Michael Kimmelman’s piece, “Tower of Dreams: One Ended in Nightmare,” evokes many images from my experiences in both New York City (specifically, Manhattan) and St. Louis.

I’m a city girl, born not bred. But, I went to high school and college in Manhattan and live just twelve or thirteen miles away. So far though, my NYC experiences have been limited to the places I’ve needed to go for school, work, or pleasure. As Kimmelman describes what a classic Projects apartment complex would look like, I’m racking my brain trying to match buildings I’ve passed with what he is describing. I remember one time walking with a couple of my freshman friends. We passed a nondescript building that a Nigerian girl mentioned was a Projects. This stands out in my mind (to the best of my recall ability) as being the first and last time I have ever encountered public housing. That being said, I am not one to judge whether or not the architecture of a building will determine its long term success. I’ll leave that to experts like the author.

This past summer, I had the privilege to attend Hillel International’s conference which was held at Washington University in St. Louis. My friend, Goldie, brought me with her to a museum during a break. What I took away from that experience was that Missouri has a history of extreme racial tension, which still exists – remember the black man who was killed by a white cop in Ferguson and the riots and backlash that followed? I was not surprised to learn that the Pruitt-Igoe housing plan deteriorated. I think location and the sense of community in that place is a large determinant of the success of a new housing plan.