Poll: How many members live on a small Island? Like a USA Barrier, US/UK Virgin etc.

[ShokWaveRider]

I was thinking about this when reading about home insurance, climate concerns etc., and to wondering how many folks lived on a small land mass such as a US Barrier Island, Caribbean, Hawaii, ABC or other small Island even if connected to the mainland by a bridge. Not Bigger Islands like Ireland, Greenland, UK or Australia or large islands.

The poll is a little more specific but I think if one does, and how one finds life on each's own Island home would be of interest, and a change from the regular discussions here.

A Description of the COL, QOL and that kind of thing would be nice to share too. Access to Healthcare, services etc.

 

[MichaelB]

A slight change in title, to allow including "Poll". Makes future searches easier.

 

[Nemo2]

Lived for just over eight years on Salt Spring Island B.C.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sal...2UQ_B0wGXoECAoQAw#imgrc=nkq2qFDzfGwFfM:&vet=1

Edited to add: This prompted me to check housing prices....the one we sold in 1997 in the mid $300k range (Canadian $s)...and made about 100% profit, is not up for sale, but has an assessed price of $696,000.

 

[GrayHare]

Long Island is smaller than Hawaii so it looks to qualify for the poll as an island.

 

[MikeTN]

Beaver Island, MI. The COL is higher than on the mainland because it's a 32 mi. boat ride to bring groceries, gas, etc here. Also taxes are a bit higher as well as our k-12 school doesn't have enough students to be efficient. However, we have good emergency medicine, a good health care center. And Amazon will send almost anything here with free shipping, although we do go to the airport to pick it up. We have a good grocery store, hardware store, and brewpub, and several restaurants.
Beaver Island is pretty hard to get to so we have limited tourism, and a lot of wilderness. We have a lot of retirees among our 650 year-round residents, and more among those like my wife and me who spend 4-5 months here when it's too damn hot down South where we live the rest of the year.
Lake Michigan houses and lots are a fraction of the cost they are on the mainland, and we have a lively music scene in addition to all the outdoor activities. What do we like best? The very fresh air and water, the peace and quiet and the people here.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Here is some info for all you landlubbers, as so far the poll is outnumbering us island dwellers (As anticipated). We have almost everything in Anastasia Island FL. All services, beaches etc. There are 3 bridges to the mainland and everything else is within 3 miles of those bridges. MCOL - there are snowbirds and tourists but nowhere near as much as the SW Coasts. It is a good compromise for year round residence as the climate does have seasons, although not extreme. Winters are very mild with no snow.

 

[bearkeley]

We live part time on Hutchinson Island, Florida. Three bridges over to mainland. Mostly snowbirds so we rent it out in the winter and stay when it’s low season. Living on the island is awesome, especially compared to the summer months of mainland Florida, and even Virginia where we currently live the rest of the year.

We found out about it when we took our boat down the ICW from Va to the Keys and fell in love with the area.

 

[grasshopper]

I live in the largest sky island in SE AZ.

 

[HI Bill]

A Description of the COL, QOL and that kind of thing would be nice to share too. Access to Healthcare, services etc.

I've lived on Oahu for 20 years, Maui for 5 years, and spent a few months on Hawaii Island. Of the three, Oahu's COL is highest, and Hawaii Island is the lowest.

Oahu
Housing costs: Single family home median price $790K; median condo price $429K (excluding studios). Quality of life: Large island, nearly 1M population, lots of traffic, great weather, great air quality, good health care, lots of watersports. All major big stores (COSTCOs [4], Target [4], Best Buy (2), Sam's Club [2], Kaiser Permanente, Queens Medical Center/hospital, etc.).

Maui
Single family home median price $774K. Quality of life: Large Island with lower population (144K). No freeways. Slower pace of life. Good medical care, except for hospitals; may need to fly to Oahu for advanced medical care/surgeries. Little traffic, great weather, great air quality. World-famous windsurfing, JAWS surfing, good to great diving, etc. COSTCO, Target, Wal Mart, etc.

Hawaii Island
Single family homes median price $386K, depending on the location. Quality of life: Largest of the main Hawaiian Islands. Population 187K, but split mostly between Kona side and Hilo side. Little traffic except in Kona town area, during rush hours. Slower pace of life. Okay medical care; may need to fly to Oahu for advanced medical care. Great weather (except Hilo, where it rains a lot). Great air quality in most areas, but this can fluctuate depending on how active Kilauea Volcano is (this can spew out a lot of sulphur dioxide). Major stores include COSTCO, COSTCO gas, Target, Wal Mart, etc. No Best Buy. Small shopping centers. Great scuba diving.

 

[MRG]

We live part time on Hutchinson Island, Florida. Three bridges over to mainland. Mostly snowbirds so we rent it out in the winter and stay when it’s low season. Living on the island is awesome, especially compared to the summer months of mainland Florida, and even Virginia where we currently live the rest of the year.

We found out about it when we took our boat down the ICW from Va to the Keys and fell in love with the area.

Very nice place. We frequently visited Hutchinson Island when my parents were alive. They lived on the mainland but loved the island.

 

[Koolau]

Oahu for 8 or 9 months per year (official address.) HNL Bill covered Hawaii Islands well. Traffic is my main "issue" with Island life. Fortunately, if you don't w*rk (and can schedule your doc. visits between about 10AM and 2PM) you can avoid most of the traffic. It IS expensive to live in HI but I think everyone knows that. Like everywhere, one soon learns how to save money and take advantage of the local bargains. The one big cost that is difficult to ameliorate is housing. YMMV

 

[cathy63]

This is not as easy to answer as you might think! There are raging debates on our local Facebook group over whether we live on an island or not. Usually they are started by some newbie who wants to know why the sign at the entrance to town says "Welcome to Coronado Island" when we are "obviously" on a peninsula. I think most have settled on "tied island with a tombolo" and now I see that someone (undoubtedly one of my neighbors who wants to "win" the next debate) has even updated the relevant Wikipedia article to include us. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tied_island

So, if you accept that Coronado is indeed an island, albeit a tied one, we would be a barrier island with bridge. We do also have a ferry and water taxi though.

 

[NYEXPAT]

We live part time on Hutchinson Island, Florida. Three bridges over to mainland. Mostly snowbirds so we rent it out in the winter and stay when it’s low season. Living on the island is awesome, especially compared to the summer months of mainland Florida, and even Virginia where we currently live the rest of the year.

We found out about it when we took our boat down the ICW from Va to the Keys and fell in love with the area.

Parents had a place on the Ocean in Vero Beach for many years. I loved visiting but a "Beach town" gets boring pretty quick. Now I am living on the Pacific in a beach district of about 100k in a city of 10 million!

 

[catii]

I've lived on Oahu for 20 years, Maui for 5 years, and spent a few months on Hawaii Island. Of the three, Oahu's COL is highest, and Hawaii Island is the lowest.

+1 except we've been here for almost 30 years, & have both our home & investment properties paid in full. We live in the boonies, & chose this location because there's zero chance of the city or county putting in a freeway, shopping mall, etc. Cheap? No. But can you live out here for under $100,000/year? Absolutely, if you're smart.

 

[NYEXPAT]

I have just shy of 50 years "Island living" so I guess I win the internet's today!
These have included Manhattan, Long,Shelter and Fire Islands.

 

[Just_Steve]

Lived on Manhattan Island but can't vote in poll because nothing fits.

 

[Nemo2]

A couple years before moving to Salt Spring Island, my late wife & I were on Reunion Island......bartender was from Martinique.

We told him we'd like to live on an island....he replied that he wanted to live in a country where you didn't just drive around in a circle and end up where you started.

 

[brydanger]

I was thinking about this when reading about home insurance, climate concerns etc., and to wondering how many folks lived on a small land mass such as a US Barrier Island, Caribbean, Hawaii, ABC or other small Island even if connected to the mainland by a bridge. Not Bigger Islands like Ireland, Greenland, UK or Australia or large islands.

The poll is a little more specific but I think if one does, and how one finds life on each's own Island home would be of interest, and a change from the regular discussions here.

A Description of the COL, QOL and that kind of thing would be nice to share too. Access to Healthcare, services etc.

Wait, does living on a boat off an island count??

 

[MarieIG]

I have lived on Long Island all my life. Born in Brooklyn, which is geographically on the island - and moved out to Nassau County as a baby, which uses the "Long Island" moniker.

There is access to (Manhattan/ Staten Island) the mainland by bridges.

Cost of living is high with state and local taxes. There is a high sales tax. You will pay more for a comparable house in Hawaii or California, but I believe we "win" (especially in my county) for property tax per square foot.

There is easy access to NYC and any medical care you want. We have parks, bike paths, beaches, and four seasons. There are a lot of nice neighborhoods. I am going to take DH for a walk on the board walk tonight.

 

[imoldernu]

Live on an island?.... Not now, but some of the happiest days came when we lived on the island of Martha's Vineyard... in this house, long before it was a B&B. It had secret rooms and hidey places, probably added during the Civil War.

1720 House Bed & Breakfast - Home

It was my first job as a store manager for Sears Roebuck... (a catalog store).
I've written a bit about this before I think, but just a little more.
First of all, it wasn't a bed and breakfast then, but had been a summer home for William Randolph Hearst. When we lived there, it was owned by his niece, and hadn't been lived in since 1951, when W.R.H died. It was just an afterthought. We then rented it for a few years until I was promoted to a larger store in Falmouth Mass. (BTW... check the rental prices for the 1720 B&B House.) Especially in August. (we paid $90/mo.)

Access by Ferry only, and a small airfield. When I had to go to Reserve meetings in Providence, I''d take the 3 P.M. ferry... and come back on the last ferry of the day, @ 10:45.
....................................................................................

Now, FYI, people who live on M.V. are a different breed. particularly those who were born there. As the story goes...

"A baby, born on the mainland moved with his parents to the island and as he grew up, became a valued citizen and a well know personage on the island... Later on he became mayor of Edgartown. When he passed away at age 99, the minister giving him the last rites, began with:

".... and now we say goodbye to this beloved stranger"."
...................................................................................................

One more thing. When I was transferred to Falmouth, and on my second day, (jeanie was still on M.V.) our third son was born in the island hospital.
Ergo, Kerry IS one of a vanishing breed... a native born Islander.

Some of the happiest days of our life. I had a Sunfish, and with my two older sons... then aged 3 and 4, sailed almost every one of my days off. Even though we all had life preservers, and both kids could (by then) swim, we'd get the evil eye, and uncomplimentary remarks. Under the bridge, out into the Atlantic, and over to Oak Bluffs... our favorite beach.

Back in those days, as it is even now.... M.V. was a haven and a goto place for public personalities... Yacht would pull up to the M.V. Yacht Club (about 200 yards from our house. Constant entertainment in the summer. We used to drive to Jimmy Cagney's house in Chilmark, to see who might be there. We can remember when Frank Sinatra's yacht would dock in the harbor. Shortly after we moved, There was a nationwide scandal about a drowning from his yacht, when Mia Farrow was aboard. Big headlines at the time.

https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2014/07/31/star-struck

In retrospect, despite moving 22 times since those days, I often wonder what life might have been like, had we just stayed there.

 

[jimandthom]

We live on a man made island, from the digging of the power canal to provide water to run our hydro plant.

The canal is 2+ miles long, 200ft or so wide and 30ish feet deep with 6 bridges connecting us to the mainland.

The water at the top right corner is where the canal starts.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=M4F4oB4M&id=6F585E5B5A74190C3B595553245CB71D8E9D45AD&thid=OIP.M4F4oB4MA2GfPpouiO55ZAHaFu&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.saultstemarie.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2016%2f01%2fis73-1295876596-99671-300x232.jpeg&exph=232&expw=300&q=hydro+plant+49783&simid=608036096676594813&selectedIndex=0
Does that count?

 

[Born2BRetd]

I like the idea of being on islands but once I get on them I start to feel hemmed in and can't wait to get off.

 

[brydanger]

I like the idea of being on islands but once I get on them I start to feel hemmed in and can't wait to get off.

Time to buy a boat (or at least set of fins and a snorkel)

 

[LOL!]

I lived on the north shore of Long Island for many years. My patio was about 30 feet from salt water except it was under salt water during hurricane Sandy. I will say that it was very relaxing place to live with no other homes within a half mile or so. The bird life was stunning and the horseshoe crabs were everywhere. No real beach at home though because of mussel beds and vegetation. I walked to work, so that was nice, too.

However, in hunting season, hunters were allowed up to the high tide level and started shooting early in the a.m.

Location is everything, so where I was had no traffic & no congestion, but it was easy to drive to stores, restaurants, hospital just by heading south.

Otherwise, Long Island is so well developed it is not really an island until you want to get off. It was always best to just fly off though there are ferries and bridges.

 

[aiken]

Here is some info for all you landlubbers, as so far the poll is outnumbering us island dwellers (As anticipated). We have almost everything in Anastasia Island FL. All services, beaches etc. There are 3 bridges to the mainland and everything else is within 3 miles of those bridges. MCOL - there are snowbirds and tourists but nowhere near as much as the SW Coasts. It is a good compromise for year round residence as the climate does have seasons, although not extreme. Winters are very mild with no snow.

Love St. Auggie Beach...vacation there regularly. September is a great time to visit.