Brooklyn Co-Housing Moving Closer to Reality?
Co-ops, until the recent condo building boom, were once a dominant form of housing here in New York, but many found they weren’t actually that, you know, cooperative. So a Brooklyn couple is trying to bring another form of housing to the borough, a Danish model of communal living called co-housing. So says Sarah Ryley…
Co-ops, until the recent condo building boom, were once a dominant form of housing here in New York, but many found they weren’t actually that, you know, cooperative. So a Brooklyn couple is trying to bring another form of housing to the borough, a Danish model of communal living called co-housing. So says Sarah Ryley in the Real Deal. Individuals own their own units in co-housing, like co-ops, but there are shared communal spaces, usually including kitchens and dining areas where residents can eat together. Most American co-housing communities are in rural areas, but in February Alex Marshall incorporated Brooklyn Cohousing LLC. He’s got about 25 interested households, and they’re looking for property between $15 and $35 million for the group. Is Brooklyn ready for such communal living, and will the market provide?
Living Closely With Neighbors [The Real Deal]
Co-housing Sketch. Photo by matthewsargent.
For one thing, in most co-housing schemes, everyone has their own kitchen. The common kitchen and dining room is for events. You don’t have to share if you don’t want to.
Communal living with artists never works out – its the dirty dishes problem.
bxgirl, thank you, that is very thoughtful.
However I am just allergic, I do not go into anaphylactic shock. I will sneeze all over the place though. best to put little raincoats on the kitties if they are near me.
sam- in the kitchen I confess. slacker. On the upside you’re allergic to cats so we won’t have to share but I promise to call 911 while you’re having your allergic attack. The cat will watch over you until the ambulance comes 🙂
why the vitriol?
cuz we’re from Brooklyn. duh!
this ain’t Copenhagen-daz.
Ainslie,
This idea is a different packaging of a New Urbanist idea that as population grows, we return to living in small, easily managed villages, where you do indeed have your own house, but that you lean on your community for resources.
The key difference here is that instead of saying hello to neighbors as you dust off your front step, you are dealing with a more diverse group of people in a time when there is less emphasis put on formal communication (parlimentary procedure, as an example.) So, there are more issues to discuss, less time in which to do it, and less respect for the person holding the floor in a public setting.
Such fun reading this! Most of you guys have NO idea what you’re talking about, with exceptions like Ainslie and others.
Co-housing is a meant to be a group living situation, which shares certain tasks and areas. No more and no less. It’s more like having a mess hall, common gardens, maybe a library/reading room, an activity room (table tennis, anyone?) all maintained and staffed by your neighbors (and you, all have to do some work.) No one is going to fill your personal fridge with their stuff.
You don’t have to utilize any of the commons, you can come home, slam the door and sulk when you’re feeling anti-social.
It’s obviously the opposite of the me-first mentality so prevalent here. So I doubt many of you will be checking this out, but why the vitriol?
Good fences make good neighbors. Or as my boyfriend’s father once declared: “Don’t live with anyone you ain’t screwin’, they’ll just piss you off.” Ah, the poetry of Apalachia…
fsrq: “So if you have your own kitchen and bath and individual ownership of the unit – how is this different than any other new condo development with community rooms, gyms, lounges, pools, libraries, etc…..”
You seriously don’t see a difference? Fer real?
OK, heres the answer.
In a 24 hour period, you MUST use a bathroom and you MUST use a kitchen, provided you have regular toilet habits and eat food.
In a 24 hour period, you CHOOSE to visit ” community rooms, gyms, lounges, pools, libraries, etc…..”
I can enjoy my own kitchen and bathroom and if I WANT TO, can visit a shared room in my condo development.
See the diff? Its huge.