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How were you able to keep your kids in city schools while living in the burbs? This would make things easier for us. Our oldest is very proud about testing into his middle school and would hate leaving.
UWS - again not diverse. Nothing to do with class war - its just not considered diverse as far as NYC goes.
Many good school districts in Westchester have 25% or more "diversity." (Some don't - its easy to check demographics of individual schools nowadays). However, on the boards here "diversity" mainly just means differently colored Americans. In my kids' school (we are biracial family) there is a lot of diversity, but only about 20% different-colors-of-Americans type diversity. In their school the diversity comes from diverse peoples from all over (like you get in some parts of Queens, but obviously not to that incredible level). We have kids in the schools whose parents (not their remote ancestors, their actual parents immigrated here or are here on work) are here from Romania, Nigeria, Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Italy, UK, Croatia, France, the Azores, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, DR, South Africa, Guiana, Germany, Spain. My son's friends reflect that diversity of origin and culture. Although a lot of it comes down to trying different foods at his friend's houses and soccer team arguments in the park, still.
Like dumbo85 (who states he is a minority), my wife (not white) also rolls her eyes at UMC white people and their diversity mantras.
A bigger issue was the diversity of the restaurants compared to the city. In the city you can find virtually every cuisine. In the NYC burbs the main cuisines are represented, but you'll have to make an extra journey to the burb next door or the town 15 mins. by car to find soul food, Vietnamese food etc.
To be realistic, the UWS is not diverse in terms of the rest of NYC, but in terms of the US and the world in general, is fairly diverse. The OP's from elsewhere originally, so it makes sense to qualify those statements.
For almost everyone I've known who have made the move, it's basically been children (space, safety and schools versus costs) as the driver for moving out to the suburbs of NYC, though it's a lot more variable when it comes to moving out of the Tri-State area entirely. Among the somewhat younger and often with at least one parent from abroad cohort, they seem to be far less likely to move out of the city but instead try like hell to either get their kids into a decent public school, pay up for private school, or get very (almost unhealthily) involved in the school or supplement that public education. I think NYC is right now in the midst of a surge of a lot of middle and upper middle class people from elsewhere testing the waters to see what can be done.
"Who can live like that - stacked one on top of each other - we wonder how we were able to live in that overcrowded disgusting mess! It must be a frame of mind - sort of like the Stockholm syndrome, where you think you have something good but it's really not!"
/thread
In all seriousness, though.
If you're making >80k as a single guy, I'd say there's no better place to be.
Once you get married and have 2 kids and your combined HH income isn't = or > than 200k then you're better off looking elsewhere.
200k for a family of 4 gets you a comfortable lifestyle, imo. Go below that and then you're making trade offs in commute times, housing size, safety or education quality.
I've known people who have already bought homes in the city, who inherited homes, or who have excellent deals or rent stabilized or rent controlled apartments. Just because the OP couldn't afford what he considers a good life in the city doesn't mean everyone is in the same boat.
It really won't matter what school your kid goes to k-12. The university or the major will matter.
I've known people who have already bought homes in the city, who inherited homes, or who have excellent deals or rent stabilized or rent controlled apartments. Just because the OP couldn't afford what he considers a good life in the city doesn't mean everyone is in the same boat.
It really won't matter what school your kid goes to k-12. The university or the major will matter.
Am in disagreement. Depending on how competitive of an environment the children are in, the race can start from k-12.
Am in disagreement. Depending on how competitive of an environment the children are in, the race can start from k-12.
It's essentially a dick measuring contest between parents. Graduating from the bottom 75% of a top high school does nothing for college applications. A lot of people who went to private schools end up st a mediocre SUNY.
It's better to graduate at the top of the class, regardless of what school you went to.
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