ForbesWoman recently named New York as the best city in the country for working women.  The criteria?  Plenty of well paying job opportunities and high quality, cost effective options for child care, schools and recreational activities.  While ForbesWoman did note that unemployment was rising in New York, they concluded that overall there were still a plethora of career opportunities in New York and outstanding educational and recreational facilities for children.

As someone who is raising my 3 children in New York, I couldn’t agree more.  New York has some outstanding public schools, a wealth of parks from Central Park, Battery Park and Brooklyn’s Prospect Park to a panoply of museums and other cultural facilities.  Taking my kids to watch the boats along the Esplanade in Battery Park City or to see a child-friendly installation at The Museum of Modern Art- there are an endless array of activities for children.

The view of New York that many outside the city have of an urban metropolis with little green space is simply not true.  New York has more park space at 49,854 acres than Boston, Chicago or San Francisco combined.  From an education standpoint, New York recently received a big boost with Mayor Bloomberg announcing the creation of 42 new public schools.   And with regard to job opportunities for women in New York, the earning potential and number of corporate jobs is much higher in Manhattan, even in the recession.

In short, while some who live outside of New York may be surprised at the city’s rating, I am not as New York continues to foster progress with the support of both the private and public sectors.

Tags: Battery Park, Brooklyn, central park, child care, children, ForbesWomen, green space, job opportunities, mayor bloomberg, new york, parks, private sector, progress, Prospect Park, public sector, schools, The Museum of Modern Art, women, working mothers