Do you think raising kids in the NYC area is the best place to do so in the US?

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Oh god no. I am NYC born and raised and maybe it's better now but we were all smoking, drinking, having sex etc in high school.

We were like a bunch of thirty year olds! I went to my first bar in NINTH grade on the UES, and no I did not even need a fake ID.

My friends and I were so jaded. College was a bit of a letdown. I remember my roommate being so excited to drink and smoke for the first time, and I was totally over it.

Almost all my friends who grew up in NYC have left and raise their kids elsewhere now.


LOL it's because your friends can't afford it. NYC is an amazing place to grow up if you have the money.

I'm sure the Trump kids think so, too.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:My family was in NYC and then moved out to the suburbs when I was really little.

I married someone from Virginia and there are huge differences in what we were exposed to when it comes to nationalities, languages, food, the arts, and more.

IF money was no object, I'd love to raise a kid the same way - early years in the city, then a move to a close-in suburb.

You don't have to grow up in NYC to get that diverse exposure. It exists elsewhere in this country, too.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm in the NYC area now and I have to admit, it's a pretty fantastic place to raise kids. Agree with pp - I'll make the caveat that I am a fairly wealthy suburb so that absolutely impacts my answer. I love the four distinct seasons, I love that I can access the city easily on weekends, great public schools, I love our charming walkable downtown.

The negative is by far the cost including taxes.

I stayed in Manhattan until my oldest was almost two. The baby phase was great in the city - no way would I go back though. We outgrew our apartment quickly and I just couldn't live without a backyard.

I can't compare this to every place in the US though. I'm sure there are great places to live nationwide.


Where did you grow up?


Grew up in Wellesley, MA.


NP here. I went to Wellesley College and Wellesley is a really beautiful town. You were very fortunate! What brought you here?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I do not think it is a good place to raise kids. Young kids need to be out in nature, running around freely, not carted up and down stairs and sitting in the subway all day long. They need to be around animals and grow stuff in gardens and a quiet street to mess about with their friends on bikes and scooters. Museums, symphonies, diversity etc. is all great but you can get that in a much smaller city where they can live in a world that is not a playground for adults.

Older kids do not need the self-consciousness and snobbery that comes along with city life. The kids I know from the city grew up way to fast and were a little hardened before they were even 18. That can happen in a way in any large city that becomes a temple -- rich SF kids tend to have issues around creativity and spirituality in a way that NY kids have issues around money, sex, and drugs. I feel like it's best to come to NYC as a young adult and leave shortly thereafter, maybe come back when you're retiring.


Based on this post, my impression is that you don't know anyone who is raising their kids in the city. Prior to Covid, my youngest would spend two hours everyday playing in the schoolyard after school. We also used to spend a lot of time in city parks. He had more than enough time to be out in nature and run around freely. Besides, the suburbs may have more nature, etc. but that doesn't mean that kids are outside in it.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My family was in NYC and then moved out to the suburbs when I was really little.

I married someone from Virginia and there are huge differences in what we were exposed to when it comes to nationalities, languages, food, the arts, and more.

IF money was no object, I'd love to raise a kid the same way - early years in the city, then a move to a close-in suburb.

You don't have to grow up in NYC to get that diverse exposure. It exists elsewhere in this country, too.


Elsewhere such as? At my children's school there was an international night with ~70 countries represented by 1st and 2nd generation immigrant parents.
Anonymous
Dc> nyc. Talking about within the district, nw dc. It’s kind of like a suburb in a city. I live in Shawm but upper nw is what you want for kids. Went to college in nyc and grew up in Dutchess county.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My family was in NYC and then moved out to the suburbs when I was really little.

I married someone from Virginia and there are huge differences in what we were exposed to when it comes to nationalities, languages, food, the arts, and more.

IF money was no object, I'd love to raise a kid the same way - early years in the city, then a move to a close-in suburb.

You don't have to grow up in NYC to get that diverse exposure. It exists elsewhere in this country, too.


Elsewhere such as? At my children's school there was an international night with ~70 countries represented by 1st and 2nd generation immigrant parents.

I recently moved from Cobb County, GA (north of Atlanta). People don't usually think of Atlanta as being super diverse, much less the burbs, but it really is. I served as the diversity, equity, and inclusion chair for my kids' school PTO, and sent out a little survey to figure out who's who when I started up the gig. In our public elementary school of 600, we had first and second generation immigrants from 53 countries, 34 home languages, and 17 different religions represented -- and that's without splitting up protestants. That's pretty mindblowing, and cool. There are many diverse parts of the country, I wouldn't try to generalize on that front.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My family was in NYC and then moved out to the suburbs when I was really little.

I married someone from Virginia and there are huge differences in what we were exposed to when it comes to nationalities, languages, food, the arts, and more.

IF money was no object, I'd love to raise a kid the same way - early years in the city, then a move to a close-in suburb.

You don't have to grow up in NYC to get that diverse exposure. It exists elsewhere in this country, too.


Elsewhere such as? At my children's school there was an international night with ~70 countries represented by 1st and 2nd generation immigrant parents.

I recently moved from Cobb County, GA (north of Atlanta). People don't usually think of Atlanta as being super diverse, much less the burbs, but it really is. I served as the diversity, equity, and inclusion chair for my kids' school PTO, and sent out a little survey to figure out who's who when I started up the gig. In our public elementary school of 600, we had first and second generation immigrants from 53 countries, 34 home languages, and 17 different religions represented -- and that's without splitting up protestants. That's pretty mindblowing, and cool. There are many diverse parts of the country, I wouldn't try to generalize on that front.


Atlanta is not NYC.
Anonymous


Too much traffic, but if you include a pleasant, unpolluted suburb, sure.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My family was in NYC and then moved out to the suburbs when I was really little.

I married someone from Virginia and there are huge differences in what we were exposed to when it comes to nationalities, languages, food, the arts, and more.

IF money was no object, I'd love to raise a kid the same way - early years in the city, then a move to a close-in suburb.

You don't have to grow up in NYC to get that diverse exposure. It exists elsewhere in this country, too.


Elsewhere such as? At my children's school there was an international night with ~70 countries represented by 1st and 2nd generation immigrant parents.

I recently moved from Cobb County, GA (north of Atlanta). People don't usually think of Atlanta as being super diverse, much less the burbs, but it really is. I served as the diversity, equity, and inclusion chair for my kids' school PTO, and sent out a little survey to figure out who's who when I started up the gig. In our public elementary school of 600, we had first and second generation immigrants from 53 countries, 34 home languages, and 17 different religions represented -- and that's without splitting up protestants. That's pretty mindblowing, and cool. There are many diverse parts of the country, I wouldn't try to generalize on that front.


Houston is also incredibly diverse now with a thriving arts scene and incredible food culture. Lots of less expensive alternatives to NYC with space to breathe.
Anonymous
Definitely not.
Anonymous
I grew up in the Bronx. Street smarts
Anonymous
Good God no! Anywhere outside of a major city is better than NYC. City kids are the worst.
Anonymous
Based on this post, my impression is that you don't know anyone who is raising their kids in the city. Prior to Covid, my youngest would spend two hours everyday playing in the schoolyard after school. We also used to spend a lot of time in city parks. He had more than enough time to be out in nature and run around freely. Besides, the suburbs may have more nature, etc. but that doesn't mean that kids are outside in it.

Hahaha. Schoolyards and city parks are not nature. You city people crack me up.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Probably one of the worst places. Grew up in the city and left as soon as I could after college. So did most of my friends. It’s not a place for kids to grow up, it’s a place to have fun and make good money. Nobody moves to NYC because they are looking for the best environment for their children, they do it because it’s exciting for themselves. There’s nothing awesome about growing up in a cramped apartment and having to fend for yourself. You grow up way too quick in the city and you’re exposed to things you really shouldn’t be. I vowed to not put my kids through that misery, they’re growing up in a 5,000 sq ft house with a giant backyard, a neighborhood pool and tennis court, excellent neighborhood schools (the schools in the city suck unless you’re getting into a specialized or Hunter or one of the performing arts schools), riding bikes, going fishing on the lake, etc. It’s how kids are meant to grow up. They visit grandma and grandpa every summer to get their “city fun” and my parents take them to Central Park and do the whole tourist thing but then they come home and have a chance to be kids again.


+1

Same experience. It’s cold and harsh. Adults like the fast paced excitement and the financial opportunities and the fun. Kids grow up too fast.
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