What is the perfect downtown?

The latest Long Island Index found Huntington and Port Jefferson have the best downtowns, since each grabbed 10 percent of the votes. Babylon Village, Rockville Centre and Garden City came in second with around 3 percent each.
But what makes these downtowns great? In Port Jefferson you have a varied mix of restaurants, cafes, a few [...]

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Fix it: Rentals

In the spirit of today’s attempt by several downstate counties to tackle the affordable housing problems on Long Island, LI Biz Blog has decided to draw attention to another housing problem plaguing our region. Rentals, there aren’t too many opportunities for renters here, and not too many affordable ones either.
You hear them in many places, [...]

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Talking point: Gas prices

This may not be the best time to start this conversation, since it is likely the bulk of LI Biz Blog readers are either in a car or a plane, burning gas with abandon on their holiday travels. But it looks like $100 oil is just around the next bend on the road.
So, LI Biz [...]

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The 1,000th post

Since last January, Long Island Business News has been bringing its business expertise to the blogosphere with the LI Biz Blog. Readers have seen our content grow, our layout change and the conversations bloom, and we’ve loved adding this blog to our LIBN umbrella.
So, in the spirit of this occasion, LI Biz Blog is asking [...]

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Is there anybody out there?

The Long Island Expressway actually acted like a highway this morning, rather than the line at the Department of Motor Vehicles, which likely means more people than not are off for the Veterans Day weekend.
But who among you is working today?
LI Biz Blog would like to get a sense of which industries, businesses, organizations, etc., [...]

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Fix it: Preserving open spaces

Aside from the now resounding “Go Green” chant that is being trumpeted across Long Island (just call me Chet Baker, thank you), the call for open space preservation is blowing in the wind.
However, though many want to keep the Island as open as it can be, not that many want to foot the bill for [...]

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Your storm stories

It was a windy Saturday on the eastern half of Long Island this weekend, but from my own vantage point in Port Jefferson, the storm wasn’t as bad as predicted.
But how was it in your neck of Long Island? Any interesting accounts you’d like to share?
Here’s a bit from the Associated Press story on Noel’s [...]

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AVZ Survey: The last question

This will be the last post asking LI Biz Blog Readers to share their minds about the issues affecting the region, as per our participation in this year’s AVZ survey.
And this question is as easy as is gets, given you can count to 10.
The survey asks:
On a scale of one through 10, how would you [...]

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Talking point: Telecommuting

Is telecommuting a bad word? Or is it the best solution for clearing overcrowded highways, cleaning polluted skies and … extraditing workplace flibbertigibbets?
Verizon last week launched a new symmetrical Internet service that provides 20 Mbps speeds both upstream and downstream, making it easier for telecommuters to upload files, photos or any other media to their [...]

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AVZ Survey: Biz Blog helps out

Once again, your valued input is in demand.
Hauppauge-based accounting firm Albrecht, Viggiano, Zureck & Co. once a year releases its Long Island Economic Survey and Opinion Poll, a business focused questionnaire it sends to business leaders in the area.
The firm has already sent out 6,000 surveys, but this year it is asking participants of LI [...]

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Fix it: Long Island MacArthur Airport

If Islip Town Supervisor Phil Nolan wants to solicit ideas for how to improve Long Island’s largest airport, then let’s give it to him.
Again, we ask you, the sharp-minded and forward thinking LI Biz Blog readership, to give Nolan a few of your suggestions for the tarmac.
Should we want an international airport? Do we need [...]

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Biz Blog goes to Boston … help us

The LI Biz Blog is in Boston today, working with our corporate IT masters on how we can make our blogs, podcasts and the Long Island Business News Web site even better than it is. (And we humbly realize it could be better.)
So, for one day you won’t see too much activity on this blog [...]

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Stay away from teachers’ salaries

Long Islanders want to lower their annual property taxes by at least $3,000, according to Long Island Index’s Fall 2007 Survey.  And we all know school taxes make up the bulk of our tax bills.
So how do we reduce school taxes? We all want our children to have the best education as well as the [...]

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A quick thanks to commenters

LI Biz Blog’s Fix it: Brain Drain post has attracted a lot of great ideas from many great commenters. We have already notified First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer’s office that we will be e-mailing the suggestions to the state.
Also, David Reich-Hale and I opened up our contact lists to try and get some of the [...]

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Your story: Performance reviews

In case you haven’t noticed, it is my eternal goal to turn this blog into a place where businesspeople can not only gain information, but where they can share thoughts on Long Island’s business climate, government, energy and environmental issues and politics. I won’t stop soliciting your input.
But dear readers of LI Biz Blog, you [...]

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Commenting on LI Biz Blog

One of the beauties of this blog is that it allows a conversation to take place under each item. And reader input is important, especially when it comes to the news.
However, I’ve heard that some readers are not sure how to leave a comment on LI Biz Blog. Well, here’s how.
If you’d like to comment [...]

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How do you browse?

The LI Biz Blog team is deep in thought over how to take our product to the next level, all top secret of course, but we’ve stumbled on a debate over what size people view the Internet.
So you can help us.
What screen size do you use while you browse the Internet? Are you still an [...]

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An update on LI’s problems

Last week, LI Biz Blog asked its readers to write in with what they think are Long Island’s greatest problems, and, so far, the response has been great.
But we want more. Click the comment button below and sound off.
As of now, here’s the LI Biz Blog list of what readers claim afflicts LI the [...]

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What are your issues?

We do have problems here. But what exactly are those problems?
Here’s a task for all you readers of the blog. Click on the comment button below and write down what you think is one of Long Island’s problems. Give us your take. Be passionate or be flippant. But be heard.
The LI Biz Blog will keep [...]

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Suffolk fails

When it comes to air quality, Suffolk is the class clown.
The county received a blaring “F” from the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air: 2007” report. The organization claims the air we breathe in Suffolk is full of ozone and particle pollution in the form of soot.
Both Nassau and Suffolk experienced a boost in [...]

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