A Sixties-Style Cooperative Thrives in River City

A lot of Californians are still steeped in the sixties. You know them: they still use words like “radical,” they have a nice peace sign on their car or clothing, and they believe in peace, love, and understanding.

Parts of that philosophical point of view are still present in a small community right here in Riverside. If you stand in the middle of Bonaminio Park and look towards Mount Rubidoux, you will see a gated apartment complex sitting up the hill a bit. The buildings are unassuming, off-white stucco structures, most of them with two stories and four apartment units each.

The property is called Braemar Cooperative Apartments, with ninety units and 8+ acres. The apartments come in several sizes, from studios to roomy two-bedroom units. There is a clubhouse, a swimming pool, and lots of water-wise gardens as the co-op moves to reduce water usage by eliminating grassy areas.

Braemar was one of three original co-op communities that came about in the 1960s: one in Palm Springs, one in Riverside, and one in Redlands. The Riverside community is the only one still operating within its original plans and guidelines. The cooperative concept is taken very seriously here: everybody who lives here is expected to participate in both the governance and the operations.

What I love about Braemar, where we’ve lived for the past ten years, is its relative affordability and the fact that there are only two salaried employees, a property manager, and a maintenance man. Most other management tasks are performed by volunteer committee members and an elected Board of Directors. Board decisions are transparent, and there is often lively discussion at the monthly Board meetings.

Happily, Braemar has an active Social Committee that sponsors holiday events, dinners, weekend donuts and coffee, and even a parking lot sale.  There is a monthly newsletter and websites both for members and non-members.

Braemar is very popular with potential applicants primarily because of its relative affordability. An applications committee that reports directly to the Board reviews applications and sets up interviews with folks who qualify. The process is comparatively simple, but it can take years now that most of the units are regularly occupied.

Are there downsides? Yes, a few. If you want to upgrade your floors, windows, kitchen, or bathroom, for example, you need to pay for that yourself and leave the bulk of the improvements in place when you move. There are rules to be followed, mostly concerning the exterior appearance and state-mandated safety features. And, like all small towns, you really get to know your neighbors, sometimes a little more than you might like to know them. But in a large city like Riverside, it is refreshing to know that genuine community and financial affordability still exist, even if you have to wait a while to get them.

You can visit www.liveatbraemar.com to get a better sense of the place.

By Annie Chesnut