May 24, 2004

Curious George: Ever lived on a commune? Communes or intentional communities have been around for a long time and have fascinated me from a distance. East Wind just celebrated thirty years (Via BoingBoing) and it's one of quite a few that I didn't know were thriving. Anybody had direct experience with something like this?

My basic curiosity goes to whether these things turn into feudal empires of more charismatic members or other sort of family affairs. Self-sufficiency or close to it is a dream of mine, and I've always wanted to live in an Earthship, so any experiences with those would be appreciated also.

posted by waraw 20 years ago
  • My mom's best friend has lived in one in Massachusetts since the late sixties. It has gotten increasingly less "communal" over the years, but still survives. On the other coast, I went to high school with a few kids who grew up on Mountain Drive, there was a book put out recently about it called Mountain Drive: Santa Barbara's Pioneer Bohemian Community. It has also become increasingly less communal, though still very neighborly and tolerant.
  • Had a number of friends who lived in communes, but never me. It seemed that, like any marriage or other close relationship, what they got out of it was proportional to what they put in. And you're right: one dominate personality can screw up the whole thing. I know a guy who builds Earthships, who lives off the grid in a house he largely built himself. Once you figure out the details of where your food, heat and electricity are coming from, and how you deal with waste, it's not hard to live with. You just have to rethink your relationship with the house a bit.
  • Here is a good article about one that just closed and may be moving to eastern Washington. I have been to this one many times and found it wonderful, warm and even considered moving there. BTW, your Earthship link is fantastic! I commented yesterday on another thread that I wanted to live in a strawbale home, but this looks even better to me.
  • Earthships have come a long way. In the late nineties I got the package of three books and a video hosted by Dennis Weaver, largely featuring the construction of (as Den often puts it) his nine thousand square foot luxury home. Overall the tone was a bit too preachy, and the bad graphic design didn't help, but the ideas are very sound. Now if only I had enough friends, spare tires and land to build one...
  • An interesting fusion of the intentional community and ustainable architecture is Paolo Soleri's Arcosanti. There was a huge post on metafilter about it a few months back, and since I'm not going to be able to be nearly as complete as that author was, I'll just direct you to the link here.
  • oops. That's "sustainable", obviously...
  • Despite the fact that I have never had any interest in living in an intential community, I've had brushes with several. I went to college in Middle TN and had friends who grew up on The Farm. I spent a couple of weekends and attended May Day festivals at the Radical Faerie commune, Short Mountain also in Middle TN. And I briefly dated a guy who lived in the Ganas Community on Staten Island. Of the three, Short Mountain was the place I liked best. It's off the grid, very isolated, and had the right balance of communal vs. private living. There is a common lodge, but the longer standing members of the community have the option of building their own dwelling on the land. But it's the peaceful, playful, spirit-infused energy of the place that was enrapturing. Of course, living there is only an option if you are a gay man.
  • Find I prefer introverted individuals to introverted groups.