NYC moms: how cold is it in winter?

[kusumat]

I moved to manhattan about 2 months ago. I am applying for a preschool for DC#1 for next fall. A very good one is located 1.2 miles each way from where we live. Would you consider that option? It is nice to walk right now, but how's about the winter? There are some decent/ok ones down the street or in half a miles. We have a Phil & Ted stroller. I am not sure how to keep DC#2 warm in the rear seat. TIA!

[maestramommy]

Don't live in NY, but I imagine similar to Chicago it will be cold AND windy. So besides dressing your kiddo in outdoor gear I'd have a blanket to tuck around him, and make sure he has a warm hat. That should be sufficient.

[ZeeBaby]

New York winters tend to be pretty mild. You may have one or two really bad days or weeks, but the majority of the winter is about 40 degrees. Are you on a subway stop? Maybe you can hop on the subway on the really cold days. I loved NY because of the ability to walk everywhere.

[katerinasmom]

Even just a few below 40 degree days will make 1.2 miles feel like a very long walk with small kids. Keeping them in the stroller will keep them warmer. Bring a blanket and get a good hat with ear flaps for each one. Some of the midtown streets especially can get pretty windy with the tall buildings. So even if the temperature itself is mild, the wind can be brutal. I wait for a bus every day on 57th and Madison and need a scarf beginning in September just because of the wind.

[LBW]

I'm in northern NJ, so not in NYC, but I know what the weather is like around here.

It's glorious outside today, and the weather had been really good for the past couple of months. BUT, we do get rainy spells, and I personally would not want to walk 2.5 miles in the rain with a stroller and two small children. Also, yes winters can be mild, but there are enough COLD days, snowy days, and sleety days to rule out a walk that far for me.

You might want to ask your neighbors how well the sidewalks and streets are cleared in your neighborhood when it snows. It might be very difficult to navigate street crossings with snow buildup, puddles, or ice when the weather is bad.

Even if you choose a closer school, you'll still need to bundle up both kids. I'd look into lambskins and raincovers for both seats. (I have a P&T, too, and I'm pretty sure someone makes a raincover that covers the back seat.) I would also get a snowsuit or down bunting for the younger child, and possibly both children.

[Georgia]

I moved to manhattan about 2 months ago. I am applying for a preschool for DC#1 for next fall. A very good one is located 1.2 miles each way from where we live. Would you consider that option? It is nice to walk right now, but how's about the winter? There are some decent/ok ones down the street or in half a miles. We have a Phil & Ted stroller. I am not sure how to keep DC#2 warm in the rear seat. TIA!

1.2 miles would be rough. Not because of cold and not everyday but because of those days that happen to be rainy/windy/snowy. It's miserable. Hard to balance an umbrella and a stroller, hard to even have an umbrella work because the wind blows the rain right at you, hard to maneuver through all the giant puddles or slush piles. I'd do it only with reliable alternative transportation available on the bad days.

[EXPECTINGMAY]

I personally would not want to walk 2.5 miles in the rain with a stroller and two small children. Also, yes winters can be mild, but there are enough COLD days, snowy days, and sleety days to rule out a walk that far for me.



I agree. I would only do it if you have a back up plan like the subway or a cab.