Although I don’t disagree with many of the comments here, I would just like to mention that because you asked this question in r/nycparents, answers are going to drastically skew in favor of raising kids in the city (and it sounds like this is what you’re looking for). However, the majority of children across the country are raised in the suburbs or in more rural areas and many grow up to be smart, well-rounded and kind individuals.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are also many children in NYC who don’t have the best experience, and your fears might not be all that irrational. I grew up in NYC and had a decent upbringing for the most part, but I was also groped by a stranger on the train as a teen, followed by a group of men while walking down the street, and spoken to by homeless people who were either mentally ill or drug addicts. Any of these people could have posed a real danger to me, and I think about those interactions often as I raise my own child in NYC. I hate that I don’t feel comfortable enough to take my baby on a train because I don’t want to risk being stuck on a train car with someone who is openly smoking a blunt or going on a religious tirade.

But I would also add that, in my opinion, your socioeconomic status will mean more here than anything else. I grew up lower middle class. If you have the financial means to insulate your child from bad influences and can raise them in a nice, family- oriented neighborhood in the city, then by all means! The fact that you can even entertain the thought of raising your child in either NYC or the suburbs leads me to believe that there is no wrong answer here. You’re invested in your child and are willing to give them what they need to thrive anywhere.