Livable, Good Cities

Greetings from Rome. I wish I could verbalize the reasons I love this city. I guess the word that comes to mind is the ol “livable” city. Growing up in Pittsburgh, I felt like people always called Pittsburgh a “livable” city, which to me was a way of saying, it’s not a fabulous city, it’s just a good place to live. Which I still think was the way that people were using that word to describe Pittsburgh 20 years ago. But now I think about the term differently. To me, it’s really about a place that you can enjoy most, day to day. Right amount of community, gathering spots, good parks, shops, restaurants. A place that’s easy to navigate, day trips and weekend getaways within arms reach. A rich history that has shaped the inhabitants of said city, creating a foundation for the “why” of a city. In places like Rome, it doesn’t hurt that the sun is shining most days. Bonus points. No city is perfect of course, you have the Summer heat and tourist crowds in Rome - a season to avoid if you can. Pittsburgh has the grey sky and cold winter. When you are in a city that fits your rhythm, you feel it. In Rome, I wake up, enjoy a nice coffee, walk a few blocks to the yoga studio, continue my day simply with work, meals, exploring the city, and it all feels both simple and special. I find that for the cities that I love most, I don’t even have too many recommendations, as I am not all that tuned into “spots”, more of a general flow. For the record, turns out Pittsburgh IS a livable city, the good kind.