Construction Update: February 20, 2015

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At the Phoenix Commons construction site, wood framing of the upper levels continues according to schedule! With the entire second floor now framed, crews have started working on the third floor units (Pic. 1). For a better sense of the inner courtyard, which will provide plenty of opportunities for neighborly interaction, it helps to see the project from Glascock Avenue (Pic. 2). The work of the past few weeks has made it possible to catch some really great views! (Pic. 3)

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Phoenix Commons Supports Bay Area Culture

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With its location in Oakland’s Jingletown Art District, and right on Alameda’s doorstep, Phoenix Commons is a haven for lovers of art and culture. Even though the building is still months away from completion, the community is already making connections with local artists and institutions. One of these is Rhythmix Cultural Works, a nonprofit artist collective that hosts a wide variety of performances, classes and events, just a few hundred feet away from Phoenix Commons.

A few of our members recently attended a baroque flute concert at Rhythmix, with works by Boismortier and Haydn performed by five flutists of global fame. Not only were they able to listen to rare baroque flute pieces, they also spent some time with the musicians in a special meet-and-greet session before the concert  (see photos below). For the many art and music fans joining our community, it’s exciting to know that world-class cultural events will be available within a five minute walk from their new home!

Phoenix Commons is also supporting Alameda Theatre with a special marketing campaign featuring a 30-second video advertisement that will be shown in between all shows. If you’ve never been to the historic Alameda Theatre before, now’s a great time for a majestic cinema experience that will take you back to the 1930s!

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Construction Update: February 10, 2015

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Coming on or off the Park Street Bridge, it’s impossible to miss the rapid construction progress of Phoenix Commons (Pic. 1). Scaffolding helps crews construct the condo units along the outer edge of the building (Pic. 2). The large window frames will allow plenty of light to come in from both sides of each unit (Pic. 3).

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Feb. 18: Free Educational Seminar on Hearing

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Unlike many communities with a predominantly 55+ population, Phoenix Commons advocates a philosophy of conscious aging, in which community members openly acknowledge the issues associated with their aging and find ways to support one another as they grow into elderhood. Education is a crucial component of this approach to aging, as it raises awareness of the issues and allows us to prepare for various scenarios.

Phoenix Commons is pleased to announce a free educational seminar sponsored by its nonprofit partner, Elders Village. Dr. Garr Crookston, Au.D., will provide an overview of age-related hearing issues, diseases and conditions that result in hearing loss, why certain sounds are harder to hear, and how to best preserve your hearing. The seminar will be held at the Alameda Free Library (1550 Oak Street) on Wednesday, February 18, 1-2 pm. Please spread the word about this free educational seminar, attendees may RSVP by calling Samantha at 510-217-8527 or emailing [email protected]

Construction Update: February 5, 2015

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With the podium level concrete finished, crews are now putting up wood frames for the second floor’s private condos (Pic. 1). The building will now quickly grow vertically, eventually becoming the visual centerpiece of this gateway between Oakland and Alameda (Pic. 2). The wood frames are very helpful in providing a sense of how large the common spaces will be, including the inner courtyard on the second floor, seen here from the estuary side looking towards the Oakland hills (Pic. 3).

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Construction Update: January 27, 2015

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Another week, another big milestone in the construction progress of Phoenix Commons: cement has been poured over the second floor podium level (Pic. 1), providing a glossy white coating that almost looks like snow (Pic. 2)! The balmy weather and palm trees quickly remind us that we are in coastal California, allowing the construction workers testing the concrete strength to wear short sleeves in January (Pic. 3). With the podium level concrete completed, crews will soon start erecting walls for the upper floors.

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Construction Update: January 13, 2015

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It’s been another beautiful, sunny week in the Bay Area – a gorgeous 65 degrees here today! – providing our construction crews with a reprieve from last month’s damp conditions. With the pouring of the 2nd floor concrete slab only a week away, the grid of steel bars and cables is growing thicker by the day (Pic. 1). This podium level is so critical to the project, much of the work currently being done is focused on it (Pic. 2). The whole construction project is fascinating to watch unfold, especially with the many different professionals onsite working together in a highly coordinated fashion. We appreciate all those working hard to create our community’s new home, from the supervisors and engineers to the subcontractor specialists and traffic directors! (Pic. 3)

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“Hygge” and the Danish Roots of Cohousing

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If you browse around Denmark’s official tourism website, you may come across an article on the art of hygge. The word (pronounced ‘hooga’) may seem strange to American ears, but the concept of hygge is very familiar to anyone who has ever spent time in a cohousing community, and certainly to the members of Phoenix Commons. It is roughly translated as ‘coziness’, but as the website explains, it’s actually more than that:

In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family – that’s hygge too. There’s nothing more hygge than sitting round a table, discussing the big and small things in life. (VisitDenmark.com)

So hygge is basically the cozy feeling one gets from sharing good food and conversation with a supportive, trustworthy group of folks. This feeling can be found around the world, wherever lives are bonded tightly together through the habitual breaking of bread and meeting of minds. At our members’ gatherings, hygge frequently manifests itself as laughter, people doing nice things for each other, and time flying by much faster than usual. That’s a lot of meaning packed into a single 5-letter word!

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Construction Update: January 6, 2015

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After weeks of rainy weather and a typical holiday slowdown, it’s full speed ahead again at the Phoenix Commons construction site. The second floor is getting a coat of steel rebar (Pic. 1) in anticipation of the cement pour. This podium level will offer numerous gathering spaces for community members in an interior courtyard, while the private condos on the west side of the building (Pic. 2) will enjoy lovely views of the estuary and San Francisco Bay. There’s not as much heavy machinery on the site as there used to be, but you can still run into some pretty gnarly-looking equipment! (Pic. 3)

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Construction Update: December 22, 2014

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Things are moving along according to plan at the Phoenix Commons construction site, with the entire garage now covered (Pic. 1). The second floor, also called the podium level, is buzzing with activity as crews continue to prepare for the cement pour (Pic. 2). There will be plenty of common areas on this podium level, providing all members of the community with delightful views of the surrounding neighborhood, especially the Oakland/Alameda estuary (Pic. 3). On a final note, it’s worth remembering that these pictures were taken in the middle of December – it’s no wonder so many people from all over the country are flocking to the Bay Area for their retirement years! For more photos, you can follow us on Facebook or Google+

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