The "Latinization" of Long Island

Gavvy Cravath

Gavvy Cravath

Moderator Emeritus
#1
#1
I grew up on LI, Nassau's south shore. There were areas you didn't hang out in like Freeport or Roosevelt. In Suffolk, Central Islip, Brentwood and Mastic were places you didn't venture into either.

I moved to Queens in '95. Other than visits to my folks and consulting gigs on the north shore, I really haven't spent much time on the Island. I drove through Freport recently and there are a ton of Latin owned stores and restaurants.

Now that I have been out in Suffolk a few times over the last month, I was surprised to see the same thing happening out there.

How Latin is LI becoming? Where have I been all this while?

Gavy
 
B

BigRiddah

#3
#3
Since I do not frequently travel west beyond plainview, I will comment on what I know. There is a large Latino populace in Farmingville & I pass the day labourers everyday on my way to work as I drive through Farmingville. The town and day laborers have been written up in Newsday quite frequently. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-ff-fire5,0,7340228.story

Today, I stopped at the Rite Aid drug store next to Compare foods http://www.comparesupermarkets.com/showStore.php?SID=16 and the last time I had walked through compare-foods, I got the odd looks from the local latino shoppers & employers. As a minority myself, I rarely get the odd look from other minorities but I got it here. Next to the compare-foods, there is a columbian bakery and a couple stores have large signs in spanish.
 
B

biohazard

Moderator
#5
#5
gavycrav said:
I grew up on LI, Nassau's south shore. There were areas you didn't hang out in like Freeport or Roosevelt. In Suffolk, Central Islip, Brentwood and Mastic were places you didn't venture into either.

I moved to Queens in '95. Other than visits to my folks and consulting gigs on the north shore, I really haven't spent much time on the Island. I drove through Freport recently and there are a ton of Latin owned stores and restaurants.

Now that I have been out in Suffolk a few times over the last month, I was surprised to see the same thing happening out there.

How Latin is LI becoming? Where have I been all this while?

Gavy
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All those place you mention have a high Latin population, and it increasing (hopefully filling with more hot latin girls) and try some of thoose resturants they have some good food and hot waitress!
 
wolf5958

wolf5958

lil Fuzzybear
#7
#7
Brentwood and Bay shore are also good latin areas. Brentwood does have some gang pop though so you need to be careful.
 
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bangbroads

#10
#10
Brentwood, Freeport, Wyndanch, Roosevelt have always been known as traditional black neighborhoods on Long Island. Ive hung out there and if your street smart you have nothing to worry about. it would make sense the latinos would go into the black neighborhoods like in the outer boros. On a second note those areas mentioned have produced many famous entertainers. Hot bed of talent out there for music, film, comedy, radio....
 
L

Lord Soth

#12
#12
Out East on the island on both the North Fork and the South Fork, the population has really escalated, most are employed by the greenhouses, horsefarms, and restaurants.....In 1996 I remember maybe 1 Latino place to eat here Now there are dozens......Walmart in the East End on the weekend is packed wall to wall.....
 
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DaveNJ

#13
#13
I can't really add much to the situation on LI, but upstate NY has certainly seen a tremendous explosion of Latinas, even in the small towns you'd never expect to find them in. I'm always amazed that in my travels I get a chance to practice my spanish in the most out of the way places.

Thank god I didn't study French in HS
 
E

elmo16

#14
#14
Just as many neighborhoods in NYC have changed over the years, the same is true of Long Island, and in many cases, this is not a bad thing. It also occurs to me that due to the thousands of home foreclosures, many neighborhoods will change drastically again, and very soon.
 
EddyBearNY

EddyBearNY

#15
#15
gavycrav said:
I grew up on LI, Nassau's south shore. There were areas you didn't hang out in like Freeport or Roosevelt. In Suffolk, Central Islip, Brentwood and Mastic were places you didn't venture into either.

Where have I been all this while?

Gavy
Click to expand...
You and me both. I grow up in Queens, but always went to the shopping malls in LI, I also would hang out in the disco's in the early 80's.

Until reading your post, I had no idea that LI was turning into the third world.
 
E

elmo16

#16
#16
EddyBearNY said:
You and me both. I grow up in Queens, but always went to the shopping malls in LI, I also would hang out in the disco's in the early 80's.

Until reading your post, I had no idea that LI was turning into the third world.
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It's getting harder and harder to find, let alone afford a lilly-white naab.
 
P

purrrfect

#20
#20
Im one of the rare lilly white girls you might find on the 7 train. I remember about 12 yrs ago the E/F line was all professional white people going into the city to work. Now its the same as the 7 line. All the lines are like sardine cans!!! Im researching other areas ont he east coast to move to, its too expensive here!
 
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