SF or NYC

[3girls4me]

Hi ladies,

Any thoughts on whether San Francisco or New York city is more homeschool friendly? Meaning there will be plenty to do, a welcoming environment, etc. so basically, if you were considering moving to one of these two cities for only a year or two, which one would you choose?

Thanks!!!

[Runningmom80]

I lived just north of SF for 4 years, but not as a parent.  I just took my kids to NYC, and I talked a lot about this with DH, you know, just daydreaming about what we could do as home schoolers. I ultimately chose NYC for the museums.  SF has better weather though! 

[go_go_gadget]

NYC is in NY, of course, and my understanding is that NY is one of the highest-reg states. CA is one of the lowest. I'm local to SF, so of course I'm partial to it. The freedom is a totally objective point, though.

[Laura in CA]

I don't know about the hs'ing aspect, but I have heard NY is high-reg. NYC has fabulous opportunities, of course, but SF is no slouch either. Plus as a PP said, the weather :) ... I just went to NYC to see a Broadway play -- it was awesome, but SO muggy. :D 

And I'm a native NY-er (WNY). You can't go wrong either way, of course!

[sassenach]

Regulation wise, CA wins by a mile. Culture wise, NY probably wins by a nose.

[idnib]

I live near SF and have visited NYC but never lived there.

 

If you like to do more outdoor things, SF might be better.

 

We can be lower reg than NY, depending on how you go. If you homeschool under a charter there are more restrictions: you meet with them once/month, and you take the annual standardized testing starting in (I think) 2nd grade. For this, they pay for some of your materials and equipment.

 

If you register as a private school, you have all the freedom of any private school (use any curriculum, no testing, no meetings, etc) but you pay out of pocket.

 

So if you're thinking about having a charter in CA so you can get $$$ and accountability, you can compare the details to NY. If you're going to register as a private school in CA, it's easily less onerous than NY.

[lilajoy]

I'm in NYC. I'm not a homeschooler but I know a few people who are, and from what I can gather, NYC has tons to offer. There are homeschool groups that meet to do just about everything, and you have access to virtually every culture, cuisine, type of art, music, dance, etc. The museums are varied and superb, and there are always educational offerings going on in the many parks, too. I think it's a wonderful place to homeschool. The downside, of course, is the cost of living, but SF is just as bad on that front.

[Abeille]

I wouldn't let the homeschool regs in NY intimidate you, as they're really not that bad. I freaked out when I first read them before we moved here, but in actual practice it's been a very easy and simple to homeschool in NY. However, I'm still a west coast girl at heart so I'd pick SF just because. :)

[Starr]

If you plan to educate your children I wouldn't worry about regs for decision making. NY regs are very manageable and more flexible than they first appear. I think it depends on where you want to live, housing, etc. with those two choices. 

[JennyD]

 

What an exciting choice!  We lived in NYC for many years.  My kids were still pretty young, but it's an amazing place to homeschool.  I have no doubt that SF is the same.

 

However, both cities are horrifyingly expensive, so unless you have just gobs and gobs of money, it's worth thinking about what your top priorities are and the sorts of opportunities you'll actually be able to access.  For example, will you be able to live right in the city or will you need to live further away?  Can you get along without a car?  Is is possible to find a place you can afford on the subway line that will get your kids to music lessons/soccer practice/art class?  Those sorts of questions.