When our roommate Andrea asked us if we wanted to go to a “Chocolate and Dance Party” at “Ithaka”, we had no idea what to expect. Alas, we took her up on the offer and decided to attend the event with her. As it turned out, Ithaka is another co-op in Palo Alto that houses many artists and Stanford graduates. We immediately noticed that was very different from The Rainbow Mansion. There were no opulent chandeliers, vast counter space, or large living and dining areas like in The Rainbow Mansion. It was a quaint little space – warm, inviting, and cozy. A large garden. Clotheslines. A massive bike rack. Giant tubs of cooking ingredients. Herbs. Spices. An effort toward self-sustainability within a collective. This was a huge contrast to the grocery system at Rainbow, in which food is delivered twice a week. Still, it was remarkably similar to The Rainbow Mansion in the sense that there was a collective energy between all of those in attendance at the party.
The event was a fundraising effort for Firefly Chocolate, which is an organic chocolate making startup founded by Jonas Ketterle, who is also a founder and resident of Ithaka. It was inspiring to see the outstanding support he was receiving from those in his community, who he may or may not live with. Jonas was presenting his Kickstarter video to those in attendance when we arrived at the party. Everybody was silent and giving him their undivided attention, including Andrea. He passed around a bowl of chocolate that everybody enjoyed, and then people socialized (and yes, danced!) for the rest of the evening. There truly was a communal spirit. Please feel free to donate to Firefly Chocolate here!
It was only after leaving that we realized that Ithaka is one of the original “Dead Houses” of Palo Alto – one of 15 homes owned by Rob Levitsky, who named all of the co-ops after Grateful Dead songs. Although only 9 of the 15 homes are still running, they are all next door to one another, which truly fosters a community. As we stumble across more of these communities throughout the area, we are truly being led to believe that this is a movement. The people and places in these houses might be very different, but the concept of communal living and embracing the community seems to be a constant force.
