Cohousing-L Mailing List: coho/"walls"/$$/etc

[Judy Baxter (BAXTER]

Hi Folks-
it's late, i'm tired, probably have no business chiming in, but...
just read the threat on coho vs old fashined neighbor... etc.

1.most folks drawn to coho are idealistic, and want coho to address all sorts
of needs  - income diversity, urban sprawl, ecological/sustainability, energy
efficiency, community and privacy, etc.  Once we get into it (gosh, I started 8
years ago, and we are still deep in rehab) we discover we can't do it all (or
at least our group couldn't - I'm in awe of Ithaca Ecovillage) and we do 
*some* of our goals.   Some groups are luckier than others in resources
available locally and within the group. Some are more ambitious.  But believe
me, its a big job.  And so, some of us may  (nay, do)  grow weary of  feeling
like we are presented as not doing enough. And I know the people who come new
to this can't be expected to know what we've been doing.  Just a perspective.

2. I think some neighborhoods are more receptive than others to increased
efforts at interaction, *and* I treasure the fact that many of my coho
neighbors put efforts into that.

3. Monterey Cohousing seems urban to some, not quite urban to others.  It was a
feasible site - we have helped to vitalize our neighborhood group, but never
had the goal of revitalizing a neighborhood.  See #1.

Judy

Judy Baxter, Monterey Cohousing Community,(MoCoCo) Twin Cities Area, Mpls.,MN
-- e-mail:      baxter [at] epivax.epi.umn.edu
        (usually checked on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday)
15 homes - 7 new townhomes and 8 coop apartments  in a rehab Georgian building
 built as a retirement home in 1924 - 

Presently prioritizing a humongous list of rehab/maintenance projects. But we
do get some done.


 Voice Mail for Monterey Cohousing - 612-930-7554