Well, as a mother who is currently raising three little ones in the Big Apple, I would have to say one of the better or really the best perks is the EXPOSURE. Only in a city as vast, versatile and diverse as New York City would you be able to expose your children, let alone yourself, to tons and tons of multi-cultural experiences and individuals. This type of daily interaction not only broadens your perspective, but also sharpens you mentally.

The other thing that New York offers is Education, and while it can be somewhat difficult to get into some of the educational programs and/or schools here because of the astringent requirements; if one were to succeed in entering one of the elite schools here they should be prepared to excel academically, which would be most beneficial to your children overall in life.

So as you can see, New York and/or other big cities do have some perks, however, the downsides are still inevitable as well, but the same goes with any small town or city. The positive bottom line is that exposure lessens the chances of your children growing up ignorant of the world around them.

Hope this helps

Starr