Community Beyond Coliving
Our Community
Our Unique Approach to Community Living
Every community has its own character, and ours is distinctly different from typical coliving or shared housing experiences. While many have found a home here and flourished, this isn't a space for everyone – it requires active participation and genuine commitment. Those who've lived in various coliving communities often tell us how unique our approach is.
Don't let our photos be your only guide. Instead, we encourage you to carefully consider our core values, as they truly reflect who we are and how we live together. This is a community that continues to evolve, always guided by these fundamental principles:
Co-Creation: Many Leaders, One Community
We believe in shared leadership and collective wisdom. Our monthly townhall meetings rotate leadership among members, and new member applications are reviewed collectively. Through these collaborative approaches, everyone contributes to shaping our community's growth, creating spaces where autonomous initiatives flourish and individual strengths combine.
Embrace the Local-Traveler Mindset
We deliberately cultivate a community where local wisdom meets global perspectives. With 30-50% local membership and at least one local member per house, we create an authentic environment where you can both root deeply and stay curious. Like locals, we understand our city's heartbeat; like travelers, we maintain our sense of wonder. This balance enriches our daily lives and creates genuine cultural exchange.
The Perfect Nook: Thoughtfully Open, Carefully Curated
Just as a cozy nook provides both shelter and connection, we maintain a thoughtful balance between intimacy and openness. Our carefully curated spaces welcome two-month minimum stays, allowing deep connections to form. While we maintain our close-knit community, we remain open to trusted friends and new perspectives, sharing our space and values beyond our immediate circle. Like a favorite neighborhood café, we're a space where friends of friends naturally become friends.
Building Lifelong Bonds
We're not just creating temporary connections – we're nurturing relationships that grow and evolve over time. Through our minimum two-month stays, progressive discounts for longer commitments, and thoughtfully curated houses, we create the conditions for lasting friendships to flourish. Our microcosms become fertile ground for relationships that withstand distance and time.
Celebrating Diversity with Purpose
We believe in making diversity accessible and meaningful. We intentionally balance nationalities within houses, prioritizing cross-cultural connections even when it isn't the easiest financial path. Our wide range of membership fees creates opportunities for people in different financial situations, while our Global Citizen Residency Program welcomes activists and artists during low seasons. We actively seek members who bring unique perspectives, recognizing that this richness of viewpoints strengthens our community.
Nurturing Holistic Growth & Transformation
We create space for transformation that goes beyond the conventional. While embracing everyone's authentic self, we encourage personal and spiritual growth toward more open-hearted ways of being. Through reflection and community support, we evolve both individually and collectively, restoring our sense of interconnection.
We don’t create community events as a service-
We don’t have
a community manager
We CURATE right people
We GATHER
We cultivate a CULTURE
The heart of our community? It's the people. Our members consistently say their favorite moments are the spontaneous ones – conversations over breakfast, late-night chats, daily encounters. That's because we bring together wonderful humans who resonate on the same frequency.
We create a culture where everyone can truly be themselves and shine their own light. Rather than manage, we gently nurture relationships and let connections unfold naturally. What we promise is warmth, safety, and continuous learning.
Our gatherings simply support these natural connections and our four pillar gatherings provide a framework for these connections to deepen:
Our Pillar Gatherings
Family Dinner
We gather monthly for an all-hands family dinner before townhall. Our signature dish is a vegan-friendly bibimbap that accommodates diverse tastes, though sometimes members volunteer to cook something special. While this monthly dinner is our anchor, organic food sharing happens frequently in smaller groups - whether cooking together, ordering in, or exploring local restaurants.
Our monthly one-hour workshop where we practice understanding different perspectives through non-violent communication (NVC) and other methods. Using real experiences from our shared living, we explore various approaches that enhance our capacity for empathy. This practice is central to our community, helping us connect more deeply and navigate differences with understanding.
Empathy Dojo
Microcosmos
Every third Sunday, we host "Hitchhiking to Microcosmos," our special welcome session where members share their life journey, aspirations, and play "Two Truths and a Lie." Through photos and stories, this 15-minute sharing creates space for meaningful connection and mutual understanding, celebrating each person's unique universe within our community.
Townhall
A monthly gathering where we rotate leadership to share updates, express gratitude, and address concerns. We use NVC principles to discuss needs and feelings, turning activity proposals into invitations for connection: "I have this need, I'd like to feel this way - would you join me?" We plan together, support each other's initiatives, and end by capturing the moment with a family photo.
Community Life & Events
We believe in creating space, not filling calendars. When everyone is both host and creator, a deep sense of belonging and connection emerges. While we celebrate annual traditions like our anniversary and Christmas party, most gatherings spring organically from our members' passions. Past initiatives have ranged from tea club explorations and movie nights to hiking Namsan, international trips, meditation sessions, philosophy salons, and cocktail nights.
Community life flows with the unique dynamics and interests of current members. The real question is: what would you like to share with our community?
For more real-time glimpses into our community life, visit our Instagram where we share our journey through stories and captions.
Hear the real voices
We try our best to describe our community, but as it's organic, alive, and uniquely sophisticated, words can only capture so much. Perhaps it's best to hear directly from our members - check out these videos to get a real feel for our community life:
“I found my family I didn’t know I needed”
- Ani
“The best part is people”
- Lynn & Yeseul
“Without Seoul Nooks, my life would have been completely different”
- Simine
“Being affirmed for who I am”
Yeaji’s interview summarized by Lynn
FAQs on Community
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Like any family, we have our moments of disagreement – and we see them as opportunities for deeper understanding and growth. Our approach to conflict is both gentle and proactive:
We host regular town halls where members can share their feelings and needs in a safe, structured space
We practice the art of listening through community workshops, learning to truly hear each other beyond words
When tensions arise, we address them with care and compassion, focusing on understanding rather than blame
Our community coordinators are trained to facilitate conversations and help members navigate differences with grace
Some of our strongest bonds have actually formed through working through challenges together. After all, it's not about avoiding all conflicts – it's about growing through them with kindness and wisdom. We believe that every misunderstanding can be a doorway to deeper connection when approached with an open heart and genuine curiosity about each other's perspectives. ✨
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Our community typically ranges from late 20s to late 40s, though we focus more on life stage and mindset than specific age. We're home to people who are established enough to value stability yet curious enough to embrace growth and new connections. What matters most is your openness to genuine community living and your desire to grow alongside others.
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We're a delightful mix! Our community includes remote workers, entrepreneurs, researchers, artists, corporate professionals, and more. This diversity creates a rich environment for cross-pollination of ideas and mutual inspiration. We've seen beautiful collaborations bloom between members from different fields!
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Every day writes its own story! You might wake up to the gentle aroma of someone's morning coffee, exchange sleepy smiles in the kitchen, or join an impromptu breakfast chat. Throughout the day, you'll find people working quietly in common spaces, sharing quick laughs during lunch breaks, or heading out together to explore local cafes. Evenings might bring spontaneous cooking sessions, cozy movie nights, or simple moments of sharing about our days. Like any home, some days are quietly peaceful, others vibrantly social – but each one carries the warm undercurrent of belonging.
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Not at all! We value authentic personalities of all kinds. Whether you're an introvert who recharges in quiet moments or an extrovert who energizes the room, there's space for you here. Our community respects different social styles and energy levels. What matters is your genuine interest in being part of a community, whatever that looks like for you.
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While our community thrives on organic connections, we do have a few heart-centered gatherings that we consider essential pieces of our shared journey:
Our monthly town halls are magical moments where we come together to listen, share, and weave the fabric of our community. These are must-attend events (though long-term members can join online or catch up meaningfully afterward if absolutely needed).
Each member gifts the community with one "Microcosmos" presentation during their stay – a beautiful tradition where you share a slice of your world with us. Think of it as adding your unique thread to our community tapestry!
Beyond these cornerstone moments, everything else is optional but enriching. We totally understand that life has its rhythms – sometimes you'll be diving into every activity, other times you might need more quiet time. What matters most is staying connected to the community's heartbeat, even if that connection looks different from week to week.
Remember, it's not about perfect attendance – it's about being present when you're there. Whether you're sharing a profound insight during town hall or simply leaving a thoughtful note in our Discord, each genuine interaction adds to our collective story. We've found that these consistent touchpoints, especially our town halls, create a beautiful foundation for deeper connections to flourish naturally. ✨
Some members join our movie nights in person, while others pop into our Discord chat to share their thoughts. Sometimes, the most meaningful connections happen during quiet moments – helping someone carry their groceries or sharing a quick smile across the kitchen.
We're also mindfully creative about our activities. While yes, we occasionally go out for meals or events, many of our most cherished moments are completely free – from cozy living room conversations to impromptu dance parties in the kitchen. If budget is a concern, please know that our community is wonderfully understanding and adaptable. We can always find or create activities that everyone can join comfortably.
What makes our community special isn't the number of activities you attend, but the warmth you bring when you do participate, and your genuine interest in being part of our collective story. After all, community is about the heart connections we build, not checking boxes on an attendance sheet. ✨