My Neighbor(s)

Haymarket House, where Heather and I live, sits at the nexus of a number of interesting communities. Firstly, it is one of three houses that comprise Qumbya [koom-bee-ah], a housing collective in Hyde Park. 

All three houses are within walking distance of each other, and members of all three interact regularly. We were with our co-op-mates for Fourth of July, and tonight our house is hosting the other two houses for a joint dinner, preceded by a meeting of the co-op's governing board (comprised of current house residents). Sitting on the governing board is rightly considered as one of the "big chores," as in "You can sign up to do the house laundry, clean out the fridge, buy the groceries, or sit on the board."

Qumbya is a part of NASCO, which provides financial and logistical services to co-ops across the country. NASCO, I was recently reassured, is not a governing body. Nonetheless, all of us who live in the three houses pay a one-time membership fee to join NASCO.

Finally, Haymarket sits at the nexus of an informal community of current and former house members and friends. Some former residents remain as "boarders;" paying a fee and showing up to eat community meals with us. Others, still living in the neighborhood, will drop by with homegrown vegetables or invite us over to enjoy their air-conditioning.

Last night, some of us from Haymarket went to visit with some former residents who now reside in a wood-floored, brick-walled third-story apartment spitting distance from Hyde Park's favorite family, the Obama's (when they aren't doing whatever they do in that big house in D.C., that is). We watched "My Neighbor Totoro" (more on that later) munched carrot cake and popcorn, and enjoyed 1) air conditioning, but more importantly 2) a social life beyond our housemates. Even if they are people who used to live in our house and still eat there on occasion, that counts for something.