This is the first in our first-person series on raising children in Rust Belt cities. The entry comes from St. Louis superstar Randy Vines:

My wife and I have made a conscious decision to raise our son, now 2 years old, in the City of St. Louis.  While the traditional trend has been to move to the suburbs before school age, we firmly believe that city living is an enriching experience for our son for a multitude of reasons.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable improvement in education options in the city, as a number of high quality magnet and charter schools have enjoyed great success.  There are also plenty of secular private schools that offer non-traditional approaches to learning that reflect the diversity of the city itself.

As more and more families of our generation are choosing to move to or stay in the city, I see the future for our children only getting brighter.  There is an profound satisfaction I feel when I see neighborhood kids from all different socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds playing together on the city sidewalks in the summertime.  It’s like Sesame Street, and it doesn’t get more family friendly than that.

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