Musings: Retiring on Long Island is worth every last cent
Brigida Nunez of Freeport, right, and Jose Hernandez , left, play bingo at The Freeport Senior Center in Freeport on Sept. 25. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
We moved from Brooklyn to our home in Centerport in 1978, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions my wife and I ever made.
Our beach community is family-oriented and has one of the highest-rated school districts in New York. My boat, kept in a town marina, is so close that I don’t pass a single traffic light when driving there.
We’ve built a lifetime of friendships here. I consider myself fortunate to be retiring in the community where we’ve spent nearly five decades making memories.
Some people say retiring on Long Island is too expensive. For us, planning ahead made all the difference.
We chose to be content with a home we loved instead of constantly chasing something bigger and better. We paid off our mortgage years ago, and our solar panels have reduced our energy costs by about 80%. Homes here often sell in about 10 days, recently at record prices.
Yes, property taxes are high, but our total monthly housing expenses, including homeowners insurance, are manageable because of the choices we’ve made. We have beautiful town beaches, and crime is rare.
Retirees who moved out of state seeking a lower cost of living tell me they left behind lifelong friends, familiar surroundings and the community that gave their lives so much meaning. That can be a much higher price to pay than people realize. I also read on social media that former residents miss Long Island’s quality and variety of restaurants.
For us, home isn’t just where we live — it’s where our life is.
— Anthony Vernola, Centerport
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