I raise a family in NYC and have watched some of the authors prior videos.
He’s correct in pointing out the issues with the mental health crisis, which results in mentally ill people roaming the streets and subway. Taking our kids on the subway, it’s not something you’d engage with on a regular basis, but it’s there.
On the other hand, we are happy with our kids schools and enjoy our social engagements in the city, dining out, etc.
the preK bit sucks, they need to do a better job there (although I know many parents with kids in preK programs) and the migrant situation definitely needs to be better addressed.
I guess it comes down to how much pain you are willing to withstand.
As another parent in NYC I agree with you. We take the subway a lot and 90% of our trips are absolutely fine but at times you will pass a mentally ill person and it can definitely put you on edge. But to my mind it’s akin to driving with my kids in the suburbs and having a near miss with a reckless driver. I’ve never felt truly unsafe though, and for us the perks of living here outweigh the negatives. That can always change though.
Free city-funded Pre-K is a big deal for parents and is a great use of tax dollars but if you don’t have kids you won’t be aware of it. So it’s not like the NYC gov can’t do good things. I just wish it did more.
