https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 17 May 2026 03:13:23 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1041079 Sat, 24 Aug 2013 05:43:20 +0000 hummusgirl 1041079@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: We don't have a car because NYC is one of the few places you can do that, and between cars, gas and insurance, it can get pretty expensive to live elsewhere too. I've run the numbers, and it seems like they're going to get your $2500-$3k monthly outflow, whether it's all in rent or mortgage/property taxes/car expenses etc. Can't win! (That said, we'll probably be outta here at some point because we can't live in 800 sq ft for $$$ forever. But we're enjoying it while it lasts!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040974 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 23:22:15 +0000 marionberry 1040974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For all of those commenting about Portland, I live in the area too but I believe it noted high expense and low income, in addition to things like parks and providers. Perhaps this is part of the reason? I know that childcare expense seems really high. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040971 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 23:16:59 +0000 OldEnglandMama 1040971@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>About to take a job ~ halfway between Boston and Worcester (both on the list). Evenmore nervous about moving to MA alone now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040947 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 22:42:56 +0000 MrsMccarthy 1040947@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Vegmama: we live in PDX too (Portland, Oregon) and I shocked we made the list as well. It's so child friendly out here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040932 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 22:17:51 +0000 lamariniere 1040932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: we used to live in NYC and DS was born there. I was pretty happy to leave though when the time came. It was just not going to be a sustainable option for us over the long term and with more than one child. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040835 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 20:48:16 +0000 anonysquire 1040835@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope, Utah (every city) is such a good place to raise a family! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040826 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 20:44:09 +0000 birdofafeather 1040826@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rainbow Sprinkles: i was laughing at riverside! i didn't even see modesto. i can't think of which i'd like worse. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040799 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 20:27:21 +0000 mrsjazz 1040799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BKCaribBaby: Haha. I know, I know but it's still part of the city! I want all the Manhattanites and Park Slopers to stop moving to my neighborhood and driving the prices up. (I'm a bitter NYer :happy: ) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040778 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 20:13:44 +0000 BKCaribBaby 1040778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: girl, you live in Brooklyn. ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040748 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:56:35 +0000 sarac 1040748@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Vegmama: Seriously, Portland is one of the best places to have a child. There are SO many things to do here - it is a stay at home parent's dream. The cost of living isn't bad for a big city, either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040746 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:55:45 +0000 mrsjazz 1040746@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: Ok that is true! In my neighborhood I can get great Mexican, Polish, Indian, Caribbean, and pizza for super cheap. Near my former job there was this whole in the wall dumpling place that was sooo good, 5 for $1.</p> <p>I would probably miss this place like crazy if we left. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040724 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:39:46 +0000 deerylou 1040724@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lists like these are a little bogus, because it really depends on what you value out of life. Our city (very high on this list) isn't large, but we do have access to great culture: independent film makers, artists, food enthusiasts, and musicians. Our community is liberal, progressive, and sustainable - all things that are important to us, as a family. We can't afford to stay here forever, especially as home owners, but I still think it's a solid place to call home. I'd be really unhappy in a suburb, to be honest. </p> <p>@yoursilverlining: Definitely agree with you that cities get a bad rep. There's usually more crime in major cities because the population is so much higher than in a quiet, small town. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040715 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:31:29 +0000 yoursilverlining 1040715@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: Oh man; what about all the little dumpling shops where dumplings are crazy good and like $1.50/each?! Food trucks, pizza slices, little Mexican joints....what I love about NYC is you can spend so much to eat, or eat pretty well for not that much. Of course, rent and childcare don't leave you with much to eat on, but I am jealous. ;-) We have amazing higher end places here, but have literally no good (cheap or expensive) Chinese, no Mexican, etc. I just think cities in general get a bad rep - people assume there's tons of crime, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040712 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:26:01 +0000 yellowbird 1040712@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: nope, but im about 30 minutes from one! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040686 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:01:10 +0000 mrsjazz 1040686@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Vegmama: @PurplePeony: @sarac: I was surprised by Portland being on this list, too.</p> <p>@hummusgirl: @yoursilverlining: NYC does have great arts, culture, and restaurants--the arts and culture I would say that many people have access to, restaurants not so much. I guess like someone said, it's a good city if you can afford it, most of the people living here actually can't. I'm over this place :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040685 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:00:53 +0000 mediagirl 1040685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>so sad about Hagerstown. They boomed too much in the housing boom and then fell hard. :-( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040672 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 18:50:59 +0000 littlebug 1040672@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LaineysMom: I haven't! I'll have to check it out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040669 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 18:50:13 +0000 sarac 1040669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Portland, Oregon - I have to laugh. This is a hilariously bad thing to rank a city on in terms of having a baby in. Portland is one of the best places to raise a child in the entire nation. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040667 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 18:49:07 +0000 LaineysMom 1040667@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlebug: do you live in Philly? Have you been to the Smith Memorial Playground?? One of my professors founded the organization to restore it. When I visited I was really impressed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby/page/2#post-1040660 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 18:44:50 +0000 chopsuey 1040660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Phew, I don't! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby#post-1040491 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 16:26:16 +0000 Beehive 1040491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love raising a baby in NYC... Agree with @hummusgirl:. There are so many benefits, not least of which is being able to walk outside with a stroller and have everything right there - grocery stores, cafes, restaurants, playgrounds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby#post-1040410 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 15:45:48 +0000 deactivated_account 1040410@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I live right in the middle of two of the counties/cities listed. I think my county is one of the best in the world! But I would NEVER live in either of the two listed. Just my opinion.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby#post-1040336 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:52:03 +0000 avivoca 1040336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Danizaur: That is one thing I love about our state! I grew up in NOVA and the difference between the cost of living there vs. here is astounding! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby#post-1040317 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:44:23 +0000 deerylou 1040317@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: Agreed. I find many of these hard to believe. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby#post-1040295 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:36:34 +0000 MamaChin 1040295@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sort of NYC, we moved out of one of the boroughs to the suburbs about an hour away. DH still commute to Manhattan everyday for work and our families are all in NYC still. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby#post-1040292 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:35:29 +0000 yoursilverlining 1040292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I dunno - this list seems pretty suspect to me. Sounds like it's strictly based on number$, and not all the other things you have to take into consideration in whether a place is "good" to raise a kid in. Yeah, NYC is hella expensive, most cities are; but that doesn't mean its a terrible place to raise a kid. What about all the museums? All the cultural events that take place every day? The plays and musicals? The food and culture you can expose your child to from day 1?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby#post-1040282 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:30:20 +0000 hummusgirl 1040282@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ha! NYC here, and I think it's the BEST place to have a baby!! Like @mrsmate though, we are fortunate to be able to afford it. I imagine it's a whole different world trying to survive here on a low income. </p> <p>Also, I don't really understand how the number of playgrounds makes a place kid-friendly. We may have fewer playgrounds but they're packed and awesome because our neighborhoods are high-density. Where I'm from, there are plenty of playgrounds but no one's on them because it's a million degrees outside! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby#post-1040254 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:20:25 +0000 littlebug 1040254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope. One of the few "worst of" lists that Philadelphia ISN'T on! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby#post-1040240 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:16:30 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 1040240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lol that Modesto is on there....the armpit of california!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-live-in-one-of-the-15-worst-cities-to-have-a-baby#post-1040209 Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:10:37 +0000 deerylou 1040209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yup! I live somewhere ranked very high on this list. It's very expensive here, and the job market in the immediate area is poor, but that's to be expected in a beach town. That being said, I'm surprised. I do love it here, and think its an excellent, vibrant community for kiddos. </p>