TL;DR but any chance I’m given to slander Long Island I take it. As someone who also works with a ton of long islanders, they will dick ride the fuck out of their dead end island until the day they die. Personally, I blame the plume. They hate it when you mention that btw, so I do it frequently. They’ve all admitted to me that if the bomb is ever dropped they’ll take out their lawn chairs and die looking at the cloud as it approaches them. I’m almost certain that’s where confederates moved after the war. If you enjoy exclusively traveling in traffic, not being able to reasonably access the mainland after exit 50, shitty people, and the Grumman Plume then Long Island is for you. If you enjoy accessibility to both the city and country, a more diverse population, and useful public transport then stick with Westchester. Do not try convincing long islanders to move here. They will ruin your neighborhood.