Q & A with Members in Residence

What's your favorite part of cohousing?

• "The ease of entering AND exiting social situations. If I feel like I'd like to chat, I can head out and always find groups and individuals looking to hang out. If I remember that I have something else to do, it isn't ever awkward to bow out of an interaction because when you say "see you later", people know that you mean it." - Nick
• "Knowing your neighbors and being part of a real community, not just a collection of houses." - Colin
• "The impromptu porch hangouts and bonfires, where the adults get to hang out while the kids are busy playing with each other!" - Laura
• "Just hanging out together. Helping each other out." - Adrienne
• "Always having someone to talk to/hang out with without having to coordinate schedules. At the same time, love having people understand that maybe you don't feel like talking/hanging out just then and that's perfectly OK, too." - Mary
• "How easy it is to see friends" - James
• "Watching the kids run free around the neighborhood and have a built-in set of peers" - Steve
• "Getting to make pillow forts with my friends in the common house." - Harrison (4.5)
• "Spontaneous socializing." - Meagan
• "Seeing my friends." - Gabby (3.5)
• "I feel connected to my neighbors - every day - without having to plan a thing. When my own socialization bucket is full, it's so much easier to be an okay-enough mom and partner." - Rebecca
• "The people" - Wade

​What's your favorite spot at Emerson Commons?

• "The view of the mountains from the main entrance. It always says to me, "Welcome home!"" - Meagan
• "Sitting under the grove of trees by the slack line." - Adrienne
• "Our front porch!" - Mary
• "Right now, it’s in the pool!  In the part where you can soak while looking at the mountains" - Laura
• "The central green at dusk." - Colin
• "The shady grove of trees, AKA the Nick W. Memorial Park, where Nick spontaneously installed a slack line, hammock and a couple sweet wooden swings. It's peaceful over there." - Rebecca
• "The diving board at the pool." - Harrison (4.5)
• "The pool! During the hot summer months, it is pretty much always in use and is a great spot to socialize or just float around." - Nick
• "Slackline area" - Steve
• "I look forward to spending more time in places other than my basement" - James, who's knee-deep in a construction project

​What are you looking forward to in the future of the neighborhood?

• "Physically, I'm excited to clear out the path along the creek. Socially, I'm looking forward to just continuing to get to know everyone more deeply and having a shared existence" - Steve
• "Having a close-knit group of friends that sticks together over decades." - Meagan
• "More board game nights." - James
• "Seeing the neighborhood develop more physically, specifically seeing everybody putting their own spin on their private spaces." - Mary
• "Forging bonds of friendship over years and learning how to come together as a group to accomplish big projects." - Colin
• "Getting to know the new families that are moving in." - Laura
• "An official childcare swap. More common meals. Shared gardens. Getting a path cleared by the creek. I'm also looking forward to experiencing the new energy each household brings to the neighborhood when they move in." - Rebecca
• "When all the construction is done and we’re all settled in." - Adrienne
• "The tool sharing and workshop space." - Nick

Any advice to someone interested in cohousing?

• "Don't be afraid to roll the dice on a community like this. It will be one of the best decisions you're likely to make for yourself and family." - Colin
• "[Cohousing has] been exactly as cool as it seemed like it would be. I think it's how we're meant to live." - James
• "It’s a huge change for me from living in a “conventional neighborhood” in my own house making all my own decisions, but I’m finding the advantages and positive aspects of cohousing outnumber the things I miss from my previous home and neighborhood." - Adrienne​
• "I'll talk to my fellow introverts here. Cohousing offers as much interaction as you seek. If you want to hang out, you can hang out. However, nobody is knocking on your door begging you to sit on the porch with them, nobody thinks you're weird if you don't hang out for a while, and best of all, if your wife and kids like to socialize more than you do....They go socialize and you get sweet, sweet peace and quiet." - Nick
• "It's hard to do anything because there's always someone around to talk to." - Steve
• "Getting your house built can be a stressful process. It can make it seem that cohousing is about the perfect house. But it's about the people, and the people here are wonderful. The short-term stress is worth the long-term satisfaction of living in a community where you love your neighbors AND actually hang out with them. The houses are pretty great too." - Rebecca
• "Learn to exercise patience; the consensus decision-making process takes a long time, especially at first when everyone is new to the concept." - Mary
• "If you want to enrich your daily life in one of the easiest, most natural ways possible, consider getting to know your neighbors better. It has made a world of difference for me and my family." - Meagan
• "Come visit us!" - Laura