San Pablo Avenue

Are you creative, love living with community, maybe have a side hustle or have always wanted to get one off the ground, are or love being around queer kinky radical spaces? We have a place for you in our live/work converted industrial warehouse!

The space is a 4,500 sq ft multi-level section of a historic ice creamery building just outside of downtown Oakland. It features high ceilings, a large central living space, a spacious kitchen with new appliances, a garage with space for two cars, six bedrooms, two full bathrooms, in-unit laundry (Free! No quarters necessary!), a workshop space, a communal storage closet, two fridges, extra freezer storage, a spare room we are contemplating on turning into a studio and a shared roof deck area. We have cement floors that keep us cool in the summer. The large red brick building we live in also holds another queer/creative live/work collective called The Creamery. The have a monthly event called Queer Bedtime Hour which is a spoken word open mic. We are welcome to join their events and we are in great communication with them about noise levels. Sometime we even share meals with each other.

The room is the largest in the collective at 180 sq ft. Outside of the upstairs bedroom is a large shared balcony area with one other upstairs tenant which can be used creatively. It could fit chairs, a table or plants as some ideas. If you need a room that is on the first floor we have one opening up in June and might be able to accommodate sooner.

The neighborhood is relatively quiet and we seek to maintain good communication and relationships with our neighbors. The building owner is fairly reasonable, approachable, responsive, and has given us permission for a lot of creative leeway with the space. There’s a small produce market within walking distance, a great corner store down the block, as well as a few local restaurants and a taco stand across the street. Sprout’s and grocery outlet are a 20 min walk away, and we are a short bus ride to the Emeryville shopping center which has Trader Joe’s and Target. There’s also a convenient laundry mat across the street should our machines ever need repair. You can also easily walk or bike to downtown, Telegraph Ave, or up towards Temescal if you want more options. There are multiple public transit options in the vicinity, including multiple bus stops for the 72, 18, 800, NL and others, as well as a 15-minute walk to 19th St BART.

The monthly rent includes all bills and utilities, as well as a monthly contribution to a shared fund that we use to purchase basic household goods for all to use. Incoming housemates sign a three month “trial” lease to make sure it’s a good fit for everyone, with the option for long-term tenancy afterwards. Move-in requires first month’s rent as well as a deposit.

The space is funky and unique, and lends itself to creative, crafty people. The unit is zoned for live/work, so you could run your small business out of it! Present occupants are kinky queer lefty artists, makers, and fabricators, seeking more like-minded folx. We’re driven, creative weirdos who like each other, get along well and enjoy the sense of community we’ve been able to cultivate. Our current residents are:

Nathan (me) he/they: I’m an easy bay native, trans, queer, kink positive guy in their 40’s. I work in fashion, currently at a jewelry store. I worked in food service before and have a working class background. I take care of the fish and the plants around the house. And I love thrifting.

Will (leaseholder) they/them: Works for an amazing small company that builds cutting edge green energy designs for large events. Is the longest standing member of the current collective. Often travels for work. Works as an organizer for various kinky events in the East Bay. Magic the Gathering master.

Sam (leaseholder 2) he/him: Will be moving to the Midwest in June to be with his girlfriend. We will all miss him, boo.

JT he/him: Fun loving guy who works in environmental science. He is also out of town sometimes. Loves rock climbing, hanging out with his partner and working on various mechanical projects in the garage.

Liam he/him: Plant lover #2 of the house, who also has a knack for doing handy work projects in the collective. He works in IT tech support. Has a background in running workshops on consent.

Our approach to communal living is fairly hands-off, as long as you abide by some basic guidelines: respect people, respect spaces. While we have a shared fund for basic household supplies (toilet paper, laundry supplies, dish soap, kitchen basics, etc), we don’t require that you contribute to a shared food budget or participate in/cook communal meals (although we’re into cooking together and sharing food when we have the time). We also have a written chore rotation with clearly assigned tasks and timelines for keeping the space clean and organized. We recognize that with this many people things can get hectic, and we strive to adopt clear communication strategies, prioritizing proactive, open, honest and empathetic communication. Be prepared to attend monthly house meetings to help tackle maintenance and projects to better the space, and to share in the responsibilities that go along with occupying a large communal house. We are an intentionally BIPOC, queer, and trans inclusive space. Bigots and fascists need not apply.