What is Co-living and Why is it the Future of Home/Work Life?

By the common presumptions of what co-living apartments and co-living spaces are:

• It’s a hippie commune, right? 
• Some kind of student housing?
• I’m not sure, but I don’t think people are allowed to shower, or something...

Co-living Attracts Young Professionals who are new to Urban Centers

Budget-conscious young professionals relocating to a new city for work are some of the most frequent adopters of co-living, however, the trend is broadening to include families and seniors. Through co-living, residents new to a city can enjoy networking opportunities, the common share apartment amenities which may include, a gym, shared kitchen, free onsite laundry, and Sunday dinners. These in-house amenities, combined with the neighborhood amenities such as public parks and transportation make this living arrangement a win-win for young professionals eager to focus more on their career than logistics of doing laundry or commuting to work at a price point less than they would find if renting a studio or one-bedroom in that same city on their own. 

Of late, companies have seized on the advantages of co-living for their employees. Not only can they more fluidly accommodate and attract top talent, but they can also encourage greater camaraderie among their employees around the clock, as co-living encourages residents to interact and collaborate together.

Not Just for Youngsters - Co-living Suits all Adult Demographics and Family Units

Investors are seizing on this real estate opportunity, with many developers correctly perceiving this new lifestyle will be attractive not just to young professionals but to married couples, families with children, divorcees, baby boomers on the cusp of retirement, as well as seniors living out their golden years in style. 

In fact, several years ago my husband Henry had a two-year contract in San Francisco. Rather than finding a sublet to furnish, he chose a co-living space. In this way, he was able to focus on his fulfilling his contract in the Bay area and return home to enjoy his family back in Chicago on long weekends and when the contract term was over.