a stone’s throw, people are cheerful and upbeat, air conditioning in schools comes standard, school test scores are among the highest in the nation. Does this sound like a fantasy? This place exists. I know because I lived there. This letter is meant to be food for thought, seen through the eyes of an outsider.