When we typically think of communes, images of the counterculture-loving, hippie-dippie set flutter the brain. Home-brewed, small-batch kombucha, anyone? And, while that notion isn’t too far off the needle, current-day San Franciscans are approaching the concept with an updated, techie twist.
According to SF Gate, gadget-driven living quarters are popping up all over the city, offering programmers, engineers, and tech entrepreneurs the chance to geek out under one roof. People like Facebook engineer Justin Rosenstein and former NASA employee Jessy Kate Schingler are making over huge, luxe homes in the city and turning them into co-living spaces. With names like The Loft, The Factory, and The Convent, these digs offer as many perks as Silicon Valley’s tech giants (you know, to minimize those away-from-Shangri-la withdrawals). Yoga rooms, bowling alleys, 3-D printers — you name it, these homes have got it. (Is it just us, or do they sound a bit like elevated frat houses?)
But, we do have to note that there's an echo here of Facebook’s Palo Alto origins, so you never know what is brewin' between those walls. Plus, it seems like some are embracing the commune’s roots: Inhabitants at the Agape house think that living harmoniously is one of the hallmarks of social media. Namaste! (SF Gate)
Photographed by Molly DeCoudreaux.