Raising children in the city? (New York, Hastings: apartments, townhouses, neighborhood)
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My husband and I are thinkng about moving to Manhattan or Brooklyn. We have 3 young children. Can anyone offer any advice about what it's like with kids in the city? What are the pros and cons? Thanks in advance.
Better move to a nearby suburb where you won't need to pay city taxes. You can't go wrong with Hastings on Hudson, Bronxville, or Larchmont which both offer good public schools and convenient commute to Grand Central.
Last edited by Forest_Hills_Daddy; 02-07-2015 at 10:35 PM..
My husband and I are thinkng about moving to Manhattan or Brooklyn. We have 3 young children. Can anyone offer any advice about what it's like with kids in the city? What are the pros and cons? Thanks in advance.
Girl, don't listen to half the responses saying horrible things about raising children in NYC in particular Manhattan. For generations scores upon scores of parents raised kids in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and how they turned out was/is more a reflection of the home than the environment.
White flight out of NYC has ended for the most part and parents are seeking to remain in NYC in particular Manhattan and Brooklyn if possible. This is one reason why there is such a push for "family sized" housing including everything from townhouses/brownstones to apartments.
Schools both public and private in Manhattan are bursting and demand is not predicted to decrease for years. As such if you are planning to move to either Manhattan or Brooklyn with school aged children you will need to look at local school options for K-8 (high school aged teens can handle a commute and most often do with ease) both public and private.
Raising children in an urban environment yes, does mean unless you own a townhouse there won't be a backyard for them to play in, but the City has *soooo* much to offer children and more comes on line every day. A local classical music space recently offered a Saturday afternoon live performance by a well know artist group for young children and was *SOLD OUT* in a matter of minutes. The Museum of Natural History offers a hugely popular "sleepover" for children.
Of course raising children in NYC in particular Manhattan means they won't be as "sheltered" say as growing up in the suburbs. They are going to see things on the streets, subways, even at school and so forth that otherwise may not living elsewhere. Diversity varies by location in NYC, but even in mainly white high income areas you can find mixed marriage households, same-sex marriage households, very liberal/progressive households, and so forth.
Then you have simply going out and about and or living in NYC simply means you are going to see and or hear things you might not elsewhere. No, persons aren't being mugged and robbed in great numbers or otherwise the "bad old days" of NYC, but things still do happen. Have always found kids who grew up in Manhattan to be more "street smart". But then they would need to be in order to navigate around safely.
My husband and I are thinkng about moving to Manhattan or Brooklyn. We have 3 young children. Can anyone offer any advice about what it's like with kids in the city? What are the pros and cons? Thanks in advance.
Lady stick to the burbs, your kids will be better off in the long run. When your kids finish college just get them a 300 square foot apartment that goes for 5000 dollars in Brooklyn so they can enjoy the city.
There are plenty of people raising kids in the city and its not a bad thing. The biggest problem with raising kids in NYC is that you need a lot of money. Your 1 million income however should be plenty. Be careful though, even with 1m if you move to an expensive upper east side apartment, put all of the kids in private school, have nannies, house help etc... it can all add up.
Consider a child friendly neighborhood with lots of other people with kids. Trying to raise kids in a neighborhood filled with young people and not a single stroller to be seen is not so great. NYC is a fine place to raise children if you can afford it. There are so many parks and playgrounds all over the 5 boroughs to explore. The museums and other places often have children's events. You sacrifice on space and convenience but your kids will be exposed to a lot of culture they will never get in the sterile suburbs.
NYC, NYS, and the Federal government will take a huge bite out of your income with taxes. At your income level you could potentially save a truck load of money moving to Connecticut, New Jersey, or the burbs or New York State. If you really want the NYC lifestyle for yourself and your family however it might still be worth it.
I grew up in the burbs and have lived in the city for 20+ years. My personal belief is that raising kids in the city is just mean.
Kids need space to play outside and be a kid. The city is not a place for them. 10 year old girls wearing high heels? Stupid.
If you have the money to live in Manhattan with three kids, then you have the money to raise them in a nice neighborhood in Connecticut. Just do it...
What? I grew up in Brooklyn, played outside almost everyday and still never wear high heels.
Last edited by city living; 02-08-2015 at 02:29 AM..
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