A Voluntary Tenement Trend
An interesting trend piece from the New York Times about an unusual new tendency amongst couples with young children: staying put in their crowded city apartments instead of the usual trajectory to the suburbs and minivan, all for the sake of the kids’ friendships in the building and other ties that aid in childrearing.
Considering the closeness of the urban friend-family support system, Brooklyn bunk beds can actually seem a reasonable trade-off for built-in childcare and companionship. Particularly in a city where people can go years without meeting their neighbors, this is a warm counterpoint; such a sense of community could very well trump extra living space.
