Co-living, an emerging trend in housing, is becoming increasingly popular in urban cities worldwide. Combining the convenience of shared facilities with the independence of private rooms, this novel concept caters to millennials and digital nomads craving for flexibility, affordability, and community. Let’s delve into the idea of co-living, its benefits, and some prime examples of thriving co-living communities.
Co-living: A New Wave in Housing
In its simplest form, co-living is a modern take on shared living spaces, offering a mix of private and shared amenities to its residents. Unlike traditional roommate situations, co-living spaces are often managed by a company, providing fully furnished rooms, common spaces, and even additional perks like cleaning services, utilities, high-speed Wi-Fi, and social events.
This communal lifestyle is fueled by the millennial generation’s shift towards experiences over possessions, the rise of remote work, and the desire for a sense of community within the urban landscape.
Benefits of Co-Living
Affordability: In cities with skyrocketing rent prices, co-living offers a cost-effective solution. It combines housing with utilities and other services in a single, all-inclusive rent, making budgeting easier and living more affordable.
Flexibility: Co-living offers flexible lease terms, often allowing residents to stay for a few days, weeks, or months. This is particularly appealing to digital nomads, remote workers, and students who may have uncertain or changing schedules.
Community: Living with others fosters a sense of belonging, combats loneliness, and creates opportunities for networking. Many co-living spaces host social events and activities to encourage community building among residents.
Convenience: With fully furnished rooms, high-speed internet, cleaning services, and often other amenities like laundry facilities, gyms, or co-working spaces, co-living offers a move-in ready, hassle-free living experience.
Successful Co-Living Communities
PodShare: Founded by Elvina Beck in Los Angeles, PodShare is a membership-based live/work community. PodShare is transforming housing with its ‘access not ownership’ principle, offering ‘pods’ or custom-built sleeping spaces in various locations across Los Angeles and San Francisco.
WeLive: A branch of the co-working giant WeWork, WeLive provides fully furnished apartments with flexible leases in New York City and Washington D.C. Residents, or ‘members,’ have access to a digital app to connect with the community and take part in events.
Common: With locations in major U.S. cities, Common offers beautifully designed shared suites and private studios with a slew of amenities like weekly cleaning, free laundry, fully equipped kitchens, community events, and more.
PodShare: The Co-Living Revolution and Elvina Beck’s Impact
The traditional concept of housing is being challenged and reshaped by a growing trend known as co-living. An alternative to traditional living, co-living offers more flexibility, shared expenses, and opportunities to connect with others. One of the trailblazers in this revolutionary housing concept is PodShare, a membership-based live/work community, founded by an American entrepreneur, Elvina Beck.
Living the PodShare Way
PodShare’s housing network offers members an opportunity to live across the most expensive neighborhoods in Los Angeles at a single, flexible rate. This innovative concept has disrupted traditional housing, favoring access over ownership in a world where the freelance economy is on the rise.
PodShare operates on the principle of access, not ownership, offering “access points” across the city from Downtown Los Angeles to Venice Beach. Beck’s brainchild is a testament to a shifting mentality among millennials. A gym membership replaces the need for home exercise equipment, cable TV has given way to Netflix, and the rise of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft has overshadowed the need to own a car. PodShare, in essence, brings this “access, not ownership” philosophy into the housing sphere.
Tackling the Housing Problem
One of the pressing issues PodShare addresses is the unaffordability and inflexibility of housing in urban areas. Traditionally, when traveling, individuals pay for two places: one for storing their belongings and the other for physical accommodation. PodShare’s solution, a housing network that operates in the cloud, allows members to continuously transfer their accommodations instead of paying double.
In the context of PodShare, housing becomes location-independent, and the model creates tribes of small interconnected communities spread across different locations, including Hollywood, DTLA Arts District, Los Feliz, Westwood, Venice, and even as far as San Francisco.
The PodShare Living Space
At the heart of the PodShare model is the “pod”, a 50 sq ft custom-built sleeping space. These pods are part of a larger room shared with other members. It’s a co-living arrangement that is not just financially efficient but also fosters social interaction among members, an aspect Beck refers to as “maximum collisions”.
The system includes not just the essentials – furnished accommodation, utilities, toiletries, and daily cleaning – but also bonuses such as food in the fridge and included subscriptions to events, gyms, software, and entertainment. The no-deposit policy, along with flexible payment options, gives members a hassle-free living experience.
Elvina Beck and the Journey of PodShare
Elvina Beck, born in Moscow and educated at Pepperdine University, co-founded PodShare in 2012. Beck’s journey began with her moving from acting and modeling into videography, where she worked for high-profile clients such as Randi Zuckerberg, Avril Lavigne, and Maxim Magazine.
Recognizing the lack of available short-term housing for transitioners and freelancers, Beck created PodShare to meet this need. Since opening its first location in Hollywood, the company has grown to include locations across Los Angeles, including in some loft buildings, with its first location outside of LA opening in Tendernob, San Francisco in 2019.
Beyond PodShare, Beck has also served as the President of the Central Hollywood Neighborhood Council and has been an advocate for the unsheltered homeless of Los Angeles. In recognition of her efforts, Beck received the 2020 Stratiscope Impact Makers Award at Los Angeles City Hall.
PodShare’s disruptive model is revolutionizing the housing sector, providing an innovative solution to the challenges of urban living. This shift in paradigm, championed by individuals like Elvina Beck, reflects a broader societal trend towards shared resources and experiences. The concept of ownership, once a significant part of the ‘American Dream’, is giving way to a future where access and flexibility are more valuable than possession. In this new landscape, PodShare stands out as a visionary enterprise that is not just adapting to these changes but actively shaping them.
Elvina Beck’s journey from a Russian immigrant to an entrepreneurial figurehead of co-living innovation serves as a remarkable example of creative problem-solving and bold leadership. Her journey and vision align with the evolving societal and lifestyle preferences, particularly those of millennials and freelancers who are increasingly valuing flexibility, affordability, and community over traditional living arrangements.
PodShare’s success also shines a light on the potential benefits of co-living as a viable housing solution. It addresses several urban challenges such as lack of affordable housing, loneliness, and the desire for flexibility. By offering a system that fosters community and interaction, PodShare has tapped into a deep-seated human need for connection and shared experiences. It’s an innovative response to both economic and societal changes and represents a fascinating exploration of what the future of urban living might look like.
However, like all innovative solutions, PodShare’s model may not be for everyone. It tests the boundaries between public and private life and asks its members to adjust their expectations of what personal space means. But for those who value community, flexibility, and affordability over the conventional definitions of housing, PodShare offers an appealing alternative.
As we move forward, it will be intriguing to watch PodShare and other similar initiatives continue to evolve and redefine our understanding of community and shared living spaces. Beck’s work with PodShare not only stands as an impressive entrepreneurial achievement but also serves as a touchstone for future discussions on housing, urban living, and societal shifts in understanding access versus ownership.
As the world keeps evolving, and our perception of housing with it, one thing is for sure – Elvina Beck and PodShare are at the forefront of this fascinating urban living revolution. And they’re certainly a pair to watch.
Co-living is more than just a trend—it’s a reflection of evolving societal values emphasizing shared experiences, flexibility, and community. As urban populations continue to grow, co-living represents a sustainable, sociable, and affordable solution to traditional housing. It is a fascinating exploration of what the future of urban living might look like.
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Copyright © This free information provided courtesy L.A. Loft Blog with information provided by Corey Chambers, Broker DRE 01889449. We are not associated with the seller, homeowner’s association or developer. For more information, contact 213-880-9910 or visit LALoftBlog.com Licensed in California. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Text and photos created or modified by artificial intelligence. Properties subject to prior sale or rental. This is not a solicitation if buyer or seller is already under contract with another broker.