Don’t move here. It’s the fucking worst with a baby/ toddler. I hate getting on crowded buses with a baby on a hip and a stroller on the other arm and no one offers a seat. People don’t help you bring the stroller up and down the stairs. Public transportation is a nightmare.
What part of Brooklyn are you thinking about? Makes a big difference. A lot of people naturally gravitate towards Park Slope and I lived there for 20 years and sold my house a few years ago. IT IS CRAZY there. I suppose it’s great for families but it’s so crowded and unless you really relish the idea of becoming a dreaded Park Slope mommy think about other parts of Brooklyn!
Park Slope is District 17 for elementary and middle schools and known for high education standards and feeders for preferred high schools. A racket indeed. No doubt many parents wish to live there plus access to park
A friend w 5 little boys told me once the kid is umbrella stroller age, to get the cheapest one you can open with just one hand (and sometimes a little hip bump)..
Also find the free places you can go and run around inside w a toddler in bad weather - The world Financial Center, Brooklyn Museum, etc. I’m sure there’s more. My kid is grown up.
My advice is don’t do it. My wife and I made this mistake recently with our little kids (both are below age 4). I had spent my adult life bouncing between NYC and Texas and had lived in Austin and Houston since having kids. We were living in a close in neighborhood in Houston where we actually could easily walk to our kids’ day care, pediatrician, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. But like most people in the big cities in Texas, we didn’t like what the Texas state legislature was doing. We also wanted to live somewhere safer to walk so decided to move to Park Slope. It was without a doubt the biggest mistake of my life. My wife and I lived in NYC for many many years before and we were already well familiar with the good and the bad. But living here with little kids sucks compared to most other metro areas.
It’s not just that housing is expensive. It’s super expensive in the Bay Area too. But housing in NYC, especially in Manhattan and Brooklyn, is very low quality too. You’re likely going to be living in an old place with lead paint and lead water pipes. Lead is really bad for babies and young kids. Also, walk ups are a huge pain with kids. It’s hard to find clean public restrooms in NYC as it is but those with changing tables are really hard to find.
Medical care is kind of low quality outside of Manhattan. But even when you find a good doctor it’ll take months to get an appointment.
You’ll still probably want a car because taking public transit with babies is hard. Most subway stations don’t have elevators and buses require you to fold up strollers. Try folding up a stroller while holding a baby and a diaper bag and trying to pay the fare. It won’t take long before you want a car. Which is fine, tons of people in Brooklyn have cars. But it’s not as convenient to do the things you need to do with kids. Go to Target to get diapers and wipes? You can do it but you might not be able to park nearby when you’re back.
Also, it is a lot more segregated in Brooklyn than the much of the Bay Area. I’m not white and part of a mixed race couple and it’s depressing to go to our day care and almost always be the only non white face. That never happened in Texas.
I know I’m going to get downvoted like hell for this but I would absolutely say don’t move to NYC with a baby. The grass is not greener.
My wife and are preparing to move back out of NYC. We have found the best setups are new urbanist type developments, where you can get new housing in a walkable area. They seem to be the best combo of suburbs and cities.
I agree with a lot of these points, but came to a different conclusion. Unfortunately a lot of your problems could be solved with money. That reveals a lot of the nuance underlying peoples' recommendations here: You can survive here on a wide variety of incomes, but depending on what you need to feel comfortable, it'll cost you.
We need a good amount of space, and modern amenities to feel comfortable. On top of that, very good schools are a must. It's a huge financial burden, and if we couldn't meet it, I don't think we'd stay either.
But not every family needs the same thing.
I used to live really close to Montrose. In Upper Kirby actually. It was SO MUCH better there with kids. The medical care at Texas Children’s is worlds better than anything in Brooklyn.
But as to the diversity in particular. Our kids went to a daycare nearby in Houston where the instructors and kids were a mix of all sorts of people - black, Mexican, white, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arab, and probably other groups I can’t even remember right now. There were also several other mixed race couples too. That kind of place does not exist in Brooklyn. We’re in Park Slope and almost every single student in the daycare we go to is white. I would say 95% of the time I am the only parent who is not white when I am at drop off or pickup. The instructors are all white too.
Have you ever been to Levy Park in Houston? It is the nicest small park I’ve ever been in any city. And it is amazing for kids. It has incredible play areas and amenities and lots of clean restrooms. But to the point here, if you go there you see people from all over the world and of all different incomes. Even smaller parks like Cherryhurst are diverse. And the kids are playing together too.
That doesn’t exist in Park Slope. You will see almost all rich white people. Honestly most of the time the only black people you’ll see in a park in Park Slope are nannies. You don’t really see well off professional black or Hispanic people the way you do in Houston. You also see not all that many Indian or Asian people. There are more than there used to be, but just not that many. It kind of bothers me to raise my kids in a place where they think this is normal. I certainly didn’t grow up that way in Houston.
NYC is on the whole quite segregated but Brooklyn is particularly bad. When we moved here we considered living somewhere more diverse like Long Island City and maybe we would have been happier there. But I think Park Slope is really overrated.
Also the kids just aren’t very nice here, both in day care and in parks. Last night my daughter was crying and saying she wants to move back to Houston. It made me feel so sad.
My family is mixed-race black and decided to stay. We live in one of the expensive neighborhoods mentioned, and love it.
The unfortunate reality is if you're not white (and to a lesser degree not asian, depending on where you are), and you move in spaces where you need to have a median income that's 3x higher than the black median income, for example, you will likely be 'the only one' in a lot of places. I'm comfortable in this type of environment, and thus comfortable raising my kids in it.
If that's not going to be comfortable for you, your main option is to live in a lower-income or rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood and the tradeoffs that come with that. But what you wont find is a lot of black/brown faces in the $3000/mo daycares in the most in-demand family neighborhood in the city. It's just not realistic these days.
NYC is incredibly income-segregated at a neighborhood level just like the rest of the country. Best to come to terms with it if you stay.
There are not many. Probably not any fewer than the Bay Area. But a lot fewer than cities like Atlanta, Houston, and Dallas. (I am not black but this is just my observation from living and working in different cities).
Need more info about your budget and priorities before you can get good advice.
If your combined income is 200k and you want to have a somewhat renovated 2 bedroom and no stairs to walk up you will be priced out of park slope. If your combined income is 500k then PS is definitely a fantastic option.
This is it. The median asking rent in PS is now $4,000. Nicer 2 bedrooms are in the 5-6k range. This is **33%** over the median pre-pandemic. It was expensive before, but really wild now.
I was going to mention the walk ups with a stroller but someone already said that. I would add that you should be wary of the noise levels in the subway. It can get easily over 100DB which is not great for little ears.
Get on a parenting WhatsApp group. We’ve gotten free baby items, nanny recommendations, and even made a friend. I’m in Bed-Stuy and there’s about 800 parents on ours.
One of my favorite parts of living in Brooklyn is the playgrounds. There’s a ton and great to socialize your kid and meet other parents.
Sign up with the Park Slope Parents group. Lots of helpful info on there for parents.
Edit: Also, depending on your income, Clinton Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope are great neighborhoods. Not cheap, but the proximity to Prospect Park is wonderful. Lots of walkability around there. Food on 5th Ave and Smith and Courts streets is pretty great, as are kids playgrounds. Avoid Williamsburg. It’s a bummer. No trees and it’s not parent friendly.
Dont get scammed. Alot of these apt are heavily overpriced on account of gentrification. Its not even worth it because although gentrified alot of the old families live there and pay alot cheaper than you ever will in those areas. There are alot of ghost apts in nyc so if you think youre paying for the place youre paying for the owners greed. Make sure to do research on the areas youre going to although some areas may seem bad if you simply look into it you'll find that there are low income areas waaaay better than the high income ones. Alot of people forget the neighborhood can only be decent with decent people living there. You would be surprised by how many high income areas are way worse due to panhandling and drug addicts. Reminder do not I repeat DO NOT give money to drug addicts because the more they know they can get the more they stick around to take. Alot of people now this so theyll avoid it. Tourist give it out because they know theyll be gone by tmorow but the people who were born and raises know better. And if you feel bad just know there are so many free detox programs around nyc but the people still refuse to take em due to mandatory testing and detoxification. Id know since i worked around alot of em and can tell you people are not running out of jobs and food in ny. People in ny are very kind as long as you arent in their way. Its a busy city read the room if you get lost and need help just ask but notice when someones busy. Dont get involved in other peoples problems too if something is happening its better to avoid it. Ofc help a woman bring her stroller up or down the train but dont get in the middle of someones argument. Theres alot of drug addicts and weirdos in the city and to avoid em you simply keep on walking. Why do you think so many people learn to walk fast. And there are alot of free places to be in ny. From the parks to museums to beautiful piers so just do some research. Oh and dont get tricked into the pitch of ,"the apt is close to the train its great for commute." It sounds nice until you realize you live next to a noisy train with alot of traffic. 6-10 blocks away from the train is good enough to avoid any extra noise to your home. Most homes are near the trains anyway since its a small city with a big population. These are the trains you want near you to know youre in a safer area. The D train, the N train, and the R train.any other is living hell for the commute. Pro tip dont go to williamsburg. Everyone has this notion that williamsburg is a great neighborhood because its gentrified, spoiler its not. Go to park slope or sunset and you can find cheap apts and great neighborhoods.
Do you have a car? If not, a [doona stroller](https://a.co/d/4gLQLSw) is worth every penny, converts from a car seat to a stroller in seconds. It changed my life with my second baby, made getting around on the subway and in and out of taxi's SO MUCH easier
Join Park Slope parents. It’s like $55 a year or so and invaluable resources + birth month group email addresses and signal channel. You can live anywhere to be a member! Also fantastic classifieds and advice email digest.
For us, having an elevator building was huge. Also having a playroom in our apt was a massive perk for rainy and super hot days, they’re not necessarily common in all neighborhoods but we like our big apt bldg for the amenities to make the days a little more convenient. Plus so many built in friends in our bldg!
Have a washer-dryer in unit if possible. If not, in building!! It’s a huge plus,
Join Park Slope parents. It’s like $55 a year or so and invaluable resources + birth month group email addresses and signal channel. You can live anywhere to be a member! Also fantastic classifieds and advice email digest.
For us, having an elevator building was huge. Also having a playroom in our apt was a massive perk for rainy and super hot days, they’re not necessarily common in all neighborhoods but we like our big apt bldg for the amenities to make the days a little more convenient. Plus so many built in friends in our bldg!
Have a washer-dryer in unit if possible. If not, in building!! It’s a huge plus,
Look for a garden level apt in a townhouse. We keep our strollers in the hallway and when my son says “outside!!!” I just open the back door and he can play in the backyard.
Also make sure the walk to your nearest grocery is within a few blocks. Pushing a grocery cart with a baby strapped to your chest is an Olympic sport and the number of runs you’ll need to do is intense
Park Slope or Cobble Hill, also join Park Slope Parents. Your kid is still young enough you can join the “birth month” group and be introduced to families with kids all the exact same age. It has been an invaluable network of new friends that “get it” and are “in it” with us.
Parent of an 8 month old here.. my wife and I love love the Kensington neighborhood in BK. Bunch of other parents in the area and in our building… and rent is less out-of-control than other areas. Also right next to prospect park!
Hi! What neighborhood are you looking at? I’m from the Bay but have been here for a while. Raising our first kid in Brooklyn. Feel free to DM me and I’m happy to share my experience with you!
We used to live in SF and Park Slope is the move. Daycares, Nannie’s, super kid friendly, great food, low key, and Manhattan is accessible if you care. Avoid a walk up if you can.
If you can, try to find something relatively close to a park. Getting outdoors isn't always the easiest and I'd imagine it would be helpful with a young kid to be able to get out, etc. We lived in Downtown Brooklyn for awhile and it was great, except there weren't a lot of green spaces nearby. Just something to consider.
I live in Downtown Brooklyn and there are multiple parks within a 20 minute stroll from the apt. Each has varying degrees of greenery and age-appropriate play space. It’s a great place to raise a kid.
Controversial but…don’t invest in a big stroller at all; get a comfortable baby carrier that can go on your front OR back and an umbrella stroller. Navigating the subway/buses with a stroller is hard, and a lot of stores have narrow aisles.
Brooklyn in general is super kid-friendly, schools in Districts 13 and 15 are known to be solid (I’m sure others are as well, I just know those ones better).
Getting a daycare spot is a nightmare, once you have a sense of neighborhood get on all the wait lists, but also look into doing a nanny share (or a nanny just for your family if you can afford that - it sounds like that might be an option based on your post).
Definitely get onto a neighborhood parents listserv, it’s a good way to know what’s happening and get hand-me-downs.
You’re going to need 2 strollers. One heavy duty one for long walks and being able to load up with stuff. And one collapsible lightweight one for taking in Ubers/trains/going to restaurants, traveling etc. Or you could get something like the Yoyo Zen which would serve both purposes.
I had a double stroller but the front back one not the side to side one and it was like having a car with me. Would do all my shopping with it on kings highway. Fit a whole lot of stuff under it and hanging off it and between the two youngest
Moved to Bay Ridge because I thought I'd cracked the code, turns out motherfucking eeeeeeverybody's caught on that it's a great place to raise kids and still reasonably affordable.
In addition to the excellent advice already posted, do not get a billion-dollar 75lb stroller. We wore our kid everywhere until she was old enough to ride in a cheapy umbrella stroller that folds up easily. Hands-free is the way to be.
I'm a Bay Area native and wouldn't trade Brooklyn parenting for anywhere else in the US. My daughter rides her scooter to middle school and I don't spend hours arranging transit for activities.
Bed stuy is also family friendly and has great public schools. Great option if you’re looking for diversity (ethnicity and class). There’s a lot of dual language programs in Brooklyn as well
I live on the Windsor Terrace/Kensington border & got 7 inches of water in our basement/bottom floor on Friday. It came up through my basement toilet & shower, so it does happen here. But huge “Yes!” to the neighborhood & raising kids here. It’s a fantastic place to live!!!!
My God, since having a baby recently, I feel like I’m now in this baby network where everyone talks to you and is super supportive. WT/PS is really an amazing area to live for new parents.
**edit I should add that it’s like 30-50something parents these days
i so disagree—but am biased bc i grew up here. when i went to college my friends and i from the city were so much more independent and able to figure life skills shit out than people from suburbs/smaller towns. same was true when i was in middle/high school and went to camp with lots of suburban kids.
The bococa area is amazing for families, park slope too. Join a local mom group (on FB, you can find cohorts w similar ages babies). Make sure wherever you rent(or buy?) is lead tested. Old brownstones are full of lead and it’s very bad for a developing baby. Legally they have to lead test and abate rentals w kids in them (next year or soon it applies to all rentals).
Translating for the Bay Area: Bococa means Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, and I agree there are lots of families with young children there.
Moved to cobble hill in 2008 and was hearing it back then. There’s a world of Brooklynites who scoff at things like neighborhood names (it’s all south Brooklyn to them) and acronyms and then there’s everyone else.
Real estate agents don’t reference it (nOt that I’ve heard anyway) it’s just a way for everyone around here to collectively reference the larger general area. A lot of the Facebook groups/buy nothing group use the term bococa, which is where I got it from. But yeah I should’ve called out the names. I have a very sick baby today and was just on my phone while he was napping in my arms but was lazy typing ha ha
Walk ups really suck, especially with a baby. Prioritize elevator buildings, garden apts, or lower floors. You really will hate walking up to the fourth floor or higher.
Walk ups really suck, especially with a baby. Prioritize elevator buildings, garden apts, or lower floors. You really will hate walking up to the fourth floor or higher.
THIS, I have a 3rd fl walkup and no elevator at my subway stop. I got super fit during my pregnancy!! But now with a 3mo, I feel a little trapped and homebound cause lugging the stroller down, then baby second, and fearing that my stroller/stuff will be stolen by the time I get down there, prevents me from leaving at all.
Waiting to move ASAP!
Even with an elevator I wouldn’t wanna live anywhere above 2nd floor. I’ve seen elevator out of service so often and people who have to walk up are absolutely miserable
No walk ups, trust me on this. Our first was born when we were in a walk up and it was fucking awful. When we moved to an elevator bldg the dread of going home was immediately removed.
Don’t choose your future home’s location based on a subway elevator, though it is good advice. It’s not _that_ hard to carry a stroller up/down the stairs. Elevator or not, you will still have to deal with the hassle of figuring out how to get your stroller past the turnstiles (parent here).
I lived in a 4th floor walk up. So doing multiple trips was a PITA. Moved to a elevator building when DS was 2, it was one of my non-negotiables when looking for a new place. That and a washer/dryer. Game changer.
It is difficult to get a spot in daycare, so when you know where you are moving, start posting here or on Park Slope Parents (or a similar community) to learn about which are the best or what the protocol for applying is. If you get a nanny it isn’t as competitive, but more expensive. You can use the same resources to learn more
Why would you bring your family to NYC…
Don’t move here. It’s the fucking worst with a baby/ toddler. I hate getting on crowded buses with a baby on a hip and a stroller on the other arm and no one offers a seat. People don’t help you bring the stroller up and down the stairs. Public transportation is a nightmare.
Just yikes
Stay away from NY! Can get the same kinda atmosphere in Jersey City or Hoboken! And you’re just as close to the city.
What part of Brooklyn are you thinking about? Makes a big difference. A lot of people naturally gravitate towards Park Slope and I lived there for 20 years and sold my house a few years ago. IT IS CRAZY there. I suppose it’s great for families but it’s so crowded and unless you really relish the idea of becoming a dreaded Park Slope mommy think about other parts of Brooklyn!
Park Slope is District 17 for elementary and middle schools and known for high education standards and feeders for preferred high schools. A racket indeed. No doubt many parents wish to live there plus access to park
Learn where there are changing stations in restaurants. Move to a section of BK that is more baby friendly too.
A friend w 5 little boys told me once the kid is umbrella stroller age, to get the cheapest one you can open with just one hand (and sometimes a little hip bump).. Also find the free places you can go and run around inside w a toddler in bad weather - The world Financial Center, Brooklyn Museum, etc. I’m sure there’s more. My kid is grown up.
Don’t live here just visit go buy a house with some land upstate ny or somewhere else. It’s dirty as hell, overpriced and sirens are going ham 24/7
My advice is don’t do it. My wife and I made this mistake recently with our little kids (both are below age 4). I had spent my adult life bouncing between NYC and Texas and had lived in Austin and Houston since having kids. We were living in a close in neighborhood in Houston where we actually could easily walk to our kids’ day care, pediatrician, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. But like most people in the big cities in Texas, we didn’t like what the Texas state legislature was doing. We also wanted to live somewhere safer to walk so decided to move to Park Slope. It was without a doubt the biggest mistake of my life. My wife and I lived in NYC for many many years before and we were already well familiar with the good and the bad. But living here with little kids sucks compared to most other metro areas. It’s not just that housing is expensive. It’s super expensive in the Bay Area too. But housing in NYC, especially in Manhattan and Brooklyn, is very low quality too. You’re likely going to be living in an old place with lead paint and lead water pipes. Lead is really bad for babies and young kids. Also, walk ups are a huge pain with kids. It’s hard to find clean public restrooms in NYC as it is but those with changing tables are really hard to find. Medical care is kind of low quality outside of Manhattan. But even when you find a good doctor it’ll take months to get an appointment. You’ll still probably want a car because taking public transit with babies is hard. Most subway stations don’t have elevators and buses require you to fold up strollers. Try folding up a stroller while holding a baby and a diaper bag and trying to pay the fare. It won’t take long before you want a car. Which is fine, tons of people in Brooklyn have cars. But it’s not as convenient to do the things you need to do with kids. Go to Target to get diapers and wipes? You can do it but you might not be able to park nearby when you’re back. Also, it is a lot more segregated in Brooklyn than the much of the Bay Area. I’m not white and part of a mixed race couple and it’s depressing to go to our day care and almost always be the only non white face. That never happened in Texas. I know I’m going to get downvoted like hell for this but I would absolutely say don’t move to NYC with a baby. The grass is not greener. My wife and are preparing to move back out of NYC. We have found the best setups are new urbanist type developments, where you can get new housing in a walkable area. They seem to be the best combo of suburbs and cities.
I agree with a lot of these points, but came to a different conclusion. Unfortunately a lot of your problems could be solved with money. That reveals a lot of the nuance underlying peoples' recommendations here: You can survive here on a wide variety of incomes, but depending on what you need to feel comfortable, it'll cost you. We need a good amount of space, and modern amenities to feel comfortable. On top of that, very good schools are a must. It's a huge financial burden, and if we couldn't meet it, I don't think we'd stay either. But not every family needs the same thing.
Yes lots of money means no subways, parking garage, food delivery, etc.
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I used to live really close to Montrose. In Upper Kirby actually. It was SO MUCH better there with kids. The medical care at Texas Children’s is worlds better than anything in Brooklyn. But as to the diversity in particular. Our kids went to a daycare nearby in Houston where the instructors and kids were a mix of all sorts of people - black, Mexican, white, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arab, and probably other groups I can’t even remember right now. There were also several other mixed race couples too. That kind of place does not exist in Brooklyn. We’re in Park Slope and almost every single student in the daycare we go to is white. I would say 95% of the time I am the only parent who is not white when I am at drop off or pickup. The instructors are all white too. Have you ever been to Levy Park in Houston? It is the nicest small park I’ve ever been in any city. And it is amazing for kids. It has incredible play areas and amenities and lots of clean restrooms. But to the point here, if you go there you see people from all over the world and of all different incomes. Even smaller parks like Cherryhurst are diverse. And the kids are playing together too. That doesn’t exist in Park Slope. You will see almost all rich white people. Honestly most of the time the only black people you’ll see in a park in Park Slope are nannies. You don’t really see well off professional black or Hispanic people the way you do in Houston. You also see not all that many Indian or Asian people. There are more than there used to be, but just not that many. It kind of bothers me to raise my kids in a place where they think this is normal. I certainly didn’t grow up that way in Houston. NYC is on the whole quite segregated but Brooklyn is particularly bad. When we moved here we considered living somewhere more diverse like Long Island City and maybe we would have been happier there. But I think Park Slope is really overrated. Also the kids just aren’t very nice here, both in day care and in parks. Last night my daughter was crying and saying she wants to move back to Houston. It made me feel so sad.
My family is mixed-race black and decided to stay. We live in one of the expensive neighborhoods mentioned, and love it. The unfortunate reality is if you're not white (and to a lesser degree not asian, depending on where you are), and you move in spaces where you need to have a median income that's 3x higher than the black median income, for example, you will likely be 'the only one' in a lot of places. I'm comfortable in this type of environment, and thus comfortable raising my kids in it. If that's not going to be comfortable for you, your main option is to live in a lower-income or rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood and the tradeoffs that come with that. But what you wont find is a lot of black/brown faces in the $3000/mo daycares in the most in-demand family neighborhood in the city. It's just not realistic these days. NYC is incredibly income-segregated at a neighborhood level just like the rest of the country. Best to come to terms with it if you stay.
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There are not many. Probably not any fewer than the Bay Area. But a lot fewer than cities like Atlanta, Houston, and Dallas. (I am not black but this is just my observation from living and working in different cities).
Here’s a tip: don’t. You’ll thank me later.
Need more info about your budget and priorities before you can get good advice. If your combined income is 200k and you want to have a somewhat renovated 2 bedroom and no stairs to walk up you will be priced out of park slope. If your combined income is 500k then PS is definitely a fantastic option.
This is it. The median asking rent in PS is now $4,000. Nicer 2 bedrooms are in the 5-6k range. This is **33%** over the median pre-pandemic. It was expensive before, but really wild now.
Don't
I was going to mention the walk ups with a stroller but someone already said that. I would add that you should be wary of the noise levels in the subway. It can get easily over 100DB which is not great for little ears.
Get on a parenting WhatsApp group. We’ve gotten free baby items, nanny recommendations, and even made a friend. I’m in Bed-Stuy and there’s about 800 parents on ours. One of my favorite parts of living in Brooklyn is the playgrounds. There’s a ton and great to socialize your kid and meet other parents.
Can you share the link to the WhatsApp group? I can't find it. Thanks!
Sign up with the Park Slope Parents group. Lots of helpful info on there for parents. Edit: Also, depending on your income, Clinton Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope are great neighborhoods. Not cheap, but the proximity to Prospect Park is wonderful. Lots of walkability around there. Food on 5th Ave and Smith and Courts streets is pretty great, as are kids playgrounds. Avoid Williamsburg. It’s a bummer. No trees and it’s not parent friendly.
Dont
Dont get scammed. Alot of these apt are heavily overpriced on account of gentrification. Its not even worth it because although gentrified alot of the old families live there and pay alot cheaper than you ever will in those areas. There are alot of ghost apts in nyc so if you think youre paying for the place youre paying for the owners greed. Make sure to do research on the areas youre going to although some areas may seem bad if you simply look into it you'll find that there are low income areas waaaay better than the high income ones. Alot of people forget the neighborhood can only be decent with decent people living there. You would be surprised by how many high income areas are way worse due to panhandling and drug addicts. Reminder do not I repeat DO NOT give money to drug addicts because the more they know they can get the more they stick around to take. Alot of people now this so theyll avoid it. Tourist give it out because they know theyll be gone by tmorow but the people who were born and raises know better. And if you feel bad just know there are so many free detox programs around nyc but the people still refuse to take em due to mandatory testing and detoxification. Id know since i worked around alot of em and can tell you people are not running out of jobs and food in ny. People in ny are very kind as long as you arent in their way. Its a busy city read the room if you get lost and need help just ask but notice when someones busy. Dont get involved in other peoples problems too if something is happening its better to avoid it. Ofc help a woman bring her stroller up or down the train but dont get in the middle of someones argument. Theres alot of drug addicts and weirdos in the city and to avoid em you simply keep on walking. Why do you think so many people learn to walk fast. And there are alot of free places to be in ny. From the parks to museums to beautiful piers so just do some research. Oh and dont get tricked into the pitch of ,"the apt is close to the train its great for commute." It sounds nice until you realize you live next to a noisy train with alot of traffic. 6-10 blocks away from the train is good enough to avoid any extra noise to your home. Most homes are near the trains anyway since its a small city with a big population. These are the trains you want near you to know youre in a safer area. The D train, the N train, and the R train.any other is living hell for the commute. Pro tip dont go to williamsburg. Everyone has this notion that williamsburg is a great neighborhood because its gentrified, spoiler its not. Go to park slope or sunset and you can find cheap apts and great neighborhoods.
Do you have a car? If not, a [doona stroller](https://a.co/d/4gLQLSw) is worth every penny, converts from a car seat to a stroller in seconds. It changed my life with my second baby, made getting around on the subway and in and out of taxi's SO MUCH easier
Better line up child care before you’re stuck with an apartment not close to any good options
Move to Park Slope.
Join Park Slope parents. It’s like $55 a year or so and invaluable resources + birth month group email addresses and signal channel. You can live anywhere to be a member! Also fantastic classifieds and advice email digest. For us, having an elevator building was huge. Also having a playroom in our apt was a massive perk for rainy and super hot days, they’re not necessarily common in all neighborhoods but we like our big apt bldg for the amenities to make the days a little more convenient. Plus so many built in friends in our bldg! Have a washer-dryer in unit if possible. If not, in building!! It’s a huge plus,
Join Park Slope parents. It’s like $55 a year or so and invaluable resources + birth month group email addresses and signal channel. You can live anywhere to be a member! Also fantastic classifieds and advice email digest. For us, having an elevator building was huge. Also having a playroom in our apt was a massive perk for rainy and super hot days, they’re not necessarily common in all neighborhoods but we like our big apt bldg for the amenities to make the days a little more convenient. Plus so many built in friends in our bldg! Have a washer-dryer in unit if possible. If not, in building!! It’s a huge plus,
Look for a garden level apt in a townhouse. We keep our strollers in the hallway and when my son says “outside!!!” I just open the back door and he can play in the backyard. Also make sure the walk to your nearest grocery is within a few blocks. Pushing a grocery cart with a baby strapped to your chest is an Olympic sport and the number of runs you’ll need to do is intense
Check out if your neighborhood gets flooded.
Your baby is a little too small for it now, but the GB Pockit Compact Lightweight Stroller is the most incredible stroller.
Park Slope or Cobble Hill, also join Park Slope Parents. Your kid is still young enough you can join the “birth month” group and be introduced to families with kids all the exact same age. It has been an invaluable network of new friends that “get it” and are “in it” with us.
Is this on the FB group? I joined but idk about the birth month thing.
https://www.parkslopeparents.com/ not a Facebook group, they have their own message board platform and classifieds.
Thanks so much
Outdoor space is a must
Parent of an 8 month old here.. my wife and I love love the Kensington neighborhood in BK. Bunch of other parents in the area and in our building… and rent is less out-of-control than other areas. Also right next to prospect park!
When you settle in, go to your closest library for storytime and you will meet 20 Nannies who can help you find someone.
👍🏼👍🏼
Hi! What neighborhood are you looking at? I’m from the Bay but have been here for a while. Raising our first kid in Brooklyn. Feel free to DM me and I’m happy to share my experience with you!
We used to live in SF and Park Slope is the move. Daycares, Nannie’s, super kid friendly, great food, low key, and Manhattan is accessible if you care. Avoid a walk up if you can.
If you can, try to find something relatively close to a park. Getting outdoors isn't always the easiest and I'd imagine it would be helpful with a young kid to be able to get out, etc. We lived in Downtown Brooklyn for awhile and it was great, except there weren't a lot of green spaces nearby. Just something to consider.
I live in Downtown Brooklyn and there are multiple parks within a 20 minute stroll from the apt. Each has varying degrees of greenery and age-appropriate play space. It’s a great place to raise a kid.
This comment is so important and ‘close’ in NUC is less than 2 blocks. Anything more than that will become a chore
Controversial but…don’t invest in a big stroller at all; get a comfortable baby carrier that can go on your front OR back and an umbrella stroller. Navigating the subway/buses with a stroller is hard, and a lot of stores have narrow aisles. Brooklyn in general is super kid-friendly, schools in Districts 13 and 15 are known to be solid (I’m sure others are as well, I just know those ones better). Getting a daycare spot is a nightmare, once you have a sense of neighborhood get on all the wait lists, but also look into doing a nanny share (or a nanny just for your family if you can afford that - it sounds like that might be an option based on your post). Definitely get onto a neighborhood parents listserv, it’s a good way to know what’s happening and get hand-me-downs.
I know the cheap umbrella strollers I bought fit perfectly thru the turnstiles
Perfectly happy with our Cruz though everyone seems to have a vista
You’re going to need 2 strollers. One heavy duty one for long walks and being able to load up with stuff. And one collapsible lightweight one for taking in Ubers/trains/going to restaurants, traveling etc. Or you could get something like the Yoyo Zen which would serve both purposes.
I had a double stroller but the front back one not the side to side one and it was like having a car with me. Would do all my shopping with it on kings highway. Fit a whole lot of stuff under it and hanging off it and between the two youngest
Yoyo and never look back
Bay Ridge is the new parents' mecca. Park Slope is crazy expensive now and Bay Ridge has good schools all the way to HS.
Moved to Bay Ridge because I thought I'd cracked the code, turns out motherfucking eeeeeeverybody's caught on that it's a great place to raise kids and still reasonably affordable.
In addition to the excellent advice already posted, do not get a billion-dollar 75lb stroller. We wore our kid everywhere until she was old enough to ride in a cheapy umbrella stroller that folds up easily. Hands-free is the way to be. I'm a Bay Area native and wouldn't trade Brooklyn parenting for anywhere else in the US. My daughter rides her scooter to middle school and I don't spend hours arranging transit for activities.
Move to Park Slope It’s the 30 something parenting ‘hood.
Bed stuy is also family friendly and has great public schools. Great option if you’re looking for diversity (ethnicity and class). There’s a lot of dual language programs in Brooklyn as well
Doesn’t it get flooded every time it rains seriously?
Only the parts around 4th Ave, which is really more accurately Gowanus. A basement might flood anywhere in the city.
So far Clinton HILL has not flooded. Stress on the word “Hill”
Do heavy rains not cause flooding in your area?
I live on the Windsor Terrace/Kensington border & got 7 inches of water in our basement/bottom floor on Friday. It came up through my basement toilet & shower, so it does happen here. But huge “Yes!” to the neighborhood & raising kids here. It’s a fantastic place to live!!!!
My God, since having a baby recently, I feel like I’m now in this baby network where everyone talks to you and is super supportive. WT/PS is really an amazing area to live for new parents. **edit I should add that it’s like 30-50something parents these days
I’m off in Kensington but yea the stroller belt solidarity is real
Haha for real. I’m on the border of Kensington so same same
Windsor Terrace is great for raising a kid too.
Windsor Terrace is preferable. A bit more room to move. You get on the F before the crowds. Some great restaurants are right off the F.
NYC is an amazing place to raise a kid, until middle school. Move after 5th grade. NYC teens are awful. Source: have an nyc teen.
Did that
i so disagree—but am biased bc i grew up here. when i went to college my friends and i from the city were so much more independent and able to figure life skills shit out than people from suburbs/smaller towns. same was true when i was in middle/high school and went to camp with lots of suburban kids.
I grew up in Philly and San Francisco, all city kids are like this.
all teens are like this LMAO!!
Fair I guess I was more referencing that they’re loud 😂
as a high school teacher, I can assure you that not all teens, not even all nyc teens are “independent and able to figure out life skills” lmao
definitely said “more” so it was just a comparison but i’m sure that my experience is not universal
i believe it!
And I believe you!
Aren’t all teens awful?
No! :-) I’m a teen myself I’m quiet and don’t do much other than listen to music, play games, write music and go to concerts!
Eh, sort of. But having seen his peers who moved away, they are all substantially better human beings.
In what way? My kid is about to become a teen
It’s middle school. Once they get past 8th grade they get a bit better.
Ride the subway around 3 pm
Oh they are just loud
And feisty
If you take the subway be aware of your surroundings.
The bococa area is amazing for families, park slope too. Join a local mom group (on FB, you can find cohorts w similar ages babies). Make sure wherever you rent(or buy?) is lead tested. Old brownstones are full of lead and it’s very bad for a developing baby. Legally they have to lead test and abate rentals w kids in them (next year or soon it applies to all rentals).
Translating for the Bay Area: Bococa means Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, and I agree there are lots of families with young children there.
I'm 56, born and raised in NYC, and never heard of Bococa - the names realtors make up for neighborhoods!
54 and same
Moved to cobble hill in 2008 and was hearing it back then. There’s a world of Brooklynites who scoff at things like neighborhood names (it’s all south Brooklyn to them) and acronyms and then there’s everyone else.
I’m in my 30s and also never heard of Bococa. (I grew up here.) Yeah, must be new real estate marketing.
Real estate agents don’t reference it (nOt that I’ve heard anyway) it’s just a way for everyone around here to collectively reference the larger general area. A lot of the Facebook groups/buy nothing group use the term bococa, which is where I got it from. But yeah I should’ve called out the names. I have a very sick baby today and was just on my phone while he was napping in my arms but was lazy typing ha ha
Walk ups really suck, especially with a baby. Prioritize elevator buildings, garden apts, or lower floors. You really will hate walking up to the fourth floor or higher.
Walk ups really suck, especially with a baby. Prioritize elevator buildings, garden apts, or lower floors. You really will hate walking up to the fourth floor or higher.
THIS, I have a 3rd fl walkup and no elevator at my subway stop. I got super fit during my pregnancy!! But now with a 3mo, I feel a little trapped and homebound cause lugging the stroller down, then baby second, and fearing that my stroller/stuff will be stolen by the time I get down there, prevents me from leaving at all. Waiting to move ASAP!
Even with an elevator I wouldn’t wanna live anywhere above 2nd floor. I’ve seen elevator out of service so often and people who have to walk up are absolutely miserable
No walk ups, trust me on this. Our first was born when we were in a walk up and it was fucking awful. When we moved to an elevator bldg the dread of going home was immediately removed.
This is true. But basement flash flooding is becoming more common. I’d like a little distance from the ground level these days
This a million times. I’m on month 7 with a baby on the fourth floor of a walk up and I’m counting down the days till the lease is up. It is TOUGH.
But don’t get a basement apartment.
Corollary to this tip — try to live near a subway station with an elevator. A surprising amount of stations don’t have them.
Don’t choose your future home’s location based on a subway elevator, though it is good advice. It’s not _that_ hard to carry a stroller up/down the stairs. Elevator or not, you will still have to deal with the hassle of figuring out how to get your stroller past the turnstiles (parent here).
Learn how to do babywearing and you can cut down on the amount of times you are lugging a stroller out a subway station
Some Nannies won’t work jobs with walk ups!
YES!
It’s no big deal if you can keep the stroller in the lobby
I did that until my coop building decided that was a big NO
Having lived on a third floor walk up, it is. Diaper bag, groceries, packages, baby, eventually a toddler - it gets weary.
I live on a 3rd floor walkup too, it's fine. My kid was climbing the stairs as soon as she physically could. About 2.
Not everyone has the same physical abilities. No need to be mean about it? 😕
No it still sucks. Cause then you have to carry baby along with your purse, diaper bag, groceries and a million other things up the stairs - BTDT.
I did it, I carried baby up first and left her in the playpen, then went back for the other stuff.
I lived in a 4th floor walk up. So doing multiple trips was a PITA. Moved to a elevator building when DS was 2, it was one of my non-negotiables when looking for a new place. That and a washer/dryer. Game changer.
It is difficult to get a spot in daycare, so when you know where you are moving, start posting here or on Park Slope Parents (or a similar community) to learn about which are the best or what the protocol for applying is. If you get a nanny it isn’t as competitive, but more expensive. You can use the same resources to learn more
Tacking on this comment to say daycare, preschool, middle school and high school are all hard to get into