Lots of factors go into deciding where you want to live, especially when you have kids. Actor Robert Sean Leonard absolutely loves New York City and enjoyed living his life there from the age of 16. But when it came time to choose a place to raise his own children, he craved something different — and his reasoning makes a lot of sense.
Of course, even Robert himself acknowledges that everyone has different preferences, and there are great things about growing up in New York City as well. But he and his wife decided to raise their children in his hometown instead.
Robert and his wife share three daughters.
And it sounds like he had a certain vision for how he wanted them to grow up, based on a recent conversation he had with People. Robert himself grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey. When he was just 16 years old, he moved to New York City by himself and got his own apartment.
The city gave him lots of opportunities as he pursued roles on Broadway and in films.
Although he still loves NYC, he wanted to raise his kids elsewhere.
It turns out that the hometown that he left at age 16 seemed like the perfect place to start a family. This was partially because he wanted his kids to have a lot of space to roam around and play outside. Aside from that, though, he’s also a deeply nostalgic person.
Robert told People that as he contemplated where he wanted to raise his kids, he realized he “couldn’t do it in New York.” It sounds like his wife helped him realize that New Jersey might be the best place for them to move.
“My wife told me, ‘You need nostalgia. You bathe in it,'” he recalled.
And it seems like she was correct.
Now, although raising kids in NYC comes with some advantages as well, Robert seems extremely happy with his decision. He told the publication that he knows some people who grew up in New York and had great childhoods.
“You don’t get much more real than growing up in New York — it probably does a lot more for you than living in a homogenized suburb does,” the actor admitted.
He just happened to really “cherish” his childhood experiences in New Jersey. And as a parent, he had certain priorities. “I need a screen door and to see kids running around in the backyard,” he said.
Based on how he described it, living in his hometown and raising his kids there sounds like a pretty magical experience for him. It might not be for everyone, but for him and his family, it clearly works. And given that he still spends time in New York City, he appears to be enjoying the best of both worlds.
“Now I’m handing out pizza on Thursdays at the same grammar school I went to,” Robert told the publication. “I’m watching my daughter cheerleading on the same high school field I went to. And I love it.”
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