Why do we live at New View? What makes it special?
We live in New View because we want more social contact and interdependence than many modern neighborhoods provide. We dreamed of an old-fashioned village, and this dream has been realized. We chat together over meals or as we pick up our mail in the common house; drive each other to trains and appointments; support each other through troubles; celebrate life's milestones together. We have resolved most conflicts through conversation and creative resolutions. We have worked out issues as diverse as work distribution, placement of the basketball hoop, the coexistence of cats and dogs and wheelchair accessibility. Many people find a close-knit neighborhood in a small town or a friendly cul-de-sac. We found it by building a cohousing community together.
While New View is legally structured as a condominium, unlike most condo developments, it was specifically designed to promote social interaction between neighbors. Our houses are arranged in four clusters, connected by pedestrian-only roads, with parking located at the perimeter and kitchen windows and front doors oriented to the neighborhood center. While each house has its own yard, we share a much larger area of open space. Most importantly, we share a community building, the Common House, which provides a space for us to regularly meet for meals and other community events.
Close-knit neighborhoods can be found in many cities and towns, but cohousing is different because the people who live here are committed to living as a community. Decisions are made and differences reconciled by consensus. Reaching consensus often takes longer than simply taking a majority vote, but by going through the process, all parties can feel heard and invested in the decision. Unlike a commune, we have no requirements for participation - individuals engage in the community to whatever degree they wish. All of us have interests and/or careers outside New View, and it is a personal choice as to how much time and energy to devote to this community rather than the other communities to which we belong. But by choosing to live here, we are choosing to build relationships with our neighbors, to take part in the give-and-take that comes from living in proximity. Privacy is respected, but it is not possible to be anonymous in a cohousing community! While New View does not have many rules dictating what people may or may not do, our interactions are guided by these shared values.
While New View is legally structured as a condominium, unlike most condo developments, it was specifically designed to promote social interaction between neighbors. Our houses are arranged in four clusters, connected by pedestrian-only roads, with parking located at the perimeter and kitchen windows and front doors oriented to the neighborhood center. While each house has its own yard, we share a much larger area of open space. Most importantly, we share a community building, the Common House, which provides a space for us to regularly meet for meals and other community events.
Close-knit neighborhoods can be found in many cities and towns, but cohousing is different because the people who live here are committed to living as a community. Decisions are made and differences reconciled by consensus. Reaching consensus often takes longer than simply taking a majority vote, but by going through the process, all parties can feel heard and invested in the decision. Unlike a commune, we have no requirements for participation - individuals engage in the community to whatever degree they wish. All of us have interests and/or careers outside New View, and it is a personal choice as to how much time and energy to devote to this community rather than the other communities to which we belong. But by choosing to live here, we are choosing to build relationships with our neighbors, to take part in the give-and-take that comes from living in proximity. Privacy is respected, but it is not possible to be anonymous in a cohousing community! While New View does not have many rules dictating what people may or may not do, our interactions are guided by these shared values.
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