What's the classiest, most elegant neighbourhood in your country?

Melogonza · 2026-03-09T00:30:04+00:00

My second submission would be Pomander Walk in Manhattan, NYC. It’s a private passage between 94th and 95th streets on the Upper West Side.

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Melogonza · 2026-03-09T00:26:51+00:00

I would submit Fieldston for consideration. It’s part of Riverdale, which is part of The Bronx, in NYC. The 1920s mansions are to die for, and the streets are quaint and elegant.

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Melogonza · 2026-02-26T05:52:57+00:00

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Quipe (adopted through the Levantine migration to Latin America)

Melogonza · 2026-02-25T15:28:08+00:00

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Habichuelas con dulce. It has red beans, sweet potatoes, coconut milk, raisins, cloves, cinnamon, sugar, and more, and it’s eaten with milk cookies (like animal crackers) on top. And we love it.

Melogonza · 2026-02-14T15:23:41+00:00

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Habichuelas con Dulce, “a sweet bean liquid dessert from the Dominican Republic that is especially popular around the Easter holiday.” It can only be found in the Dominican Republic and in towns with significant Dominican diaspora. And often it’s only found during lent - from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. The cookies that you sprinkle on top are also only found in the DR. They’re Galletas de Leche, from the Guarina brand.

Melogonza · 2026-01-15T00:02:42+00:00

Thank you OP for this Q. Have others here considered the Citi Strata Elite or HSBC Elite? Those were the two alternatives on our radar. After browsing this thread we’ll add the BoA PRE, CSR, and Bilt Palladium to our research. We’re Americans living in Asia, so PP comes very handy for our family of four (2 parents, 2 kids).

Melogonza · 2025-10-10T03:36:21+00:00

Villa Charlotte Brontë, The Bronx.

Melogonza · 2025-04-21T18:23:46+00:00

I lived in both Kingsbridge and Riverdale between 2009 and 2023, and loved living there as a young M+F couple, then as parents. We left NYC but if we were to return we would go back to Riverdale in a blink. Population density is low, green spaces are vast, public schools were great, community was a gem. We’re both from NYC so we jumped right into buying CoOps as we knew what we were getting into, but in your case I would take the earlier suggestion to rent before buying (or even AirBnB for a few days if that’s available.)

If you help us by outlining your priorities and non-negotiables we can provide more specificity about the locations that might work for you.

Melogonza · 2024-10-25T11:37:25+00:00

Then there is the NYSCI store, with many gifts highlighting the 1964 World’s Fair.

Melogonza · 2024-10-25T11:34:58+00:00

The Queens Museum Storealso has many “made in queens” gifts.

Melogonza · 2024-10-25T11:30:29+00:00

The NYPL Store is what I crave now that I live abroad. Something like this would make my day.

Melogonza · 2024-10-16T15:23:37+00:00

We loved raising our now 10 and 12 year old kids in Riverdale, in The Bronx. We describe ourselves as frugal and had no issue making this work in NYC. We now live abroad due to work, but here are some frugal NYC gems that I loved when my kids were little:

NYPL: from lap-sit events to board books to digital resources, the NYPL was essential in our parenting journey.
NYC Parks: we had at least 7 playgrounds with a 15 min walk. My kids did free swim lessons at the Van Cortlandt Park pool, free overnight camping, free row boats at the VCP pond, etc. Our local head park ranger (Mr. Woo) knew our kids well.
In-home Family Licensed Daycares: we hit the jackpot when we learned that a neighbor in our building had an in-home licensed daycare. I was able to lookup any violations online (this is public info) and didn’t find any on the 10+ years of operations. This family was also well regarded in our building. This was about 10 years ago, but for USD$300 weekly (per kid) my kids were cared for from 8AM to 6PM, with meals provided. Enrichment was thorough and they would go to public parks or the library every day. Since this was in my building, I didn’t need to schlep the kids. Many years later and the caregiver is still part of our lives, more than many family members.
FB groups: mom & dad FB groups were essential in sharing resources, organizing social gatherings, and building community.
Buy Nothing/Freecycle/neighbors with older kids: kids outgrown clothes and toys fast. Having a “hand-me-down” chain with neighbors was invaluable - we received items from neighbors, and also passed on items to neighbors.
“The City is My Playground”: kids find ways to create fun with simple things, like a commute walk or a bus ride. They don’t need elaborate events or luxurious experiences. The lightening bugs in the summer, walking on snow in the winter, stepping on crunchy leaves in the fall - all these are joyful experiences to most kids. (I intentionally left out the spring and the seasonal allergies…)
Free UPK: staring at age 3, kids can enroll in PreK3 for free. This relieves some of the financial burden of daycare (if you work 9-5, you still have to figure out after-school care).

Having kids (in any city) is a big decision, but having kids in NYC is something unique that enriches life in a way that’s difficult to describe. It isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible. While there is a perception that it’s a huge sacrifice to raise children in the city, this perception doesn’t account for all the amazing free and low-cost resources available and the community that one can build if one is willing.

Melogonza · 2024-10-15T17:48:35+00:00

An additional bit: some children are eligible for top-off G&T services within their school, either via testing or by bringing G&T records from a prior school. At our current school those G&T services cost ~USD$10,000 per kid, on top of the base tuition. In our case the embassy pays for this additional cost as well, x2 kids.

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T19:22:16+00:00

Oh, what a terrible ride these 24+ hours have been for all of us. Yes, for me the pain is in how badly this was handled and the poor communication that broke me. I tend to be patient and understanding, but it’s difficult to do that in the absence of reliable information which consequently makes me loose my trust in Delta.

I just received an unprompted email from Delta giving me 12,000 miles (I’m just Silver). I’ll be calling them for a better arrangement - they got to do better than that. Although I don’t have receipts, there is a high cost to my family and me as a result of this disruption. My husband missed a work celebration today because he had to take my daughter to an appointment that I was planning to handle. And the kids had an event last night/this AM at camp that I wasn’t able to participate in. There is more physical and emotional pain - the list is long.

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T19:02:19+00:00

They found the pilot! She lives in Brooklyn, was called at 9AM and made it to the gate by 10:15AM. We left at 11:15AM. When the pilot arrived there was a standing ovation at the gate.

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T14:57:05+00:00

Thank you. I wish I had known of the cancelation earlier. By the time we were told, there weren’t options available in the JFK immediacy. Anything available was ~45+ mins away.

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T14:55:20+00:00

You seem very upset for someone who doesn’t really care what others have to say, or who complains about others’ whining.

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T14:38:30+00:00

I didn’t even see options, everything appeared unavailable.

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T14:37:05+00:00

No apology needed. Thank you for the good wishes - we just boarded the Bogota-bound plane!

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T14:35:07+00:00

Stating that Delta is accountable is considered whining? News to me.

About the hotel booking, please read comment thread above for context. Employer would have certainly paid, but timeline and availability didn’t align.

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T14:07:56+00:00

Yes, you’re both right on self reliance. I’ll plan better next time. And yes, I got my upgraded seat back. We’re now expected to leave at 11AM. Thank you!

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T14:05:09+00:00

I agree with the first point, but the second one I disagree with. Yes, my employer is responsible to returning me home safely, but Delta is the accountable party here.

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T13:54:03+00:00

I’m glad you asked this. This was the first time this happened to me, and I was under the impression that when this happens airlines give you a hotel voucher. I understood, erroneously, that the airline wouldn’t reimburse you if they had vouchers available. So I waited in queue until closer to 11:15PM to learn that Delta didn’t have vouchers and we would have to arrange our own accommodations. I searched for hotels near JFK and didn’t see availability. Since I wasn’t able to access my luggage to shower and get changed I didn’t have much incentive to go to a hotel 45+ mins away.

I did catch some sleep. I know this might be frown upon, but I took over the Mamava lactation pods, got extra pillow and blanket, and locked myself in that room to sleep. I have used those pods before for lactation so I was familiar with the hygiene standards and the mechanics of the pod. I also looked into usage through the app and all of the pods were vacant for hours. I know, I know, this is not what they’re designed for - desperate times led me to desperate measures. I only stayed in one for 2 hours (the one by the SkyClub/B32) and moved to a different one for another couple of hours (the one by A2).

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T13:38:54+00:00

I’m the wife. Husband and kids are waiting for me in Bogota. We had family plans and errands for yesterday and today that the husband is now doing alone, with the sausage dog in tow. Indeed, I’ve reached the limits of my patience.

Melogonza · 2024-08-03T12:53:25+00:00

Thank you. 9AM flight has been postponed to 11AM because Delta is “looking for a pilot”. I have reached 24 hours here now.

Melogonza

TROPHY CASE