How a Group of People Is Building New York’s First Co-Housing Community -- New York Magazine

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The Real Park Slope Co-op

As the resident thinker-about-community, as the group’s writer and reporter and sometime publicist and organizer, Alex has worked very hard on the co-housing project—all told, almost eight years. Now, he seems to believe in it more, not less. “There is a sense,” he says, “that if we do this, there will be a rash of co-housing developments in New York City.”

Granted, the Brooklyn Cohousing group now needs a certain financial faith to push it across the line, and Alex scrunches his face hard when he considers the situation. For the second time, it feels as if the group is at a major crossroads. Unfortunately, it is a New York real-estate crossroads, which means there are all kinds of people waiting for the group to move in, or move on, or move out of the way, quick. Which makes you wonder, is it all worth it?

“You know,” he says, after a while, “we were trying to start this for very personal reasons, but we have found at the same time that we are in the development game. It becomes about putting your money where your values are.”

Are you tired? It’s been a long time.

“Am I tired? Yes, I’m tired,” he says. “I’m tired, I’m tired, I’m tired, I’m tired.” A long pause, and then a question from him. “Is it going to happen? Yes, it’s going to happen.”