Stamford Connecticut
Early on I lived in one of the few urban areas in Connecticut. Stamford, Connecticut was not a pretty place in the early 2000s. Now a family of five, my working parents were struggling to build a life and family in their new country. I remember living near the hospital where I was born in a blizzard. My community felt more wholesome and connected than my current suburban one just 30 minutes from my old home. My old neighborhood struggled together but we were there for each other.
Site of my old neighborhood after the new hospital displaced residents like myself.
My community was very diverse. It was relieving for my family to have other latinos nearby to navigate through their new chapter. I remember having dinners, play dates, and asados with my neighbors and for a while, my youthful self thought they were family. Compared to my neighborhood today with two acre zoning it is much less of an inclusive community. I found it shocking that neighbors in my new community did not interact with each other. Luckily, I had kids my age on the same cul-de-sac where I tried to recreate the same scene as my old neighborhood with them.
I remember living in the kitchen of what was the multifamily home where I was almost kidnapped by a pizza delivery guy. Thankfully my parents were nearby and the harsh experiences my family and especially my dog faced in that neighborhood surely influenced our perception of the city and urban life in general. As a family we were thankful to have gotten out of there even if it meant reduced walkability and longer commute times.
Although I moved out of Stamford before maturing, I still went back to work in my dad's office during breaks from school, including over the summer. The experiences downtown and the rest of the city were much more pleasant. Today, the city as a whole is much more revitalized and safe. Growing up I rarely felt unsafe walking to the bank or to lunch alone around the office. In fact, experiencing city life and seeing the visible changes around my old community made me want to be a part of the change and pursue a career in Urban Planning.
Street by my dads office depicting 4 new buildings and a walkable street
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