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Cohousing helps neighbors form meaningful bonds through shared common space and group activities.
- Cohousing communities are residential living arrangements organized around common space, shared meals, and group activities.
- Neighbors help each other with everything from childcare to home maintenance.
- Each unit is self-contained, so you can balance your need for solitary time with the joy of group experiences.
- Author Laura McCamy has lived in cohousing for 14 years - here's why she plans to stay.
When construction finished on a new apartment building on our block, one of my neighbor's kids asked when we were going to meet the people who had moved in.
She had lived her whole life in cohousing, where she was always welcome to knock on any door. She couldn't imagine new neighbors who didn't become friends, but that's exactly what happened with the people who moved into those new apartments.
In fact, we never see them. Each night, they drive into the garage under their building and disappear into their apartments, only coming out on the street to smoke or walk their dogs.
At our condo complex, we live a completely different lifestyle. It's common for neighbors to bring dinner to a table on the patio and eat together. We often pop into each other's homes to borrow something, to ask a question, or just to say hi.
Our relationships extend beyond civility: My cohousing mates and I attend each other's parties, graduation ceremonies, and recitals. We celebrate new spouses, babies, and businesses, and offer comfort after the loss of a job or a loved one.
This is cohousing. I've lived here for 14 years, and I hope I never live anywhere else.