Only Uniondale can brag about being the the home to the now-defunct hip-hop group Leaders of the New School, whose lead member was Busta Rhymes. But don't let that you think you have to be a rap fan to enjoy this little suburb just north of Queens.
Uniondale is a hamlet on Long Island in the town of Hempstead. It's basically a suburb of New York City and many of the residents travel to New York every day for work. It's a 45 minutes drive from Uniondale to midtown Manhattan or a little over an hour if you hop on the Long Island Rail Road. You'll find much better prices here than you can in Manhattan and it's just outside of Queens so you can basically consider yourself a New Yorker even though you have more space and aren't living in a closet-sized studio! There are plenty of rental properties available here and, like most residents, you'll probably get used to the commute after a few months. Just program in your favorite radio stations and jam to some great tunes on the way in and out of the city and you'll be just fine.
Moving to Uniondale
Uniondale has a population of 24,759 people that somehow fit into 2.7 square miles! This means it is almost as densely populated as cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Boston, if that gives you a vague sense of what living here will be like. Basically, it's a suburb that feels like a city but still retains the suburban friendliness and charm. As New York City keeps pressing Eastward, Uniondale is getting swallowed up by the essence of the city, a fact that some people will love (subtext: property values will probably skyrocket in 15 years) and others might hate. There's no way to know until you check it out for yourself and find out. If you're trying to find apartments in Uniondale, you're in luck - there are plenty of apts for rent here. City apartments, furnished apartments, studio apartmentswhatever you're looking for, you will find it packed into this tiny town with a big population. When you're planning your move here, just make sure to make plenty of appointments with different landlords. You want to get an unbiased sense of the city and all it has to offer and to find out what you want from an apartment. A high rise in Uniondale might be very different from a hi rise in Omaha or San Jose. It's important to understand what your options are in order to have the best chances of ending up with a place you love! Ask yourself what you expect from an apartment and from your new neighborhood. Do you want to have parks nearby or do you like living in a totally urban setting? Do you need to be walking distance from public transit or will you be driving wherever you go? These are all important things to consider when you're planning your next move.
What you'll need: In order to move here, you're going to need to be a little strategic. Vacancy rates are low and, though there are plenty of apartments here, it can be more difficult to find an apartment in certain situations. Try moving in the spring or summer when the winter cold has departed and people are on the move, transitioning between jobs and school, etc. This is the best time to come in and find a place. If you allow yourself enough time, you should be able to find a great apartment that's exactly what you're looking for. Usually 4-6 weeks is enough time to allow yourself for an apartment hunt here. In addition to setting aside the right amount of time, you should make sure that you prepare all the necessary documents before your search begins. This includes a copy of your ID, your credit report, bank statements, pay stubs, references, a letter of employment and any other paperwork you might need in order to prove you're a reputable renter to your landlord. It's always a good idea to bring along your checkbook, too, in order to make sure you can pay up if you find a place you love.
Neighborhoods
Because Uniondale only covers about two and a half square miles on the map, there aren't too many different neighborhoods in town. But you can kind of break it up into a few geographical sections.
West Uniondale: This part of town is closest to Hempstead center, and boasts nice stately homes and apartments on small streets and boulevards. There are quite a few hi rise buildings and property here is easy to come by. It's a great place to look for property if you need to hop onto the Southern State Parkway as well, as its just a short drive away.
East Uniondale: The main difference between the two sides of town is that you're closer to the Meadowbrook State parkway on the East Side. This is the highway that runs North/South through the town and is helpful if you need to go anywhere other than straight to New York City.
Living in Uniondale
Life in Uniondale is pretty much just like life in Brooklyn or Queens, minus the hipsters. You'll find every type of convenience you could hope for, from grocery stores to bookstores to pizza restaurants to home goods shops to dollar stores all within a few blocks from your home! Residents love the convenience factor and also love being able to hop into the city in just a short trip for any other needs they have. In just about an hour, you can be in the middle of Times Square! You can catch a Broadway show, check out the Empire State Building or go shopping on 42nd street. If midtown is too crowded for you, why not head uptown to check out Central Park or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You won't have to miss out on any of the action living this close to the big apple. Most residents commute to the city for work and sometimes get suckered into staying late for dinner or the requisite happy hour. Doesn't sound like such a bad life, does it?