Newberry Place | A Grand Rapids Cohousing Community

ABOUT US

MEET OUR MEMBERS

What is Newberry Place?

Newberry Place is an urban cohousing community under development in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We're a group of people building an intentional neighborhood, or "urban village" in the city consisting of 20 homes, and a group-owned and managed common house, grounds, and play area. We broke ground in November 2006, and move-in is scheduled for the summer and fall of 2007.

We have no religious, political, or other type of affiliations as a community. We simply share a common belief that people who have connections to others within a community live richer and more fulfilling lives, and we decided to build a community based on that ideal.

• Build enriching relationships with your neighbors

• Share resources, meals, and activities

• Enjoy common and private green spaces

• Spend less time cooking and eat healthier meals

• Raise your children in a safe environment

• Experience a pedestrian-friendly community

• Shrink your “footprint” on the planet

• Save 50% on property taxes

• Live in a highly energy-efficient home

Intentional Design

Newberry Place has a clustered design to foster strong relationships among neighbors and create shared and private green spaces. Residents own their own homes in a pedestrian-friendly community, with parking on the perimeter. Neighbors share ownership of a common house where they can enjoy group meals several times a week and participate in social events, and a community playground for the children.

The Surrounding Neighborhood

Our site is located at the corner of Livingston Avenue and Newberry Street, across from Coit Park in the Belknap Lookout neighborhood (click here to see a map). We chose this area because of the support from surrounding neighbors and its proximity to things like public transportation, parks, schools, health services and, of course, the incredible view!

Convenience and Safety

Downtown Grand Rapids is just a 10-minute walk from Newberry Place, and public transportation is widely available. Children can safely walk to Coit Creative Arts Academy, a public elementary school only a block from Newberry Place. Coit Park, with its playground, basketball courts and open grassy field is directly across the street from Newberry Place. The common house and many of our private homes have a clear view of the vast park - perfect for keeping an eye on the younger ones.

A Welcoming Community

We have been in contact with Neighbors of Belknap Lookout (NOBL), the area's neighborhood association, throughout our development process and would like to thank the community for their continuous support of our project.

Current Members:

Our community includes families with children, married couples and single folks of all ages. We currently have 19 member households, comprised of 32 adults and 16 children. Click on any of the names below to read about some of our member families.

• Tom & Lisa Bulten

• Lou Canfield

• Chris DeGroot

• Daniel & Lara Dengerink-Van Til

• Jon & Lisa Faber

• Steve & Nora Faber

• Brian & Karen Hoekstra

• Scott Huebl & Linda

Naranjo-Huebl

• Jotham & Marie Ipple

• Barbara LaBeau

• Jim Lucas