The story goes like this: You meet your soulmate in the city, you get married, then you move to the burbs to raise your kids. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s no reason why you can’t raise your kids in the city. In fact, here are 10 reasons why you should:
1. You won’t have to buy a minivan
[Michael Comeau/Flickr]Minivans are something you purchase out of necessity. Nobody really wants one. But when you live in a city where public transit is way more convenient than driving, you’ll never have to embarrass yourself by buying a minivan. Plus your kids can ride for free until they’re too big to walk under the turnstile.
2. The city will mow your lawn
[Brian Tuchalski/Flickr]People move to the suburbs because they think their kids need a front yard to play in. But when you live in NYC, the parks are your front yard.
3. You can always keep your kids occupied
[KiGos/Flickr]They say that if you’re bored in New York, it’s your own fault. Your kids will never be able to whine to you about how bored they are when there are a million things you can do with them every day.
4. They’ll be smart
[Eve Chan/Flickr]With all those trips to the Museum of Natural History, they’ll be reciting all the dinosaurs in alphabetical order by the time they’re three.
5. They’ll be cultured
[Marco/Flickr]They might not understand the Met, but you can still take them there.
6. They won’t be picky eaters (hopefully)
[Richard Dongses/Flickr]This one isn’t a guarantee, but you can at least encourage them to try food from all around the world without ever having to leave the city.
7. They’ll grow up in a diverse environment
[woodleywonderworks/Flickr]This is one of the most diverse cities on the planet. If you want your kid to grow up surrounded by people of all different races, ethnicities, religious beliefs, (maybe not political beliefs), sexualities, and gender identities, this is the place to do it.
8. They’ll feel free to express themselves
[Dmitry Mayorov/Flickr]By extension, your kid will always feel free to be whoever he/she/they wants to be in this city. Here, weird is normal, so nothing is weird.
9. They’ll know how to be independent
[Chris Goldberg/Flickr]This city teaches you how to be self-reliant. Keeping yourself busy, motivating yourself, and getting yourself home are all important life skills. And New York City teaches all of them.
10. They’ll be tough cookies
[Joydeep Mitra/Flickr]Kids who grow up here know how to take care of themselves and take whatever life throws at them. When it’s time for them to go off on their own, the learning curve won’t be nearly as steep.