A Place for Community

Community is important. But it doesn't grow just anywhere. There are a lot factors that contribute to an environment where it can thrive. A major element is spaces to be together.

In the days before air conditioning and especially before TV most people went outside in the evenings. So the street became a common space for kids to play and adults to interact. Today with people mostly staying inside, and houses and lots being larger there isn't that natural neighborhood interaction anymore.

There are still places that help in providing a space for interaction though. Bars, coffee houses, community events, and of course people's houses, but they all have their strengths and weaknesses.

Bars offer a laid back environment and offer various levels of entertainment and beverages. They often aren't great for kids though, and some people like to understandably avoid environments with alcohol.

Coffee houses do a lot of the same thing bars do, but they still aren't great for kids and often aren't open very late. Also, coffee houses (and bars) aren't the cheapest places to go so if you want to socialize frequently it can really put a dent in your wallet.

Community events can be a lot of fun and a great place to interact with friends, neighbors and meet new people. They often have activities or at least space for kids to play which is a big plus. However, they are events that only happen at specific times. So you have to work with their timing. Also, there is usually a boring person who gets up and talks about something for a bit of it so it isn't a purely specialized time for community.

People's houses can be great. They can have toys and space for kids to play. They can have alcohol (or not). They can be open whenever the host wants it to be. They are super flexible. However, they are going to be personal space to some extent. Not everyone lives in a place that is good for hosting (or wants to host). You can't invite yourself over (usually). And probably the biggest challenge is space. Houses can only handle so many people. So houses too are a mixed bag.

I'm sure this idea exists somewhere (I haven't looked), but it would be cool if there were community centers for people to just go to to hang out. Parks can be used this way, but they are limited due to weather/season. Have toys and space for kids to run around. Tables and chairs for the adults to sit around and talk. Play games. Maybe even a kitchen for making food for the group. People can come and go without it being awkward being someone's house. People can spend as much or as little on whatever they want to bring to play or eat or drink.

I'm not sure how easy it would be to get a community to actually use a space like that, but if they adopted it it could really be a neat thing.