A Visit to Another Cohousing Community

One of the fun things about being a member of a cohousing community is that you are welcome to visit the hundreds of other communities around the US and the rest of the world. Almost all cohousing communities have guest rooms. Prairie Hill member Nan Fawcett recently spent a week staying in one of these guest rooms at Westgate Cohousing in Asheville, North Carolina.

Here is a view from the spacious deck of the commonhouse 

It is informative and inspiring to visit other co-ho communities when you are in the process of planning and building your own, so Nan learned as much as she could about what has worked at Westgate, and what they would do differently. The buildings and layout there are beautiful, with multicolored units, lovely plantings along pathways, plenty of space for gardening (see below) and a large commonhouse for meals, meetings, hanging out, laundry, exercise, and guests.

Terraced garden and long bridge connecting homes

As in most cohousing developments, the parking at Westgate is totally on the perimeter, even fenced off from the housing area. This makes for a protected and safe space for the residents and their children.

Enter here to walk past the 25 residences

Nan's visit to North Carolina was actually focused on being with her daughter and family who live in Asheville. The availability of Westgate's guest room made it possible to escape to a quiet and comfortable space after busy days with the family.

Grandson Henry holds a salamander while Gus looks on