Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: unexpected guests unscheduled tours was What is the Etiquette?

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

I think it is very, very hard not to appear institutional and exclusionary — 
both things cohousing doesn’t want to be — and to avoid living life in a 
fishbowl. When I hear “tour” I feel like I’m living in a national park. A house 
museum. 

One way is to have a website that includes pictures and current information 
about your community. Ours is a bit out of date except for current dates of 
meetings and workdays (which someone else maintains), but I think it is the 
best way to tell people who you are and let them see what the community looks 
like. 

Often our neighbors want more information but are not interested in visiting. 
They are partly curious but also want to satisfy their concerns about that 
weird place over there.

Websites are useful.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org