26 Jul “Bestie row,” a modern, communal twist on the old age home
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
For years, Jodi Zipp and her friends in Austin had bandied about a collective fantasy: To continue the meals and laughter they loved sharing together now well into their old age.
A series of Gulfstreams on a plot of land, they imagined–with one for a nurse, who would care for them all. It would be their own version of a rest home that allowed them to grow old, together. A way to avoid separation in their later years.
After years of discussion, and a bit of searching, they found the plot of land, on the Llano River in Texas, that allowed them to make their dream come true.
Instead of Gulfstreams, they commissioned an architect, Matt Garcia, who created a series of tiny, efficient houses, and a larger communal living space for meals and hanging out. Each of the private residences cost just $40k each.
When word first got out about this compound outside Austin, the place known as the “Llano Exit Strategy” became an Internet sensation. “Bestie Row,” People magazine called it.
We talked to Jodi from her home base in Austin about how this group of friends worked together on this project. And about the most adult twist to this mix of friends.
For more photos of the compound, see this listing of it on AirBnB.