tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post6058598038159922694..comments2024-02-13T05:20:46.558-05:00Comments on A CUP OF JO: Motherhood Mondays: Where would you want to raise your baby?Joanna Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18109285188206811042noreply@blogger.comBlogger405125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-9019340512774790392014-09-01T03:59:10.250-04:002014-09-01T03:59:10.250-04:00I don't know how LA ended up at #12. We live h...I don't know how LA ended up at #12. We live here and we're about to have our first child, and can't wait to leave! It's way too crowded and expensive, I've heard terrible things about the schools, the people are generally unfriendly... not a good place to raise a family at all.<br /><br />On the other hand, I grew up in a 4,000-person town in Michigan and it was much too small for me. Ideally I'd love to live somewhere in-between; not too big, not too small, like Austin or Seattle.Stephanie Loudmouthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18030716097505109881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-88008275883819930042014-03-27T22:27:57.576-04:002014-03-27T22:27:57.576-04:00I really don't know how Honolulu made number o...I really don't know how Honolulu made number one, the school systems are horrible!!! And the kids get the craziest days off like Kamehameha Day and Aloha Fridays... I loved living in Hawaii, but I moved so I wouldn't raise a family there.<br />Katiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05434054807833533825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-81492842974888157282013-08-19T11:27:26.731-04:002013-08-19T11:27:26.731-04:00I’m still learning from you, but I’m trying to ach...I’m still learning from you, but I’m trying to achieve my goals. I certainly love reading everything that is posted on your websiteand it helped me as well.keep it up.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dennisdouglaspepc.com" rel="nofollow">Residential Building Inspections </a><br /><a href="http://www.dennisdouglaspepc.com" rel="nofollow">building inspection service</a><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349748990258426600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-35871214562815013732012-10-01T00:50:44.485-04:002012-10-01T00:50:44.485-04:00Thanks for great information you write it very cle...Thanks for great information you write it very clean. I am very lucky to get this tips from you.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.keyboardmoving.com/" rel="nofollow">piano movers Vancouver</a>Negihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03081210267407903143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-42648759784880135212012-06-19T18:31:56.705-04:002012-06-19T18:31:56.705-04:00I've always loved the city; I think the cultur...I've always loved the city; I think the cultural diversity of a city is also important in a child's upbringing, but confess that so is space... Having lived in Lisbon (kidless) and San Diego (with kids), moving to the suburbs was never an option. However, when I observe how happy my daughter is when she is running around in open space, just for the sake of it, jumping, exploring, pretending and laughing, it takes me back to when I was a kid growing up in Connecticut with a lot of space to do the same, surrounded by nature, and how happy that made me. So... we moved to Portland (OR) recently, where we get the best of both worlds :) I'd also consider moving back to Europe with the kids, among different things, because I think it's easier to acquire a particular taste for food, which is also important, in my opinion, but, until then... Portland is pretty cool in regards to that as well!Elizabethhttp://www.pearoo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-31800194516292259082012-06-05T21:41:19.534-04:002012-06-05T21:41:19.534-04:00anyone without kids who answered this question wit...anyone without kids who answered this question with the answer, "move to brooklyn" shouldn't have answered! you have no IDEA how much the idea of where you live and how you use the city you once adored once you have a child. everything looks and feels different (i am not speaking for all, but for many). after being a new yorker for 13 years, the last 2 i have been dying to get out. it makes me sad to feel so down on a place i once adored, but paying so much for a dump and having my kid listen to idiots say "f**k" every 5 seconds or blast music w/ the N word every 2 seconds in his ear (oh and how about almost running me and stroller over to beat the read light on 4th ave???), I'm done. I can't use the city for what I once loved about it because a babysitter costs $18 an hour and we have no money to play with since our rent is so damn high and I spend my time when the weather is cruddy in such awesome places as "lowes" and "ikea" just so my toddler has enough space to run around. you're laughing... i can hear it! but it's TRUE!! <br /><br />would love to use the brooklyn museum of art as a fun place for my child but getting there w/ all his toddler crap while carrying it all up and down subways steps is just a pain. hoping he doesn't want a nap the second i have traveled with him 50 minutes on 2 subways is something i pray for the minute i leave the house.<br /><br />oh and did i mention that i am paying over $3000 a month for all of this? <br /><br />i love new york and all it has to offer but i know both me and my child will love it even more when we visit. 2 more months and we'll be able to move to the philly area where i can afford to buy something and actually save money. good food, museums, culture, parks etc. etc. there too.<br /><br />not sure if you moved yet but i think you'll make the best decision for your family. for my family, i feel like my kid deserves more than what we can offer him here in nyc/brooklyn. and brooklyn may seem family friendly (and it is in some areas) but it's getting harder and harder for an average to make it there financially. (brooklyn is quickly becoming manhattan - give it 10 more years till there's a bank and starbucks on every other corner there too!).<br /><br />sorry for the rant but i am having one of those tough brooklyn days. wait till the humidity starts and my kids diapers start baking in the NYC summer sun, wafting that beautiful smell in through the front windows! ahhh, new york. love ya, but can't wait to leave ya.amynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-67935963324733491912012-03-29T19:17:49.554-04:002012-03-29T19:17:49.554-04:00I am sixteen and I have lived in Seattle, Manhatta...I am sixteen and I have lived in Seattle, Manhattan, Rochester, Central New Jersey, Martha's Vineyard, Alexandria, Washington DC, Miami, and Jacksonville. I really love having a dad with a job that involves being transferred all the time, because it's allowed me to develop my own opinions and feelings on a lot of different environments. <br /><br />Personally, I really enjoyed living in large metropolitan areas (Manhattan and Seattle), but all of the really 'Childhood Memory' type of experiences I had did happen whilst in the suburbs (riding a bike, treehouses, etc). <br /><br />You guys staying in the city definitely has my support. I can describe from experience that there is no joy equal to that which you feel when you finally convince your mom (after months of begging) to brave the tourists and take you to Dylan's Candy Bar!! It had to be better than riding a bike for the first time in a quiet subdivision haha.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-75060389271548783972012-03-28T22:38:30.786-04:002012-03-28T22:38:30.786-04:00We've been having this discussion lately. We l...We've been having this discussion lately. We live in a small {tiny} town right now, because we're both attending graduate school here. I'm studying speech-language pathology, which, thankfully, is extraordinarily high in demand, so I can live where I'd like. My Mister, however, is a Poli-Sci/Anthropology student, so his fields are a little more limited. Too, I'm a city girl and he adores the rustic. I know we'll need to be at least nearer to a city {we're vegetarians living organically in a town that has exactly 4 feet of ONE grocery store dedicated to these nutritional demands. Super.} I'm not opposed to 4 seasons so long as I actually get warm weather, but the Mister loves 2 seasons: snow, and less snow. Oy! We have 3 years to decide, and in the meantime, we'll travel to find the right spot for us!Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15743257176900503022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-66849260472482168152011-10-25T12:19:27.235-04:002011-10-25T12:19:27.235-04:00I think there's a distinct possibility that yo...I think there's a distinct possibility that you and many readers have a romanticized impression of Maine. Please, don't get me wrong -- I *love* my homestate, really I do -- beautiful rocky coastline, lovely communities, farmlands, mountains, blah blah blah. But it's only fair to point out some important drawbacks about "the way life should be" --<br />severely depressed cities (Lewiston, Rumford, Waterville, Augusta -- drive through any of them and you'll see what I mean),<br />extremely heavy tax-burden (consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation),<br />prescription drug epidemic and related crime,<br />lack of economic development and related unemployment,<br />lack of cultural diversity,<br />high rate of poverty (2nd highest rate of population on public assistance)...<br />I could go on, but it breaks my heart. My best advice if you really want to move to Maine is this: make sure you are employable, either working from home/telecommuting or working HERE IN MAINE. And don't believe what everyone says about the cost of living being so much lower -- I moved back home from Boston expecting the "lower cost of living" and had kind of a rude awakening. The only thing that costs less here is housing. And that might not even be less once you factor in property taxes.<br />Sorry to be such a downer, but I wanted to inject some realism to whole topic of Maine. All I'm saying is, don't think it's all sunshine and lobster tails here, and don't just vacation at some lovely coastal B&B and assume that it's the "real" Maine -- do your homework and make sure you can actually *live* here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-57266339501170824312011-10-16T18:57:15.740-04:002011-10-16T18:57:15.740-04:00I grew up in a neighbourhood in Saint Paul, MN, (a...I grew up in a neighbourhood in Saint Paul, MN, (and was bred to strongly dislike Suburbs) and I think neighbourhoods in cities are the best way to go (though I don't know much about neighbourhoods in New York). I say, trust yourself! I've seen a lot of people try to decide between the two extremes, and I wonder why.<br /><br />thanks for your blogging! I appreciate the bitties!Isabellenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-22466196603345262692011-10-11T17:14:37.119-04:002011-10-11T17:14:37.119-04:00My hunnie and I are still only dating. But he'...My hunnie and I are still only dating. But he's much older than me so the topic of kids comes up from time to time. I was raised in the country, big house, big yard, driving everywhere. But I also lived in England for a few years as a kid. He was raised in an apartment in the Lower East Side. But both of us are wed to raising babies in the city. It's challenging but the opportunities are amazing. That said, I would love to raise kids in Brooklyn!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-56975622145120864012011-10-11T07:51:33.367-04:002011-10-11T07:51:33.367-04:00Maine IS amazing. My husband and I don't have ...Maine IS amazing. My husband and I don't have a child yet but we are eager to start a family and this question is ALWAYS on my mind.<br /><br />I grew up in Maine and had such an amazing childhood. Interestingly, my parents left NY to move to Maine in the 70's and never looked back. I yearn to raise my kids in Maine but we live in Paris right now (beautiful but we don't want to raise our kids here forever for a lot of the same reasons you gave)and my husband is French. We both love New England but it's always a difficult question. One of us will always be away from our homeland. <br /><br />Anyway, I miss the beauty of Maine daily. Another plus: it's really not that far from Boston so the city isn't far :)<br /><br />best of luck with this decision!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-25537990372774593262011-10-11T00:36:43.585-04:002011-10-11T00:36:43.585-04:00We did make that move from city to smaller town! R...We did make that move from city to smaller town! Recently left the wonderful city of Los Angeles so that our 2 year old could have a house with yard and we could have more time, plus be near family. So here's my take ~ I absolutely love LA - the ocean, the people (from every place in the world!), the sunshine, fashion, mouth-watering restaurants, scent of jasmine at night, geraniums blooming out my window in January, everything at your fingertips. Now we can hike the Rockies, walk right outside our home and play with tons of other kids (who are out there unchaperoned! Would never be done in LA that I can think of), and we get about twice as much done each day because it doesn't take 30 minutes to get from one side of town to the other. We have so much fun. Oh, and in smaller towns people actually look at each other, smile, and say hi when walking by! Very easy to meet lots of other families, which is amazing. We were ready for the change. You have to be ready to leave a beloved city & you'll know when/if you're ready.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-72435310419904047552011-10-10T09:46:50.013-04:002011-10-10T09:46:50.013-04:00I grew up in the city and came out fine! Toby will...I grew up in the city and came out fine! Toby will learn so much in New York. To ride a bike just take him to the park!<br /><br />JennaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-5596785908628813412011-09-30T22:16:36.901-04:002011-09-30T22:16:36.901-04:00Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure there...Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure there's only one other Utah fan that commented.<br />Utah, Utah, Utah!<br />It's so gorgeous here. The mountains are great--skiing, hiking, we have it all. The people are so nice here too. Its safe for kids to run around outside.<br />I can't say enough good things. Three cheers for Utah!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-27190760502171978782011-09-30T21:59:17.051-04:002011-09-30T21:59:17.051-04:00I can't believe it's Friday night and I...I can't believe it's Friday night and I'm just catching up on your posts from this week and they are all amazing! Thank you for all of this NYC-centric goodness. <br /><br />We have been talking/thinking/daydreaming and changing our minds about moving our little family out of Brooklyn for a while now. The whole subject of school, for one, is a black hole I can't seem to make myself fall into, though now that our son is the ripe old age of two, we're feeling the pressure to figure it out. (ha)<br /><br />Seeing your dreamy posts about the magic of New York first makes me feel foolish for even considering leaving--we have SO MUCH at our fingertips and it is such am enriching environment...or can be. But then I remember the hard or bad parts about city life and I worry that we're exposing the little one to too much, too soon. Like everything, it's all about finding the right balance for your family, but in a place of extremes, that can be a real challenge. <br /><br />Anyway, thank you for the inspiration/thought-provocation!valeriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01115850444581496601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-10354729596888700142011-09-30T19:46:29.706-04:002011-09-30T19:46:29.706-04:00My husband and I are in the process of looking for...My husband and I are in the process of looking for our first house, and we know that we'll have kids within the next couple years. We've decided on Alameda, CA. We currently live in San Francisco, and while we LOVE it, 1 bedroom apartments with no yard are 500k+, so it's not really an option for us to buy here. Alameda is a small island in between Oakland and SF, and has an adorable small town feel, and it's just a short drive or ferry ride back into San Francisco.Dianahttp://www.dianamaire.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-1084312849181637242011-09-30T16:46:28.138-04:002011-09-30T16:46:28.138-04:00I've picked Maine myself, for now. The small t...I've picked Maine myself, for now. The small town feels like a great compromise between city/suburbia. I'm loving the walkability and outdoor opportunities so far!zoe faith [long distance lobsters]https://www.blogger.com/profile/13452196084133401328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-7743052884124770782011-09-29T22:42:58.695-04:002011-09-29T22:42:58.695-04:00Asheville, North Carolina.Asheville, North Carolina.Jeannienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-49409962022876411712011-09-29T21:11:24.645-04:002011-09-29T21:11:24.645-04:00I love Maine! It's not where I grew up but I h...I love Maine! It's not where I grew up but I have never considered anywhere else 'home'. I have recently moved from Maine to NYC and if I ever do start a family I want to go back. <br />:)sarah.obleneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17474561515374270376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-13569106879963153782011-09-29T17:38:09.805-04:002011-09-29T17:38:09.805-04:00My 4 year old daughter has just learned to ride b...My 4 year old daughter has just learned to ride bike living in the centre of Barcelona. It is definitely not as nice as learning to ride a bike in a small village of 600 people like her cousin does. But then she impresses her cousin by knowing which side the tube doors will open at the next station. <br />It's a tough call. Can't wait to hear their take on it when they're grown up.Trulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16789154485172364153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-754061478299204262011-09-29T13:37:50.426-04:002011-09-29T13:37:50.426-04:00I grew up in a subdivision. As a kid it was probab...I grew up in a subdivision. As a kid it was probably great, but as a teenager, I found it incredibly boring. I longed for the city.<br /><br />As adults, my husband and I battled with whether to stay renters or purchase a home. The home won out. But that meant moving. We now live in a small town that's close to the city. It's much more interesting, charming, and filled with character than a subdivision. It has some great stuff going for it, and it's surrounded by beautiful green spaces. Now that we have children, we do feel that it's a great place to be. It does make some things easier. <br /><br />That said, should I ever win the lottery, I'd be back in the city in a heartbeat. I'd be closer to friends, cultural events, stunning architecture, and great food. <br /><br />Everyone is different though. And I often wonder if I have a case of the grassies (the grass is always greener on the other side).Annenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-50691192134530307272011-09-29T10:38:50.005-04:002011-09-29T10:38:50.005-04:00We moved to San Francisco from Manhattan a few yea...We moved to San Francisco from Manhattan a few years ago and never looked back. I couldn't imagine raising my kids in NYC (too expensive, too crowded, etc) but the thought of the 'burbs scared the sh*t out of me. <br /><br />We've found an awesome compromise between city living and having all of these vast green parks and ocean living in SF. It's a much greener city than NY, very friendly, and super sophisticated. There are hiking trails in and outside the city - plus tons of other cool things like kayaking and surfing to do year round. Oh...and wine country is only an hour away!<br /><br />Not sure if you'd ever consider making the move to the West Coast but there are a ton of NY transplants here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-42842624303196698762011-09-29T05:04:38.965-04:002011-09-29T05:04:38.965-04:00Hi - I grew up in mainland Europe, my husband in A...Hi - I grew up in mainland Europe, my husband in Asia, so our kids are bound to experience a different childhood from us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28060897.post-61244237414926260172011-09-29T01:32:00.414-04:002011-09-29T01:32:00.414-04:00Maine! I grew up here, and now my children are, to...Maine! I grew up here, and now my children are, too! Portland is a great little city, and Camden a wonderful small town! I can't imagine life without the ocean!!Andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06562242830665839973noreply@blogger.com