Single Female Retirees Make Their Own Community

The headline on the piece in the New York Times pretty much sums things up: "11 Women, 9 Dogs, Not Much Drama (and No Guys)." The story by Lisa Miller explores the Bird's Nest, a community of single, retired women living in mobile tiny houses on a remote plot of land in eastern Texas. It's the brainchild of Robyn Yerian, 70, and one born of necessity about eight years ago when she realized retirement would be difficult with her nest egg. She bought the 5.5-acre parcel and her tiny house for $150,000—"everything she had"—and began renting plots to fellow tiny-home owners after installing sewage and electric lines. Miller notes that the concept of retiring among friends is one gaining in popularity—and she takes a look at how Yerian's community is faring.

One notable thing is that the women never met before settling here. As Miller notes, the idea of retiring with current friends might be appealing, but the logistics of that given people's different timetables is hard to pull off. The women of the Bird's Nest look out for one another and do their best to abide by the one cardinal rule of "no drama." A general principle is that if somebody is inside their home, nobody bothers her. If she's outside, she's "fair game." They navigate differences over politics, religion, and cats, though a love of dogs is a must. Newcomers are vetted in a group interview, and men need not apply—the rule is that the women don't even want male visitors on premises because it changes the dynamic of, well, everything. "If you're dating somebody, they have a home, right?" says resident Sherry Moore. "You go there." Read the full story.