<p>Miami: “no more walking either, getting more and more limited, almost like a big prison there but with lots of jobs though.”</p>
<p>This is so funny. I wonder where you were?</p>
<p>“you cannot hop in a car and go where you need to”</p>
<p>I don’t know where you live, but in a lot of car-dependent places (Atlanta, Southern California, big cities in Texas), you hop in your car and sit in traffic until the traffic decides you can go where you need to. I travel by foot and train, and while it isn’t perfect, it is very rare for either method to be delayed by more than 10 minutes or so. At least 90% of the time, there are no delays at all. I don’t know anyone who gets around a big metro area by car who can say that. Small town/rural area, of course, different story, but you sacrifice in other ways.</p>
<p>I grew up in Manhattan, moved to the midwest when I was almost 30. I’ve often thought being elderly there would be easier in some ways then it would in the area I live in now…when folks around here lose the ability to drive, they can’t take care of themselves anymore. Being able to walk and use public transportation would provide a lot of freedom, at least unless/until walking is no longer doable.</p>
<p>However, we gave up our affordable apartment when I left so moving back is probably not an option…'cause it’s definitely not affordable anymore :)</p>
<p>As for safety…any big city makes non-city people nervous until they get comfortable with it, I think.</p>
<p>I would LOVE to live someplace where I did not need to own a car…and NYC or Boston or DC area would be my choices. The accessibility for these cities using their outstanding public transportation is just great. Zip cars are a good option for those occasional times when you MUST have a car for an afternoon. Renting a car for the weekend trips out of the cities…or taking the train…just great.</p>
<p>I grew up in Ohio. The public transportation was awful. Folks were very car dependent…and the notion of “hopping in your car” and going was very restricted by the heavy traffic where MOST folks wanted to go.</p>
<p>Different strokes for different folks. I will say…when we were toying with the option of living in NYC, I told DH I would ONLY move if I could live in an apartment where the sun shone in the windows. That is more important to me than owning a car.</p>
<p>I live in the DC area, and I wouldn’t say it’s a great place to have no car. The public transit system is great for commuting, but not so much for other stuff.</p>
<p>Hunt…true that…for commuting.</p>
<p>Having said that…I know a number of 20 somethings who live in DC without cars at all…and they LOVE it.</p>
<p>We drive down to NYC every month or so, which I love to do - great restaurants, shopping, shows, and just a very stimulating, high energy environment. I’m also always happy to return home. I could not live there - the poor air quality, noise, competition for everything - even sidewalk space - would definitely wear thin. I also think that I would have a hard time downsizing to an apartment - I like my space, and I would have a hard time giving it up a large house, and I’m certainly not ready to spend around $20 million on a comparably sized coop in Manhattan. I also love my garden and yard, and I can’t imagine a life without my flowers. For me, there would just be too many compromises to make living there worthwhile.</p>
<p>^^That’s why a large amt of NYC people have summer houses.</p>
<p>(I was going to say “that’s why God created the Hamptons”, but figured people will kill me on this thread).</p>
<p>But personally Im moving in with whichever poster said the South of France.</p>
<p>So on top of my $20 million coop, I need a $10 million house in the Hamptons? Adding in all the various “keepers” to keep it all going - that’s quite a headache! Honestly, I don’t really need that much stimulation to stay happy.</p>
<p>The test, the test…teaching to the test. This is what is killing our NJ public school (IMO). We moved to a top 5 school district in NJ for the excellent public schools but have found them under whelming. I have kids in K and 2nd Grade. At our recent teacher conf we were concerned with our 2nd grader’s math test results. It’s broken up into 3 parts…he scored 98%, 97% and 38%. Clearly something is not clicking in one section. The teacher’s answer was, “it doesn’t matter because when you average out the scores it’s almost 80%, so he is easily passing second grade”. She probably used the “passing 2nd grade” line 3 or 4 times. Urgh. There is zero differentiation between the students, zero. And this is a top district where moms stay home and volunteer for the PTA and cash / donations are free-flowing. The buildings are beautiful…smart boards and laptops galore…and yet…they have to focus so extensively on test scores.</p>
<p>I get that kids will learn to read and write anywhere but I want more for my kid than finding passing a grade acceptable. I 'm looking for that elusive “whole child” education and I’m willing to pay for it.</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to move the thread off topic by relating a story about a possible move back to the city. I have lived in Philly and have lived in commuting distance to NYC so visit often. I am look forward to a walkable, mass transit life. I have worked in the medical field both up north and in FL. Believe me the senior citizens coping with stroke, severe heart disease or the beginning stages of alzheimers or dementia are better situated in NYC where there are cabs, buses and a plethora of medical facilities. The saddest people I worked with in FL were those who retired there with a spouse for the “country club community” and had a spouse die and when they could no longer drive (or should no longer drive) often found themselves isolated and struggling.<br>
Back to the topic…</p>
<p>My niece is a teacher in the public schools in NYC.</p>
<p>Over 30 kids in a class. </p>
<p>The kids wear $100 sneakers, but don’t even have a pencil, forget a notebook.</p>
<p>Most live with one guardian, a grandmother or mother.</p>
<p>No one ever checks homework or makes sure they even do it.</p>
<p>No outside reading. No books in the house.</p>
<p>The kids are rude, disrespectful, talk back and don’t care to learn.</p>
<p>Fighting in the classroom… constantly.</p>
<p>Now, do you understand why everyone is clamoring to get into the private schools in NYC?</p>
<p>I’m impressed that 30 kids without 10c pencils can afford $100 sneakers. Did your niece check the price tags?</p>
<p>No need to check the price tags, just look at the ’ name’ on em, perhaps 100 is high, but easily over 75</p>
<p>Hand me down or new?</p>
<p>Just have to point out that no one knows if these families forked over $75/100 for these shoes and don’t care about pencils, because my own kids have gotten some sweet stuff from thrift shops and hand me downs…for free or almost.</p>
<p>It wasn’t my experience as a student teacher in an East Harlem elementary school, or as a public school kid myself K-8, that kids came to school expensively dressed but without basic school supplies. Certainly not 30 for 30 in a class, maybe one kid.</p>
<p>Also not my experience that all my kids - all poor, all black or Hispanic - did not get support at home. Sure there were one or two who fought and caused trouble, but the majority of my kids wanted to learn and got some support from home in doing that.</p>
<p>My daughter teaches in an inner city middle school. What cbw says is true. Of some kids. Definitely. But it’s not true of all or even most. However, she says that it is almost universal that her kids don’t have school supplies. It is not for nothing that we have school supply drives every year.</p>
<p>My son is in a wealthier school, but still a Title I NYC public middle school. He is in the accelerated class, taking several Regents exams this year. He has 38 kids in his class. That class has a school supplies problem, too. I am not aware of any who have $100 sneakers, but all have cell phones.</p>
<p>sunnytimes: We are also in NJ. I really believe the NCLB Law was well intended, but implementation is poor. D is a 2015 grad, who tested well at every benchmark of NJASK - Advanced Proficient, every Honors Class our school district in Morris County offered and was in the Gifted & Talented Program since 3rd garde. In our school district K-5 was just outstanding; as parents we could not say enough wonderful things.</p>
<p>Middle School was just ok. Over 1,000 students, faculty skills ranged from outstanding to fair/poor, but we wanted D to have the exposure to all different types of students, as our school district has a very diverse population; very different than the typical County demographic.</p>
<p>D is now a freshman at an independent school 20 minutes away. Student population is of the new school diverse, which was important to my wife as D is multi-racial. In comparing D to her peers, she is performing well in the math, science, reading comprehension & arts areas - wriitng is below her peer group. We both feel this is a result of teaching to NJASK, not teaching the students how to properly formulate their thoughts into a logical written document.</p>
<p>What’s nice about the new school is every one of the students will graduate and matriculate to a college of their choosing. Exposing a 9th grader to a 12th grader going through the college application and acceptance process opens the younger students eyes to what will happen for them in 2.5 years - what a benefit!</p>
<p>The downside to all of this is cost - as a family we chose to spend the money to sent her to this school and she understands we do need to make some adjustments to our lives. D will be 100% prepared academically for her collegiate choice and for us that was the deciding factor.</p>
<p>Just wanted to link an article from last wek about kindergarten waitlist:</p>
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<p>I cycled through Battery Park City last week on the Hudson River bike path, and passed a school there with kids out for recess. I swear, I thought of this thread when I passed :)</p>
<p>I live in NYC. I like it. </p>
<p>The niece shouldn’t be so sure the sneakers are the “real deal.” There are a lot of knock offs available, just as there are for designer purses.</p>