A directory of belonging
Places where community is built into where you live — not another club to visit, but somewhere the people around you are part of daily life. Monasteries that welcome guests, cohousing, co-ops, ecovillages, seniors villages, and neighbourhoods that actually function. Start where you are.
Compiled with AI, checked by nobody yet. These are starting points, gathered for Massachusetts — real places as far as we know, but details change. Verify with a phone call before you set your heart or drive across the state.
Andover Community Residences provides supportive housing and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The focus is on fostering independence and community integration within a caring environment.
Visit website →The oldest residential therapeutic community in the United States, founded in 1913, where adults with mental health challenges live and work alongside staff families on a Berkshires farm. Shared work in the dairy, bakery, and gardens is at the heart of recovery.
Visit website →The Farm at New England Village offers a unique residential program for adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. It provides a supportive, farm-based environment focused on skill-building and community engagement.
Visit website →A 41-home cohousing community near Porter Square, one of the larger urban cohousing developments in New England. Residents share meals, courtyards, and committees that keep community life humming.
An urban cohousing community in North Cambridge with private condos and generous shared spaces including a common kitchen and gardens. It welcomes a multigenerational mix of households seeking city living with real neighbors.
Visit website →Great Barrington Cohousing is an established community in the Berkshires, offering a balance of private homes and shared spaces. Residents actively participate in the community's governance and social life.
Visit website →An urban cohousing condominium community in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, completed in 2005. Its thirty households share meals, a common house, and a walkable city life.
A cohousing community in central Massachusetts built with a strong commitment to accessibility and inclusion. Neighbors share a common house, meals, and land with the adjacent Camelot Cohousing community.
New View Cohousing is a well-established community designed with shared spaces and resident participation in mind. It offers a balance of private homes and vibrant common life, fostering strong neighborly bonds.
Visit website →One of the first cohousing communities built in the eastern United States, completed in 1994 in Amherst. Residents of all ages share a large common house, meals, and decades of neighborly tradition.
A cohousing neighborhood of clustered, energy-conscious homes on the edge of Northampton. Families, singles, and elders share common space, gardens, and an active community life.
Genesis House provides affordable, supportive housing for men in recovery from addiction. It offers a structured, community-based living environment that fosters personal growth and lasting sobriety.
Visit website →Haley House operates a live-in community dedicated to social justice and service, running a soup kitchen, food pantry, and other programs. Residents commit to a year of service and communal living, sharing meals and responsibilities.
Visit website →Monson Arts offers residencies for artists and writers, providing private studios, living quarters, and a supportive community environment. Residents share meals and engage in creative pursuits, fostering a vibrant artistic exchange.
Visit website →The Common Place is a coliving house in Worcester fostering community among its residents through shared living and intentional interaction. It aims to create an affordable and supportive urban living experience.
An ecovillage and spiritual community founded in 1978 by former members of Scotland's Findhorn community. Residents and guests practice organic gardening, natural building, and meditation, and visitors are welcomed for tours and workshops.
Visit website →This community focuses on sustainable living and shared responsibilities, fostering a close-knit environment among its residents. They engage in various projects together, from gardening to community maintenance.
The Center for Mindful Learning offers a residential program focused on mindfulness, meditation, and personal development. Participants live together in a supportive environment, engaging in daily practices and shared learning experiences.
Visit website →This community is centered around sustainable agriculture and simple living, offering a space for individuals to connect with the land and each other. Residents participate in farm work, shared meals, and community activities.
While primarily an educational institution, The Farm School includes a residential community for staff and participants dedicated to sustainable agriculture. Life revolves around farming, education, and shared meals.
Visit website →The Grail is an international women's movement with a presence in Worcester, fostering spiritual growth, social justice, and community living. Members engage in shared prayer, reflection, and action to create a more just and sustainable world.
Visit website →Woolman Hill is a Quaker-affiliated retreat and conference center that also hosts a small residential community. Residents contribute to the upkeep and mission of the center, living simply and communally.
Visit website →This Benedictine monastery for women offers a contemplative life and is known for its agricultural work and arts. While technically in Connecticut, it serves a regional community including Massachusetts.
Visit website →A Benedictine monastery on Boston's South Shore whose monks offer hospitality, retreats, and an interfaith lecture series. Guests are welcome for quiet days, spiritual direction, and daily prayer.
Visit website →A Trappist monastery famous for Trappist Preserves and Spencer ales, home to a community of Cistercian monks. Men seeking silence and prayer are welcomed for retreats in the abbey guesthouse.
Visit website →The Abbey of St. Hyacinth is a contemplative community of Benedictine nuns dedicated to prayer and monastic life. Guests are welcome for retreats and to share in the spiritual rhythm of the abbey.
A nationally celebrated resident-led organization in Roxbury and North Dorchester that used a community land trust to rebuild its neighborhood without displacement. It welcomes residents into planning, youth programs, and shared stewardship of land.
Visit website →The original member-driven 'village' for aging in community, founded in 2002 and the model for hundreds of villages nationwide. Members share programs, volunteer support, and services that make staying in their own homes joyful and practical.
Visit website →The Village at Duxbury is a vibrant senior living community offering independent living, assisted living, and memory care options. Residents enjoy a wide array of amenities and social activities designed to foster connection.
Visit website →The other path
If your state's list is thin, that's not a dead end; it's the reason this project exists. Three friends on one street is already a community. The guide walks you through the whole path.
Start a community — the guide Create or join a group Register your interestBrowse by state