Our growing City

I'm writing this from the newest Stabucks in the City. The one on Fairfax Boulevard where the old Frank's Nursery used to be. I'm here with my daughter, Sadie, just relaxing and enjoying each other's company. We try to get away and do this sort of thing after 9 a.m. Mass. She'll always be my little girl, but she's really growing up.

And so is our City. The juxtaposition of my comments isn't a mistake. It's a nod to the evolution of our City and its citizens. On the one hand we are certainly growing older (14 percent of the City's citizens are over 65), but we are also seeing a re-birth (pun intended) of families in the City, all looking for things to do, places to shape and schools that provide an excellent education (which they do).

It's a balancing act: Finding the right mix of development for the seasoned and the new. Ensuring that our senior citizens have experiences afforded to them that make their life here even better, but at the same time doing what we can to stimulate new citizen interest in their City.

I think we're doing a good job at that. I've started to see some new faces apply for boards and commissions, new parents coming to parks and I've seen signs, too, of civic engagement that point to a healthy City.

The economy has certainly brought to light what's really important in our lives. For me, it's the experiences of living in a place that has a sense of place. Whether it's playing at one of our parks, taking part in the Chocolate Lover's Festival or attending a City Council meeting to speak your mind, the City of Fairfax offers these experiences.