There's no denying the benefits of city living when you are young and childless. From the culture and the nightlife to the fabulous restaurants, there's endless stimulation and the convenience of having everything at your fingertips. Major metropolitan areas are a playground for their residents. Once couples begin to expand their families, other concerns — namely space, schools and expenses — tend to creep into the minds of mom and pop. We recently wrote about the cutthroat process of preschool education and the costs are only expected to rise in the coming years.
Having grown up in San Francisco, my husband and I have sacrificed square footage for the ability to have mostly everything we need within walking distance, to dine in a variety of ethnic cuisines and give our two (soon to be three) children the benefits of an urban landscape. Friends have opted for the plush lawns, spacious bonus rooms and relative safety of the suburbs once their families outgrew their city walls. Did having children incite a move for your family?
