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Ok our story is that we are a married couple with 2 girls aged 2 and 7 and we are moving to NYC. My husband is actually there at the moment just finalizing who he will work with. I am still in Sydney with the kids but plan on coming over in the next few weeks once I tie up everything here. We are in our 40’s and my husband will be working and I have chosen not to. Now we have spoken to many people both New Yorkers and Australians who live there and we were basically going to concentrate on getting an apartment in the UWS. Now my husband has been exploring your city and he seems to prefer the west village/Soho area and feels it will maybe suit our lifestyle better. I have been researching schools for my 7 year old and they do seem ok as well as the UWS. Now I would love feed back both negative and positive about either area. We can afford both areas so it’s more that actually day to day things I want to hear about. We do like eating out and we do like on weekends taking the kids out walking. I still use a stroller for my 2 year old and from what my husband says the west village seems to be more stroller friendly??
I really appreciate and constructive feedback and especially from people that actually have kids as life is VERY different when you don’t have them.
They are both great. West Village has more winding streets and fewer major streets than UWS where every avenue (north-south streets) is very busy. West Village also has a lot of cobblestone streets which can be difficult with little ones, although the sidewalks are all paved with concrete. Upper West Side's major perk is close proximity to Central Park and all the major museums.
West Village tends to be much more expensive and have smaller apartments than the UWS, but if all is equal...It's really just a matter of preference. Both are wonderful neighborhoods - absolutely beautiful- and both offer all the daily "necessities" like grocery stores, shopping, dry cleaners, etc.
Thank you so much turtlecreek Can't wait t get there and make up mind mind. Our kids love parks so the proximity to central park is which is a major consideration for us I suppose.
Are public schools an issue? The UWS is much denser than the Village thus the elementary school zones are smaller geographically (and tend to shift, much to the furor of the residents). Schooling on the UWS is a contact (blood?) sport.
It might be easier to get into the exact school you want in the Village.
wow tpk-nyc thanks for that tip as yes schools are very important. Your private system is very expensive compared to our and I cannot justify the prices when our elite private schools here are about 1/3 of the price. There are 2 schools in the UWS that we were focusing on however the ones in the West Village seem to all be good. So basically what happens to a child if they are zoned to a particular school do they just automatically get a position??Here our public system makes room for them?
So basically what happens to a child if they are zoned to a particular school do they just automatically get a position??Here our public system makes room for them?
My daughter would be going into the second grade so I dont know if that would make a difference? Also she would be starting after the school year has commenced however regardless I may make contact with the schools when I arrive to see what the situation is before I commit to an apartment specifcally in that area.
Both neighborhoods are family friendly and really nice. However, it's nice to have Central Park close by. Central Park has ice skating, a carousel, and a small zoo, as well as a place to ride bikes. I would be wary about sending your kids to the public schools. Even the so-called "good " schools can have some rough elements and it's hard to get enrollment in the more desirable schools.
I don't think you really have to worry about rough elements in primary school. As the others have said, proximity to Central Park is great, but I think for day-to-day living, parts of the Village win (I would stay away from the areas with lots of bars). If you are looking for more of a neighborhood feel and less competition for keeping up appearances, I would choose the Village.
I would choose the Upper West Side. There are more activities for kids there. Of course there's Central Park, which has tons of different playgrounds, skating in the winter, an amusement park in the summer. The Children's Museum is on the UWS, as well as the Natural History Museum, the Planetarium. There's also Riverside Park. And it's got great schools and beautiful architecture. I have 2 kids and we find ourselves on the Upper West Side much more than in the Village (although I can't afford to live in either).
Good luck with your choice!
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Can't wait t get there and make up mind mind. Our kids love parks so the proximity to central park is which is a major consideration for us I suppose.
