Given the choice- would u raise your kids in a big city or suburbia?

My reasons for the city are:

You are surrounded by the best: the best teachers, the best schools (the best public schools in the city outshine the best public shcools on LI), best cultural offerings, interesting people, diversity, all things that you can't get on a day-to-day basis in the suburbs.

I grew up in Brooklyn and when we moved to Sayville, I was shocked at how unaccepting the kids were of people from other cultures, even other religions, never mind gay people. And minorities? Most people in Sayville would be horrified if a Latino or Afrian-American person moved next door. I would FREAK if my kids picked up on that bigotry.

Even though tolerance and respect and compassion is taught at home, kids also pick up a lot from their peers and other adults.

Everyone wants different things for their children...some want doctors, some want bankers, some want farmers, or whatever. A different environment will definitely add to that outcome and there is no right or wrong.

However...

I think before people say how terrible the city is for children, they must have some experience with it first. Everyone is going to have a different opinion of course...but some of the anti city comments in this thread are just not true.

if and when we have children...I want to raise them in the 'burbs but to bring them to the city quite often to get the culture! I know too many LI kids that have NEVER been to 'The City' and its a real shame!

I worked in NYC for many years...got laid off...them work on LI for about a year and I have to tell you...nothing beats the city!!

City schools are just not the same anymore

The other day I left work early for some personal things, and I was on the M train at 3pm. The mouths, the attitudes from the kids around me just disgusted me. Where were these kids raised? Like someone said its not mostly at home, but also their peers. Well these kids and their peers deserved a good mouth washing with soap. They were rude, obnoxious and had absolutly zero respect.

I do not want my children to be like that and someone to be thinking the same thing about my kids that I was thinking about the ones I saw during the week. I went to HS with 3 kids that are now in jail. One of them for murder.

If i tell you the HS i went too believe me its not known for its academics. Sure it has great programs that can really help build your future, but a lot of people dont know about those programs and only know the school for A) its location B) its history.

I dont want my children to go to a school where they face over crowdedness, lack of textbooks, grafitti on the desks, textbooks falling apart, books that are destroyed, lockers that are constantly broken into, and kids who just dont want to go to school but feel the need to ruin it for everyone by being a disturbance.

I volunteered taught at my HS and I was truely disgusted at what has become of it. And in time i think its only going to get worse. I am also a 3rd generation that went to that HS and I dont want my kids to be a 4th b/c the school just wont be the same

Mepham HS - wouldn't want my kids there!

There are bad schools everywhere - even in the suburbs. But there are specialized schools in the city that are some of the best schools in the country.

Personaly I am partial to the city. I would have a home both in NYC and LI if I had the means to do so.

There are good and bad schools, neighborhoods, situations in both the burbs and the city. I believe in giving kids safe exposure to many different positive experiences. Both the city and the burbs have tons to offer. My 5yr old niece, who lives in Ronkonkoma with a petting zoo in her back yard thinks 'The City Rocks'