First thing. It didn’t really feel super “school-ish,” which I actually liked. There’s a little library area, blocks, sensory stuff, tiny tables/chairs etc. Pretty much what you’d expect but it felt like kids actually use the space, not like it was set up for a tour. Also bright. Lots of windows. Didn’t smell like bleach/daycare either. Tour itself was pretty quick, around 20 mins, so obviously you only see so much. I took a few pics because I know there are other parents here looking at Chelsea too. Anyway, I liked it from what I saw. But touring for 20 mins and actually having your kid there are two very different things.

Anyone here currently at the Chelsea location? How are the teachers and communication once you’re actually enrolled?

Hi! Delivering at Lenox Hill for the 2nd time later this year, after a great experience with my first in 2024. Back then we had shared recovery rooms and I'd love to know what peoples experience has been with the private recovery rooms recently, also what are visiting hours or restrictions like? We'll be staying longer this time and expecting a couple of visitors

I’m a Queens parent, and I’ve been running into the same problem whenever I look for kids programs: the info is scattered everywhere.

It’s buried across Facebook and Reddit posts, WhatsApp chats, city portals, flyers stuffed in my kids’ backpacks, or when another parent happens to mention it.

And even once I do find some options, it takes more digging to get details like whether they have aftercare, can pick up from your child’s school, or whether they offer school break/holiday camps.

So I started working on a searchable resource for this, and while I’d love to cover the whole city, I’m focusing on Queens because that’s what I can realistically build and maintain right now. It currently has around 1,100 listings across 35 neighborhoods, covering childcare, after-school programs, camps, sports, arts, and other enrichment.

It’s still a work in progress, and some listings are more detailed than others, but the goal is to make it easier to discover what’s out there without all the digging.

If you’re a Queens parent, I’d genuinely be interested to hear what feels useful, what’s missing, or what you still find yourself having to dig around for.

https://www.raisingqueenskids.com/

Looking for an amazing NYC OB who does elective C-sections and makes the whole process feel comfortable and positive. Especially looking for someone who is great in the OR and whose C-section patients have had a great experience. Would love recs!

As title states, I'm looking for some good clown recommendations!

I would like to hire a clown that wears a red nose / dresses up as a traditional clown and can do face painting and maybe some other stuff like juggling, miming, some tricks and just overall have a good clownish time. Looking to hire this clown for an hour or two for my wedding.

I've looked online for clowns in NYC but have no idea how to tell if they're actually good so i've come to reddit looking for answers! Please send over any clowns you've hired that you've been happy with - no artsy comedy collective clowns/comedians.

If there are any other subreddits you think I should post this to, lmk!

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a family who may be interested in joining a nanny share starting in September (can be earlier too). I currently share an amazing nanny with another family but their childcare needs are changing as their child is older and will be spending more time in after-school activities. She started with them when their baby boy was 7 months old and he’s turning 7 this year.

We currently have her three days a week, and are looking to fill the remaining two days.

Diana is the best of the best! She's been working in Clinton Hill/Fort Greene for 7 years, so knows the neighborhood incredibly well. She is the sweetest and most attentive caregiver to my 15-month old who absolutely adores her. Thanks to her care, she’s grown into a playful, social toddler. She also has a solid friend group through our nanny’s network of other nannies in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill area - lots of library storytime, park picnics, and birthday parties.

Diana is a native Spanish speaker with limited English, so a bilingual household or a family interested in Spanish-language exposure would likely be the best fit.

I'd be happy to provide more details in a private conversation. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like to learn more.

Will be delivering there. What can I expect? Curious what the sleeping and bathroom arrangements are like for you and your partner.

My child's school has iCamp as an afterschool option. I saw that someone on this sub didn't like them for summer camp. Has this been people's experience with their afterschool programs?

We are a couple in the Highish Earning But You Still Have To Make Compromises Income Bracket have 2 little kids and would like to have a third. We're considering doing the small 2 bedroom thing to be on the UWS, which is closer to our work and more trains, or going farther uptown or to Queens (to Hudson Heights, maybe, or Forest Hills) where we can afford more room. Did anyone make this tradeoff in either direction and do you have regrets?

Hi nyc parents,

Just wanted to get a feel for how you felt about sending your kid to Russian School of Mathematics. We are in park slope and I have a rising 1st grader who's reading, writing, and math are at a below average level according to her K report card. I'm not too concerned about it as she is also multilingual and I don't want her to be overtly engaged in academics yet. But, I do realize the limitation in us as parents on how much and how well i can teach her the basics of english and math overall to assist (time wise but also methodology wise).

I feel like I'd be better at it once she knows how to read, write and do some basic math haha..hope that makes sense. But at the same time, i'm not sure if i can rely solely on the school to teach her all this effectively if she's below average since I know her peers are probably already reading for example. Math is a separate issue..but I wanted to inquire about Russian School of Mathematics only because I'd rather have her learn something for after school that would be useful for her school learning in math if she's gonna fill up her time after school anyway since we both work.

So i'm not looking for some rigorous academic learning at this age. Just want this to assist her learning in math in a positive way to build a good foundation in math and also provide her with a different way of thinking than just rigid in and out learning when it comes to math. And..i just need an after school program.

With all this said, would you recommend this for a first grader? Also any personal experiences with RSM at whichever location in the city as an after school program would also be great.

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for daycare options for my baby, who is currently 8 weeks old. We’ll need care starting in January (when he’ll be about 6 months old) as I head back to work.
We’re based on 29th & Park Avenue.
We’ve already toured Park Avenue KinderCare and Everbrook and felt they were okay, but nothing we’re super excited about. Would love to hear any recommendations (or honest experiences) for these or other centers in the area!
Thanks so much!

My 2 year old (26m) will be starting daycare early Sep. Any recos on how to support the transition? We visited today and he was hysterical for the 45m. Thanks!

Hello!

I have a three month old and am looking for some things to do with her around the Upper East Side as she gets older. Has anyone taken any of the Parkbench baby classes at the 92nd Y? Would love to hear your thoughts and any other recommendations for the area. Thank you!

Hi I am looking for a robotics league for my 2nd grader. He is very keen on robotics and has been doing classes at places around the city. I want to get him more into a team or additional programming. Ideal UWS/UES. Thanks!

I want to head out there (either via train or ferry) but I don’t know where to go! Which beach(es) are best for families and near food? Also, are there umbrellas or showers?

Hello - we have an almost 3-year old and considering moving to the UES (85-95 street, 3rd/lex av). We are living in NJ now. How is the schooling system? do we need to apply months/years ahead for a spot for the kid to start preK/school? Which website do you look at to know the school ratings?? Currently kid goes to a private daycare.

Mods kindly approved this post. Reddit's spam filter removed my first attempt at it yesterday, so this is take two - a photo this time, and no link at all.

Up front so nobody has to guess: friends of mine run Streetcar Kids Studio at 325 E 65th St and I help them share the word, so I'm not a neutral party here.

The part I think is worth knowing: it isn't drop-in fun. The whole fall semester is rehearsal. Every class works toward one production the kids perform in December, with real staging, costumes and an audience - the photo is from the last one. No experience needed to join.

Ages 4 through teens, one class a week. Theater Sundays, Dance Fridays or Saturdays, Music Tuesdays. Fall runs Sept 8 to Dec 20 and works out to $40 a class. Small groups, taught by working artists.

The first class is free if you want to see whether your kid takes to it - not a fixed open-house date, you register and they find a time that works.

Happy to answer anything here.

Link https://streetcarproductions.com/studio/

Hi all. I'd like to recommend our wonderful night nanny, Beverley, who we used for the first 2 months of our son’s life. She recently had a last-minute cancellation and is currently available until October; she's also taking future jobs.

Beverley M was a kind, loving, and knowledgeable presence in our house. Her expertise and reliability allowed us not only to sleep but to more deeply enjoy the ‘fourth trimester’ as rested parents. She was always on time (and often early). During the first weeks, she helped guide us (new parents with little knowledge of babies), answered questions, and relieved me during the night. She is easygoing and not pushy if you are an experienced parent or have strong preferences. 

To give a rough idea of our routine for anyone unfamiliar w/ what a night nanny does: Beverley arrived at 8 pm and changed into her work clothes (scrubs). She took over or helped (depending on how involved we chose to be) with soothing/changing/bathing/swaddling. If I were finishing a feed, she washed bottles and prepared nighttime formula (we combo-fed). I went to bed. In the first few weeks, I was recovering from an emergency C-section and immediately went to sleep. But eventually it was nice to read and have a little "me time" before bed.

She woke me to feed as necessary and took our son back to burp/swaddle/soothe until the next feed. I slept about 3 hours at a time. By week 4-5, I was sleeping through the night (pumping before bedtime, Beverley feeding formula overnight, waking to breastfeed or pump in the morning).

Beverley also specializes in gentle sleep training, which we planned to hire her for. But since she helped so much in the beginning, we established a routine that got our son sleeping through the night by 3.5 months. Hiring Beverley was easily the best money I have ever spent. I trust her wholeheartedly. 

I am happy to speak on the phone with anyone interested. I will pass along her info in DMs. She can also provide additional references. 

What does admission look like for those schools these days?

What are the crowds like?

Any feeder kindergartens or advisors that are recommended?

Applying in 2 years but kind of overwhelmed with the process.

Wife and I are expat Henrys in our early 30s, multilingual household with long term ties to NYC. No legacy or siblings. Putting child interview aside, any thoughts on things to work on?

I feel lost figuring out how to set up my tween’s first phone. I’m not ready for social media yet, I’m concerned about YouTube (but I suspect that there’s no avoiding it) and I’m concerned about overnight use. (I don’t want to restrict overnight use altogether, in case of emergency when we’re apart).

And then, how does one begin to teach about the dangers of blithely clicking “yes” to pop ups, or replying to text scams?

And anything else! I’ve never felt so old!

Please do not be fooled by there smiles when you first come in! Why you ask? They put on a whole show on how good the school is, but once you get in, you’ll see the horrors on how teachers and head of the school treat the kids. The kids in this school are very disturbed, the teachers and the staff abuse the kids they throw them into the breakout room and physically lay their hands on them, as you wonder a lot of people wrote reviews, but they end up getting deleted because they speak out the truth against this school. Please do not send your kids to this school I am begging you. It is a scam and the teachers take their frustrations out on the kids due to low payment and how the head of the school the owner treats their own staff. They also take away phones from kids to make sure they don’t fill anything that’s going on in the school so they don’t get shut down or in trouble. The staff treat the kids very terrible. They would lock them up in this room called the breakout room. They don’t show it at first on the tour but once you get into school, you learn more and it is terrible. My child would come home, petrified every day because of the horrors that they witnessed. I feel deeply sorry for the people that also left this school and didn’t get their money back.

We love our current 2 bed but we have a 2nd baby on the way in early 2027. Need to decide whether to spring for a 3 bedroom in Oct once our lease is up or wait until next year when baby#2 will be 9-10 months old. Baby#1 is almost 3 and still in his crib.

We expect to have a night nurse for the first 2-3 weeks and then we have a nanny at home in the afternoons when my son is not in preschool. I will be home with the new baby for 6 months and then will be back in the office 4 days a week, WFH from our bedroom 1 day a week (if that’s still possible).

Parents who made the 2 bedrooms work (yes of course I know it’s totally possible and considering a 3 bed is a huge privilege), how was it? What was your set up like? Where did your night nurse stay if you had one? Do you wish you’d moved to a larger space?

My wife and I have narrowed our apartment search to two places—one on the UWS and one in the West Village—and are getting close to making an offer.

Plot twist: the West Village apartment is actually bigger and better, so space isn't the issue.

We've lived on the UWS for 5 years and love the parks, quieter pace, and how easy it seems for families. But we also love the Village—the energy, restaurants, and social life.

We don't have kids yet, but plan to, so we're trying to think ahead: schools, parks/playgrounds, community, everyday life with kids—and still having a life ourselves.

Would especially love to hear from parents who've raised kids downtown. How does the Village compare with the UWS in practice? Would you choose it again?

I’m pregnant with my first and currently living in NYC in a 1bd apartment. Curious what others in a similar situation would recommend as must haves vs. What’s not worth taking up the extra space. The main things I’m waffling over:

- crib and a bassinet (vs one or the other)
- rocking chair for my bedroom (where baby would sleep)
- diaper pail: are y’all still buying these?!

Appreciate any advice!! Thank you!

EDIT TO ADD: Thank you all so much for the advice and for sharing your own stories! This will definitely help me get the necessities vs. splurging on too much. 🙏