In this article Varady reviews his 46 years of teaching, scholarship, and service in housing policy and community development. His New York City (NY) upbringing led to interests in cities and public policy, which led to degrees in city planning and eventually to receiving his university's highest award for academic excellence. Varady's pragmatism offers realistic solutions, questions long-held attitudes, and seeks objectivity in research. Although he takes ideology seriously, he is not an ideologue. Here he explains how his pragmatic perspective affected his research on neighborhood racial change, public housing, housing vouchers, and middle income housing programs. His career is best measured by the success of his many students who have had the benefi ts of his years of experience in the fi eld of housing research in both America and Europe .