Why our cozy coliving community project is taking risk to expand

Seoul Nooks
3 min readAug 16, 2024

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Seoul Nooks is expanding, but not just because we want to make more money. We’re still working hard to make it financially sustainable. The reason for our growth is that it truly hurts us to turn away so many enthusiastic people who wish to join our community. We’ve become so full that we can’t even welcome back our cherished alumni, which is a tough spot to be in. 😔

We’ve signed a contract for a lovely house that is beyond our usual budget. At first, we didn’t have many options, but this house felt right for the vision we had in mind, despite the high rent. It’s tough to make ends meet with the current financial system, and it feels like we’re starting in the negatives.

However, we see this challenge as a fantastic opportunity to grow, innovate, and welcome even more people into our community. We know we can’t sustain this expansion through coliving alone, so we’re planning to host events that will allow us to share our community values with more amazing individuals. 🌟

In our new Chapter 3, we are diving deeper into exploring the concept of coliving as a ‘village’ life. Chapter 1 will no longer focus on coworking; instead, it will be a space for hangouts, chit-chats, and embracing our inner child. Chapter 3 will serve as the main venue for coworking and will have a massive kitchen for family dinners. We’re thrilled about all the meals we’ll share together! 🍽️

Chapter 3 also boasts a beautiful garden that connects seamlessly with the house. I love that we could do bird watching at home. It’s centrally located but you forget that you’re in Seoul. We believe this connection to nature will help us feel more in touch with ourselves and each other. 🌿

This decision is also part of our efforts to build a more resilient community. Seoul Nooks began with a founder, but we want to ensure it continues to thrive regardless of what happens to that founder. It’s a challenging question, but one that we are eager to explore. Each person brings unique strengths and experiences to the table — some are great initiators, some are wonderful listeners, others excel at planning, cooking, or offering deeper insights. By inviting a few more people into our fold, we hope to enhance our synergy in this urban environment.

Yet, with growth comes new risks and challenges. Will we be able to maintain genuine, authentic relationships? Can we ensure that everyone feels safe, seen, and heard? This will require creativity and effort, but we believe we can achieve it. We’ve become a bit less organized lately, and it’s becoming overwhelming to keep track of everything. We truly need everyone’s support now more than ever. 🙌

But we have faith in the universe’s plan and are committed to doing everything we can. We’re excited about our collective growth, the love and laughter we’ll share, and the diverse perspectives we’ll embrace.

Tonight marks our first night in Chapter 3! We made these decisions together, celebrated with an assembly party, worked side by side, and raised a toast to new beginnings. We can’t wait to write the next chapter of our story together. 📖

Would you like to join us on this exciting journey? 😉

https://seoulnookscoliving.oopy.io/

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Seoul Nooks

Seoul Nooks is a coliving space for global citizens in Korea.