Former North Fork residents say they’ve already made the decision many young locals are now weighing: they left.

After The Suffolk Times on Thursday published the plight of Greenport native Joey Owens — who moved to Oregon with his sister and their dog because he could no longer afford to stay — the story quickly went viral.

Hundreds of readers shared their own reasons for becoming part of the North Fork exodus, with nearly 400 comments posted as of Friday morning.

For many, it was their only option as prices have skyrocketed, particularly after COVID.

One former resident said she moved to Texas three years ago after realizing she couldn’t afford to raise her kids here — even while working multiple jobs. Now, she wrote on Facebook, she supports her family on one income and has more time at home.

Another said he bought a three-bedroom house on three acres in Tennessee for $200,000, with property taxes of about $700 a year.

A third ex-North Forker wrote: “I now own a five-acre horse farm with a main house and a guest house for less than $400,000. Couldn’t dream of that back home.”

Others said the gap has only widened since the pandemic.

“We had to leave Long Island because we couldn’t find anything in our budget except for a trailer in East Hampton and an ex-drug house in Mastic,” one reader wrote. “I can’t imagine how ANYONE can afford to stay. It was bad before Covid. After Covid, beyond ridiculous…”

Several readers said their children have already gone — or are looking to leave soon.

“My son went to college here, is working and paying his student loans and tool loans,” one reader wrote. “He doesn’t like the fact he can’t move out at this time. He wants his own home.”

Another said that she is trying to convince her 23-year-old son, a CNC machinist, to leave Long Island because “he could be a homeowner outside of LI.”

Not everyone agrees, arguing it’s a rite of passage.

“Young people have left their birthplace in search of opportunity since the beginning of time,” one reader commented.

But many say this moment feels different, with costs rising faster than wages and outside money reshaping the market.

The impact is already generational.

“I know the Owens family well, as our sons grew up together,” wrote another reader. “My children as well both left New York for better opportunities that are affordable and sustainable to begin their lives.”

Others described whole families leaving.

“All 3 of my children were born and raised in Mattituck and have left,” one reader wrote. “As have I and my husband.”

Some said they would come back if they could.

“I grew up in Southold and would come home in a heartbeat if I could afford to,” one reader wrote.

Another put it more bluntly: “It breaks my heart that I can’t afford to live in the town I grew up in. I’m from Orient, and you need to be a millionaire now to buy anything now.”

The post North Fork residents who left say housing costs pushed them out: ‘beyond ridiculous’ appeared first on The Suffolk Times.

Source link

24World Media does not take any responsibility of the information you see on this page. The content this page contains is from independent third-party content provider. If you have any concerns regarding the content, please free to write us here: contact@24worldmedia.com