Living in a Walkable Neighborhood
By Susan Crook, CSU Livability Team Member
Loriana De Crescenzo has interesting life experiences that give her a sense of what makes a place walkable. She lived in Italy for five years and in Manhattan for seven. “I’d think nothing of walking 20 blocks in New York. And in Italy, daily walking to local shops, the office, or for the pleasant ‘passegiata’, are all norms of the Italian lifestyle.” Now, she lives in a low-rise apartment in downtown St. George.
Ready for the next part of her life journey, and seeking to have continued impact in healthcare philanthropy, Loriana explored possibilities with Intermountain Health. “My three young adult daughters were excited for me and encouraged this new pursuit to move my life cross country.” Her first visit to St. George [admittedly, she had never been to Utah] was in July 2021, in the middle of a heat wave! She spent four days exploring the red rock country of southwestern Utah, and the walkability of downtown St. George. It was nothing like Rhode Island, where she grew up, or Italy or New York, but she fell in love with the people and the environment.
Loriana accepted a leadership position with Intermountain’s Foundation, planned her cross country move, and returned in August. Not being ready to purchase a home, a realtor advised her to call the leasing offices of City View and Joule Plaza. Both apartment complexes were 100% leased, and both had a waiting list. When a unit became available, she signed the lease on the spot.
Loriana thrives on the vibrancy of downtown, the beautiful natural surroundings and active outdoor lifestyle of Southwest Utah. She enjoys greeting shop people by name, getting to know businesses large and small, volunteering, attending a wide variety of events, and being active outdoors. “Everyone has been so welcoming! I love hearing stories of others like me who are new to the area, as well as the background and historic perspective of those who are native to Utah. It’s so fun to walk out the door and be in the middle of it.”
Loriana De Crescenzo, CFRE, is the Executive Director of Intermountain Health Foundation’s Desert Region