pika

69 Chestnut Street, Cambridge
co-ed, undergrad & grad
about 30 residents
http://www.pikans.org/
Contact: David Glasser and Marc Rios
cell phone: 610-283-1196
house phone: 617-492-6983 (press 0 for the main phone desk)
email: pika-rush@mit.edu

pika (pronounced pie-ka) is a co-ed cooperative that houses around 30 MIT undergraduate and graduate students. pikans call home a 3-story former boarding house, vintage 1910. We have continually remodeled and improved our house since its purchase in 1970, adding everything from new bedrooms to our four-story interconnected porch system including a roofdeck, firepole, and (environmentally friendly) treehouse attached via drawbridge. At the beginning of each term, all pikans enter a lottery to choose rooms and roommates to live in our 12 doubles and 7 singles. Because of the lottery system, everyone has an equal chance of getting first-pick or last-pick room — there is no seniority. All of the rooms at pika have unique characteristics — from lofts or sleeping closets to window seats, hardwood floors, murals, and porch access. And if you don't like your room, nothing prevents you from tearing it apart and rebuilding it from scratch — pika even provides the tools.

pika has an open kitchen and pantry stocked with staples including cereal, breads, juice, milk, fruit, vegetables, sandwich materials, soup, pasta, beans, tea, coffee, and so on. Breakfast, lunch, and midnight snacks are do-it-yourself; once a week every pikan either cooks dinner or cleans up afterwards as part of a team. pika also provides pantry and refrigerator space for personal food. The best thing about our meal plan is that you don't have to live here to be on it. For a small fee (less than you'll pay to eat on campus), and the willingness to perform a kitchen duty twice a month (ie, learn to cook!), you can enjoy a freshly cooked meal every day of the week. There's always a vegetarian option, but don't worry — the cooks usually include some rabid carnivores too. Dinner is every night at 6:15 (not just during rush!); it's one of the best times to meet the house.

Each room contains high-speed network ports, and the house is covered with wireless access (ah, nothing like surfing the web in a treehouse). We also have plenty of house computers (Athena, Mac, and Windows), including in the kitchen where you can listen to our housewide MP3 server while you cook. Other features include washers and driers (with free detergent!), bike storage barns and repair tools, a television room/library (with cable and TiVo), 2 lounges, a storage room, extra bikes for emergency use, a piano, the only pantry in the world whose rat alarm is a philosophical debate, a workshop with every tool you'll need, an industrial size kitchen, a massive dining room, parking, and an herb and vegetable garden.

What is co-operative housing? For one thing, it means that the residents are responsible for maintaining the house. All pika's residents are assigned a house duty each quarter: each person holds an office or is responsible for keeping a particular area of the house in order. We have no president: any major policy issue is voted on in our housemeetings. Being a co-op also means that we have no seniority, and no pledge period: once you accept a bid at pika and move in, you are a full member. On average, each member contributes 2-4 hours per week to “co-operative living”—a fair trade for a clean house and tasty home-cooked dinners every night of the week. While we don't place restrictions on anyone's recreational activities, we ask that everyone practice responsibility, respect and safety. To this end, the house does not serve alcohol at parties.

In a house with so few rules, it's natural to find a wide variety of interests. Many pikans go hiking or biking frequently; others are involved in campus groups ranging from Shakespeare Ensemble and Concert Choir to United Trauma Relief and the Western Hemisphere Project; as far as academic interests go, pikans had at least fifteen different majors this spring (including some you've probably never heard of), and will be happy to help you with your tooling. So stop on by! Don't forget: Dinner at 6:15 every night!

Directions

Walking/biking: Walk to the end of dorm row and across to Vassar Street by Westgate. Cross Vassar Street and walk straight through the parking lot on the north side (Simmons will be on your right). You will come to the railroad tracks. Walk over the railroad tracks ("Martin Amis Crossing") and bear to the left, around the park with the scary revolutionary war iron statues. Go left at Waverly Street, then take the first right onto Putnam Ave. (Vertex Pharmaceuticals is on the corner). Take the first left onto Sidney St. and then the first right onto Chestnut St. pika is #69, halfway down the block on the right.

From Boston and Brookline: Cross the B.U. Bridge into Cambridge. Go halfway around the rotary, and take the exit marked "Cambridgeport". This will place you on Brookline Ave., which shortly becomes a one-way street. Take the first right turn after this happens, which will be Chestnut St. pika is halfway down the block on the left at 69 Chestnut St.

SafeRide: Cambridge West route.

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