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Serena Perfetto: The Power of San Francisco's Communities

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Lately, every headline about San Francisco is paired with the words “doom loop.” Serena Perfetto isn’t buying it.

Is San Francisco a perfect city? Far from it. Is it a special city? Very.

I asked myself these questions after taking part in a series of local initiatives. They made me reflect on the status of San Francisco as the city I’ve been calling home for more than a decade.

I work in technology, an industry that has made San Francisco one of the most innovative places in the world. As tech embraced remote work during the pandemic, office buildings became empty, and many still are.

Recently, I worked onsite with peers for in-person collaboration. I love the flexibility of hybrid work, don’t take me wrong! But the energy from human interactions stayed with me for days after. In fact, I experienced the same spark at a customer breakfast, when I discovered a venue repurposed from an 1850s style mercantile.

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Then came the weekend: stepping into the Kezar Stadium for my jog, little did I know that the college football season was underway. I got pumped by the cheers of those young players, I and ran faster than I usually do.

I found the same energy on a Sunday morning at the Recreation Center: soccer camps for kids; Zumba classes; a packed playground; a lively dog park. I realized that those moments were possible because of one thing – the power of community: innovators; tech leaders; sport lovers; dog parents.

San Francisco has unsolved problems that brought division among residents and visitors, sparking debates about an upcoming demise.

I, for the first time, enjoyed my tennis practice with loud songs playing in the background, and found that – for me – San Francisco still has music in it. Do you wanna dance?

With a Perspective, I am Serena Perfetto.

Serena Perfetto is from Italy and has been living in San Francisco for eleven years. She works as a program lead and volunteers for an organization supporting Italian expats.

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