We’ve always thought that moving to New York City with 2 suitcases, no job, and a 15-month old in tow was a little crazy. A few days ago, Forbes magazine confirmed it as being downright nutty.

My friend Won tweeted a Forbes article on the best and worst U.S. cities for families. The article was all about affordability and didn’t account for things like crime, location, or climate. Cities were rated by comparing families’ incomes to their living expenses.

NYC clocked in with a staggering 93% of the median family’s salary going directly to basic expenses like housing, groceries, and taxes. By these standards, NYC is the Worst City in America for families. That’s exactly where you move during a recession, right?

Regardless (or irregardless for those who like to use non-existent words), there actually are perks for adventurous fams trying to make it in Manhattan. These perks include:

- Central Park. We spent hours in CP on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. After living on one acre of Florida grass that I was responsible (irresponsible) for, it’s nice to enjoy 800+ acres that I’m not.

- The other parks. NYC has several other parks across the five boroughs if the fam can’t make it to CP easily. And by several other, I mean 1,700.

- Cultural diversity. International culture is everywhere. It’s not just localized in Chinatown and Little Italy. It’s all over the city in the form of stores, museums, street vendors, restaurants, tourists, and residents. This weekend, we dined on pulled pork BBQ with our Korean friends, walked amongst African vendors selling Michael Jackson shirts in Harlem, and had pizza and mac & cheese with three other toddlers of mixed ethnicities.

- Italian Village Pizzeria and Restaurant on 80th and 1st. A big slice of chicken and tomato pizza loaded with parmesan, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes for $3.50 = Ultrasweetcoolness.

- Stroller guilt.  Most people on the street will get out of your way if you’re pushing a stroller. And cab drivers keep their F-bombs to themselves if you’re crossing the street too slow for their liking. No one wants to be that jerk who’s mean to someone with a little one.

There are many other perks that Cool Mum knows all about, as she and CB are the city explorers. So, Forbes may call New York City the Worst U.S. City for Families, but it’s actually very cool. There’s plenty of good stuff for parents and kids to do, even if you can only afford pizza and a cup of water.

Related posts:

1. Why we are probably destined to live elsewhere
2. Can a frugal family of three live in NYC on one income?
3. Live blog coming: Cool Mum crashes Sex and the City 2
4. UPDATED: Cool Mum tries out for Sex and the City 2 – live blog and recap
5. Tonight at 9:00 PM EST – Live interview with Brody Harper