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Muir Commons celebrates two decades of co-housing
As Davis neighborhoods go, Muir Commons is still relatively young — it’s been just 20 years since the 2 1/2-acre city block in West Davis became the first co-housing community in the United States.
But there’s still something decidedly old-school about this place: a place where when a moving van pulls up, neighbors come running to help the new family move in; where when a new baby is born, parents can expect weeks of dinners delivered to their home, not to mention multiple offers of child care; and where parents can send children as young as 5 years old out the front door to play, and know they’ll be just fine.
“It reminds me a lot of the freedom I felt when I was a kid,” says Holly Istas, a resident for 12 years, who along with her husband, Charlie Thomsen, is now raising her own two children here.
In many ways, Istas says, it’s not unlike the many cul-de-sacs throughout Davis, where families are more than just neighbors, sharing celebrations and child care and lifelong friendships as well.
“But it’s kind of a level up from that,” she explained, “because you move in with the understanding that you’re going to be sharing meals and sharing work.”
And that in a nutshell is what makes Muir Commons different: The 26 houses on property are individually owned, but all 26 families share ownership of — and responsibility for — common grounds that include everything from an orchard to a large vegetable garden to play structures and a hot tub. Each homeowner also owns 1/26 of the Common House, the central hub of Muir Commons where community members frequently share meals.
Things here are run much like any homeowners association, with residents paying dues and collectively making decisions at board meetings. But rather than hiring out jobs like gardening and lawn-mowing, they do it all themselves, with all residents expected to pitch in, in one capacity or another.
Residents also are expected to cook a community meal about once a month or so — partnering up if they choose — and it was Istas’ turn on Sunday. She and neighbor Virginie Bock, along with both of their daughters, prepared a meal in the restaurant-style kitchen that opens onto a large dining room in the Common House.
“I enjoy it,” Istas said of preparing the meal. “I like cooking for people.”
When Muir Commons first opened 20 years ago, community meals were more common than they’ve been over the past decade or so, says Kate Markey, whose family is one of five original families still here.
“Meals were originally intended to take place several times a week,” Markey said, “but it never has been like that. We’re all just so busy. A lot of the newer families are trying to bring it back though.”
Attendance at meals is optional as well — some 60 people attended the meal Markey and her husband prepared a couple of weeks ago, and 45 people had signed up to attend the meal Istas prepared last Sunday.
“It’s very informal,” Markey said. “Not everyone chooses to participate — some people have dietary issues, or just don’t like the commotion and want to eat at home. But it’s an important part of the community.”
Similarly, the amount of socializing within the community varies, both among families and over time. While all of the houses in Muir Commons face a common walkway, each has a back door, and a small back yard as well, allowing for privacy.
“And you can always just close your door,” noted Istas.
Over the years, said Markey, the community has seen some changes, including many residents who have come and gone. All but a few of the houses have seen two or three different owners, as families outgrow the place, or move for jobs or other reasons.
The turnover has always been positive, she said, with most families moving in because they really want to be a part of the community.
Residents can sell their homes just like any other homeowner, “but it’s to everyone’s benefit to do it right,” said Markey, “to bring a (prospective buyer) to a meal or a meeting or something.”
There never seems to be a shortage of prospective buyers either — many, like Istas, spent time on a waiting list before a home became available, either to rent or to buy.
There also seems to be more children than ever, Markey said, and for good reason.
“This is a wonderful place to raise children,” she said.
Her own two children are grown now, but both made lasting friendships at Muir Commons. Her youngest, Adele, now a sophomore in college, was actually the first baby born to a Muir Commons resident.
More soon followed, and she became one of a gang of girls known as the “Fabulous Four,” who had the run of Muir Commons for many years.
Bounded on one side by a greenbelt and fenced in on the other three by Denali and Shasta drives and Muir Woods Place, Muir Commons is laced with shady pathways and plenty of room for kids to roam.
“They have free rein here,” Istas said. “They can go anywhere, and even at 4 or 5 years old, they can go out and play and not get hit by a car.”
There’s also a sense of a village raising each child, with everybody looking out for everyone else’s kids, in a community where there’s nearly one child for every adult — 45 kids to 49 adults, according to Istas.
Even the kids watch out for each other. On Sunday afternoon, 16-year-old Lea Snow was toting a neighbor’s toddler around on her hip, while a group of younger children trailed behind. Kids here go from being baby-sat, to being the baby-sitters.
That same day the lawn in front of the Common House was filled with boys playing with toy swords, while a couple of parents looked on.
Compared to other neighborhoods, said 12-year-old Emma Thomsen, “you just know everyone more here. And they’re not just neighbors, they’re more like cousins. We’re always in each other’s houses.”
“It’s an incredible place for families,” agrees Markey.
— Reach Anne Ternus-Bellamy at [email protected] or (530) 747-8051.
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