I live in the Island, the city is very accessable. There are mashallah many mosques that are not too far from each other. All of the desi places are near by and just a few mintues on drive. Where I live all of the highways are a minute away, LIRR is near, and my town is one of the best communities to live (especially because of the High school/Middle School system).
I used to live in Queens, I miss that sometimes. It is definately more convenient because you dont need a car, you can just walk, take a bike, subway, bus and go anywhere. That place is very much alive during the night too.