For Syosset's Young Adults, Living Here Just Isn't Cool Enough

According to economists, Nassau County lost 26,902 residents age 25 to 34 from 2000-2009. 

These numbers are not surprising for young people living in Syosset – they say that on top of the high cost of living, there just isn’t enough fun stuff to do. 

“Socially, it can be hard,” said Syosset resident Alyssa Rose, a senior at CUNY Queens where she studies Theater and Public Relations.

Rose, an aspiring actress, said that besides bars in nearby Huntington, there just aren't many options for young people looking to have a good time.

“When you’re this age, social life revolves around the bar scene,” Rose said. “So it’s Huntington in the winter, Long Beach in the summer, and the city whenever you can afford it.”

The youth of Long Island are leaving in packs, and Long Island politicians are well aware of this startling trend. At a Long Island Association meeting back in January at the , Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy gave his thoughts on the subject.

“Things have certainly changed – now you have young people staying at home into their 30’s,” Levy said. “And they’re still single – they want activity, fun stuff.”

But "not enough fun” is far from the only problem - the lack of affordable housing in the area is also a big one. The average studio apartment in Long Island cost $1,218 in 2011, according to the U.S. Dept of Housing and Urban Development.

Related: Affordable Housing Hard to Find For Young Adults

““I’m not paying anything, anywhere here,” said Rose, who works as a waitress at Christiano’s part-time. “There’s just no possible way - even if I got a job - to afford it. And I don’t know what kind of job I could get in this economy anyway."

Higher gas prices certainly doesn’t help the cash crunch that many have been feeling recently, as prices continue to hover around the $4 range.

For Syosset resident Ian Magerkurth, 23, moving to Queens could potentially kill two birds with one stone.

“I could walk down the stairs to get a coffee, take a cab to the bars or maybe even walk, that would be huge,” he said. “To not have to rely on the high cost of living on Long Island, and high gas prices, would be great.”