Imagining the Neighbors, Not Just the Neighborhood: What Members Saw in Sunnyside's New 3-D Fly-Through
Many of us at Sunnyside have spent years looking at site plans, floor plans, and architectural drawings. While those tools tell us what Sunnyside Village will look like, our new 3-D fly-through video helps us imagine what it will feel like to live there.
To find out whether others had the same reaction, I asked two of our member households, Greg and Melanie and Skip and Pat, to share their thoughts.
Members Melanie and Greg
For Greg and Melanie, the moment Sunnyside became real was seeing the community from a resident's perspective. They especially enjoyed seeing the cottages at eye level. Pat also located her future home and proudly announced, "I found our house!"
They pictured themselves sharing simple, everyday moments. Greg and Melanie imagined sitting on the Common House porch watching the sunset and chatting with friends. Pat pictured tending her garden while visiting with neighbors passing by. Skip imagined strolling through the community, walking the dog, admiring gardens, enjoying shared meals, and occasionally finding a quiet moment of solitude.
Greg and Melanie also focused on a much more immediate milestone—move-in day. They can already picture "parking a moving truck right outside our back door to unload and being able to grab somebody if we need help."
It's a simple image, but it captures something important about cohousing: neighbors helping neighbors from day one.
That vision of everyday support and connection is one of the reasons so many people are drawn to community living in the first place.
The fly-through also revealed a few unexpected details. Greg and Melanie were surprised by how much they enjoyed the variety of cottage colors, observing that "they will be like a garden until landscaping matures."
Taken together, these reflections reveal a common theme. The fly-through is about more than cottages and pathways. It helps us imagine the friendships, conversations, gardens, sunsets, shared meals, and everyday interactions that will make Sunnyside Village a community.
If you haven't watched the new 3-D fly-through video yet, take a look. You may find yourself doing what Pat did—looking for your future home.
Welcoming New Members – Melanie and Greg, Lara and Eric
We're delighted to welcome Melanie and Greg to the Sunnyside community. Drawn by the values of connection, collaboration, and intentional living, they quickly recognized something special in what we're creating together.
Melanie shared her desire to live in a community more closely aligned with her values, while Greg reflected on how many of his most meaningful experiences came from living and working alongside others. Their warmth and thoughtfulness already feel like a wonderful fit for Sunnyside.
Members Eric & Lara
We're also excited to welcome Lara and Eric. Growing up in Iceland, Lara developed a deep appreciation for close family ties and strong social connections, and she has been seeking that sense of community ever since moving to the United States.
Together, Lara and Eric were drawn to the cottages, the connection between neighbors, and the opportunity to focus more on friendships, experiences, and community life. Eric adds, "because I follow this girl," before adding that Sunnyside feels like the right place for the years ahead.
Closing Thoughts
One of the things that makes Sunnyside special is that we're not simply building cottages—we're building relationships, traditions, and a community that will continue to grow for years to come.
As more members join and construction draws closer, the vision becomes a little clearer and a little more real. Whether you're already a member, an explorer, or just beginning to learn about cohousing, thank you for being part of the journey.
Warmly,
Norm & Jennie and all of us at Sunnyside Village Cohousing