Our Top Reasons to Raise Children in Jersey City
A Support Network of Moms
A strong network is imperative to helping first-time mothers find mental and emotional support and battle the overwhelming feelings of isolation that comes in the initial stages of motherhood. It's also as important as children go through development stages, sleep regressions, stages of terror (Terror?! My kids never - hah), as first born become older siblings, and so on. The feeling that your sanity, composure and emotions are never your own only increase exponentially as your child grows older and your family continues to grow. Sometimes the only people that can relate or help give perspective are friends, neighbors and community members that are going through/or have gone through the same thing. Jersey City has one of the strongest and close-knit communities of families around. This can be attributed to the number of young families in the neighborhood, the fact that most families are new to JC and that Jersey City is moving from being a primarily transient place to live to being a place that can provide an amazing balance of life for all. Finally Home JC provides ways to stay connected and to access local resources quickly and efficiently through events and city guide resources.
"There are hundreds of Meetup groups and parent-specific communities in Jersey City. Many neighborhoods have their own parent-centric groups both online and off which encourage parents to go out and meet other parents, share their experiences, and introduce their kids to people and places that they might not otherwise explore. " “
“Regardless of our individual decisions as parents, our children belong to and are shaped by the community around them.”
Diversity
Jersey City is the most diverse city in the country with it's residents representing a wide range of ethnicities, races and socio-economic backgrounds Furthermore Jersey City has ranked as one of the friendliest and most open to the LGBT community ranking 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's "municipal equality index." Evidence shows that cultural and social learning play a big hand in a child's overall personality development. A mixed learning environment provide children with a true representation of the population that make up the world they will enter and gives them the tools to be tolerant, empathetic and accepting of differences.
Time to Recharge
Time for yourself. Finding time for yourself is easier said than done and impossible to do without a sense of parent guilt but is necessary for mental sanity. You'll be a better parent for it! Jersey City has amazing restaurants, bars and dare I say clubs - for the necessary nights away from the little ones. Sometimes all you need to feel like a whole person again is that little break away from parenthood and worklife and Jersey City has exactly what you're looking for.
Date Nights out: Mathews, Madame Claud Bis
Wide Range of Classes & Activities
Classes Jersey City offers a range of types of classes for the children at all ages. From bigger chains like Gymboree & My Gym to smaller Mom & Pop types, Three Little Birds, you will have everything you need in the neighborhood. Additionally the wide range of museums, libraries festivals, parks and special events will serve your children a never ending calendar filled with fun events
Accessibility
Walkability Jersey City is an extremely walkable city and teaching your kids to walk and enjoy the outdoors is a lesson they will never forget. You'll move and get a little more cardio in with more face to face time with your children. Should anything feel slightly out of range for you there are also a strong public transportation system - Light Rail, Path, and Bus - as well as Citibike and the various companies who provide taxi-type services.
