name: Community House rooms for rent + low cost meal plan/events for non-residents -> Community House rooms for rent [to MIT students] + low cost meal plan/events for non-residents [MIT & non-MIT community]
mission: We are a continuing experiment in cooperative living. We cook together, clean together, and make all house decisions by consensus. There's art on every wall, instruments everywhere, and spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen. Our pantry yells if you leave it open, there's a three-story firepole, and our rooms have bizarre names. There is no "typical pikan". We have a wide array of interests and personalities. But if you want a place that is weird and wonderful, that loves roasting vegetables, that's sex positive and queer friendly, independent and thrifty, artsy and nifty, we might be the place for you. -> We are a continuing experiment in cooperative living. We cook together, clean together, and make all house decisions by consensus. There's art on every wall, instruments everywhere, and spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen. Our pantry yells if you leave it open, there's a three-story firepole, and our rooms have bizarre names. NOTE: this is a super interesting place. The rooms are only for MIT students, but the meals are for everyone There is no "typical pikan". We have a wide array of interests and personalities. But if you want a place that is weird and wonderful, that loves roasting vegetables, that's sex positive and queer friendly, independent and thrifty, artsy and nifty, we might be the place for you.

notes: from 1-11-2024 [for updates go to the link above] *** Signups Signups for mealplan happen at the beginning of each quarter. If you're on our social mailing list, pika-social@mit.edu, the signup form will be sent to you then. If you are not on the list and/or want to join mid-quarter; email yfnkm@mit.edu to sign up. Who can join? Short answer: anybody! pika's mealplan is open to residents and non-residents alike. Non-resident membership is not at all unusual; the mealplan is often only half residents! Non-MIT students and even non-students can also join--we usually have a few of them around as well. Pricing and Kitchen Duties Mealplan is typically around $100 per quarter, which comes out to just a couple dollars per meal. Half vs. Full Plans pika offers two mealplan options: Full mealplan: Kitchen duty every week, come to dinner pretty much every day. Half mealplan: Kitchen duty every two weeks, come to dinner pretty much half the days. Both plans are the same price; the only difference is frequency of kitchen duty. All residents have full mealplan included in rent. Non-residents typically choose half mealplan. Kitchen Duties Mealplan members can either cook or clean. Kitchen duties are done in pairs or triples and usually accompanied by music through our kitchen stereo system, but we pretend it's work anyway. Other Details Dietary Restrictions and Balanced Meals Part of cooking for pika is making sure other pikans are healthy. All our meals have vegetables and protein. We always have gluten-free and vegan options, including vegan protein. Also, we post a spreadsheet of mealplanners' favorite and least favorite foods; it's previously been standard to offer cilantro-free and mushroom-free options as a courtesy to mealplanners with strong preferences. Fancy Dinners Once a week, we have a fancy supper that we advertise to our social mailing list. Lates If you're going to be late for dinner, put in a request to lates.pikans.org and the cooks will save you a take-home box! Baking Sometimes, pikans and mealplanners use pika's kitchen and house groceries to make extra things, usually baked goods. As long as the results are shared with the house, and the dishes are cleaned afterwards, this is totally OK! Baking Parties Sometimes, pikans get together and bake. We don't actively advertise this, but if you hang around after dinner on the right nights and ask the right questions, you might be lucky enough to find yourself in the midst of one of these spectacular events. -> from 1-11-2024 [for updates, live links, application... go to the link above] *** About the Meal Plan [see more about the house below or at the link above] Signups Signups for mealplan happen at the beginning of each quarter. If you're on our social mailing list, pika-social@mit.edu, the signup form will be sent to you then. If you are not on the list and/or want to join mid-quarter; email yfnkm@mit.edu to sign up. Who can join? Short answer: anybody! pika's mealplan is open to residents and non-residents alike. Non-resident membership is not at all unusual; the mealplan is often only half residents! Non-MIT students and even non-students can also join--we usually have a few of them around as well. Pricing and Kitchen Duties Mealplan is typically around $100 per quarter, which comes out to just a couple dollars per meal. Half vs. Full Plans pika offers two mealplan options: Full mealplan: Kitchen duty every week, come to dinner pretty much every day. Half mealplan: Kitchen duty every two weeks, come to dinner pretty much half the days. Both plans are the same price; the only difference is frequency of kitchen duty. All residents have full mealplan included in rent. Non-residents typically choose half mealplan. Kitchen Duties Mealplan members can either cook or clean. Kitchen duties are done in pairs or triples and usually accompanied by music through our kitchen stereo system, but we pretend it's work anyway. Other Details Dietary Restrictions and Balanced Meals Part of cooking for pika is making sure other pikans are healthy. All our meals have vegetables and protein. We always have gluten-free and vegan options, including vegan protein. Also, we post a spreadsheet of mealplanners' favorite and least favorite foods; it's previously been standard to offer cilantro-free and mushroom-free options as a courtesy to mealplanners with strong preferences. Fancy Dinners Once a week, we have a fancy supper that we advertise to our social mailing list. Lates If you're going to be late for dinner, put in a request to lates.pikans.org and the cooks will save you a take-home box! Baking Sometimes, pikans and mealplanners use pika's kitchen and house groceries to make extra things, usually baked goods. As long as the results are shared with the house, and the dishes are cleaned afterwards, this is totally OK! Baking Parties Sometimes, pikans get together and bake. We don't actively advertise this, but if you hang around after dinner on the right nights and ask the right questions, you might be lucky enough to find yourself in the midst of one of these spectacular events. About the house: Basement Laundry Free laundry! 2 washers, 2 driers. Reuse "Reuse" is MIT jargon for stuff that, rather than having been thrown away, was put in a designated place for other people to pick over. We keep our own, which contains mostly clothing but occasionally tech/tools/outdoor supplies/random other stuff. Cave Study room that's good for quiet work in isolation from the usual buzz of activity. Textbooks/Printers We have printers. We also have a "textbook library", where pikans put their used textbooks for others to access. Pantry We store surplus non-perishable food in this walk-in pantry. Once, many years ago, we had an issue with people leaving the door to the rice/pasta/cereal storage open, and some rodents got in. To fix this, a system was installed such that if you leave the door open for too long, a red light flashed and a casette player starts telling you to close the door in a strange, half-pleading half-irritated tone. Burrow Tiny study room with a desk and a chair, and not much else. TV Room Sometimes we gather to watch movies and TV here. It also stores most of our board game collection, and several shelves of books. Label Your Shit This is the storage room where residents can put their stuff. There's one rule--can you guess what it is? Shop We have a nicely-stocked machine shop, suitable for smallish projects or bike repair. First (Ground) Floor Murph The heart of pika, where everyone gathers for house meetings, casual hangouts, and jam sessions. Dining Room The second heart of pika, where everyone gathers to eat and talk. Kitchen Our massive industrial kitchen, complete with all the spices one could ever want. Sex Dungeon Not actually a sex dungeon--this is just our kitchen counter. There are a few stories about the name. One goes that we put up a camera so people could see a live feed of what was being served for dinner, and thought it would be hilarious to put this feed at a URL with "sex dungeon" in it, so that if people were for some reason looking for an MIT sex dungeon, they would just find us serving each other food. We still find it pretty hilarious to send out emails like "Vegan chocolate-chip cookies on the sex dungeon! Come and get them!" Jazz Lounge A bunch of couches next to the dining room that's often a nice place for socializing. There are a bunch of abstract paintings on the walls, but no one is really sure how they got there. Octopus One of the first floor bathrooms. Has an octopus mural. Pineapple One of the first floor bathrooms. Used to be called the Champion, but then an old RA painted pineapples on it. The Veggie Patch Name: When this was the RA room, our RA painted a bunch of vegetables on it. Features: Loft, windows on both sides. Noise: Quiet (unless your neighbor in the Electric Bluegaloo is loud). Typical Capacity: Single. Electric Bluegaloo Name: A resident painted the whole thing electric blue, and the name stuck. The room was previously called the Sink. Features: The Electric Bluegaloo is the only room in pika with a sink. It also has a double loft and built-in shelving. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Drug Name: Some summer residents left a bunch of unusually sketchy drug paraphernelia here once. Features: Sleeping closet (not in use in the pictures above; if in use, there is much more floor space.) Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double. The Fractal Name: Cool fractal-y murals! Features: Aforementioned cool murals. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Neptune Name: Used to be called "The End", because it was at the end of the hall. Features: Right next to a bathroom and a door out to the deck. View of back yard. Loft. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. Second Floor The Rush Name: There are two rumored stories; first, that this was the room interested freshmen would crash in during rush, and second, that this was the room antisocial pikans would hide in during rush. Take your pick. Features: Corner room (windows on two sides). Cool leopard mural. Window to the second floor balcony. Noise: Not quiet; above the Murph. Light sleepers should be wary. Typical Capacity: Double. The Flower Name: There's a beautiful flowery mural on the door. Features: Corner room (windows on two sides). Window to the second floor balcony. Noise: Not quiet; above the dining room. Typically not as loud as the Rush or the Knot. Typical Capacity: Double. The Knot Name: Many people initially assume the name is related to the net hanging from the ceiling. Actually, it's from the intricate Celtic knot on the door. Features: Net hanging from ceiling (has been tested up to supporting 2 medium-sized humans). Corner room (windows on two sides). Sleeping closet. Door sawed in half for more extensive door configuration possibilities. Sleeping closet. Noise: Not quiet; above the dining room, and sleeping closet borders the Party Shower. Typical Capacity: Double. The Rainbow Name: Used to have a big rainbow flag and a rainbow painted radiator. Then it had a Dark Side of The Moon Resistor Color Chart mural. Now it's just an unassuming double. Features: Door to the second-floor back deck. Brick wall. Loft. Door sawed in half for more extensive door configuration possibilities. Noise: Not quiet; above the kitchen. Lilah also sometimes mewls to be let in at the deck door. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Wood Name: Used to have ugly retro fake wood paneling. Then it had a mural of the woods. Neither of these remain, but the name does. Features: Elegant stork mural. Large closet. Loft. Noise: Moderate to quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Closet Name: It's a pretty small room. Features: Loft. Noise: Moderate to quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Coke Name: Originally, the door of the Coke was the front of an old-fashioned Coca-Cola vending machine. Due to fire code, we had to replace it with a real door, which we of course painted to resemble a Pepsi vending machine. Features: One of the largest rooms. Lofts. Corner room (windows on two sides). Noise: Moderate to quiet. Typical Capacity: Double or triple. The Toastie Name: Once had a mural of a toasted sandwich ("toastie" in the UK) on the door. Features: Door to the back deck. Loft. Ample shelving. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The T A bathroom on the second floor, themed around the Boston T system. Max Occ A small bathroom named after the sign on the door, which reads "MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY 8000 PERSONS". Party Shower The fanciest bathroom in pika, equipped with two showerheads, an extra-large shower, a Bluetooth speaker, and LED party lights. Third Floor The Darkness Name: Once known as "the most hardcore room in pika", painted mostly black. Now it's a little more unassuming. Features: Skylight. Window to the back deck. Vertical space. Loft. Access to the "void", which is essentially the crawl space between ceiling and roof. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Loeb Name: Comes from the Loeb measure in mathematics; all of the walls are kind of at funny angles. Features: Door to back deck. Corner room; windows on two sides. Loft; bottom of loft lights up. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Maze Name: Once had a maze mural on one of the walls. Then it was painted over, and then another maze mural was painted. Then that was painted over too. Features: Corner room; windows on two sides. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double. The Dragon Name: Unknown. Features: Funky slanted ceiling with stars on it. Nice view over front yard. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Compass Name: Comes from the spinner on the wall. You spin once, and land on an adjective from one of the circles of words. Spin again to get a noun from the other circle. Then explain what this combination would be like as a sex position. Oscillating centaur, anyone? Features: Compass game. Corner room; windows on two sides. Loft. Roof access through a window. Interesting door with what appears to be a porthole. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Skylight Name:A tiny single originally named "the coffin" for the coffin-like cubby where residents often put their bed. Most of this room used to be wasted space under the roof. Then one day, a pikan who had scored low in the singles lottery asked the house if he were to create a new single, could he live in it? When they agreed, he knocked down the walls of a small third floor closet and recovered the lost space into a really cool room. More recently, a pikan installed a skylight during work week, and got everyone to call it "the skylight". Features: Skylight. Interesting shape. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double or triple. The Pirate Ship Name: Once had a big projector and screen, and some took to calling it the screening room. Then they started calling it the pirate ship. Guess why. Features: Very large room. Nice pirate-themed murals. Corner room; windows on two sides. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double or triple. Murphlet A small common area with couches and a workbench alternately used for arts and crafts, sewing projects, and electrical engineering projects. The Operating Room We got the door for the third-floor bathroom when a bio lab was being demolished--it used to go on one of the big specimen freezers. So the bathroom has an old-school-sanitorium aesthetic. Deck Our wooden deck spans all three stories of the house! FAQ: How do I apply to live at pika? Our rush process is described here. How do I get on the mealplan? Email yfnkm at mit.edu to sign up! Feel free to come over and try it out a few times first. Whom do I contact with questions? pika-questions at mit.edu How do I hear about events at pika? Sign up for pika-social, our low-volume announcement list! We keep a sign-up sheet in the dining room, or you can email pika-questions at mit.edu. This mailing list will only inform you about big events, not the smaller, more private ones--for that you'll need to get to know people a little. What if I don't know anyone? Come over anyway! All of our best friends used to be strangers, and it's not unusual to have a couple new people at dinners (especially during rush, or on Fridays). What is an ILG? An ILG is an Independent Living Group, which is MIT's category for living groups that are not dorms and not greek. We live in a house in a residential neighborhood, which we own, and are entirely self-managed. We answer to neither a national organization nor MIT-installed officials. How much does it cost to live at pika? Definitely less than a dorm would cost you. We're a pretty thrifty bunch, and we have complete control over how our money is spent. Rent is decided by house consensus each semester, and is typically in the $3000-$3500 range. Note: this does not apply to summer pricing, which is fixed each semester before summer begins and based on number of roommates. Do I need to wear clothes at pika? Nope! pika is clothing-optional. This doesn't mean everyone is naked all the time, but it does mean that occasional non-sexual nudity is something residents are expected to be okay with. Does pika allow smoking? Yes, as long as it's not so public and/or excessive that it bothers other people. We call this rule "keep it ignorable". Does pika allow drinking? Same as our smoking policy above. Does pika have/allow pets? We have communally owned house animals (in the past we've had cats, chickens, turtles, and bees), but currently do not own any. However, as of 2023, we have residents with cat allergies, so we can't keep cats that would roam freely around the house. If you are the human to cats and would be okay with keeping them strictly in your room, then email us about it and we can discuss. However, reptiles, small rodents, and fish are fine. Can I live at pika if I'm not an MIT student? Unfortunately, no. We're supported by MIT as an Independent Living Group, and part of that designation is that we can only house MIT students. However, non-MIT folks can live at pika over the summer! Can I come for dinner if I'm not on mealplan? Yep! We welcome everybody! If you want extra brownie points, you could even come early and help cook. ;) Can I come for dinner if I'm not an MIT student? Absolutely! Can I be on mealplan if I'm not an MIT student? Yep! We pretty consistently have a few non-MIT mealplanners and we always welcome more.
mission: We are a continuing experiment in cooperative living. We cook together, clean together, and make all house decisions by consensus. There's art on every wall, instruments everywhere, and spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen. Our pantry yells if you leave it open, there's a three-story firepole, and our rooms have bizarre names. There is no "typical pikan". We have a wide array of interests and personalities. But if you want a place that is weird and wonderful, that loves roasting vegetables, that's sex positive and queer friendly, independent and thrifty, artsy and nifty, we might be the place for you. -> We are a continuing experiment in cooperative living. We cook together, clean together, and make all house decisions by consensus. There's art on every wall, instruments everywhere, and spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen. Our pantry yells if you leave it open, there's a three-story firepole, and our rooms have bizarre names. There is no "typical pikan". We have a wide array of interests and personalities. But if you want a place that is weird and wonderful, that loves roasting vegetables, that's sex positive and queer friendly, independent and thrifty, artsy and nifty, we might be the place for you.

name: Community House w/low cost meal plan for non-residents [volunteer hours required] -> Community House w/low cost meal plan/events for non-residents
address: -> 69 Chestnut [off Brookline St, parallel to Putnum]
notes: from 1-11-2024 [for updates, live links, application... go to the link above] *** About the Meal Plan [see more about the house below or at the link above] Signups Signups for mealplan happen at the beginning of each quarter. If you're on our social mailing list, pika-social@mit.edu, the signup form will be sent to you then. If you are not on the list and/or want to join mid-quarter; email yfnkm@mit.edu to sign up. Who can join? Short answer: anybody! pika's mealplan is open to residents and non-residents alike. Non-resident membership is not at all unusual; the mealplan is often only half residents! Non-MIT students and even non-students can also join--we usually have a few of them around as well. Pricing and Kitchen Duties Mealplan is typically around $100 per quarter, which comes out to just a couple dollars per meal. Half vs. Full Plans pika offers two mealplan options: Full mealplan: Kitchen duty every week, come to dinner pretty much every day. Half mealplan: Kitchen duty every two weeks, come to dinner pretty much half the days. Both plans are the same price; the only difference is frequency of kitchen duty. All residents have full mealplan included in rent. Non-residents typically choose half mealplan. Kitchen Duties Mealplan members can either cook or clean. Kitchen duties are done in pairs or triples and usually accompanied by music through our kitchen stereo system, but we pretend it's work anyway. Other Details Dietary Restrictions and Balanced Meals Part of cooking for pika is making sure other pikans are healthy. All our meals have vegetables and protein. We always have gluten-free and vegan options, including vegan protein. Also, we post a spreadsheet of mealplanners' favorite and least favorite foods; it's previously been standard to offer cilantro-free and mushroom-free options as a courtesy to mealplanners with strong preferences. Fancy Dinners Once a week, we have a fancy supper that we advertise to our social mailing list. Lates If you're going to be late for dinner, put in a request to lates.pikans.org and the cooks will save you a take-home box! Baking Sometimes, pikans and mealplanners use pika's kitchen and house groceries to make extra things, usually baked goods. As long as the results are shared with the house, and the dishes are cleaned afterwards, this is totally OK! Baking Parties Sometimes, pikans get together and bake. We don't actively advertise this, but if you hang around after dinner on the right nights and ask the right questions, you might be lucky enough to find yourself in the midst of one of these spectacular events. About the house: Basement Laundry Free laundry! 2 washers, 2 driers. Reuse "Reuse" is MIT jargon for stuff that, rather than having been thrown away, was put in a designated place for other people to pick over. We keep our own, which contains mostly clothing but occasionally tech/tools/outdoor supplies/random other stuff. Cave Study room that's good for quiet work in isolation from the usual buzz of activity. Textbooks/Printers We have printers. We also have a "textbook library", where pikans put their used textbooks for others to access. Pantry We store surplus non-perishable food in this walk-in pantry. Once, many years ago, we had an issue with people leaving the door to the rice/pasta/cereal storage open, and some rodents got in. To fix this, a system was installed such that if you leave the door open for too long, a red light flashed and a casette player starts telling you to close the door in a strange, half-pleading half-irritated tone. Burrow Tiny study room with a desk and a chair, and not much else. TV Room Sometimes we gather to watch movies and TV here. It also stores most of our board game collection, and several shelves of books. Label Your Shit This is the storage room where residents can put their stuff. There's one rule--can you guess what it is? Shop We have a nicely-stocked machine shop, suitable for smallish projects or bike repair. First (Ground) Floor Murph The heart of pika, where everyone gathers for house meetings, casual hangouts, and jam sessions. Dining Room The second heart of pika, where everyone gathers to eat and talk. Kitchen Our massive industrial kitchen, complete with all the spices one could ever want. Sex Dungeon Not actually a sex dungeon--this is just our kitchen counter. There are a few stories about the name. One goes that we put up a camera so people could see a live feed of what was being served for dinner, and thought it would be hilarious to put this feed at a URL with "sex dungeon" in it, so that if people were for some reason looking for an MIT sex dungeon, they would just find us serving each other food. We still find it pretty hilarious to send out emails like "Vegan chocolate-chip cookies on the sex dungeon! Come and get them!" Jazz Lounge A bunch of couches next to the dining room that's often a nice place for socializing. There are a bunch of abstract paintings on the walls, but no one is really sure how they got there. Octopus One of the first floor bathrooms. Has an octopus mural. Pineapple One of the first floor bathrooms. Used to be called the Champion, but then an old RA painted pineapples on it. The Veggie Patch Name: When this was the RA room, our RA painted a bunch of vegetables on it. Features: Loft, windows on both sides. Noise: Quiet (unless your neighbor in the Electric Bluegaloo is loud). Typical Capacity: Single. Electric Bluegaloo Name: A resident painted the whole thing electric blue, and the name stuck. The room was previously called the Sink. Features: The Electric Bluegaloo is the only room in pika with a sink. It also has a double loft and built-in shelving. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Drug Name: Some summer residents left a bunch of unusually sketchy drug paraphernelia here once. Features: Sleeping closet (not in use in the pictures above; if in use, there is much more floor space.) Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double. The Fractal Name: Cool fractal-y murals! Features: Aforementioned cool murals. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Neptune Name: Used to be called "The End", because it was at the end of the hall. Features: Right next to a bathroom and a door out to the deck. View of back yard. Loft. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. Second Floor The Rush Name: There are two rumored stories; first, that this was the room interested freshmen would crash in during rush, and second, that this was the room antisocial pikans would hide in during rush. Take your pick. Features: Corner room (windows on two sides). Cool leopard mural. Window to the second floor balcony. Noise: Not quiet; above the Murph. Light sleepers should be wary. Typical Capacity: Double. The Flower Name: There's a beautiful flowery mural on the door. Features: Corner room (windows on two sides). Window to the second floor balcony. Noise: Not quiet; above the dining room. Typically not as loud as the Rush or the Knot. Typical Capacity: Double. The Knot Name: Many people initially assume the name is related to the net hanging from the ceiling. Actually, it's from the intricate Celtic knot on the door. Features: Net hanging from ceiling (has been tested up to supporting 2 medium-sized humans). Corner room (windows on two sides). Sleeping closet. Door sawed in half for more extensive door configuration possibilities. Sleeping closet. Noise: Not quiet; above the dining room, and sleeping closet borders the Party Shower. Typical Capacity: Double. The Rainbow Name: Used to have a big rainbow flag and a rainbow painted radiator. Then it had a Dark Side of The Moon Resistor Color Chart mural. Now it's just an unassuming double. Features: Door to the second-floor back deck. Brick wall. Loft. Door sawed in half for more extensive door configuration possibilities. Noise: Not quiet; above the kitchen. Lilah also sometimes mewls to be let in at the deck door. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Wood Name: Used to have ugly retro fake wood paneling. Then it had a mural of the woods. Neither of these remain, but the name does. Features: Elegant stork mural. Large closet. Loft. Noise: Moderate to quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Closet Name: It's a pretty small room. Features: Loft. Noise: Moderate to quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Coke Name: Originally, the door of the Coke was the front of an old-fashioned Coca-Cola vending machine. Due to fire code, we had to replace it with a real door, which we of course painted to resemble a Pepsi vending machine. Features: One of the largest rooms. Lofts. Corner room (windows on two sides). Noise: Moderate to quiet. Typical Capacity: Double or triple. The Toastie Name: Once had a mural of a toasted sandwich ("toastie" in the UK) on the door. Features: Door to the back deck. Loft. Ample shelving. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The T A bathroom on the second floor, themed around the Boston T system. Max Occ A small bathroom named after the sign on the door, which reads "MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY 8000 PERSONS". Party Shower The fanciest bathroom in pika, equipped with two showerheads, an extra-large shower, a Bluetooth speaker, and LED party lights. Third Floor The Darkness Name: Once known as "the most hardcore room in pika", painted mostly black. Now it's a little more unassuming. Features: Skylight. Window to the back deck. Vertical space. Loft. Access to the "void", which is essentially the crawl space between ceiling and roof. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Loeb Name: Comes from the Loeb measure in mathematics; all of the walls are kind of at funny angles. Features: Door to back deck. Corner room; windows on two sides. Loft; bottom of loft lights up. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Maze Name: Once had a maze mural on one of the walls. Then it was painted over, and then another maze mural was painted. Then that was painted over too. Features: Corner room; windows on two sides. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double. The Dragon Name: Unknown. Features: Funky slanted ceiling with stars on it. Nice view over front yard. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Compass Name: Comes from the spinner on the wall. You spin once, and land on an adjective from one of the circles of words. Spin again to get a noun from the other circle. Then explain what this combination would be like as a sex position. Oscillating centaur, anyone? Features: Compass game. Corner room; windows on two sides. Loft. Roof access through a window. Interesting door with what appears to be a porthole. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Skylight Name:A tiny single originally named "the coffin" for the coffin-like cubby where residents often put their bed. Most of this room used to be wasted space under the roof. Then one day, a pikan who had scored low in the singles lottery asked the house if he were to create a new single, could he live in it? When they agreed, he knocked down the walls of a small third floor closet and recovered the lost space into a really cool room. More recently, a pikan installed a skylight during work week, and got everyone to call it "the skylight". Features: Skylight. Interesting shape. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double or triple. The Pirate Ship Name: Once had a big projector and screen, and some took to calling it the screening room. Then they started calling it the pirate ship. Guess why. Features: Very large room. Nice pirate-themed murals. Corner room; windows on two sides. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double or triple. Murphlet A small common area with couches and a workbench alternately used for arts and crafts, sewing projects, and electrical engineering projects. The Operating Room We got the door for the third-floor bathroom when a bio lab was being demolished--it used to go on one of the big specimen freezers. So the bathroom has an old-school-sanitorium aesthetic. Deck Our wooden deck spans all three stories of the house! FAQ: How do I apply to live at pika? Our rush process is described here. How do I get on the mealplan? Email yfnkm at mit.edu to sign up! Feel free to come over and try it out a few times first. Whom do I contact with questions? pika-questions at mit.edu How do I hear about events at pika? Sign up for pika-social, our low-volume announcement list! We keep a sign-up sheet in the dining room, or you can email pika-questions at mit.edu. This mailing list will only inform you about big events, not the smaller, more private ones--for that you'll need to get to know people a little. What if I don't know anyone? Come over anyway! All of our best friends used to be strangers, and it's not unusual to have a couple new people at dinners (especially during rush, or on Fridays). What is an ILG? An ILG is an Independent Living Group, which is MIT's category for living groups that are not dorms and not greek. We live in a house in a residential neighborhood, which we own, and are entirely self-managed. We answer to neither a national organization nor MIT-installed officials. How much does it cost to live at pika? Definitely less than a dorm would cost you. We're a pretty thrifty bunch, and we have complete control over how our money is spent. Rent is decided by house consensus each semester, and is typically in the $3000-$3500 range. Note: this does not apply to summer pricing, which is fixed each semester before summer begins and based on number of roommates. Do I need to wear clothes at pika? Nope! pika is clothing-optional. This doesn't mean everyone is naked all the time, but it does mean that occasional non-sexual nudity is something residents are expected to be okay with. Does pika allow smoking? Yes, as long as it's not so public and/or excessive that it bothers other people. We call this rule "keep it ignorable". Does pika allow drinking? Same as our smoking policy above. Does pika have/allow pets? We have communally owned house animals (in the past we've had cats, chickens, turtles, and bees), but currently do not own any. However, as of 2023, we have residents with cat allergies, so we can't keep cats that would roam freely around the house. If you are the human to cats and would be okay with keeping them strictly in your room, then email us about it and we can discuss. However, reptiles, small rodents, and fish are fine. Can I live at pika if I'm not an MIT student? Unfortunately, no. We're supported by MIT as an Independent Living Group, and part of that designation is that we can only house MIT students. However, non-MIT folks can live at pika over the summer! Can I come for dinner if I'm not on mealplan? Yep! We welcome everybody! If you want extra brownie points, you could even come early and help cook. ;) Can I come for dinner if I'm not an MIT student? Absolutely! Can I be on mealplan if I'm not an MIT student? Yep! We pretty consistently have a few non-MIT mealplanners and we always welcome more. -> All invited! meals at 6:15. Other various events on-going the following is from 1-11-2024 [for updates, live links, application... go to the link above] seems like a magical place! *** About the Meal Plan [see more about the house below or at the link above] Signups Signups for mealplan happen at the beginning of each quarter. If you're on our social mailing list, pika-social@mit.edu, the signup form will be sent to you then. If you are not on the list and/or want to join mid-quarter; email yfnkm@mit.edu to sign up. Who can join? Short answer: anybody! pika's mealplan is open to residents and non-residents alike. Non-resident membership is not at all unusual; the mealplan is often only half residents! Non-MIT students and even non-students can also join--we usually have a few of them around as well. Pricing and Kitchen Duties Mealplan is typically around $100 per quarter, which comes out to just a couple dollars per meal. Half vs. Full Plans pika offers two mealplan options: - Full mealplan: Kitchen duty every week, come to dinner pretty much every day. - Half mealplan: Kitchen duty every two weeks, come to dinner pretty much half the days. Both plans are the same price; the only difference is frequency of kitchen duty. All residents have full mealplan included in rent. Non-residents typically choose half mealplan. Kitchen Duties Mealplan members can either cook or clean. Kitchen duties are done in pairs or triples and usually accompanied by music through our kitchen stereo system, but we pretend it's work anyway. Other Details [see website at above link] Dietary Restrictions and Balanced Meals [see website at above link] Part of cooking for pika is making sure other pikans are healthy. All our meals have vegetables and protein. We always have gluten-free and vegan options, including vegan protein. Also, we post a spreadsheet of mealplanners' favorite and least favorite foods; it's previously been standard to offer cilantro-free and mushroom-free options as a courtesy to mealplanners with strong preferences. Fancy Dinners Once a week, we have a fancy supper that we advertise to our social mailing list. Lates If you're going to be late for dinner, put in a request to lates.pikans.org and the cooks will save you a take-home box! Baking Sometimes, pikans and mealplanners use pika's kitchen and house groceries to make extra things, usually baked goods. As long as the results are shared with the house, and the dishes are cleaned afterwards, this is totally OK! Baking Parties Sometimes, pikans get together and bake. We don't actively advertise this, but if you hang around after dinner on the right nights and ask the right questions, you might be lucky enough to find yourself in the midst of one of these spectacular events. About the house: [see housetoor at above link] Basement/Laundry Free laundry! 2 washers, 2 driers. Reuse "Reuse" is MIT jargon for stuff that, rather than having been thrown away, was put in a designated place for other people to pick over. We keep our own, which contains mostly clothing but occasionally tech/tools/outdoor supplies/random other stuff. Cave Study room that's good for quiet work in isolation from the usual buzz of activity. Textbooks/Printers We have printers. We also have a "textbook library", where pikans put their used textbooks for others to access. Pantry We store surplus non-perishable food in this walk-in pantry. Once, many years ago, we had an issue with people leaving the door to the rice/pasta/cereal storage open, and some rodents got in. To fix this, a system was installed such that if you leave the door open for too long, a red light flashed and a casette player starts telling you to close the door in a strange, half-pleading half-irritated tone. Burrow Tiny study room with a desk and a chair, and not much else. TV Room Sometimes we gather to watch movies and TV here. It also stores most of our board game collection, and several shelves of books. Label Your Shit This is the storage room where residents can put their stuff. There's one rule--can you guess what it is? Shop We have a nicely-stocked machine shop, suitable for smallish projects or bike repair. First (Ground) Floor Murph The heart of pika, where everyone gathers for house meetings, casual hangouts, and jam sessions. Dining Room The second heart of pika, where everyone gathers to eat and talk. Kitchen Our massive industrial kitchen, complete with all the spices one could ever want. Sex Dungeon Not actually a sex dungeon--this is just our kitchen counter. There are a few stories about the name. One goes that we put up a camera so people could see a live feed of what was being served for dinner, and thought it would be hilarious to put this feed at a URL with "sex dungeon" in it, so that if people were for some reason looking for an MIT sex dungeon, they would just find us serving each other food. We still find it pretty hilarious to send out emails like "Vegan chocolate-chip cookies on the sex dungeon! Come and get them!" Jazz Lounge A bunch of couches next to the dining room that's often a nice place for socializing. There are a bunch of abstract paintings on the walls, but no one is really sure how they got there. Octopus One of the first floor bathrooms. Has an octopus mural. Pineapple One of the first floor bathrooms. Used to be called the Champion, but then an old RA painted pineapples on it. The Veggie Patch Name: When this was the RA room, our RA painted a bunch of vegetables on it. Features: Loft, windows on both sides. Noise: Quiet (unless your neighbor in the Electric Bluegaloo is loud). Typical Capacity: Single. Electric Bluegaloo Name: A resident painted the whole thing electric blue, and the name stuck. The room was previously called the Sink. Features: The Electric Bluegaloo is the only room in pika with a sink. It also has a double loft and built-in shelving. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Drug Name: Some summer residents left a bunch of unusually sketchy drug paraphernelia here once. Features: Sleeping closet (not in use in the pictures above; if in use, there is much more floor space.) Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double. The Fractal Name: Cool fractal-y murals! Features: Aforementioned cool murals. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Neptune Name: Used to be called "The End", because it was at the end of the hall. Features: Right next to a bathroom and a door out to the deck. View of back yard. Loft. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. Second Floor The Rush Name: There are two rumored stories; first, that this was the room interested freshmen would crash in during rush, and second, that this was the room antisocial pikans would hide in during rush. Take your pick. Features: Corner room (windows on two sides). Cool leopard mural. Window to the second floor balcony. Noise: Not quiet; above the Murph. Light sleepers should be wary. Typical Capacity: Double. The Flower Name: There's a beautiful flowery mural on the door. Features: Corner room (windows on two sides). Window to the second floor balcony. Noise: Not quiet; above the dining room. Typically not as loud as the Rush or the Knot. Typical Capacity: Double. The Knot Name: Many people initially assume the name is related to the net hanging from the ceiling. Actually, it's from the intricate Celtic knot on the door. Features: Net hanging from ceiling (has been tested up to supporting 2 medium-sized humans). Corner room (windows on two sides). Sleeping closet. Door sawed in half for more extensive door configuration possibilities. Sleeping closet. Noise: Not quiet; above the dining room, and sleeping closet borders the Party Shower. Typical Capacity: Double. The Rainbow Name: Used to have a big rainbow flag and a rainbow painted radiator. Then it had a Dark Side of The Moon Resistor Color Chart mural. Now it's just an unassuming double. Features: Door to the second-floor back deck. Brick wall. Loft. Door sawed in half for more extensive door configuration possibilities. Noise: Not quiet; above the kitchen. Lilah also sometimes mewls to be let in at the deck door. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Wood Name: Used to have ugly retro fake wood paneling. Then it had a mural of the woods. Neither of these remain, but the name does. Features: Elegant stork mural. Large closet. Loft. Noise: Moderate to quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Closet Name: It's a pretty small room. Features: Loft. Noise: Moderate to quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Coke Name: Originally, the door of the Coke was the front of an old-fashioned Coca-Cola vending machine. Due to fire code, we had to replace it with a real door, which we of course painted to resemble a Pepsi vending machine. Features: One of the largest rooms. Lofts. Corner room (windows on two sides). Noise: Moderate to quiet. Typical Capacity: Double or triple. The Toastie Name: Once had a mural of a toasted sandwich ("toastie" in the UK) on the door. Features: Door to the back deck. Loft. Ample shelving. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The T A bathroom on the second floor, themed around the Boston T system. Max Occ A small bathroom named after the sign on the door, which reads "MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY 8000 PERSONS". Party Shower The fanciest bathroom in pika, equipped with two showerheads, an extra-large shower, a Bluetooth speaker, and LED party lights. Third Floor The Darkness Name: Once known as "the most hardcore room in pika", painted mostly black. Now it's a little more unassuming. Features: Skylight. Window to the back deck. Vertical space. Loft. Access to the "void", which is essentially the crawl space between ceiling and roof. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Loeb Name: Comes from the Loeb measure in mathematics; all of the walls are kind of at funny angles. Features: Door to back deck. Corner room; windows on two sides. Loft; bottom of loft lights up. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Maze Name: Once had a maze mural on one of the walls. Then it was painted over, and then another maze mural was painted. Then that was painted over too. Features: Corner room; windows on two sides. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double. The Dragon Name: Unknown. Features: Funky slanted ceiling with stars on it. Nice view over front yard. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single. The Compass Name: Comes from the spinner on the wall. You spin once, and land on an adjective from one of the circles of words. Spin again to get a noun from the other circle. Then explain what this combination would be like as a sex position. Oscillating centaur, anyone? Features: Compass game. Corner room; windows on two sides. Loft. Roof access through a window. Interesting door with what appears to be a porthole. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Single or double. The Skylight Name:A tiny single originally named "the coffin" for the coffin-like cubby where residents often put their bed. Most of this room used to be wasted space under the roof. Then one day, a pikan who had scored low in the singles lottery asked the house if he were to create a new single, could he live in it? When they agreed, he knocked down the walls of a small third floor closet and recovered the lost space into a really cool room. More recently, a pikan installed a skylight during work week, and got everyone to call it "the skylight". Features: Skylight. Interesting shape. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double or triple. The Pirate Ship Name: Once had a big projector and screen, and some took to calling it the screening room. Then they started calling it the pirate ship. Guess why. Features: Very large room. Nice pirate-themed murals. Corner room; windows on two sides. Noise: Quiet. Typical Capacity: Double or triple. Murphlet A small common area with couches and a workbench alternately used for arts and crafts, sewing projects, and electrical engineering projects. The Operating Room We got the door for the third-floor bathroom when a bio lab was being demolished--it used to go on one of the big specimen freezers. So the bathroom has an old-school-sanitorium aesthetic. Deck Our wooden deck spans all three stories of the house! FAQ: How do I apply to live at pika? Our rush process is described here. How do I get on the mealplan? Email yfnkm at mit.edu to sign up! Feel free to come over and try it out a few times first. Whom do I contact with questions? pika-questions at mit.edu How do I hear about events at pika? Sign up for pika-social, our low-volume announcement list! We keep a sign-up sheet in the dining room, or you can email pika-questions at mit.edu. This mailing list will only inform you about big events, not the smaller, more private ones--for that you'll need to get to know people a little. What if I don't know anyone? Come over anyway! All of our best friends used to be strangers, and it's not unusual to have a couple new people at dinners (especially during rush, or on Fridays). What is an ILG? An ILG is an Independent Living Group, which is MIT's category for living groups that are not dorms and not greek. We live in a house in a residential neighborhood, which we own, and are entirely self-managed. We answer to neither a national organization nor MIT-installed officials. How much does it cost to live at pika? Definitely less than a dorm would cost you. We're a pretty thrifty bunch, and we have complete control over how our money is spent. Rent is decided by house consensus each semester, and is typically in the $3000-$3500 range. Note: this does not apply to summer pricing, which is fixed each semester before summer begins and based on number of roommates. Do I need to wear clothes at pika? Nope! pika is clothing-optional. This doesn't mean everyone is naked all the time, but it does mean that occasional non-sexual nudity is something residents are expected to be okay with. Does pika allow smoking? Yes, as long as it's not so public and/or excessive that it bothers other people. We call this rule "keep it ignorable". Does pika allow drinking? Same as our smoking policy above. Does pika have/allow pets? We have communally owned house animals (in the past we've had cats, chickens, turtles, and bees), but currently do not own any. However, as of 2023, we have residents with cat allergies, so we can't keep cats that would roam freely around the house. If you are the human to cats and would be okay with keeping them strictly in your room, then email us about it and we can discuss. However, reptiles, small rodents, and fish are fine. Can I live at pika if I'm not an MIT student? Unfortunately, no. We're supported by MIT as an Independent Living Group, and part of that designation is that we can only house MIT students. However, non-MIT folks can live at pika over the summer! Can I come for dinner if I'm not on mealplan? Yep! We welcome everybody! If you want extra brownie points, you could even come early and help cook. ;) Can I come for dinner if I'm not an MIT student? Absolutely! Can I be on mealplan if I'm not an MIT student? Yep! We pretty consistently have a few non-MIT mealplanners and we always welcome more.
mission: We are a continuing experiment in cooperative living. We cook together, clean together, and make all house decisions by consensus. There's art on every wall, instruments everywhere, and spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen. Our pantry yells if you leave it open, there's a three-story firepole, and our rooms have bizarre names. There is no "typical pikan". We have a wide array of interests and personalities. But if you want a place that is weird and wonderful, that loves roasting vegetables, that's sex positive and queer friendly, independent and thrifty, artsy and nifty, we might be the place for you. -> We are a continuing experiment in cooperative living. We cook together, clean together, and make all house decisions by consensus. There's art on every wall, instruments everywhere, and spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen. Our pantry yells if you leave it open, there's a three-story firepole, and our rooms have bizarre names. There is no "typical pikan". We have a wide array of interests and personalities. But if you want a place that is weird and wonderful, that loves roasting vegetables, that's sex positive and queer friendly, independent and thrifty, artsy and nifty, we might be the place for you.

name: Community House w/low cost meal plan/events for non-residents -> Community House rooms for rent + low cost meal plan/events for non-residents
facility_type: Volunteer Camp -> Shelter