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I don't mean just schools but also cultural experience and exposure as a whole. Where would you have rather been raised? I was thinking inbetween center city philadelphia, brooklyn or west harlem around columbia. I was thinking these areas could give kids a superior edge culturally and having the public transportation would let them be functionally mobile long before kids in the rest of the US normally are.
I was also thinking boston would be great as being in an "intelligent atmosphere".
A lot of this depends on where the PARENTS will be happiest, so I'd take particular care to pay attention to that first. because kids take their cues many times from how Mom or Dad feel.
If they have a distatste for the neighborhood themselves and in some way are always complaining about it, it won't make a difference where they live. the kids will pick up on it and be unhappy too and family life will be be a PITA. I've met families from the 'hood, where the parents found ways to make friends around them in the community, stay on top of their kids schooling and friends, establish roots with local churches, sports leagues, or other community groups, and despite what the larger world might think of their neighborhood, in Harlem or the Bronx let's say, raise happy well-adjusted, smart kids. I've also seen the reverse, where kids living in affluent neighborhoods feel trapped, lonely, and unhappy because their parents are always complaining about something--the neighbor's kids, the local politicians, the weak public transit or conversely how they can't have a car, the snobby or overcompetitive schools, whatever. You get the idea. So bottom line is make sure YOU'RE happy first, and it'll be a lot easier on your kids.
For a reasonably sane, middle-class family, attittude counts more than geography. Kids can be unvbelivabley happy or desperately miiserable in Morningside Heights, Center City, or Brooklyn (though that boro covers a LOT of different neighborhoods.) But really, unless you're talking about the worst 'hood in the US -- and sometimes even including them -- the same is true anywhere.
Well I was raised in a small town so I was severely disadvantaged. I can see now locations I would have been better off growing up, and I can the inherent advantages people who grow up in those type of areas tend to have. I didn't exactly have the best home scene on top of it, but I did have a dynamic one (despite formally growing up in the small town) and got a lot of out of town exposure (that I didn't understand the benefit of then).
People who grow up in small towns and rural areas don't know less -- they know DIFFERENT. And what they know can still be quite valuable either way, as you yourself admit. If you want the city experience as an adult, or the small-twon experience if you grew up in the big city, then go for it as an adult. There's always something new to learn. But if kids are involved, make sure that you are happy with your choice.
I don't mean just schools but also cultural experience and exposure as a whole. Where would you have rather been raised? I was thinking inbetween center city philadelphia, brooklyn or west harlem around columbia. I was thinking these areas could give kids a superior edge culturally and having the public transportation would let them be functionally mobile long before kids in the rest of the US normally are.
I was also thinking boston would be great as being in an "intelligent atmosphere".
Definitely Brooklyn or Boston in my opinion, especially if you want your kids growing up around a significant number of other well adjusted kids. You don't see that in Center City Philly or to a slightly greater extent in Washington Heights/Morningside Heights where Columbia is located. Boston neighborhoods like Back Bay and the North End would work well...or in Brooklyn check out Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill and Park Slope.
My kids will most likely grow up in Brooklyn Heights, NY. I love the old school neighborhood feel with such easy access to Manhattan and the rest of NY and New England. Safe areas and lots of opportunity right outside their door step. Wish I could have spent more of my childhood there.
I grew up (for the most part) in central/southern CT and I DEFINITELY would not consider raising children there. I love visiting CT but living there is beyond boring.
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