Cousins in Queens. Kids at the local public school and then a magnet HS (one of the famous ones). Another relative in the Bronx. Same deal- local PS whatever, kids aren’t ready for HS yet but the plan is one of the magnet/exam HS’s. They tried private school but they weren’t going to be able to save for college and pay tuition so they’ve opted for public school. The Queens family owns a lovely duplex- live on one side, have a tenant on the other who basically pays their entire mortgage. Nice deal financially. The Bronx family lives in a very pretty single family house with a front and back yard. Not big enough to raise horses, but enough to garden, swingset, etc.
I’d be happy to have raised my kids in their neighborhoods (they are not commutable to where I worked when I moved East from the midwest so I did not consider these urban communities). But their neighbors are professionals, academics, small business owners, plus a large immigrant population of “strivers” whose kids are intensely dedicated to academics.
Purple- now your turn- what’s the problem with the “outer boroughs”? Yes, more diverse racially and ethnically then other parts of the country. And yes- you aren’t living in a four bedroom house on half an acre. That’s why people make choices.