Did you see
this article in the New York Times about increasing family sizes in New York City? The trend is mostly related to dual income families in the upper tax brackets. Families that a few years ago might have gone to the suburbs after the second child was born.
There is a lot to this article. The idea that a third child is viewed as a status symbol. The fact that people with the means are choosing the convenience of living in the city over having more space and perhaps better schools in the suburbs.
I don't live in Manhattan but I do live in the fairly urban city of Washington. My husband and I have decided that we want to live in an urban area that is walking distance to the metro. We like walking around our neighborhood and we like the freedom of being able to get to other places relatively quickly.
One of the mothers interviewed in the article mentioned that staying in Manhattan allowed her to maintain her career. This is something that I also thought about when we were deciding where to live after I learned I was pregnant. I really felt that if we moved too far away from Washington, the commute would make working and mothering all the more complicated.
I feel fortunate we could make this decision because I like living close to work. I can make a quick trip home in the middle of the day if my daughter is sick or if I want to go with her to story-time during my lunch hour. The trade-off is that we live in a smaller space, pay higher taxes, and
schooling is a little bit up in the air. But for us these trade-offs are worth it. One wonders about those who can't afford to stay in the city and have to commute hours to and from work in addition to caring for their families.
What factors did you consider when you were deciding where to live after you had children?
