DORY HOTTENSON AT THE 92ND STREET Y
1395 Lexington Ave.
212-415-5500; 92y.org

Marisa Tomei stomped out the ticking of her biological clock in My Cousin Vinny, but cooler heads prevail at the 92nd Street Y’s “Deciding to Have a Baby—or Not.” Those who are ambivalent about the joys of 2 A.M. feedings and thousands of stinky Huggies are put through four hours of soul-searching to figure out exactly what’s blocking that life-altering decision. Group leader and social worker Dory Hottenson, who’s taught the class since 1994, says she’s drawn both singles and couples in equal numbers, adding that New York’s particulars—small apartments, powerhouse careers, stretched budgets—make this decision especially difficult. (The eternal “Will my partner share in the domestic chores?” and “Will I be duplicating my own parents’ mistakes?” make regular appearances, too.) While the occasional participant reaches an aha moment, Hottenson says that most leave with an understanding of what they have to do to reach a final decision—start therapy, find a different partner, go it alone, or take some other path. The daylong class is $60 per person or $110 per couple.