East Lake Commons- Lauren W

For this assignment, I chose to participate in the field trip to East Lake Commons. I have never been in a co-housing community before, and I really did not know what to expect. The first thing I noticed about East Lake Commons was the control residents had over their space. The community was gated, and while it was off a main road, it was quiet and felt very secluded.

            One thing East Lake Commons prides itself on, is its accessibility. Most of the homes there are accessible to people with physical disabilities. Our tour guide took us around the community and showed us how many of the homes there were accessible to everyone.  When building the community, developers planned for accessible housing. Many of the homes did not have stairs leading up to the entrance, and the doorways and hallways were accessible to those in wheelchairs. Seeing how an entire community could be accessible because small changes were made the development stage, made me question why more homes are not accessible to everyone. I hope more developers follow East Lake Common’s lead and build more accessible housing.

            The houses in East Lake Commons are built very close together, which promotes a tight-knit community. At first, I thought the houses being so close together led to a crowding problem, but the more I was out in the community, the more I enjoyed it. However, this aspect does limit the privacy that the residents have. A person who likes their own space and a little isolation would not do well in a co-housing setting.

            While I was there, the activity level was very high. It was a nice day and many of the residents were out walking around. There were also a lot of children who were outside playing and enjoying the weather. While we were taking the tour, everyone in the community seemed to know each other very well. I think the sociality they have at East Lake Commons is very rare in the world we live in today. There is definitely a comfort level shared within their community that is really refreshing. The people living there work well together, and you can tell each one of them can depend and rely on their neighbors.

            One of my favorite things about East Lake Commons was the sensory stimulation. Many of the houses had different designs and were painted different colors. Each household gave a unique personality to the community. Some had gardens outside while others had sculptures and paintings. There were flags from different countries and different religions that were hung out on the porches. I was not there long, but I could tell that East Lake Commons is a community of open-minded and accepting people. Many of the decorations would probably be looked down on by the Homeowners Association or other neighbors in most of the neighborhoods we have in our area. I liked that the people living there had more creative freedom when it came to their houses. It really showed the uniqueness of the residents and how everyone could bring something different to the community. Even though there was a wide range of ages, beliefs, and views in East Lake Commons, everyone seemed to really value one another and it seemed like a great place to live.