Here's one thing NYC's lockdown has made abundantly clear to urban families: home is so important. And as the city continues to prioritize staying in and safely spending time outside, many moms and dads are looking for a little more square footage and super easy access to outdoor space. Bright airy apartments and spacious interiors, welcoming terraces and rooftops, open-air swimming pools and tennis courts, and nearby parks and playgrounds are all topping wish lists as 2020 wears on.

Our sponsor, father-and-son-founded Glenwood Management, has a reputation for catering to families with rental apartment buildings in popular kid-approved neighborhoods, large rental apartments with 2-4 bedrooms, and meaningful amenities like playrooms, rooftop gardens, pools, fitness centers, and parking. Not only can Glenwood help to narrow your search for a luxury apartment with its select properties across Manhattan and Riverdale, but the company is also seriously dedicated to the many New York City families and communities it serves. Glenwood has been a long-time supporter of a number of community-oriented organizations—from local public schools to hospitals—it's prioritizing green building to preserve resources, and it plants about 150,000 tulip bulbs around the city each and every year.

Whether you're totally ready to make a move or you're really just daydreaming about your crew's next destination, read on for snapshots of some of the much-loved New York City neighborhoods Glenwood serves, plus a few of its most family-friendly buildings!

With its in-person programming still on hold, one of the world’s leading children’s choirs has moved its music lessons online! Yes, the world-renowned National Children's Chorus Academy recently launched a virtual conservatory for students as young as five through the college level—and auditions are open now. No longer limited to local chapters in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, NCC is now bringing in-depth training to young singers across the U.S. through live virtual instruction in small groups from some of the country's leading music educators.

With a summer at home ahead us, Strawtown Studio's new summer camp in a box provides a creative nature program for families to do on their own schedule. While the educational non-profit's summer program typically includes outdoor exploration, botanical and wildlife study, and creating art with natural materials on-site at the base of Hook Mountain on the Hudson River, this year, families can bring the fun and exploration home with the Strawtown NatureArt Adventure Box Program for ages 5 to 13. This paid program includes a scheduled series of Zoom workshops, but free at-home activities will also be available online throughout the summer.

As you stare down the bottom of empty glue bottles and paint jars after months in quarantine, the Strawtown NatureArt Adventure Box Program will be a welcome sigh of relief. As the name suggests, all families participating in the at-home summer camp receive a travel-friendly, water- and impact-resistant art box to guide their summer learning. The box is packed with more than 25 high-quality items (valued over $150), including watercolors and brushes, pencils and paper, modeling clay and colorful beeswax, strings and craft wire, plant ID cards and a magnifying glass, plus a few more surprises you can bust out as needed. A list of the materials with helpful tips and an illustrated activity booklet for hands-on nature art experiences are conveniently included for on-the-go inspiration.