Hidden gem in the city! Love this place, my child has been going here for more than a year. Not only he's learning and making friends but he is genuinely happy here. The teachers are nice, nurturing and take a good care of the children. The hours for child care is good if you are a working parent. Lunch and snacks are also provided so you don't have to worry about it. The monthly tuition is also reasonable. The school is nice and clean. It also takes Covid protocols pretty seriously. FYI there is an outside play area for the children to play in during the day too. I would definitely recommend this daycare. read more

I love San Jose! My 1.5 year old daughter has been attending since August and absolutely loves it there. She adores her teachers and all of the friendly staff and it's clear they love her in return. She particularly loves the music classes! I love getting videos of her dancing in class. You won't find fancy app updates and webcams you can check in on here but you will find that every staff member you encounter here has a genuine love of the children under their charge. There is a lovely outdoor area for the kids to play in when weather permits which I also love and meals/snacks are also provided. I'm beyond grateful we found this little gem, especially given the amazing price point compared to other daycare options in Manhattan. The quality of this daycare for the price is honestly amazing. read more

I feel very fortunate that I found this school for my 2 year old. The teachers are very experienced and attentive. They have a wonderful private, large, enclosed, safe outdoor physical activity space for when the weather is good -- with lots of scooters, training bikes, jungle gym. The nuns and administration and staff are all old school, no nonsense, focused on the meat and potato education and nurturing of the children. No fancy yoga, soccer, second language classes here (though all the nuns and staff speak Spanish). Twice a day the kids are taught topics like street safety, summer weather, pets, people jobs, etc. And lots of play learning with puzzles and blocks and arts. A weekly lesson plan and meal schedule is posted at the entrance. The teacher told us of her concern with my child's apparent speech delay and encouraged us to have him checked. She said there have been children who have had speech therapy in class. So SJDN will accommodate less serious special needs, probably where it will not place an undue burden on a staff that has to keep a constant eye on all the little kids (from 1 to 4 years old). There is some religious instruction, mostly in the form of imagery and stories. read more

This is a great school! My son is enrolled here, and the teachers are all lovely, as are the nuns. They are a traditional school, which they will tell you plainly, and do not have the structures in place to care for children with any special needs. So I think the bad review below is a bit unfair. Their trike-a-thon fundraisers for St. Jude Children's Hospital are quite fun and very indicative of how they're aligned, values-wise, if that's important to you. The families are also quite diverse - a number of expat families (French, Spanish, Portugese) as well as minorities currently living in Chelsea and areas as far away as Brooklyn. They have a private playground in their courtyard, and snacks and meals are provided. My son comes home very happy, and is always very excited to go to school. Highly recommend! read more

I called this daycare to inquire about enrollment for my daughter. Some women pick up the phone and I quote "what do you want!" I was taken back. I had to ask her if I dail the right number, and is this a daycare she replied yes what do you want. I was shocked by her blunt rude attitude. I asked her for her name, she told me she can't give me her name and don't speak english. I just wanted information cause their yelp reviews amazed me, but the conversation I had with this woman gave me a change of heart. read more

My daughter attended this school for 2 years. It is a wonderful school run by nuns. The teachers are wonderful and very nurturing. The Pre-K program is a blend of Pre-K and Kindergarten. My daughter left this school with excellent social skills, excellent reading and writing skills, good morals/values. Their hours and very convenient for working parents and they provide a warm breakfast, hot lunch and an afternoon snack. Very clean facilities. All I can say from personal experience is that I highly recommend this nursery/pre-k school read more

Been around for over 90 years. Personally experienced at each stage, loving, inclusive, dedicated teachers who genuinely love and care for the kids. They cherish and promote traditional values in a very cozy environment. While run by Catholic nuns, the place is welcoming and many non-Catholic classmates of my son have shared with me their wonderful experiences here. The classes are small and the kids are diverse and learn so much on a day to day basis. Its also one of the most affordable childcare options in the area and they include a home-cooked meal and two snacks for the kids each day. A Chelsea treasure! My child has grown and enjoyed his time at this school and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for quality, reasonable care for your child especially if you live in the area. read more

I would give 6 stars to this school if I could!! My son goes there and we love the school! The nuns and staff are very friendly and patient, and the teachers are competent and professional. Class size is small. Kids are well behaving and the neighborhood is lovely!!! read more

We love this school. The teachers are sweet and very nurturing. The wonderful nuns are kind and really caring. As the review noted, they are small and traditional and don't have services for special needs kids. I believe they were being honest with the mother. A shame she felt the need to blame the school. My kids all learned to read before graduating Pre-K. For the price, hot meals, two snacks, small class size, big rooms, outdoor playground and traditional teaching, we were very very happy. A real gem in Chelsea. read more

Absolute gem of a school with compassionate, generous and talented teachers. San Jose is the most nurturing, calm place, with its own playground and legendary home-cooked meals (the parents of San Jose alumni in our neighborhood look back with great nostalgia to the days when their kids ate with gusto--no picky eaters to be found here). On a daily basis I am moved almost to tears by the love the teachers and nuns show for the kids. If you worry NYC has lost its soul, a walk through this school will reassure you it's alive and well. The community feeling radiates through the San Jose families and the gorgeous block across from the seminary doesn't hurt either. read more

My children have attended the nursery to K and SanJose Nursery is as loving and caring as they can be, plus great enviroment.

Old school, run by nuns, but the friendly kind!

This is my daughters second year at San Jose Day Nursery and one of the best decision we ever made. All the teachers are caring, loving, and nurturing. It is indeed a very happy, clean, and joyful environment for children and parents. It is a hidden treasure in the middle of Chelsea. read more

My children attended this school over the course of 5 years. We adore this wonderful hidden gem. Located in a beautiful area, the school is housed through an entire brownstone that extends to the other side of the street. It is much bigger than appears from the street. I suspect the reviewer below who received the curious response to the call was speaking to the 80+ year old nun who greets the students at the door. She is the sweetest, most loving little woman, but yes, her English is not perfect. Its the "San Jose" nursery for goodness sake, and my children learned a bit of Spanish from her, not bad for anyone in NYC! The teachers (no English issues) are amazing, very involved and taught all my kids to read. They prepared my kids well to attend Kindergarten and Pre-K at Avenues nearby. The student population is diverse internationally and economically and we have met many wonderful and interesting families there. Don't expect a lot of services or technology, but expect a warm nurturing, small teacher:student ratio and knowledgeable staff applying traditional learning.The price, private outdoor playground and authentic Spanish food for lunch were major perks. As a working mom, I appreciated the longer hours offered there, the lack of many random school days off and not having to bring in lunch. They have a longer school year than most nurseries, and are only off in August.The children are exposed to a bit of religion, mostly through songs and holidays, but there are plenty of religions represented throughout the student body. We were so lucky to have stumbled by this school many years ago! read more

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