Further out along Long Island are a series of great towns that eschew urban chaos in favor of simpler lives in the countryside, far from the crime, congestion, and pollution of the massive New York City/New Jersey Metropolitan Area. Selden is among the finer of these towns, with a population of 20,000 right on the backbone of the highway system cutting straight down the middle of Long Island.

With 15 miles to Brentwood (pop. 54,000) and 60 miles to New York City, not too many people actually work all the way in New York. Instead, the local economies nestled into the Long Island countryside support Selden residents and allow this small town to thrive so far from the city.

Recreational options are great, with shores in every direction possible. Swimming, fishing, and boating are all popular weekend pasttimes, while there are plenty of forests and green spaces to explore on foot or on bike.

One major employer in Selden is the Suffolk County Community College's Ammerman campus with a full-time enrollment of 7,000 students. The campus offers an exciting and dynamic range of programs for many of Long Island's residents who view New York as an annoying big brother.