Finally, I am the proud and more-productive-than-ever owner of an iPad. I fell in love at first tap.
Why did I wait so long?
Contrary to my tech loving nature and my job as a product developer (sometimes of mobile products), I am not an early adopter for 2 reasons:
1.) I never buy into hype because whatever device of the moment that is being hocked by a mass amount of people usually disappoints
2.) I’m frugal (read: cheap). If I’m going to spend my hard earned cash on something, it’s going to be worthwhile, something I love, and the very best deal I can get.
So why did I take the plunge now?
Like most big purchases, this was one that I thought through carefully, meaning I put it through my OCD checklist lovingly entitled, “Christa, why the hell do you think you need to buy this?”After several rounds of this sport, I made the sound and measured decision that this iPad is a fantastic investment for me personally and professionally for wide variety of reasons:
1.) My sister, Weez, teases me that if I could find a way to get paid a good salary to be a student forever, I would likely never leave a college library. Bingo! It’s my lifelong dream to be in school as much as possible. Learning is my addiction. Unfortunately, I haven’t cracked the nut yet on professional studenthood, but the iPad is getting me part of the way there. From Anatomy to Italian to painting to piano, there’s an app or a website with gorgeous visuals just waiting for me to show up and use it.
2.) Now that I’m working for myself, I spend a decent amount of my time in meetings at various locations across the city. I’ve been carting my Mac around with me at the expense of my shoulders to take advantage of downtown throughout the day. And that Mac is much heavier than I ever thought it was. I love being able to work remotely but I need to be able to be remote without a busted shoulder.
3.) Convenience and productivity when traveling. I hop on a plane to take a minimum of 6 round trips per year. That’s a lot of flying, a lot of packing, and a fair amount of schlepping. I find a lot of inspiration in this travel and it will be great to record this inspiration more easily in a variety of forms.
My iPad will get its first travel test run when Phin and I jet off to Florida at the end of the month for some fun in the sun with my favorite people on the planet (my fam.) Until then, we’ll be about town snapping photos, learning Italian, and making art. I’m prepared to be amazed. Off we go into a whole new age of productivity!
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
2 thoughts on “Leap: Me and My New iPad – It Had Me at “Tap””
Like you, I’m a perpetual student. I love my iPad for learning and can’t get enough of iTunesU, where many universities have uploaded videos of lectures on a wide range of subjects. There are even entire courses and it’s completely free! Check it out if you haven’t seen it already.
Hi Kate – I love iTunes U. I am so impressed that there is so much amazing content on there – for free! And now on my iPad it’s even more enjoyable! So glad you’re loving it too.
Like you, I’m a perpetual student. I love my iPad for learning and can’t get enough of iTunesU, where many universities have uploaded videos of lectures on a wide range of subjects. There are even entire courses and it’s completely free! Check it out if you haven’t seen it already.
LikeLike
Hi Kate – I love iTunes U. I am so impressed that there is so much amazing content on there – for free! And now on my iPad it’s even more enjoyable! So glad you’re loving it too.
LikeLike