>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
These aren’t ordinary families. Many have children enrolled in New York’s most elite schools — institutions like Trinity, Riverdale, Horace Mann, Ramaz, and Avenues — with students ranging from elementary age to high school seniors.
Rim says it isn’t just about taxes or politics — it’s about safety and a growing sense of unease among parents, particularly in Jewish communities. “They’re saying they’re worried about safety in their everyday life,” Rim said. “I don’t even think it’s a financial thing. I don’t think it’s the taxes or how much more money they would have to pay to live here.”
Mamdani, known for his radical left-wing activism and controversial comments on Israel, has sparked alarm among Jewish residents across the city. His election has been celebrated by progressive groups but has left many longtime New Yorkers — especially Jewish families — feeling abandoned and unsafe in their own neighborhoods.
As families flee Manhattan and Brooklyn, religious leaders are preparing for what could become a historic migration. Rabbi Marc Schneier of the Hampton Synagogue announced on Tuesday plans to open the Hamptons’ first Jewish day school — anticipating the wave of families seeking refuge from what he described as a hostile political climate.
“This is in anticipation of the thousands of Jewish Families that will flock to the Hamptons and greater Suffolk County to escape the antisemitic climate of Mamdani’s New York,” Schneier wrote on Facebook.
His warning echoes the sentiments of many parents who say New York is no longer recognizable — a city once known for opportunity, now overshadowed by radical politics and fear.
Just before Election Day, a J.L. Partners poll revealed the growing discontent: 9% of New Yorkers said they would “definitely” leave if Mamdani won, while another 25% said they were considering it. Those numbers now appear prophetic.
Rim said the majority of his clients are setting their sights on Florida — a state that has become the destination of choice for disillusioned New Yorkers over the past several years. Top schools such as American Heritage in Plantation, Lehrman Day School in Miami Beach, Pine Crest in Fort Lauderdale, and Ransom Everglades in Miami are reportedly receiving a surge of inquiries.
From the Upper East Side to Brooklyn Heights, families who once considered New York their forever home are now looking for a fresh start somewhere safer, freer, and far away from Mamdani’s brand of politics.
For these parents, the message is clear: the city they once loved has changed — and they’re not waiting around to see what happens next.
