Community Living

Ever since my husband died and I read all the books about grief that advised me not to do anything for a year, I have thought about community living. After reading the books I ignored them and bought an old house next door to my best friend in Christchurch  without having sold my house in Dunedin. It might seem crazy but luckily  I did sell my house and moved into the old house around 6 weeks after Brett died.

Yes it was stressful packing up, shifting, nerve wracking etc. but it was a great decision because I sold the back section of my house to my sister who had two little girls and had just separated, got her house built and then built mine. We ripped the planks off the fence to my best friend’s house next door and spent the next 11 years with a fantastic network of support.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m no hippy who like sharing a house. I love my own space but I did love shared meals, baby sitting, a glass of wine, the companionship and the fun for Sam growing up with cousins and friends. We had ballet shows, magic shows, concerts, endless dress ups and just lots of good times.

Ever since I have fantasised and tried to get my friends to buy into an eco village concept but there always seemed to be reasons why we couldn’t. Hence my decision to go to Hobsonville Point which is a ready-made village with a lot of eco principles.

All of the companies building out there have to adhere to the following:  position to optimise the sun, recycle water tanks, double glazing, out door washing lines, etc and the result is summarised in the chart below.

 

 

but for me it is the neighbourhood feeling, the idea that I can catch the ferry into town, ride my bike around the sculpture path, know my neighbours, grab a coffee at my local, visit the kebab shop across the road and use the doctor, pharmacy, deli, etc. within a five minute walk.

I sat with a friend and made a couple of poppies down at the market for this Anzac display at Hobsonville and chatted with people who either had already moved in or were about to. I’m really looking forward to seeing The Landing being developed.

 

 

I am delighted that a friend is moving in two doors down from me and the prospect that other friends will be following later on. Now that I am on my own at 59 I look forward to sharing meals, helping each other out,  and going to movies with those nearby.

I looked at a lot of areas before going to HP and I had been there before, a few years ago. I didn’t like it then; houses too close together, young family enclave etc. but now it has matured and has a really diversified community with a retirement village, child care centre, primary school, secondary school and even talk of Hobbywood  being built! This is a proposal that the film industry establish themselves in the light industrial area out there.

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11439356

Film studio option for ex-airbase

To me it is the best of both worlds, not a hippy commune but not living in isolation either. I am haunted right now by the murder trial of a poor woman who was raped and murdered just five minutes from her home in a local neighbourhood. I hope that Hobsonville Point will be a safe and friendly place to live but will still afford me my own space and privacy. Roll on next year!

I know I sound like I’m working for a real estate agent 🙂 But it is going to be fun I hope.

Speaking of films I thoroughly enjoyed Lucky Them. I have always loved Toni Collette (Muriel’s Wedding) and this film is a wee charmer.

Have a terrific weekend everyone, I feel like Lucky Me 🙂 FG