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 "stay in, not go out, for the night") --- 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.

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