At the end of this month, I will celebrate my 15th year here in New York City, the place that we call home. Though I spent more time in Georgia, where I grew up, New York has, at least after the initial hazing period, felt more like home to me than anywhere else.
Sometimes my friends from elsewhere ask me about how it is to raise kids here. They seem curious as to how it is even possible to have three children in Manhattan amid the dirt and pavement.
While we have no backyard to shoe the children into and while we have no car to throw the diapers into, the city has its charms and its advantages.
We spend about half of our time in the city parks and playgrounds during the summer, play dating and running through the sprinklers. Even if you have no scheduled play date, you are almost always going to find one of your besties at the playground, and if you don’t, there is always a new friend to meet, one who will most likely be inclined to play Baby T-Rex or Family of Princesses in Florida or, my favorite unique NYC make believe game, “Weekend House in the Hamptons”. And, maybe to your daughter’s special mixture of thrill and frustration, there is always someone available to try and beat your record of skipping two monkey bars at a time.
The crazy city squirrels are very likely to try and steal your PBJ. Someone having a fight on his cellphone-and there is ALWAYS someone having a fight on his or her cellphone-will be teaching your children some choice words. You will have to schlep your often tantrum-ing children as well as all of their paraphernalia up and down subway steps and across town and through crowds, but you will reach the sculpture garden at the MOMA, the sunset out on the Pier, the Bollywood dance studio, the bite of the best cream scones in America, and things will not seem too shabby.
Even in this concrete jungle, there’s no place like home.
Take a look at more home slices via Corner View:
jane - ian - joyce - francesca - kasia -isabelle - janis - kari - jgy - lise - cate -otli - dorte - ali - sunnymama - daan -ibb- kelleyn- ninja- theresa - cherry b - cole - lucylaine - skywriting - anna- rosamaría - tikjewit - juniper -valerie - mlle paradis- wander chow-don -flowtops - susanna - tania -kristin
10/08/2011 at 10:29 am Permalink
Wonderful shots and your kiddos are adorable.
10/08/2011 at 10:38 am Permalink
envy.
shhh….i think it’s a sin.
D
10/08/2011 at 11:55 am Permalink
i love it all – every way you’ve described it. Your concrete jungle is calling me…..but I also love the slow pace!!
love your photos – beautiful.
10/08/2011 at 12:22 pm Permalink
your jungle home sounds like a great place
10/08/2011 at 1:19 pm Permalink
I can imagine that New York is an amazing place to live. You might not be able to kick your children out the door and say go play which no one does any more anyway, but in return you have all the benefits of the museums, plays, and great cultural events. How fun is that!
10/08/2011 at 4:34 pm Permalink
your home place looks like a great place … I hope to visit one day !! (and yes Charlotte is on the first picture of my post and you are right, she is beautiful !!)
10/08/2011 at 5:06 pm Permalink
you don’t need to convince me, I lived most of my life in concrete jungles, loved them, and know that you can raise happy kids there.
10/08/2011 at 10:39 pm Permalink
What a beautiful post about the joys and realities of city life!
10/08/2011 at 11:21 pm Permalink
thxs for these sweet pics of the big city’s hustl’n'bustle…
you’re all doing fine, yeah, amidst the city’s vibes? i love to find new york city in cracks and places like films, books and real life, such as how you describe here.
n♥
11/08/2011 at 4:07 am Permalink
Sounds magic for me… Not only because of prince and princesses
Have a nice day.
11/08/2011 at 7:31 am Permalink
Oh, Cate, what a beautifully written and illustrated piece! I raised my (now 29 year-old) daughter, Sara here. She knows people from many parts of the world. I wouldn’t trade that for anything!
11/08/2011 at 10:03 am Permalink
I loved to read your words, they made me even feel the city! Guess it nearly doesn’t matter where you are if you have the people of your heart around you! And I absolutely believe that there are lots of adventures to explore in a city jungle!
11/08/2011 at 2:16 pm Permalink
I think New York has many parks and playgrounds. And New York has many museums and exhibitions, and events that you can visit with children. I think New York is a good place to raise children.
You were some time in Germany? Too bad that it did not please you so well. But I think the Germans are funny sometimes. One can not easily get used to it. Unfortunately.
12/08/2011 at 6:35 am Permalink
Breathtaking photos, Cate! I don’t know if I’d be able to live in a city as huge as NY (London was already too big for me
) but I’m sure it can be fascinating! And I think no matter where you raise your kids, with love and care you can rise them well everywhere 
Thank you for sharing and for your nice comment on my CV post
Lots of hugs,
Kasia
12/08/2011 at 8:05 am Permalink
we are headed to nyc in a few weeks – first time with my kids (my husband and i have been a bunch). i can not wait! i think they will love it!
17/08/2011 at 9:52 am Permalink
And I’ve never been to NYC, I really, really want to. Some day . Until then, I’ll enjoy it through your blog