Just like anyone, who grows up anywhere, ever, I didn't totally appreciate my hometown at first. It took a few years of living in other cities for context to better understand the area. It seemed the more I traveled, the more I began to appreciate Long Island and its diverse and often unique character.
As a kid growing up here, you learned to just take the area for granted. In high school it seemed like it may as well have been a desert. As an adult it's like a good friend- we don't always agree on everything but we appreciate each other. The island itself varies widely in terms of personality even though the landscape is fairly consistent. I essentially grew up and currently live right in the northern center of the island about an hours drive from either Manhattan or Montauk and the Hamptons (which is nice because I visit both often).
Most of the core of Long Island is good ol' suburbia. It was began here in Levittown and man did it multiply. When friends visit from out of town the refer to Long Island as one continuous crowded city because the strip malls and fast food joints don't stop until the end but we also have some gorgeous natural sanctuaries as well. I try not to focus on the many streets lines with duplicate houses but more on the hidden cultural and natural escapes and the great beaches (and trust me we have some really great beaches).
