Boston ranks high on list of nation’s most family friendly cities

Rosalie Wilbur, a Boston University College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said that some of her favorite childhood memories took place in Beantown.

In a list released late September, “Parenting” ranked Boston third among America’s best cities for raising a family. Washington D.C. and Austin, Texas took first and second, respectively.

Boston’s emphasis on outstanding education and access to first-rate medical care are two reasons why parents should flock to the Hub, according to the article in “Parenting.”

For the families looking to stay fit, “Parenting” offers Boston’s supply of trails and parks— the Emerald Necklace Conservatory and the Charles River Esplanade are among the list.  While, Beantown’s Fenway Park, Public Garden and Back Bay Fens are also listed as hot spots for children. According to “Parenting,” those sites allow kids to embrace the outdoors and burn off a little steam.

“I think it’s really good growing up in Boston because there are a lot of programs designed for kids,” Wilbur said.

She said that children have the opportunity to skate on Frog Pond, go to the beach and experience new things.

Wilbur said one of her favorite days as a child involved an afternoon spent out in the Public Garden.

She said that “Make Way for Ducklings,” a children’s book set in the Public Garden, was her favorite story growing up. Wilbur said her perfect day entailed visiting the sites in the book.

“Me and my grandparents went to the Public Gardens, and we went on the swan-boat rides,” she said. “We did kind of everything that was in the book.”

CAS sophomore Paul Robinson said he agreed that Boston provides young people with unique prospects.

“Being in the cradle of our nation’s history, there are hands-on opportunities to learn about our collective history,” Robinson said.

But, he said that not every child born in Boston has equal access to the city’s golden opportunities.

“People will have very different experiences growing up in the city,” he said. “Some people had a very rough childhood, especially if they grew up in Mattapan, Dudley, Dorchester and Roxbury.”

He said that Boston is “incredibly stratified.”

“[In the] Jamaica Plain there are wealthy lawyers blocks from projects,” Robinson said.

Looking forward, Wilbur and Robinson said they agreed that they could not see themselves living anywhere but Boston.

“I need a city, one that’s close to mountains… and has access to museums, especially as an archaeology major,” Wilbur said.

Robinson said, as a biology major, Boston’s supply of strong biomedical firms has influenced his decision to stick around.

“This city has some of the premiere biomedical firms in the world… it has a great medical district… there are a ton of job opportunities for me,” he said.