I guess it is also surprising to many people that the Bronx is indeed great for kids. But two of the biggest parks in NYC are here, plus a huge zoo, the Nobel laureate-producing public Bronx High School of Science, and a mix of people from all over the world.

My particular neighborhood, Riverdale, is very welcoming, even though there are not a lot of us (we know only one other 2-mom family in the area so far). There are no primarily gay shops or bars, but there are at least 2 gay-friendly Irish pubs within a 10-minute walk. (Our favorite is kid-friendly too: there’s no TV, but there’s live acoustic music and a toy box!) There are also several queer-friendly religious congregations and an Ethical Culture Society nearby, so not all the religious influence is bad.

Some other areas of the Bronx I would not consider very safe, but I’m glad to see that change is happening, although slowly.