In college towns back in the day big houses were shared by multiple couples or individuals trying to get through school or just eek out a living. These houses dubbed “Hippie Houses” existed all over town. “Room for Rent” was a common hand made poster you’d find on a telephone pole or a bulletin board in the local health food store.
These places were shared student housing or co-ops. Kristie lived in several of these “Hippie Houses” renting rooms by the month. The houses were inhabited by a mix of students at the college or university, couples, surfers, artists, writers, mothers with infants, and URAMS (unrelated adult males).
First there was the interview process by which it was determined if the renter would fit in to the existing mix. If you were approved there would be lists of rules regarding noise, visitors, drug use, and clean up duties. You would be assigned a shelf in the refrigerator and the kitchen cupboards for storage of foodstuffs. Sometimes there would be communal cooking or house meetings presided over by the natural leaders who emerged from the arrangement.
Housing was at a premium in popular college towns, so landlords would sometimes rent out the rooms themselves getting larger sums by dividing the houses. A shared bath was a given, as well as kitchen access with multiple refrigerators to accommodate larger numbers of residents.
Branciforte House was occupied by students from both the university and the junior college. Here there were two couples and two singles sharing a four bedroom one bath house. No problems here. Nice cooperative setting.
California Street was for serious university students. Here there were four men and two women all single and focused on the prize. Some were working jobs to sustain them and some were supported by family. This was by far the most organized and clean communal house she experienced.
The Haight was a completely different story. Maybe the residents would be students, maybe not, maybe they’d have a job, maybe not. There were three couples and a nurse with three kids living in a big Victorian that had been divided up into bed-sitters.
The problem here was dealing and using. The popo didn’t take kindly to the selling of drugs and a second story capping acid assembly line where the workers would have to quit because they were so fucking loaded they couldn’t even see!
The residents were arrested and banned from the town with the threat of incarceration if they returned. They all picked up digs and moved en masse further south where they lived a part, but remained friends for life.
The Mansion was run by a landlord who didn’t give a fuck. Although the house was really nice and beautiful, it just didn’t work. Too many people living with different goals and expectations under one roof with no leader.
Eleven rooms occupied by extremely different types:
- a wild girl with no focus
- a straight man with a penchant for the ladies
- an older woman with a dog
- the beautiful young daughter of the dog owner
- two Asian exchange students
- a lesbian couple
- Holmes, an East Coast scam artist who raided food stores, stole drugs, and money from all the residents
- a true nerd with glasses and a pocket protector
- one gay guy who had just come out
- a surfer who was fond of surfing at night high on acid
- Cindy, Kristie’s friend, who was raped, tortured, and finally murdered in the notorious murder spree of the early seventies….
This house was the champion of disorganization. No one felt safe there getting ripped off all the time, so people didn’t stay long.
The Scoulton Farmhouse was an interesting mix of international students and the artist/writer owners who loved the chaos of communal living. Cressida
Everyone paid different rents depending on the size and location of their rooms. The smaller rooms paid less. The larger, more advantageous rooms paid more. Rooms with a private entrance or bath paid the most. They lived in this fashion until they either finished school or paired off into serious romantic relationships that turned into marriage and children and moved on.
(First published 3/16/12)
