America's Big Cities Are Rapidly Losing Kids

As somebody who grew up in NYC, I am so grateful I did when I speak to people who grew up elsewhere. By the age of 15, I had infinite freedom, especially since all my HS friends came from all 5 boroughs. I'd go see movies with friends in Brooklyn, go to their apartments on the Upper West Side, hang out at museums or parks -- meanwhile my suburban friends were at the mercy of their parents driving them places.

I love seeing how resilient NYC kids are, like the 8 year old who folds his own stroller or the 7 year olds who are pros at the subway. This independence is both terrifying (for parents) and inspiring (it preps them early in life).

My first year at Cornell, I remember every freshman kind of losing their mind with the freedom of being away from home (getting super drunk, not controlling themselves, never self-selecting to go in) --- except for the New Yorkers who would constantly think, "What's the big deal?"

The hard part of raising kids in the city is it's extremely expensive. But my wife and I are pretty focused on, hell or high water, on making it work in Brooklyn - so we'll see how it goes.

I would rather raise my kid(s) in a small town and not a big city. Maybe within a few hours drive of a big city to the occasional big/special event, museum visit, etc.

During the pandemic, my neighborhood in Scottsdale saw a huge increase of families with kids moving from Chicago / Seattle / SF. Remote workers, etc... We've got good public school / parks / places to roam, at the time represented a huge bargain in home pricing.

(Anecdotal but reflected by a rapid increase in home values that came with that.)

The number of city kids really boomed between 1990 and 2010 or even 2020. But the pandemic really changed things.