Q&A with Denise Courter: Founder of FiDiFamilies.com

Denise Courter moved into the Financial District with her husband Matt eight years ago. The couple is raising a 6-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter here. Courter runs the blog, FiDiFamilies.com, a resource for FiDi parents on what’s happening in the area.

Why did you move to the Financial District?

We felt like something was going to happen downtown. At the time restaurants here started to stay open later, and we noticed new salons and coffee shops. We were impressed with the square footage and amenities that you could get here. It felt like a neighborhood that we could grow into. We initially bought a two-bedroom condo but recently purchased a three-bedroom.

What have you learned living here?

Just because we live in one of the busiest cities in the country doesn’t mean that we can’t be a community.

What makes this area good for families?

The square footage in apartments in FiDi is off the charts. You get much more bang for your buck. The history of the Financial District, whether going to New York Stock Exchange or to the mezzanine outdoor area of Cipriani, can be felt. The New York City Police Museum is a great asset, so is The Museum of American Finance and the East River waterfront. And establishments are kid-friendly — go over to Ryan Maguire’s [on Cliff Street] on a Sunday and you’ll see lots of families there.