The City.
The very phrase is evocative of so much: spectacular skylines which tower over the residents below, subterranean subway systems that weave beneath the streets, open-all-hours restaurants that span the breadth of the world’s cuisine…and of course pushchairs and childcare…
Even if we grew up in The City we often ask ourselves is that lifestyle compatible with raising kids and everything that entails?
For some people (like those in Vancouver), it’s doable. For others, it’s too much. For the rest, it’s a decision that’s yet to be made and some parents, as reported by The Guardian, even move out of the city in order to have kids in the first place.
If you’re on the fence though, here are some reasons why you should move out of The City once you pop out a kid or two.
You can have more space
Living in inner cities means that unless you’re some kind of billionaire with money to burn, you’ll be living in relatively small spaces. Is a tiny, cramped living situation conducive to life with kids?
Any parent will tell you that that’s a resounding ‘no’.
However, figuring out Florida car transportation services and then moving out of the city means you can pay the same mortgage or rent rates (or sometimes less!) but for a much larger property, that might even come with—gasp!—a garden.
HOT TIP: Garden’s are essential for kids that 1) want to play and 2) annoy you so much sometimes that you want a space for them to call their own…and thus, leave you alone.
Another, less touched upon benefit of having more space is that you also don’t have to waste time whittling down your belongings too much either. You can simply pack them up and have them sent to your new home ready to be unpacked when you arrive.
One more hot tip for you: buzzmove’s comparison site has some of the best removals companies in the biz, so take a quick browse before just plumping for the first movers you find!
You can slow down a bit
Cities imply fast-paced living, whereas moving out of the city usually means shorter commutes (unless you’re still working in The City, that is) and an overall slower pace of life. Getting to the kids’ football games and dance classes, or even just doing the food shopping, no longer seem like such all-day affairs. This now means that you can hang out with your little ones at home and generally have a more rose-tinted, family-focused lifestyle.
Plus, you won’t be permanently knackered.
You can save money
Cities are expensive, that’s not up for debate. If you live just out of zone 6 commuting around London travel alone can cost you up to £500…a month! Even just a one bed in a shared house can be as much as £800 a month, minus utilities. So if you’re renting a family home you’re surely paying, much, much more. Based on that, even moving a little way out of the state or country capital can save you a ton on transport, housing and even eating (because, yes, dining out and supermarket prices are also higher in big cities).
What to do with all that extra money, you ask?
More holidays! More fun experiences with the family! More expensive bottles of wine!
Are you convinced yet?
You’ll feel safer
This one is controversial, which is why we don’t claim you (or your kids) will be safer. Rather, you’ll often feel safer if you move out of the suburbs.
Whereas inner-city crime seems to never cease, and it can appear that there’s danger at every turn. In hustling and bustling urban hubs like London or New York, suburbs and small villages are laid-back, quiet and, perhaps most importantly, safer (kind of). Sure, you have other issues to contend with once you move out of the city. Like the fact that your kids may not be as adapted to big-city life once it’s their turn to move back to a bigger place or that the tedium of small-suburban living drives you all mad. But that may be the price you have to pay for supposed safety!
You’ll have an excuse to stay in
Leaving The City behind often means saying goodbye to friendships that you’ve carefully cultivated over the years. While you’ll still stay in touch, you’ll be physically distant for sure. Why is this great exactly? Well, you’ve finally got the perfect excuse to stay in instead of going out to bars all night with your single, childless pals.
Having kids helped at first (we don’t have a childminder!), but eventually they’ll try to get you back to dancing on the tables at 2am.
Who wants that? Probably not sleep-deprived parents.
And if that doesn’t sell you on raising your kids outside The City, we don’t know what will.
