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As a card carrying member of SSCCATAGAPP (Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples And Teens And Gays Against Parasitic Parents)... I am totally against pushy parents coming in and forcing their pro-family agenda on the rest of us non-breeders.

Seconded. While I appreciate that people have to have children, I'd like them to leave me out of it. Maybe I moved into my city BECAUSE it wasn't child friendly. There don't need to be children everywhere, thanks.

Pecha Kucha, on the other hand, is pretty cool. I should see if they have any events here.

Boston is cold, unfriendly, expensive, and the public schools are terrible. It's no wonder that families with children don't want to live there.

Does every place and space have to be "family-friendly?"

And can we all just own up to the reality that "family-friendly" usually just means "intended to coddle upper-middle class/primarily white families who are scared of anything that might expose them to people different from them?"

I have a baby in Boston. I don't really see how it's not family friendly. Contrary to what amed studio said, it's:

-Not cold unless you think most of the United States that suffers from a condition called "yearly winter" is also cold.
-Not unfriendly, unless you think intellectual and not smiling at every stranger on the street is unfriendly
-Well, yes, it's expensive. Nice cities are expensive.
-And it's surrounded by suburbs bursting with wonderful public schools.

There are free play groups and events for children and parents every day of the week. It's easy to walk and take very good public transportation everywhere. Kid-friendly eating venues are all over the place. There are remarkably few crazies muttering to themselves on the streets compared to every other big city I've been to. It's pretty darn safe as far as big cities go as well. It's beautiful -- parts of it are even quaint. It's intellectually stimulating. There's an endless amount of college students to hire as babysitters.

This post totally stumped me - when I was in Boston I didn't find it cold, unfriendly or expensive and certainly not unfriendly to families
In fact, I found it exactly the opposite - the climate is just right - you get good summers and properly cold winters (we're not talking Alaska here people!) - I never found the people unfriendly - one of my favourite memories was sharing tables with strangers and chatting at Marche Movenpick in the Prudential centre - and its not expensive compared to New York
It has great access to the outdoors - a never-ending supply of things to do - great public transport - and its easy to get around on foot
Boston became one of my favourite cities ever - I'd be more than happy to bring my children up there.

Maybe Boston ranks 94th in percentage of households with children not because it is a family-UNfriendly city, but because there is a disproportionately large number of single college students here, compared to many of the other 99 cities?

I live just outside Boston and find it to be a great city, if you don't mind rough winters and antiquated infrastructure. I don't think the goal should be to make Boston more family-friendly, but more *transit-friendly*. Get newspaper stands an parking signs off the sidewalks to free up space, help people with strollers or disabilities more efficiently get on and off public transit, set up bike lanes, expand commuter rail service into New Hampshire . . . . There are lots of things that could be done to benefit the public at large, rather than to cater to the demographic du jour: bourgeois white urbanite mommies and daddies.

Yeah, I was stumped by this assertion as well. I was born and raised in the city - in the neighborhood of Dorchester - and it's never crossed my mind that it could be family-unfriendly. I attended a Boston public school (exam school yes, but public) and would love to be able to move back.

The number of activities (especially in the summer) for kids & families - free & low cost - is astounding. The city- & neighborhood-run community centers have so very many camps, organized sports, arts & craft centers, excursions to the Harbor Islands and camps located on ponds and in state parks nearby, not to mention the activities available through the several Boys & Girls Clubs & YMCAs & church organizations, or the year round availability of city sports leagues outside of school affiliations (BNBL, ADSL).

Summer jobs programs are suffering due to the general economic climate, but the Boston Private Industry Council, ABCD (All Boston Community Development), and others are there to try to employ as many city teenagers as possible in jobs ranging from park counselor to intern at many Boston companies (I was lucky enough to be a park counselor, a "red shirt" as part of the Boston Youth Cleanup Corps, and an intern at State St. Bank throughout high school).

The easy access to the city's history - the FREE and easy access!!! - is also great for families. The compact size, micro-neighborhoods with distinct characters & corresponding festivals and events (North End fests, JP First Thursdays)... the fun events held at the desolate City Hall Plaza and on the Common (Scooperbowl, Chowderfest, the ones organized by the Life is Good folks)... the Boston Open Studios that happen throughout the fall... the free movies shown at the Hatch Shell... the free concerts also at the Hatch Shell...

I don't know what could be redesigned to make Boston a more family-friendly city (outside of huge overhauls of the MBTA to expand its reach into more neighborhoods). I think it's a matter of people taking advantage of all that city life offers - especially a small city that is compact, as Boston is.

Pardon my verbosity please : ) I get fired up about this.