I always think about the fact that when people ask me where I am from, I say Boston, but really, I’m from Cambridge. I have uniquely grown up in the heart of a city within another city. Both Boston and Cambridge are full of a rich history with Cambridge being home to two of the best universities in the world. I love the fact that I can live in one city where I can have a house, yard, and walking access to amazing restaurants and shops with the concurrent ability to drive five minutes into an even bigger city full of stadiums, historic sites, and museums.
Growing up in such a place has allowed me to see the evolution of both cities in their own unique ways. Cambridge has become the ultimate foodie scene and the biotech industry is booming, while Boston continues to be home to some of my favorite activities such as Red Sox games at Fenway Park and visits to the Frog Pond in the Boston Common during the holiday season. As an avid sailor, I often compete on the Charles River at the Harvard and MIT boathouses in-between both cities, which allows me to compare the visual differences, but also similarities. The Boston skyline is a resemblance of my favorite activities, while Cambridge reminds me of home and family and Sundays biking down memorial drive with my brothers and parents. The memories are endless and special in both places.
I am intrigued to see how my perspective on cities will change after I graduate in May and move to New York City. I love living in a city and I consider myself someone that thrives in fast paced environments, so I am excited to live in, experience, and explore another city that is so globally regarded. I am fascinated by international development and have spent time in cities in developing countries such as Kigali, Rwanda. While urbanization and modernist practices are slowly developing, it is critical to understand the impact economic development within developing nations has on its cities. Oftentimes, the most educated citizens leave such countries for better opportunities elsewhere, but in order to improve cities on a global scale, its most educated citizens need to remain and work to modernize in a climate-friendly manner. I am interested in learning more about the evolution of cities especially in developing countries and comparing the modernization practices to the cities I have lived in firsthand.
More recently, cities have been dramatically impacted by COVID-19. I have been working in real estate for the past two years and will be continue within the industry post-graduation. There has been a huge migration out of cities as a result of people ability to work from home or companies offering hybrid options. Cities have been bouncing back from an economic perspective, but I am interested in researching and comparing the impact of COVID-19 on cities in developed and developing countries and similar methods and policies city officials are implementing to innovate futuristically.
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