You do realize you’re already in Queens, right? Last I checked, Long Island City is by like Astoria. Why would you have to quit your job?

Also, from a native New Yorker who just broke up with her bf because he tried to do the exact same thing you‘re doing (but Maine), this whole “convince her to move” thing isn’t going to work out for you. There’s no way in HELL I’d ever move to a small town, and I’m white, which probably means I wouldn’t face as much social scrutiny as your wife might.

What happens if your hypothetical kids aren’t straight? Odds are they’re going to have a really hard time dating in a small town, and worst case they have to deal with bigotry (not that it doesn’t exist in NYC, but your chances of finding a social group that’s accepting are significantly better).

Education wise, you have access to more schools that themselves compete for the highest performing students. Sure, it’s stressful, but it’s way easier to get into college from a good high school in nyc than it is from a high school in a small town. More than 10% of my senior year was accepted to ivies, which is not a number you’re going to get at most small town schools. It’s unfortunate, but it makes sense. Diversity + competition incentivizes schools to be better. The same principle applies to most things in NYC. Idk your town, but can you really say the same thing about it?