Raines says: This regular monthly 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.

Note that this is not an official MeetUp run by East Bay Cohousing, but we will pass along RSVPs that come in here.

Normally every first Sunday of the month. CURRENTLY VIRTUAL - DO NOT COME TO THE SITE WITHOUT PRE-ARRANGEMENT FOR PROPER PROTECTION.

Visit Pleasant Hill Cohousing's page on the EBCOHO MeetUp for more info, links, and current openings.

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 and JFK University are 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 farmers markets in Pleasant Hill (May-Nov) and Walnut Creek (year-round). 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 regular monthly 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.

Note that this is not an official MeetUp run by East Bay Cohousing, but we will pass along RSVPs that come in here.

Normally every first Sunday of the month. CURRENTLY VIRTUAL - DO NOT COME TO THE SITE WITHOUT PRE-ARRANGEMENT FOR PROPER PROTECTION.

Visit Pleasant Hill Cohousing's page on the EBCOHO MeetUp for more info, links, and current openings.

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 and JFK University are 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 farmers markets in Pleasant Hill (May-Nov) and Walnut Creek (year-round). 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. 

Welcome to National Cohousing Open House Weekend — in the East Bay, and Beyond!

Lots of area cohousing neighborhoods, established and forming, are doing events, both in person and virtual, this weekend (and in the week around it). You’ll find events in:

• Berkeley: Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Berkeley Cohousing, Sunday morning (Boichik Bagels and an hands-on Global EcoVillage Network card deck experience with Cohousing Coach Betsy Morris included in the last hour). Plus a virtual gathering Sunday morning for the nearly “shovel-ready” community nearby, Berkeley Moshav.
• Fremont: Mission Peak Cohousing will be hosting walks around its site on Sunday afternoon
• Oakland: Virtual tour Saturday afternoon for Phoenix Commons, the area's only Senior Cohousing neighborhood.
• Pleasant Hill: In-person tour and workday, Saturday morning.
• Beyond: Events in West Sacramento, Fair Oaks, and the Sierra foothills, as well as a talk in West Marin next Wednesday, will be listed on the Cohousing California website.
• Everywhere: There’s a virtual national gathering Sunday afternoon wrapping things up. And don't forget the monthly "Cohousing Commons" national virtual gathering on May 10.

Below you’ll find a listing of key events (including some national virtual ones) of interest, plus a map of the in-person gatherings.

Please click on each individual event to learn more about it and RSVP. Please note the date/time — these are communities of private homes (or a future community site), and they aren’t equipped for you to drop in unannounced.

Don't let the rain get you down. Come on in to a Cohousing Common House in Berkeley and enjoy a bagel brunch Sunday (9/18) with Cynthia Tina, Director of Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC), the international support group for all kinds of community.

Boichik Bagels at Berkeley coho with Trish Becker, CohoUS national director

Posted by East Bay Cohousing (EBCOHO) · June 28, 2023 7:08 AM

Berkeley Cohousing Bagel Kick-off for Open House Weekend

Posted by East Bay Cohousing (EBCOHO) · May 04, 2023 10:12 AM

Brunch with Cynthia

Posted by East Bay Cohousing (EBCOHO) · September 17, 2022 12:59 PM

Doyle Street Rentals

Posted by Doyle Street Cohousing · March 15, 2021 12:12 AM

Cohousing in Emeryville

Posted by East Bay Cohousing (EBCOHO) · March 15, 2021 12:04 AM

Where do you call home?

How can we build community together, wherever we live?

We will link from here to campaigns, openings, communities, challenges, opportunities, partners, and much more.

• Albany
• Alameda
• Antioch
• Berkeley Rare In-Person Tour Saturday: Kick off National Cohousing Open House Weekend Sat AM with Bagels!
• Concord
• Danville
• El Cerrito
• El Sobrante EcoVillage: Wild and Radish creating sustainable community
• Emeryville Home For Sale: Doyle Street Cohousing - open house Sunday PM
• Hayward
• Fremont Ready to Build: Mission Creek Cohousing - site visit Sunday PM
• Lafayette
• Kensington
• Martinez
• Moraga
• Oakland Workdays: Kingfisher Cohousing; EcoVillages/Permaculture:a PLACE for Sustainable Living
• Richmond
• Piedmont
• Pleasant Hill In-Person Tour/Workday: Saturday AM at most-suburban East Bay Cohousing neighborhood
• San Leandro
• Walnut Creek

Plus, we have forming groups that haven't identified a site in a particular city yet.

For beyond the East Bay, see Cohousing California.

Join us in co-creating cooperative community living opportunities in Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, and beyond.

We’re all about advocacy, organizing, education, and connection.

We’re going from the world’s largest intentional communities MeetUp Group to an inclusive, networked force for good.

We’re led by Cohousing Coaches (Betsy Morris & Raines Cohen, left) becoming EcoVillage Ambassadors, partnering with community organizers and advocates locally, regionally, and nationally to help people find and build shared homes and shared neighborhoods that help us all become more resilient.

We’re supported by your memberships and event fees.

We’re part of the Cohousing California network of regional groups.

Regular events:

• Monthly Zoom tours: Cohousing in Pleasant Hill (intergenerational) and Oakland (senior cohousing) welcome virtual visitors.
• Monthly workdays: Kingfisher Cohousing in Oakland welcomes potential members to come garden and dine together.