apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The idea of living in a community is not an old one, it's been going on for centuries and just makes sense! If you want to live a sustainable lifestyle while helping others, it's perfect as well! A great community in Philadelphia called "The Simple Way" is the perfect example of this!

I have a few friends here in Montreal pursuing the same ideal, and it definitely works for them. But lets get serious - there is a limit on these kinds of living arrangements. Eventually most people pair off and all my punk, anarchic friends living in these hipster communes will inevitably want some space of their own without having to consult the collective for every decision. I think there is something incredibly comforting and supportive about this lifestyle, especially in big cities when you are often cut-off from family and other traditional support structures, but I'm not convinced its sustainable in the long term.

I've always had a fantasy of buying a huge plot of land in the country and parceling out acres to friends. I think this kind of "this land is my land, that land is your land" mentality can ultimately be a much more durable version of this ideal, because it allows you to feel a part of a community while fostering some degree of daily independence.

Agree with Heatherbelle.

As nice as this idea sounds, I went through enough roommate situations in college to know that eventually you get sick and tired of seeing Joe's dishes all over the place and that your decoration style will always have to be dumpster dive potpourri.

I like living with just my boyfriend. I can better control how much water, electricity, food and resources are used and spent. Big groups get tricky. But if you can make it work, more power to you.

I also I agree with Heatherbelle. There are some people in my community who do live/have lived very communally, and eventually even the people you'd think would live that way forever have paired off and gotten their on spaces. There's certainly nothing wrong with that lifestyle, it just seems that eventually (and very naturally) people move on to another lifestyle.

I've toyed with the idea of a more communal style existence as I'm looking at a house in my urban neighborhood that's for sale. I think a lot of it has to do with having the right mix of people that will create the right dynamic for the community.

My family recently moved into the city center, and the coffee shop across our back lane (called Common Grounds, serving organic, fair trade coffee and a lot of things made with spelt) is owned and run by a small, religious commune. They're not HYPER-religious, and they little pamphlet they hand out makes allusions to communal living being like a beehive, and somehow or other having something to do with religion, but on the whole they seem pretty laid back. My general understanding is that they're a loose collection of Hutterites and ex-Hutterites (who are kind of like the amish and kind of like mennonites, except they live in communes), who've sort of drifted back together.

They're interesting to watch, but I really doubt it's the life for me, as I'm not really particularly social. Still, I think there's a lot of merit in people banding together and sharing expenses.

I lived in a 20 person co-op in Chicago for several years, and it was fantastic. OBVIOUSLY it's not for everyone. Most co-ops aren't the cleanest spaces due to the number of people living in them and differences in standards. This is to be expected.

But the cooperative housekeeping is incredible. I only cooked once every 3 weeks and had a healthy, homecooked meal every day. I tended to our garden, while others cleaned my bathroom and the kitchen. And the friends I made there are still very dear to me.

I do think that there can be cooperative living arrangements that are more suitable to older folks... spaces that give more personal space/time and that have higher standards for cleanliness. These spaces do exist and they're worth considering if community is very important to you.

Oh- and believe it or not, it's much easier to live with 20 people than 1 or 2 roommates. If you don't like someone.... you just avoid them. And there are mechanisms in place to deal with people who don't do their share of the work. It's really not at all like a typical "roommate" situation.

Oh man, igurl, where can I find places like this? I like with 8 people, and it was awesome. The key for me, was each person had their own bathroom (where the biggest cleaning fights happened), we had a dishwasher, and a bi-monthly maid. I'd love to try your approach!

Jessipants- 8 people and they each had their own bathrooms? Sounds great!

Well the more student-y co-ops are easy to find via www.nasco.coop (anyone can live there, not just students but the population is usually mid-20s) but if you're looking for something more 'adult' then it's harder to find. Lots of them are buy-in co-ops meaning you're basically purchasing a condo but in a space that's usually rent controlled and where you're expected to socialize with the neighbors. For example: http://hubcoop.org/

Living in RV parks has taught me to appreciate communal living at the expense of privacy. I get to live in places with amenities I couldn't afford on my own (eg. pool) and the RVing community is such that I have no qualms asking a neighbour if I can borrow something I don't have (eg. a tall ladder). I love the potlucks, the social activities, the little old ladies available to catsit, and the advantage that comes from being the young one on site--being expected to be available to help with physical chores in exchange for baking. This beats my acre in the woods with no neighbours any day.

I love this thought. I am only 24 and have always wanted to live this way. Having kids so young (I was 17!) and knowing what I had to do to keep my kids safe and warm, and away from state custody, I just never did it. I remember hearing about it as a kid. My father once lived in one in the 70's. It sounds more able to do it today. With the great things that are out there.
I also live in Montana. There are many 20 acre spots for no more then $24k. It would be a great way to get going. Just money is always tight when you have kids! GRRR, maybe someday I will get that dream.
TravelingRae, I love it. I would love the RV thing too. I am the kids of person to help for the cause of baking too. I have done that all my life. Growing up there wasn't alot, so we did what we could by other odd little jobs. Food, money, or things were givin in payment. What a great idea there with the Rving. Good luck on future travels!

I love privacy
I love clean spaces
I love not having to share all of my things I worked hard for
And for people with kids - how in the world could this be safe? the world is full of sick freaks out there - beware.

wow, HauntedStudio, I'm so sorry you live alone in fear.
It's not fun being selfish and isolated.

There is a movement in the western world that started 30 years ago in Denmark, called Cohousing.
Not just hippies and unmarried students, cohouser's argue that cohousing is for all types of people regardless of income or stage of life. (and it's great for kids!)
There are wealthy and low-income communities, rural and urban, detached homes and apartment buildings.
It's gaining in popularity in North America as well, since people are tired of not knowing their neighbors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohousing

jac - we can be friends :-D and no I am social and happy