New View Cohousing Community in West Acton is one of many cohousing communities in the United States, and the first of 16 in Massachusetts. The allure of cohousing is to create the kind of neighborhood where kids hang out together and adults know and support each other. Cohousing, based on a model brought to this country from Denmark by two architects, Kathryn McCamant and Charles Durrett, is designed to promote community through intentionally designed neighborhoods that foster connection through shared features such as a common house, gardens, pathways, and gathering areas that naturally bring neighbors together (as described in the National Cohousing Alliance website). Parking is confined to one side of the neighborhood so residents pass each other between car and home.
At New View we share meals once a week, celebrate, collaborate, and support one another, while collective stewardship of the common property helps build a strong sense of connection and shared responsibility. Our shared commitment to connection and caring is at the heart of who we are while we maintain the privacy of each having our own home.
New View got its start in 1989, when original members of the community met at a party in Boston and began to discuss McCamant and Durrett’s book, “Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves”. They decided to explore the idea and invited interested people from the Boston area to join their discussions. The group ultimately chose Acton because it met the standard they were looking for: a town with a lot of green space, access to the train, good schools, and a cohousing-friendly zoning environment. Thirty-seven years later we are celebrating the success of that vision as we reflect on where we started and where we are now. The last unit was completed in November, 1996.
There were about 30 children of all ages at the outset. They played capture the flag together, bobbed for apples on Halloween, and made cookies for our annual back-to-school celebration. They cherished intergenerational relationships. Now they have all grown and moved on while their children have become a beloved part of the expanding New View family. There are presently only 5 kids living here as many of us have retired and moved into a different phase of life. We hope to welcome new families to the community as more houses turn over and the time for our next phase arrives.
An extraordinary feature about this neighborhood is that, after 30 years, 17 of the original 24 households are still here. This is a testament to the connections we have created. Many of the kids who grew up here stay in touch, attend each other’s weddings and life celebrations, and three of them are roommates in New York City. Many have stayed a part of the fabric of the New View family. Non-residents also participate, often joining meals, drama performances, meetings, and yoga classes. We make decisions using the “consensus” process and, not surprisingly, a good number of residents have become involved in Town committees and leadership.
We gathered recently to say goodbye to a long-time member of the community who was moving to a retirement community. Celebrants shared memories of dance parties, music extravaganzas, wedding celebrations, memorial services for members who had passed away, and so much more. One of the ever-amusing subjects that was featured involved our email list, the source of knowledge, important tips, appeals for assistance, and most importantly, requests for stuff. Who has an outfit I can wear to a formal dinner? Who has toothpaste for my cat? Can anyone provide camping equipment? Oatmilk? An extension ladder? Suspenders? Living at New View means you don’t have to have it all. Most things come to you for the asking. We love to help each other out and have asked for lots of things over these 30 years. Did any of us think we’d still be here after all this time? Maybe we were so busy planning the community that we couldn’t think that far into the future. But here we are and that is worth a big celebration.
Susan Jick is an epidemiologist who has lived in Acton and New View cohousing for almost 30 years.
