Comments on CityKin: 4th Grade Boy in NYC 1971

Well, low-SES kids all over probably still leave t...

2010-01-20T14:59:57.326-05:00

Well, low-SES kids all over probably still leave the house by themselves, but being hovered over has evolved into a middle-class marker.

Even out here in the suburbs, I rarely see kids out by themselves -- most of the bike riders I see are in family groups! The one exception is sometimes in the summer, I see small groups of kids walking to and from the pool, but I think many more moms drop their kids off at the pool if they're old enough to swim by themselves. The impression is that people move to the suburbs to "be safe," but clearly they aren't convinced of that once they get here.

My kid, though, is not at all ready for any level of independence, so this is a loop I feel out of.

Blue Ash Mom

This is my first Judy Blume book and I can see why...

2010-01-20T11:40:21.748-05:00

This is my first Judy Blume book and I can see why kids of a certain age are attracted to her stories. As my kids approach the age of more independence, I read passages like this more closely. Even though 1970 Manhattan sounds more dangerous than 2010 Cincinnati, I cannot think of too many parents who let there nine year olds play unattended in a place like Central Park.

In the early 1970s, I lived in Queens and went to ...

2010-01-20T10:04:25.316-05:00

In the early 1970s, I lived in Queens and went to high school in Mahattan. The elevators in our 1960s-era (much newer than the building in the book) 14-story building were rather sparten, but yes, there were a lot of muggings, car thefts and other robberies back then. My family's car got stolen twice; my uncle's furniture store was robbed and he and my aunt were left tied to their chairs.

I've always assumed this was related to that being the era in which NYC almost defaulted on its bonds. The government was broke (just like state and local governments are now). Things were falling apart. There were big potholes everywhere, it wasn't unusual for the subway to breakdown and stall for an hour. Anyway, that's what I noticed. Lots more probably escaped my teenaged attention.

My family's rule was that starting in 6th grade, you could take the 20-minute bus ride to our area's central business district if you had at least one friend with you. Starting in 7th grade, you could take that same bus to the subway and go into Manhattan, as long as you had at least one friend with you. Obviously, my friends' parents had the same rule. So, yes, this excerpt rings true to me.

Blue Ash Mom