City living for people with craft-y, farm-y hobbies?
October 26, 2022 1:55 PM Subscribe
For those of you who are city-dwellers with craft-y (sewing, welding, woodworking, what have you) and farm-y (gardening, raising animals, etc.) interests, what have you done to pursue your hobbies in the big city?
It's been a dream of mine to own a house, and I'm finally in a position where I can seriously consider it. Up until recently I assumed I'd move out to the boonies and have plenty of space, but living in a city for the last six months has opened my eyes to the benefits of density.
So I'm trying to re-imagine what my future might look like if I stay in a city long-term, and continue living in a relatively small apartment. I haven't yet figured out how to adequately fit my hobbies into my city-life, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has!
Some thoughts I've had:
- live near a local hacker/makerspace and mostly work on small projects
- join a community garden
- convert my living space into a workshop
- find a more affordable city where I could get a larger space
- spend part of the year WWOOFing or similar
- rent a garage or industrial space
- make a tiny "grow room" for inside gardening
It's been a dream of mine to own a house, and I'm finally in a position where I can seriously consider it. Up until recently I assumed I'd move out to the boonies and have plenty of space, but living in a city for the last six months has opened my eyes to the benefits of density.
So I'm trying to re-imagine what my future might look like if I stay in a city long-term, and continue living in a relatively small apartment. I haven't yet figured out how to adequately fit my hobbies into my city-life, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has!
Some thoughts I've had:
- live near a local hacker/makerspace and mostly work on small projects
- join a community garden
- convert my living space into a workshop
- find a more affordable city where I could get a larger space
- spend part of the year WWOOFing or similar
- rent a garage or industrial space
- make a tiny "grow room" for inside gardening
Both my spouse and I grew up on farms and live in a central (but not quite downtown) neighbourhood. We choose our place because we wanted a garage that could be converted into a workshop. The garage is now my spouse's mechanic shop/forge/homebrew space, etc. (Previously, we kept tools in a 4th floor condo and wheeled them out to the parking lot to work our motorcycles.) I have small office where I keep my grow room (grow lights have come down in price a lot over the past few years), sewing/knitting supplies, etc and the kitchen is big enough to do things like cheese-making, canning, etc. I don't have a tonne of yardspace, but have built planter boxes for a back alley garden, and do a fair amount of container gardening in the summer.
There's a lot you can do with even a small amount of land. I found that by choosing a neighbourhood that isn't "trendy" but still very central, it was more affordable to get the space and I can still ride my bicycle to my downtown job in about 25 minutes in the summer (I am too much of a winter wimp to do any distance of winter biking). So, I think it's worthwhile to find the underappreciated, older but still central neighbourhoods. Or, if a yard is too much space, a community garden within walking distance, or sometimes a neighbour might allow you to use their garden as long as you maintain it, too.
posted by Kurichina at 2:23 PM on October 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
There's a lot you can do with even a small amount of land. I found that by choosing a neighbourhood that isn't "trendy" but still very central, it was more affordable to get the space and I can still ride my bicycle to my downtown job in about 25 minutes in the summer (I am too much of a winter wimp to do any distance of winter biking). So, I think it's worthwhile to find the underappreciated, older but still central neighbourhoods. Or, if a yard is too much space, a community garden within walking distance, or sometimes a neighbour might allow you to use their garden as long as you maintain it, too.
posted by Kurichina at 2:23 PM on October 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
I love this question! A friend and I talk about it regularly. He's got about an acre, let's call it a suburban homestead, and very much misses some city amenities, like being in a walkable community and closer to things he wants to do. He wants to make sure he has space for hobbies and such even if he moves into town.
I am in an urban-ish (not downtown, but in a city neighborhood) house that's pretty big, with a small yard, but at some point, when my kids are older and out of the house (I think this will happen someday?), I want to move to something smaller and still maintain my hobbies too.
Here are some things I've thought about:
One of the real advantages of city living is sharing amenities and spaces. That can be in a more obvious way, like joining a gym so you don't need all that equipment at home, and other ways that you've mentioned, like a community garden. The thing that's great about this stuff is it does encourage community, which is one of the real benefits of city living. So I'd focus on thinking about what the things are that you'd really want right at home.
For example, with gardening: is it a hobby or a real food source? If it's a food source, then are you growing this stuff for cost savings or to have fresh produce there? I live a few blocks from a great grocery store with a great produce selection, so even though growing veggies is fun for me, I don't really need to in order to have convenient access to in-season produce since I walk to the store a handful of times a week. So instead I focus on growing some herbs in large containers. Herbs aren't super convenient to buy in small quantities, and it's wonderful to snip some fresh rosemary or oregano or sage whenever I want. You could grow some favorite herbs in small-ish containers on a sunny balcony.
If your veggie gardening is more a hobby than a food source, then perhaps, in a smaller apartment in a city, you'd instead choose to grow some nice indoor houseplants and have some window boxes with gorgeous flowers. That takes up less space than, say, squash. So you still get to grow things, but with a different focus.
And joining a community garden would be pretty great, too. Or, getting to know a neighbor who maybe wants some extra help in their backyard garden. One of my neighbors had a lovely veggie garden tended by an apartment-dwelling friend.
For hobbies that take up space: yes, look for the groups in your city that do that stuff. There are undoubtedly maker spaces or groups or other people with that same hobby who have found a solution, and finding those folks can also help you find community. In my city, there are tool libraries and bike cooperatives, for example.
I'm not sure if you want to share some of these specific hobbies, but perhaps that would help us advise?
posted by bluedaisy at 2:25 PM on October 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
I am in an urban-ish (not downtown, but in a city neighborhood) house that's pretty big, with a small yard, but at some point, when my kids are older and out of the house (I think this will happen someday?), I want to move to something smaller and still maintain my hobbies too.
Here are some things I've thought about:
One of the real advantages of city living is sharing amenities and spaces. That can be in a more obvious way, like joining a gym so you don't need all that equipment at home, and other ways that you've mentioned, like a community garden. The thing that's great about this stuff is it does encourage community, which is one of the real benefits of city living. So I'd focus on thinking about what the things are that you'd really want right at home.
For example, with gardening: is it a hobby or a real food source? If it's a food source, then are you growing this stuff for cost savings or to have fresh produce there? I live a few blocks from a great grocery store with a great produce selection, so even though growing veggies is fun for me, I don't really need to in order to have convenient access to in-season produce since I walk to the store a handful of times a week. So instead I focus on growing some herbs in large containers. Herbs aren't super convenient to buy in small quantities, and it's wonderful to snip some fresh rosemary or oregano or sage whenever I want. You could grow some favorite herbs in small-ish containers on a sunny balcony.
If your veggie gardening is more a hobby than a food source, then perhaps, in a smaller apartment in a city, you'd instead choose to grow some nice indoor houseplants and have some window boxes with gorgeous flowers. That takes up less space than, say, squash. So you still get to grow things, but with a different focus.
And joining a community garden would be pretty great, too. Or, getting to know a neighbor who maybe wants some extra help in their backyard garden. One of my neighbors had a lovely veggie garden tended by an apartment-dwelling friend.
For hobbies that take up space: yes, look for the groups in your city that do that stuff. There are undoubtedly maker spaces or groups or other people with that same hobby who have found a solution, and finding those folks can also help you find community. In my city, there are tool libraries and bike cooperatives, for example.
I'm not sure if you want to share some of these specific hobbies, but perhaps that would help us advise?
posted by bluedaisy at 2:25 PM on October 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
I also wanted to add -- I used to live in a very rural community on a few acres in the woods, and I had a big veggie garden. It was easier to tend because I spent more time at home. In the city, friends and events and work are closer, so I'm more likely to be out and about, so my interests and hobbies have shifted some as well.
posted by bluedaisy at 2:27 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by bluedaisy at 2:27 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
Around here we have the Artisans Asylum, where you can rent a small or large space, with or without material overnight storage. They provide many tools and tables for many different crafts (woodworking, sewing, etc.). I think there are also different daily or weekly plans as well. I'm thinking of joining.
posted by Melismata at 2:28 PM on October 26, 2022
posted by Melismata at 2:28 PM on October 26, 2022
I grew up incredibly rural in the Southern U.S. where space and agriculture are part of the background and easy to take for granted. I didn't realize how much I wanted to be a gentleman farmer until I moved away for grad school, and I've been chasing it ever since.
In Washington, DC, I volunteered with a cool neighborhood nonprofit that helped schoolkids learn what vegetables and greens are by growing them.
In Los Angeles, I always had a roof deck or patio or something where I could grow beans and veg and greens in containers.
In San Francisco, I was on a wait list for seven years before I got a spot at a community garden. It was great once I got it, but it was a frustrating wait.
I'm in London now and haven't quite figured it out yet. I'm back on waiting lists for allotments, and there are apps for renting garden space from homeowners, but... sigh.
I'm visiting home at this very moment and the spaaaaace is really making me yearn for buying a house here.
I think my tl;dr is if you know you need a lot of space or some specific details that are hard to find in a city... they're going to be hard (or expensive, or exhausting) to find in a city. You'll probably meet a lot of like-minded people along the way, though, and have the pleasure of ingenuity.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 2:32 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
In Washington, DC, I volunteered with a cool neighborhood nonprofit that helped schoolkids learn what vegetables and greens are by growing them.
In Los Angeles, I always had a roof deck or patio or something where I could grow beans and veg and greens in containers.
In San Francisco, I was on a wait list for seven years before I got a spot at a community garden. It was great once I got it, but it was a frustrating wait.
I'm in London now and haven't quite figured it out yet. I'm back on waiting lists for allotments, and there are apps for renting garden space from homeowners, but... sigh.
I'm visiting home at this very moment and the spaaaaace is really making me yearn for buying a house here.
I think my tl;dr is if you know you need a lot of space or some specific details that are hard to find in a city... they're going to be hard (or expensive, or exhausting) to find in a city. You'll probably meet a lot of like-minded people along the way, though, and have the pleasure of ingenuity.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 2:32 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
There is also the possibility of buying or renting a country/semi rural property to go to on weekends and long summer evenings. If you get a small lot with no building it won't cost as much as a house lot with any kind of utilities would, and will give you several possibilities. This would require a vehicle however, to make it practical.
Consider tool rental if storage is an issue. If you only use a circular saw three times a year, it might be worth just renting one for a week three when you are doing the rough cuts on the carpentry projects.
Pick your apartment carefully. If your apartment is above a retail establishment that closes early and you have no one above you, this makes the possibility of using power tools much more viable than if you are on the seventh floor of building with tenants on both sides and above and below.
Consider storage lockers to cycle your seasonal hobbies. If you sew in the winter and garden in the summer you can put the sewing machine into a climate controlled locker when April rolls around and bring out the rototiller, and in October the sewing machine and the serger get brought back to the apartment again and the space gets filled with rakes and hoes.
posted by Jane the Brown at 2:35 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Consider tool rental if storage is an issue. If you only use a circular saw three times a year, it might be worth just renting one for a week three when you are doing the rough cuts on the carpentry projects.
Pick your apartment carefully. If your apartment is above a retail establishment that closes early and you have no one above you, this makes the possibility of using power tools much more viable than if you are on the seventh floor of building with tenants on both sides and above and below.
Consider storage lockers to cycle your seasonal hobbies. If you sew in the winter and garden in the summer you can put the sewing machine into a climate controlled locker when April rolls around and bring out the rototiller, and in October the sewing machine and the serger get brought back to the apartment again and the space gets filled with rakes and hoes.
posted by Jane the Brown at 2:35 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
There's a tool library in my neighborhood and it's fantastic, check to see if there's something similar near you!
Rather than get a two-bedroom, you can make the bedroom your workroom and treat the rest of the apartment as a studio.
posted by momus_window at 2:37 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Rather than get a two-bedroom, you can make the bedroom your workroom and treat the rest of the apartment as a studio.
posted by momus_window at 2:37 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
A room in my apartment is dedicated to sewing machines and craft supplies. My rooms are smaller than average, and I live in a much, much less expensive than average neighborhood in a large city. I also live near large parks and community gardens (I’m not a gardener, but if I were, they’re on my street). Every neighborhood I’ve lived in has had gardens, makers spaces, neighborhood swap and flea markets, and general artsy-craftsy and/or outdoorsy communities. You can do this!
posted by saltykitten at 3:14 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by saltykitten at 3:14 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
A lot of it is comprises, honestly, and it's going to depend on what type of living situation you have. We live in the densest city in New England, but we're able to have a (very small) yard and some basement storage space. I'm never going to grow enough food to survive on, so I focus the garden on things that are best fresh, expensive at the grocery store, or just fun to grow - herbs and tomatoes for the freshness, cucumbers and peas can run along the fence and save space, beans are easy and fun to pick. I've butchered whole pigs in the yard on a folding table or in friends' driveways (always a conversation starter with the neighbors). We can actually keep a chest freezer to store a butchered pig.
Other outdoor activities, well, it helps to have a car. I also work in the city and bike commute, so I put most of the miles on our car driving out to hunting and fishing locations. We take the dog out on hikes that would otherwise be inaccessible.
For crafty things... I built a bicycle frame in our basement using hand tools and a tiny folding workbench from Home Depot. I did all the welding in the yard. We keep a sewing machine table in the dining room and use it as a sideboard when it's otherwise not in use (which is most of the time, honestly). I do film photography, so I keep a small kit to develop film in the kitchen and rent space in a darkroom downtown when I want to make prints. My wife does other fiberwork, and we keep storage space available for her stuff.
There are a lot of other options in the area for shared space. The local libraries have group rooms, craft rooms, video and podcasting studios, fab labs, and even a few "library of things" for borrowing stuff like telescopes. There are a couple maker spaces. There's even a hot shop for glassblowing down the street! If you start looking around, you'll find lots of opportunities to share resources.
posted by backseatpilot at 3:52 PM on October 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
Other outdoor activities, well, it helps to have a car. I also work in the city and bike commute, so I put most of the miles on our car driving out to hunting and fishing locations. We take the dog out on hikes that would otherwise be inaccessible.
For crafty things... I built a bicycle frame in our basement using hand tools and a tiny folding workbench from Home Depot. I did all the welding in the yard. We keep a sewing machine table in the dining room and use it as a sideboard when it's otherwise not in use (which is most of the time, honestly). I do film photography, so I keep a small kit to develop film in the kitchen and rent space in a darkroom downtown when I want to make prints. My wife does other fiberwork, and we keep storage space available for her stuff.
There are a lot of other options in the area for shared space. The local libraries have group rooms, craft rooms, video and podcasting studios, fab labs, and even a few "library of things" for borrowing stuff like telescopes. There are a couple maker spaces. There's even a hot shop for glassblowing down the street! If you start looking around, you'll find lots of opportunities to share resources.
posted by backseatpilot at 3:52 PM on October 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
If you could afford a place with land in the city (or another cheaper city), there's some great inspiration out there. Have you heard of Urban Homestead in Pasadena? Here's another little urban farm in L.A. Friends of mine in the middle of SF have chickens, a workshop where they build furniture, a full garden, etc. It really is possible to do quite a bit in a relatively tiny yard.
posted by pinochiette at 4:31 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by pinochiette at 4:31 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
Big balcony garden!!
posted by smorgasbord at 5:08 PM on October 26, 2022
posted by smorgasbord at 5:08 PM on October 26, 2022
I chose an apartment with a common back yard. At first another tenant had the best spot but as I’ve become the longest standing tenant and took the reigns by sending out an email each spring to ask who wants a spot. There used to be less space, but my landlord let us dig up some ugly perennials. Yards are not always available in apartments in my city but I looked around and prioritized it. Previously I gardened on my porch so looking for some kind of outdoor space is key.
Get a place with an extra bedroom for doing hobbies. Maybe your building has a basement where you can store larger/dirtier things. A leather worker rents the other side of my building’s basement and it’s filled with his big equipment. These arrangements are easier to find with a small time landlord rather than an agency.
Some friends rent spaces in shared industrial buildings for large scale welding and borrow/rent when they need a truck to move something. Another rents an office in a creative shared space for a more crafty type of job. They both rent these spaces in less expensive neighborhoods. I’ve considered that when I buy a house, if I could afford it, I’d like to build a studio on top of the garage or in an attic.
posted by Bunglegirl at 5:32 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Get a place with an extra bedroom for doing hobbies. Maybe your building has a basement where you can store larger/dirtier things. A leather worker rents the other side of my building’s basement and it’s filled with his big equipment. These arrangements are easier to find with a small time landlord rather than an agency.
Some friends rent spaces in shared industrial buildings for large scale welding and borrow/rent when they need a truck to move something. Another rents an office in a creative shared space for a more crafty type of job. They both rent these spaces in less expensive neighborhoods. I’ve considered that when I buy a house, if I could afford it, I’d like to build a studio on top of the garage or in an attic.
posted by Bunglegirl at 5:32 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have not found sewing to be a problem for me at all, and I live in a very small NYC apartment. The key things that have helped me are:
- Incorporating my craft materials into my planned house decor. I have a yarn wall—a pegboard with cakes of yarn on pegs hanging there. Looks like art; actually is storage. I have been contemplating getting a dress form, and if so, it will be treated as a sculptural object in my small apartment. All storage is thought of aesthetically. There is no space in a small apartment for anything that doesn't look beautiful AND serve a function.
- Neatness is the most important thing in a small space that functions as a studio too. You MUST put things away neatly and attractively, and that just is how it is. For instance, my dinner table is also my sewing table, so I know I have to put things away if I want to have anyone over! Honestly I don't think I would want to leave my stuff out in a studio anymore—I would feel like things were unfinished.
- That also means you have to plan projects more carefully and not leave your place looking like a bomb made of fabric hit it.
- Movable furniture a huge plus. I always have to push my couch back to baste quilts. Good thing I got a light one! And I have chosen craft tools to fit my space and hide away—eg a shaker swift that can be taken apart instead of one that has to be kept out or folds in a twiddly way.
Generally, I don't miss or want a studio at this point. Do I dream of getting a knitting machine? Sure, but I can borrow one at a makerspace. I can't speak to the other stuff, but this scale of crafting—just not a problem for me, and I don't think it will be for you, either, if you give up the idea that you're just waiting for the chance to sprawl and start focusing on how you can do the most with your space!
posted by branca at 6:04 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
- Incorporating my craft materials into my planned house decor. I have a yarn wall—a pegboard with cakes of yarn on pegs hanging there. Looks like art; actually is storage. I have been contemplating getting a dress form, and if so, it will be treated as a sculptural object in my small apartment. All storage is thought of aesthetically. There is no space in a small apartment for anything that doesn't look beautiful AND serve a function.
- Neatness is the most important thing in a small space that functions as a studio too. You MUST put things away neatly and attractively, and that just is how it is. For instance, my dinner table is also my sewing table, so I know I have to put things away if I want to have anyone over! Honestly I don't think I would want to leave my stuff out in a studio anymore—I would feel like things were unfinished.
- That also means you have to plan projects more carefully and not leave your place looking like a bomb made of fabric hit it.
- Movable furniture a huge plus. I always have to push my couch back to baste quilts. Good thing I got a light one! And I have chosen craft tools to fit my space and hide away—eg a shaker swift that can be taken apart instead of one that has to be kept out or folds in a twiddly way.
Generally, I don't miss or want a studio at this point. Do I dream of getting a knitting machine? Sure, but I can borrow one at a makerspace. I can't speak to the other stuff, but this scale of crafting—just not a problem for me, and I don't think it will be for you, either, if you give up the idea that you're just waiting for the chance to sprawl and start focusing on how you can do the most with your space!
posted by branca at 6:04 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
I knit, I can tomatoes, I garden. I live in NYC.
Storage is the main issue for knitting and canning (storing yarn for the former, storing the resulting canned goods for the latter), but storage would be an issue no matter WHAT my hobbies were, so....it's not really something I consider impacting my hobby choice. I have a finite amount of space, I have to pick and choose what to fit in it, period. (Also, consider: living in a city means that you can hold off on buying things "just in case" and purchase them on the fly as you need them, because there are likely way more craft stores around for you to pop out to go get something.)
Also, the reason I chose knitting instead of sewing or quilting isn't a function of "I live in the city" - it's rather a function of me being absolute crap at sewing. (Seriously, I once volunteered for the costume shop in college and within the space of a single hour, I somehow broke two sewing machines.) Knitting is way easier.
I am part of a community garden now, but that was just only something that happened this year - prior to that I was just very into some potted herbs on the windowsill. If I felt I needed more green I went to the botanical gardens to live vicariously.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:10 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Storage is the main issue for knitting and canning (storing yarn for the former, storing the resulting canned goods for the latter), but storage would be an issue no matter WHAT my hobbies were, so....it's not really something I consider impacting my hobby choice. I have a finite amount of space, I have to pick and choose what to fit in it, period. (Also, consider: living in a city means that you can hold off on buying things "just in case" and purchase them on the fly as you need them, because there are likely way more craft stores around for you to pop out to go get something.)
Also, the reason I chose knitting instead of sewing or quilting isn't a function of "I live in the city" - it's rather a function of me being absolute crap at sewing. (Seriously, I once volunteered for the costume shop in college and within the space of a single hour, I somehow broke two sewing machines.) Knitting is way easier.
I am part of a community garden now, but that was just only something that happened this year - prior to that I was just very into some potted herbs on the windowsill. If I felt I needed more green I went to the botanical gardens to live vicariously.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:10 PM on October 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
I’m not sure what search terms to recommend, but there’s an online community of woodworkers limited to small spaces. They design projects that don’t require every fancy tool.
For raising animals, you could get into herpetology. There’s a ton of science to learn, if that appeals to you.
posted by Comet Bug at 11:27 PM on October 26, 2022
For raising animals, you could get into herpetology. There’s a ton of science to learn, if that appeals to you.
posted by Comet Bug at 11:27 PM on October 26, 2022
Depending on the city you’re in, you might find some live/work lofts, which I personally love living in (so far, have lived in 2!), but is best for one or two people. Depending on your craft and hobbies, it can be harder to fit in a loft (I wanted more separation for ceramics and there were some plumbing and electrical needs). But I loved being able to host friends to work on bigger projects together pre-pandemic, and if you do want to have a little shop, you could do that or use the windows as a little gallery.
There are downsides though — surrounding area might be more industrial or you might find lots of late-night dining and drinking in the neighborhood. But I guess it goes to just picking your apartment carefully, as Jane the Brown mentioned above. Good luck!
posted by sincerely yours at 12:27 AM on October 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
There are downsides though — surrounding area might be more industrial or you might find lots of late-night dining and drinking in the neighborhood. But I guess it goes to just picking your apartment carefully, as Jane the Brown mentioned above. Good luck!
posted by sincerely yours at 12:27 AM on October 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
I live in a studio apartment and sew as a hobby. Here are some things I do:
- Nothing stays out unless I'm actively working on a project. My sewing machine lives under my desk, I have a cabinet with all my notions and tools, the ironing board is in the closet. It's kind of annoying to take everything out and put it away, but I don't feel like I'm lacking storage space.
- Try to avoid accumulating fabric and stick to buying it per project :'(
- I usually move furniture and roll up the rug to cut fabric on the floor. It's not very ergonomic, but it gives me the most room.
- I gave my serger to a friend. I occasionally host sewing parties and she brings it over. Now I don't have to store it.
- I'm moving soon and one of my priorities is to stay near the parks and rec building where they host sewing classes (also where I do film photography)
- Enjoy the multiple independent fabric stores my city supports.
posted by umwelt at 12:52 PM on October 27, 2022
- Nothing stays out unless I'm actively working on a project. My sewing machine lives under my desk, I have a cabinet with all my notions and tools, the ironing board is in the closet. It's kind of annoying to take everything out and put it away, but I don't feel like I'm lacking storage space.
- Try to avoid accumulating fabric and stick to buying it per project :'(
- I usually move furniture and roll up the rug to cut fabric on the floor. It's not very ergonomic, but it gives me the most room.
- I gave my serger to a friend. I occasionally host sewing parties and she brings it over. Now I don't have to store it.
- I'm moving soon and one of my priorities is to stay near the parks and rec building where they host sewing classes (also where I do film photography)
- Enjoy the multiple independent fabric stores my city supports.
posted by umwelt at 12:52 PM on October 27, 2022
I live in Minneapolis and turned my yard into a food forest/vegetable garden/prairie. Some unique things about our property that make it possible:
- we’re on a block that randomly doesn’t have an alley, so the space that would be an alley was available for me to build a bunch of raised garden beds and compost bins
- we have a little 1950s rambler, a 1-car garage, and a short-ish 1-car driveway, so more of the lot is available for gardening
- we purposely bought a house where the property to our south would never be knocked down and turned into condos/McMansions, so no one will build upward and block the sun on us (we’re by a school/park, and we’re not close enough to major streets for commercial or big apartment building zoning)
- we read the book “Grow a Little Fruit Tree” to plan our fruit tree strategy in an urban space
- set up grow lights in the laundry room for spring seed starting and using soil blocks to keep equipment minimal
- my city allows chickens, but I’m scared of them
My husband set up a workbench in the laundry room for electronics stuff and basic soldering, but when he has done bigger woodworking projects he signed up for “open wood shop” at the nearby high school through adult community education to use their space and equipment.
Happy to share more details about getting rid of grass and planting uncommon fruit/berry shrubs if you’re interested! I’m 10 years into this experiment and am finally enjoying the literal fruits of our labors.
posted by Maarika at 1:35 PM on October 27, 2022
- we’re on a block that randomly doesn’t have an alley, so the space that would be an alley was available for me to build a bunch of raised garden beds and compost bins
- we have a little 1950s rambler, a 1-car garage, and a short-ish 1-car driveway, so more of the lot is available for gardening
- we purposely bought a house where the property to our south would never be knocked down and turned into condos/McMansions, so no one will build upward and block the sun on us (we’re by a school/park, and we’re not close enough to major streets for commercial or big apartment building zoning)
- we read the book “Grow a Little Fruit Tree” to plan our fruit tree strategy in an urban space
- set up grow lights in the laundry room for spring seed starting and using soil blocks to keep equipment minimal
- my city allows chickens, but I’m scared of them
My husband set up a workbench in the laundry room for electronics stuff and basic soldering, but when he has done bigger woodworking projects he signed up for “open wood shop” at the nearby high school through adult community education to use their space and equipment.
Happy to share more details about getting rid of grass and planting uncommon fruit/berry shrubs if you’re interested! I’m 10 years into this experiment and am finally enjoying the literal fruits of our labors.
posted by Maarika at 1:35 PM on October 27, 2022
Being in a city can be a crafting assest since there's so many more shared workspaces, classes, communities and businesses available.
posted by sepviva at 6:07 PM on October 27, 2022
posted by sepviva at 6:07 PM on October 27, 2022
I'm in SF and I volunteer with goats right here in the city. It's awesome. Check volunteer match, there may be animal volunteer opportunities near you!
posted by boomdelala at 11:34 PM on October 27, 2022
posted by boomdelala at 11:34 PM on October 27, 2022
I live in NYC and my husband and I both have a bunch of hobbies that need space and storage. Up until recently we were in a smallish one bedroom apartment and people were constantly surprised at what we managed to do (and store!) in 550 square feet. We recently moved into a townhouse (still within the city) and I've been thinking about this topic a lot as we slowly figure out how we want to make use of our new living space, so here are a bunch of rambly thoughts:
- The types of projects that you can do and will want to do as a city dweller are going to be different than if you lived in the boonies, adjust your expectations accordingly. Like, if you live in an apartment, you probably won't be making lots of large furniture on the regular so maybe your woodworking requirements could be scaled down or outsourced, but if you keep comparing it to having a fully fitted out suburban basement woodshop at your fingertips, of course you'll always feel a little deprived. I wouldn't call it a limitation of urban life per se, just being realistic about your needs and priorities and when you're weighing the tradeoffs between different lifestyles.
- You can do a lot with just a little extra space if you're flexible. My sewing machine doesn't need its own room, we used to store electronic components and tools in the kitchen, and if we needed space to paint or change a bike tire, we just rolled the coffee table out of the way and did it in the living room. It helps that my husband and I are similarly pragmatic and agree that bikes and printing presses are perfectly acceptable living room decor. I'm super excited to have more space now, it certainly makes a lot of things easier, but I think our general space planning philosophy* isn't going to change that much.
- That being said, I have always needed some sort of dedicated workspace where my works-in-progress can live. For me, having to constantly set up and break down my gear in the middle of a project is a major impediment to getting anything done. It doesn't have to be big, in our last apartment, we just made sure that the living room could fit a small desk. I also like that my hobbies have a bit of a permanent footprint, like a physical representation of their importance.
- Make having hobby space a priority in your house hunting, same as if you know you're going to get a dog or frequently host big dinner parties or need a dedicated home office. There are options in between tiny downtown studio apartment and suburban McMansion, not nearly enough but especially in older cities/neighborhoods, you can often find a variety of apartments/duplexes/small houses/etc that are still definitely urban but have yards, basements, and parking/utility spaces.
* Since we moved, several people have said to us, 'oh now you can have a room for your hobbies!' and we were both like, '...but we have a house for our hobbies?' I also don't believe in mancaves/she-sheds, playrooms, and rooms reserved For Company, but that's a different digression...
posted by yeahlikethat at 12:24 PM on October 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
- The types of projects that you can do and will want to do as a city dweller are going to be different than if you lived in the boonies, adjust your expectations accordingly. Like, if you live in an apartment, you probably won't be making lots of large furniture on the regular so maybe your woodworking requirements could be scaled down or outsourced, but if you keep comparing it to having a fully fitted out suburban basement woodshop at your fingertips, of course you'll always feel a little deprived. I wouldn't call it a limitation of urban life per se, just being realistic about your needs and priorities and when you're weighing the tradeoffs between different lifestyles.
- You can do a lot with just a little extra space if you're flexible. My sewing machine doesn't need its own room, we used to store electronic components and tools in the kitchen, and if we needed space to paint or change a bike tire, we just rolled the coffee table out of the way and did it in the living room. It helps that my husband and I are similarly pragmatic and agree that bikes and printing presses are perfectly acceptable living room decor. I'm super excited to have more space now, it certainly makes a lot of things easier, but I think our general space planning philosophy* isn't going to change that much.
- That being said, I have always needed some sort of dedicated workspace where my works-in-progress can live. For me, having to constantly set up and break down my gear in the middle of a project is a major impediment to getting anything done. It doesn't have to be big, in our last apartment, we just made sure that the living room could fit a small desk. I also like that my hobbies have a bit of a permanent footprint, like a physical representation of their importance.
- Make having hobby space a priority in your house hunting, same as if you know you're going to get a dog or frequently host big dinner parties or need a dedicated home office. There are options in between tiny downtown studio apartment and suburban McMansion, not nearly enough but especially in older cities/neighborhoods, you can often find a variety of apartments/duplexes/small houses/etc that are still definitely urban but have yards, basements, and parking/utility spaces.
* Since we moved, several people have said to us, 'oh now you can have a room for your hobbies!' and we were both like, '...but we have a house for our hobbies?' I also don't believe in mancaves/she-sheds, playrooms, and rooms reserved For Company, but that's a different digression...
posted by yeahlikethat at 12:24 PM on October 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for all the wonderful answers!
posted by woofo at 7:47 PM on October 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by woofo at 7:47 PM on October 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
I have a friend who refinishes antique furniture - she made a point to get a 2 bedroom apartment so she could convert one into a workshop.
A buddy of mine likes to collect old molecular biology equipment and made educational kits in his converted garage for sale.
posted by porpoise at 2:17 PM on October 26, 2022 [2 favorites]