East Bay Cohousing

Want to learn more about what it's like to build, join, and participate in cohousing as you age? The Seniors in Cohousing Advocates Committee of the National Cohousing Association (Coho/US) will be facilitating an informal conversation for those interested in senior cohousing and/or senior living in intergenerational cohousing.

This (free) event will take place every month on the 20th at 10am Mountain Time.

Part of National Cohousing Month (organized by the National Cohousing Association)

and Affordable Housing Month in the East Bay (organized by East Bay Housing Organizations)

Come see what it looks like to live in cohousing neighborhoods in the East Bay:

• Visit sustainable intentional communities in the Berkeley-Oakland area.
• See how they blend privacy and community, with individual homes plus a Common House.
• Get a taste of what it's like to dine together, with regular common meals.
• Learn about each community's unique design, how it came together, and the innovative approaches to affordability, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability each embodies.
• Find out how to learn about future openings in these communities and new ones in formation in the area and beyond.

Free and open to all; individual communities may have refreshments for sale or other opportunities to support them or their members work.

Led by East Bay Cohousing, the regional umbrella network for cooperative community living, in partnership with EBHO, Cohousing California, the National Cohousing Alliance (Coho/US), the Bay Area Cooperative Housing Network, Bay Area Community Land Trust (BACLT), Northern California Land Trust (NCLT) and more.

BYO transportation. For those who RSVP, we will share carpool, bike pool, and transit info.

For additional East Bay Cohousing events during Affordable Housing Month, we will post a list here (check back for updates).

• We'll also be listing additional East Bay Cohousing events that are part of National Cohousing Month here (check back for links).

As a stop on the East Bay Cohousing Crawl (part of Affordable Housing Month in the East Bay and National Cohousing Month), discover this under-development tiny home village in Richmond, serving homeless youth.

Tours and volunteering.

Snacks and live music.

Free, donations welcome to support this important work.

Community Details: Richmond Tiny Village and Garden

Walkable from Richmond BART; on connecting bike routes from the Richmond Greenway bike trail.

RSVP on this page or text RICHMONDTINY to (925) 281-5643

Raines says: This community tour and open house of the East Bay's biggest and most "suburban" cohousing neighborhood, Pleasant Hill cohousing, the first "new-build" classic cohousing community in the region, the largest in the East Bay, and a lovely community.

This is a rare opportunity to see the community in person rather than virtually. This is part of National Cohousing Month and the East Bay Cohousing Crawl - see the EBCOHO site for other happenings.

Learn more about the community on their website.

If you need to cancel your reservation, or decide not to go, please let Pleasant Hill's volunteer tour guide know as soon as possible!

Individual Homes

There are 32 units, grouped in various configurations ranging from 2-6 homes per building. The buildings were constructed with wood framing, stucco outer walls, and corrogated metal roofing. The smallest units are 640 sq ft one-bedrooms; the largest are 1579 sq ft four-bedrooms.

Each home has its own kitchen. The homes are owned individually as condominiums, with some rentals.

Common Areas

Our 3,835 sq ft Common House contains a kitchen, dining room ("great room"), sitting room, laundry, kids room, teens/older kids room, crafts room, guest rooms, and bathrooms.

The Common House is the only building in the project that has air conditioning. However to minimize the use of air conditioning, the building also has a cooling tower with large fans that can be used in the evening to pull cooler air into the building and push hot air out.

Other common facilities include swimming pool, hot tub, play area, workshop, bike shed, organic garden, and granite boulders from original site - both decorative and used by children for climbing.

Location

We're conveniently located near Highway 680 and public transportation, with easy access to Walnut Creek, shopping, and recreation.

Pleasant Hill, population 32,000, is located 30 miles east of San Francisco, 4 miles north of the I-680/Hwy 24 interchange. Mostly a residential community with scattered retail/commercial areas, it is bounded by the cities of Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Concord, and Martinez. Pleasant Hill has recently (2000) redeveloped its downtown to create a contemporary shopping district just blocks from the site. In addition, an abundance of good restaurants and shops are within easy driving distance. The city has good recreation programs for all ages and regional walking/biking trails traverse it.

Iron Horse Trail

A walking and biking trail - the Iron Horse Trail (so named because it's on the old Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way) - runs alongside the site and connects to the Pleasant Hill BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station (~1 mile) and downtown Walnut Creek (~4 miles). The 24-mile trail goes north-south from Concord to Dublin and connects to several other trails that traverse the county making for great biking opportunities.

A neighborhood park is located just the other side of Fair Oaks Elementary School adjacent to the site. Briones Regional Park and Mt. Diablo State Park are located nearby providing numerous opportunities for hiking and recreation. There are several health clubs in Pleasant Hill including the YMCA.

Diablo Valley Community College is located in Pleasant Hill, and there are several city and county adult education programs in the area.

There are multiple venues nearby for movies, theater, music and other performing arts including the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, the Willows Theater Company in Concord, and the Concord Pavillion.

There are year-round farmers markets in nearby Walnut Creek. Several community members participate in a CSA farm, Terra Firma Farms, with a weekly delivery of locally grown organic fruits and vegies made even more convenient because we are the drop site.

Raines says: This community tour and open house of the East Bay's biggest and most "suburban" cohousing neighborhood, Pleasant Hill cohousing, the first "new-build" classic cohousing community in the region, the largest in the East Bay, and a lovely community.

This is a rare opportunity to see the community in person rather than virtually. This is part of National Cohousing Month and the East Bay Cohousing Crawl - see the EBCOHO site for other happenings.

Learn more about the community on their website.

If you need to cancel your reservation, or decide not to go, please let Pleasant Hill's volunteer tour guide know as soon as possible!

Individual Homes

There are 32 units, grouped in various configurations ranging from 2-6 homes per building. The buildings were constructed with wood framing, stucco outer walls, and corrogated metal roofing. The smallest units are 640 sq ft one-bedrooms; the largest are 1579 sq ft four-bedrooms.

Each home has its own kitchen. The homes are owned individually as condominiums, with some rentals.

Common Areas

Our 3,835 sq ft Common House contains a kitchen, dining room ("great room"), sitting room, laundry, kids room, teens/older kids room, crafts room, guest rooms, and bathrooms.

The Common House is the only building in the project that has air conditioning. However to minimize the use of air conditioning, the building also has a cooling tower with large fans that can be used in the evening to pull cooler air into the building and push hot air out.

Other common facilities include swimming pool, hot tub, play area, workshop, bike shed, organic garden, and granite boulders from original site - both decorative and used by children for climbing.

Location

We're conveniently located near Highway 680 and public transportation, with easy access to Walnut Creek, shopping, and recreation.

Pleasant Hill, population 32,000, is located 30 miles east of San Francisco, 4 miles north of the I-680/Hwy 24 interchange. Mostly a residential community with scattered retail/commercial areas, it is bounded by the cities of Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Concord, and Martinez. Pleasant Hill has recently (2000) redeveloped its downtown to create a contemporary shopping district just blocks from the site. In addition, an abundance of good restaurants and shops are within easy driving distance. The city has good recreation programs for all ages and regional walking/biking trails traverse it.

Iron Horse Trail

A walking and biking trail - the Iron Horse Trail (so named because it's on the old Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way) - runs alongside the site and connects to the Pleasant Hill BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station (~1 mile) and downtown Walnut Creek (~4 miles). The 24-mile trail goes north-south from Concord to Dublin and connects to several other trails that traverse the county making for great biking opportunities.

A neighborhood park is located just the other side of Fair Oaks Elementary School adjacent to the site. Briones Regional Park and Mt. Diablo State Park are located nearby providing numerous opportunities for hiking and recreation. There are several health clubs in Pleasant Hill including the YMCA.

Diablo Valley Community College is located in Pleasant Hill, and there are several city and county adult education programs in the area.

There are multiple venues nearby for movies, theater, music and other performing arts including the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, the Willows Theater Company in Concord, and the Concord Pavillion.

There are year-round farmers markets in nearby Walnut Creek. Several community members participate in a CSA farm, Terra Firma Farms, with a weekly delivery of locally grown organic fruits and vegies made even more convenient because we are the drop site.

• Curious about cohousing but don’t know where to start?
• Want to meet with cohousing newbies and experts alike?

This (free) monthly gathering, organized by the National Cohousing Association (Coho/US) will include a Cohousing 101 presentation and ample time to connect and ask questions.

We’ll share cohousing lingo, best practices and more information on how to continue your cohousing journey.

Can't make it this time? No worries. Join us once, or every time – we’ll be here every month on the 10th at 10am MT. (9 AM Pacific, 11 CST, 12 Eastern)

Want to learn more about what it's like to build, join, and participate in cohousing as you age? The Seniors in Cohousing Advocates Committee of the National Cohousing Association (Coho/US) will be facilitating an informal conversation for those interested in senior cohousing and/or senior living in intergenerational cohousing.

This (free) event will take place every month on the 20th at 10am Mountain Time.

• Curious about cohousing but don’t know where to start?
• Want to meet with cohousing newbies and experts alike?

This (free) monthly gathering, organized by the National Cohousing Association (Coho/US) will include a Cohousing 101 presentation and ample time to connect and ask questions.

We’ll share cohousing lingo, best practices and more information on how to continue your cohousing journey.

Can't make it this time? No worries. Join us once, or every time – we’ll be here every month on the 10th at 10am MT. (9 AM Pacific, 11 CST, 12 Eastern)

Want to learn more about what it's like to build, join, and participate in cohousing as you age? The Seniors in Cohousing Advocates Committee of the National Cohousing Association (Coho/US) will be facilitating an informal conversation for those interested in senior cohousing and/or senior living in intergenerational cohousing.

This (free) event will take place every month on the 20th at 10am Mountain Time.

• Curious about cohousing but don’t know where to start?
• Want to meet with cohousing newbies and experts alike?

This (free) monthly gathering, organized by the National Cohousing Association (Coho/US) will include a Cohousing 101 presentation and ample time to connect and ask questions.

We’ll share cohousing lingo, best practices and more information on how to continue your cohousing journey.

Can't make it this time? No worries. Join us once, or every time – we’ll be here every month on the 10th at 10am MT. (9 AM Pacific, 11 CST, 12 Eastern)