Doctors Francesco and Joseph Laterza didn’t intend to end up in Greenville, but like much of their story, it has been the people they met along the way that made all the difference. They moved to Greenville for Joseph’s residency in family medicine in June 2020 with plans to move to DC or Denver afterwards. Once here, however, they “ended up falling in love with Greenville. The people here are so welcoming. When we moved to Alta Vista, we were drawn in by the neighborhood itself, but What has kept us rooted here is the people,” Joseph shares. Connecting with people is one of the values that unites these doctors, and it is a value that they hope to pass on to their three-year-old daughter, Aspen Rose.
Joseph is originally from Houston, TX while Francesco hails from Pequannock, NJ, a suburb of New York City. They first met at the Ross University School of Medicine, spending their last two years together in Miami, Completing Francesco’s internship and residency took them to Chicago and Philadelphia. In the middle of all their busyness, they became engaged (in 2018), married (in September 2021), and parents, welcoming Aspen into their lives one year later.
Aspen was born in Bend, Oregon shortly before the doctors’ final move to the neighborhood they now call home. “There are no words that do justice to what it felt like to be present at the beginning of our daughter’s life and to know that she was ours,” recalls Francesco of her birth.
Both men like much of what city life has to offer: vibrant downtowns, ample green spaces, new restaurants popping up, and an exciting mix of culture and history. Joseph notes that “curiosity is something we both share,” and Greenville ultimately combined these “big city amenities” with the convenience of a home, a yard, and the ability to walk downtown. “We can’t think of another place that allows you to have the best of both worlds,” Plus— the weather here is much better than Chicago’s!
Once Joseph and Francesco decided to put down their roots in Greenville, they opened their own medical office in Unity Park, named Arvé Aesthetics.
As physicians and fathers, teaching is something they both feel strongly about. Francesco also works closely with medical students in clinical training as the internal medicine clerkship director for the USC School Of Medicine-Greenville and with resident physicians as a teaching hospitalist. For these men, who share an eye for precision and detail, aesthetics feels less like a departure from medicine and more like “a natural extension of the way we already think.”
These doctors, fathers, and urbanites- turned-Greenvillians share a curiosity for learning and life, and it is this shared curiosity that helps to keep the Laterza home interesting since many of their specific passions outside of the office don’t perfectly align. Both doctors stay active, though one prefers to do it by hitting the gym (Francesco) while the other opts for running and hiking outdoors (Joseph). Francesco is an avid reader who tends towards Sci Fi and fantasy books, While Joseph loves to work on a craft project. The Cricut has quickly become his creative outlet, a passion project he uses to create decals and t-shirts, which, true to the Laterza nature, he then shares with the people around him.
Not to be overlooked, at the young age of three, Aspen has her own interests and passions that have been shaped by her fathers. Like both men, she loves to play with friends and neighbors. As with Francesco, Aspen has enjoys reading, but opts less for fantasy and more for her love Of Taylor Swift and Princess Ariel. And like her father Joseph, she looks forward to outdoor walks after supper and playing outside at Cleveland Park. Her favorite pastime, though, is all her own: twirling in her “spinny dress,” any dress that twirls while she spins.
While each Laterza brings individual strengths to the home, they all share a love of food, travel, neighbors, and their pets, husky Sofia and cat Zarah. (Don’t tell her she’s a cat, though. She’s so friendly, she thinks she’s a dog!) “We fully align at the table and on the road,” and actively seek out adventures, culinary and otherwise. Their favorite adventure thus far has been their two-week trek through the Pacific Northwest, which Aspen made at just 9-months old. “Looking back on it, hiking and exploring national parks feels like a pretty good way to introduce someone to the world,” shares Francesco. Having a young daughter and a growing business has changed their travel, and instead of seeking out faraway places and sprawling national parks, Joseph and Francesco now more often find themselves flying to visit distant family.
Love of neighbors and Greenville is the ultimate connector in this home: “The people here are so welcoming. We’ve made great friends, and Aspen has no shortage of kids to run around with, which as any parent knows is one of the best things you can hope for.” After dinner walks, neighborhood block parties, and a welcoming community have made the Laterzas grateful to be part of Greenville: “There is something special about living somewhere that feels both connected and welcoming, where a walk to the park or down to Main Street turns into a conversation you didn’t expect to have. We hope that as Greenvi Ile continues to grow, that sense Of closeness grows with it.” Be on the lookout for the Laterzas on evening walks while Aspen spins down the sidewalk, and be sure to say hello because they are definitely on the lookout for the people who make our neighborhood what it is!
Does your family have a story to share? Or do you have a neighbor to nominate? Reach out to Elizabeth at ESuggs@BestVersionMedia.com
