LOVE LOCAL
Sara Carenini celebrates the beauty, culture and packed calendar of events offered by the city she now calls home
I’ve lived in Cambridge for about eight years now. Since arriving in June 2017 for work, I’ve never felt more at home than I feel here. What was initially meant to be a relocation from Italy for six to 12 months led me to find ‘my place’. I love working closely with indie business owners, I giggle when I think about the fact that I can say ‘ciao’ to each one of my neighbours, and I’m so mixed into the community that I’m neither gown nor town. I love it here because Cambridge is the perfect combination of green spaces, impactful events and sense of community. I’m very lucky to live in the city centre and have Christ’s Pieces, Jesus Green, Midsummer Common and Parker’s Piece all right on my doorstep. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, still being able to enjoy the outdoors according to safety regulations was a blessing. I find Cambridge is a charismatic city that offers lots of entertainment, from the Cambridge Festival and the Beer Festival to the many fairs that enable the community to come together.
The place that means the most to me is Grantchester Meadows. I’ve lost track of how much time I’ve spent there, especially when the sun is out. It’s barely a 15-minute cycle from town, and then you’re in a completely different, picturesque and relaxed space. It’s a bonus that it’s on my route to work, so I can often fit in a little river swim on my way back. I sometimes go out there with my paddle board, and it’s also the perfect place for a walk, a run (hello half-marathoners!), some yoga… or, of course, a picnic with my friends.
The best concert, performance and exhibition I’ve seen here are the Singing on the River choral programme at Trinity College, A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by the Cambridge Shakespeare Company at King’s College Fellows’ Garden and a late-night event at the Fitzwilliam Museum, which was held in collaboration with the Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts. One thing I’ve never done here, but plan to, is visit Cambridge Open Studios in July. I’ve never had the chance because it’s when I usually take annual leave to travel after the busy social schedule of June in Cambridge. When people ask me for local recommendations, I always point them to Bould Brothers for coffee, Kettle’s Yard for art exhibitions and The Punter for great pub food. I also love a walk around the Backs, cutting through Trinity College’s backyard and ending with a visit to the Ark gift shop, then stopping at Jack’s Gelato for the most refreshing ice cream!
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If you’ve been a Cambridge resident for a year or more and would like to appear on this page as one of our next interviewees, drop the editor a line at louisehoffman@bright.uk.com
82 SEPTEMBER 2025 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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