Raising Kids in the City - fun or no fun?

[lukkykatt]

I just got back from Philadelphia - my hometown until a few years ago. Upon my return home, I cried for two hours and begged DH to move back. Of course, he thought I had gone mad.

I realized how much I missed being close to my friends and family. AND I really missed being in the city. I was in heaven. DH swears that what I miss is no longer a reality now that we have children. He thinks that alot of the things we used to love we would either not do anymore, or would be logistically challenging and more trouble than they are worth with two kids in tow. Ok, this is making him sound like a fuddy duddy - he just really hates moving.

City moms- what do you like most and least about being in the city with children?

[Roleysmom]

We live in the heart of the city in a very old neighborhood about 20 blocks from downtown. I love the urban environment and I especially love how DD is enthralled by things that I never knew existed at her age. She loves buses. We have a bus stop practically in front of our house. She likes to stand in the second floor window and point at the bus as it goes by. She loves to ride the bus. Each time the bus stops, she'll shout, "out, out," which usually makes somebody crack up. She also likes trains and will wave at the el as it runs past our favorite park. I like how easy it is to pack her up and take her somewhere fun on public transportation.

On good days, I also like how there are always people around. In our neighborhood, you're at least as likely to hear Spanish spoken you are to hear English spoken. I like that too. I hope that she'll take up Spanish and be curious and appreciative about the background of others.

I think there's something so alive about a city and I think maybe her experiences will help her appreciate the vibrancy and pace and diversity of a major metropolitan area. Then again, maybe not. I think I was attracted to our neighborhood because it was so different from the sleepy green suburb where I grew up. She'll probably want to live in the country where she'll be 20 miles from her closest neighbor, instead of 20 inches (if that!)

There are also days when I hate the urbanness of our neighborhood. I worry about lead paint. I worry about the pollution from the trucks rumbling by. I'd like more space and more trees. When she gets bigger, she won't be able to ride her big wheel around the block or ride her bike around the neighborhood without me or her dad trailing behind her. Sometimes I wonder what she'll lose because of that. I have to say that when I visit my sister in the suburbs, I feel myself relax in a way that's different than when I'm at home.

As with most things, there are trade offs. Generally we like what the city is exposing her to, but there are other ways to appreciate all that a city has to offer. As a kid, my parents brought me into the city nearly every weekend. Some of my favorite memories are of visiting Chinatown or Greektown or holding my dad's hand as we walked underneath the el. I got the best of both worlds, exposure to one of the best cities in the country and a home where I could fall asleep in the summer to the sounds of the crickets chirping (or is it singing?) outside my window. It sounds like your little ones will have the same experience.


Paula
-- mom to Roley Julia 01-04-02

[Rachels]

We used to live right in Boston when my stepson was younger, and... well, we moved. The benefits, of course, were easy access to everything and good food all around, but as he grew, it got harder and harder. And scarier and scarier. We couldn't let him play outside, ride his bicycle-- all the things he wanted to be able to do. And I'm glad I'm not trying to navigate the city with a baby on a daily basis. It's fun to live very nearby and to go there occasionally, but the house and the yard feel more kid-friendly than the city did.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[egoldber]

DH and I go into Washington DC and Georgetown pretty regularly. And every time we go, I am always very grateful to return home to my house in the 'burbs. To me, it just seems so much eaiser to manage life with a baby in the suburbs. And especially now that she is a toddler, I love having a yard for her to play in.

[emilyf]

We live in downtown Baltimore and love being in the city. There are so many wonderful places to walk to-we live practically across the street from the aquarium, and can get to neat parks and other neighborhoods very easily. I also love to stroll along the harbor which I do almost nightly. Our neighborhood is an old Italian one, and I love having so many neighbors home during the day. I also love being around the restaurants. Oh and I can walk to the farmers market and Whole Foods. We had a terrific view of the 4th of July fireworks from our deck and ds was fascinated.
Things I don't love: parking is kind of tough which is harder with a baby and all that gear. As he gets older I wonder if he will miss being in a neighborhood where the kids play together unsupervised, riding their bikes etc. Our house probably isn't big enough for 2 children, so we will most likely move at some point, but if we could find something big enough we would seriously consider staying downtown somewhere.
Emily
mom of Charlie born 11/02

[Marisa6826]

We live in a suburb of NYC, which is still very much a "city". There are 30,000 people in the community we live in. I have lived here for eleven years and this is my second apartment.

I love having a "main drag" to walk up and down, checking out all the stores, etc. While it's a city, you still get to know your neighbours and merchants. It's a nice mix. I like that there is such a diversity of people and language. I think it's important for Sophie to know that not everybody looks like her and comes from the same background and customs. I also like knowing that I am a six minute ride from NYC and that I can get just about anything in the world there. I am close to some of the best hospitals and the doctors in existence and some of the most beautiful museums ever.

However, the parking is a NIGHTMARE. My errands are actually predicated on what time I can get back to get a good spot not too far from home. How pathetic is that?!

We're in pretty close quarters and the "street life" is unusually shall I say "vocal" in the early morning hours of the weekend. I hear my neighbours (and their kid "Lucifer" ) constantly. There are times when I've had to call downstairs because my other neighbours are enjoying their music a little too much.

The schools here suck and aren't getting better any time soon. Granted, there are Charter Schools available, but if I'm going to be spending money on a school, I might as well do that in a community I plan on staying in for a long while! When I see the kids raised here, I see small adults, not carefree children. They cross city streets and hangout on the corners, not play in a yard with grass. I don't want Sophie to have to grow up so fast. I think that the naivete of being a child is lost when you are raised in a city environment. JMO!

Jonathan is a city boy through and through. He was raised there. As much as we thought we'd be taking Sophie to NYC all the time, it's an incredible hassle. Granted, I could probably throw her in the Bjorn and take the subways, I just find it easier not to. Yes, we go to Chinatown for dinner, etc. but it's a MAJOR production.

All in all, I think it's a toss up. As much as I like being able to run to the corner market and pick stuff up for dinner, I would prefer to have more space, peace and quiet and a driveway!

-m