[dwg465]

I just graduated college and am having similar thoughts (but think Bay Area instead of LA). It seems like a great idea but I know of few examples besides full-on communes. Do you know of any examples of living communities or living styles that fall somewhere between living on your own and living on a commune?

[radcon]

Look up online communities dedicated to Homesteading. There also seems to be a movement around "backyard chickens" (i.e. raising small amounts of livestock at an average suburban house).

So far I haven't come across any information on physical communities of homesteaders, although a local community seems like a necessity if you ever want to take a vacation again. Can't really leave crops on their own for very long without them dying, let alone livestock...

[Dumblydorr]

Check out co-ops. There was one near Uchicago, my friend lived there with 20 others, mostly not students. They had group dinners every night, cooked by housemates, and always had someone around to chat with. We used to hang there playing games and partying. The vibe was pretty hippie but if you dont mind that, I'd recommend it. The rent was equivalent to sharing a 3 or 4 bedroom but you got a lot more shared amenities and dinners to boot.