Our cover subjects sound off on raising kids and enjoying life in the city over the past 25 years.
ON DIVERSITY IN NYC
Cat Greenleaf, Host Of “Talk Stoop”
“We are a multicultural family, so the fact that my kids can look around and see other multicultural families readily is nice. Increasingly, we live in a more mixed up world, so to be able to see that diversity reflected in our neighborhood is cool.” (November 2012)
ON BEING A SH*TTY MOM
Mary Ann Zoellner, Author Of Sh*tty Mom
“Our kids go to public schools and we’re super happy; we love our schools. But we’re NYC middle class families, and we’re not going to sacrifice having food on the table so we can send our kids to private schools. Does that make us sh*tty? No, I think it makes us realistic.” (October 2012)
ON ENJOYING LOCAL FOOD
Dr. Mehmet Oz, TV’s Most Famous Doctor
“The New York City area has been a fantastic place to raise kids. They have been lucky enough to experience the excitement and the culture firsthand, and I think it’s shaped them in the best possible way. We love to visit the farmers’ market in Union Square and enjoy the amazing restaurants the city has to offer—especially with local food.” (September 2012)
ON URBAN ADVENTURE
Mia And Jason Bauer, Owners Of CRUMBS Bake Shop
“We’re big park-goers, but I like to mix that up. We’ll bring a picnic or paint sets to the park. Really, even just walking down the street to get ice cream is just so stimulating—[there’s] so much to talk about, so much conversation that comes from it. That in itself is a huge adventure.” (August 2012)
ON PERFECT PARENTING
Jessica Alba, Founder Of The Honest Company
“My mom gave me the best [advice], which was that all you can do is your best. At the end of the day, if you love your kid unconditionally, that’s really all that matters. And you’re gonna make mistakes along the way—nobody is perfect. Especially with a first baby, you want to do everything just so—or I did, at least.” (May 2012)
ON LOCAL MUSEUMS
Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Co-Founder Of Gilt Groupe
“We live really close to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and one Saturday afternoon Conrad was running around the Temple of Dendur and saying ‘hi’ to all the Roman and Greek statues and looking at the Egyptian mummies. I look at my husband and, even though I grew up here, I’m still amazed at how lucky we are.” (April 2012)
ON RAISING HER DAUGHTER ON BROADWAY
Audra McDonald, Actress On “Private Practice” And On Broadway’s “Porgy And Bess”
“[My daughter] has her piano lessons in the city and she’s seen every Broadway show that’s appropriate for a child to see—and maybe some that are not. I want her to be a theater kid. Her dad plays in orchestras everywhere. She’s been to Carnegie Hall, The New York Philharmonic—she’s getting all this incredible culture.” (March 2012)
ON SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
Samantha Bee, Comedic Actress On “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”
“I think the parents of New York should go on a school strike. I mean, if we all agreed [to] keep our children out of school until all of these organizations got their shit straight and not make it such an incredibly overwhelming and horrendous experience, things would be better.” (February 2012)
ON PLAYGROUND ENCOUNTERS
Gretchen Mol, Actress On “Boardwalk Empire”
“I love the social network of other mothers and families. You may be really tired one day, but you go to the playground and you bump into someone you know. If you are living somewhere else, you have to think ahead, make the phone call, and, chances are, the last thing you want to do is see anyone. But in New York, you are kind of forced out of that.” (November 2011)
ON PRENATAL PREP
Rosie Pope, Star of Bravo TV’s “Pregnant In Heels”
“[A pregnant woman should] take the time to enjoy herself. I think the more education you’ve had and the more things you’ve read and the more people you talk to—it will just give you the confidence and the tools so that when your baby comes, you can relax and enjoy them and [actually] have the time to get to know who they are.” (August 2011)
ON BROOKLYN LIFE
Emily Mortimer, Actress In “Cars 2”
“Brighton Beach. There are not enough places in America where there are restaurants on the sea, and there, you can actually sit on the boardwalk, have a delicious Russian meal, and drink vodka and the kids can play. It’s a little enclave where I speak Russian and everyone answers me back in English.” (July 2011)
ON NEW YORK PARENTS
Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Co-Host Of “The View”
“We have a great community here of young parents and parents of school-aged kids who are all in the same boat, and it really doesn’t matter if you’re on Wall Street, you’re driving a truck, or you’re a stay-at-home mom. Your kids are your focus. I think [New Yorkers] understand that there is more to a person than just what they do.” (January 2011)
ON LIVING QUIETLY IN THE CITY
Julianne Moore, Actress And Author Of Freckleface Strawberry
“The city demands a lot—I mean sometimes you feel kind of overwhelmed by its vastness, you can get sucked in; there is chaos here. But there are also ways to carve out quiet. There are great parks, there are great facilities for kids, there’s a way to have the quiet life, and I’ve really enjoyed it so far.” (November 2010)
ON MUSIC & FAMILY
Wynton Marsalis, Legendary Jazz Trumpeter
“When you’re a parent, you bring your kids into your feelings, and jazz is all about bringing people into a feeling that is real… You also have things you want to achieve with your children. Our goal should be to show children how to be adults, how to be graceful, how to provide a rich environment for those that come after us, while also realizing the dreams of our ancestors.” (November 2009)
ON OUR ENERGETIC METROPOLIS
Marcia Gay Harden, Academy Award-Winning Actress
“The pace—it’s a caffeine espresso energy. You’re racing, meeting appointments, scheduling people who help with your kids. I like that engagement with the city. I like walking on the street, and I like taking the subway. It’s why we live here and what we love, but it can also be stressful.” (September 2007)
ON OUR LOVING CITY
Soledad O’Brien, CNN News Anchor
