What makes a great room great? 100 uncommonly good ideas for things to do in a common house.

Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) welcomes guests to a Casablanca party at Doyle Street Cohousing in Emeryville, CA. (Photo by Evangeline Welch)

Editor's note: This list first appeared in our Fall 2001 issue. Cohousers across the U.S. offered the diverse list of suggestions below.

1. Wine-tasting with candlelight and jazz (RoseWind)
2. 80th birthday party (Cambridge)
3. Yoga class (New View)
4. Kitchen committee meeting (Vashon)
5. Children's theater rehearsal (Arcadia)
6. Thanksgiving feast (Village)
7. Wildlife area plantings meeting (Sharingwood)
8. Mask-making day (Middle Road)
9. Guys Baking Pies Day (EcoVillage Ithaca)
10. Bicycle club meeting (RoseWind)
11. Graduation day parade (EcoVillage Ithaca)
12. Adoption party (Muir Commons)
13. Green Party meeting (Muir Commons)
14. Northeast Organic Farmers Association conference (EcoVillage Ithaca)
15. Soccer parents meeting (Tierra Nueva)
16. Portland Cohousing Forum (Trillium Hollow)
17. Dinner for 40 (Commons on the Alameda)
18. Dinner for 18 (Cardiff Place)
19. Maintenance committee meeting (WindSong)
20. Marimba workshop (Middle Road)
21. Chocolate milk and cookies Snow Day (Cambridge)
22. Blessing Way for mother-to-be (Tierra Nueva)
23. Sister Cities meeting (Village)
24. Men's group (Nomad)
25. Girls' tea party (Sharingwood)
26. Housing for Tibetan monks (Arcadia)
27. Wake (Arcadia)
28. Pizza and games night (East Lake Commons)
29. A cappella rehearsal (New Alchemy)
30. Sewing Bee - "stitch & bitch" club (New Alchemy)
31. Spanish lessons (New View)
32. America Field Service student exchange meeting (Marsh Commons)
33. Kiss behind the mailboxes (won't tell)
34. Music circle (Nomad)
35. Temporary church meeting (WindSong)
36. Opening night theater reception (Nomad)
37. Holiday gift exchange (N Street)
38. Pumpkin carving (Cardiff Place)
39. Friday night Potluck (New View)
40. TCN Board meeting (River Rock)
41. Summer camp class (East Lake Commons)
42. CSA produce distribution (Lake Claire)
43. Clothing exchange (Sharingwood)
44. Northwest Regional Cohousing conference (Bellingham)
45. Wedding (Doyle Street, River Rock, Greyrock, Pioneer Valley)
46. Move-in celebration and folk dance (Bellingham)
47. Resident art show (Cambridge)
48. New cohousing group meeting (Sacramento Street)
49. Election Night TV-watching party (Eno Commons)
50. Super Bowl TV party (Doyle Street)
51. Pajamas and story night (Sharingwood)
52. Progressive puzzle table (Swan's Market)
53. Story-telling circle (Pioneer Valley)
54. Mardi Gras party (Sunward)
55. Home schooling activities (Sunward)
56. Thursday night poker (Takoma Village)
57. Board games night (Swan's Market)
58. Chamber music concert (Marsh Commons)
59. Annual Spring Fun Faire (Middle Road)
60. Memorial service (Sacramento Street)
61. Bar Mitzvah (Middle Road)
62. Steiner study group (New Village Cohousing Alchemy)
63. Homeopathic study group (Muir Commons)
64. Farewell circle (River Rock)
65. “Hair and Nails” Salon' 13th birthday party (Swan's Market)
66. Passover Seder for 35 (Eno Commons)
67. Baby shower (Swan's Market)
68. Afternoon with piano teacher (Doyle Street)
69. Community guitar lesson (Eno Commons)
70. "Getting Hitched" party (Nyland)
71. Neighborhood potluck (Harmony)
72. Talent show (Highline Crossing)
73. Buffy the Vampire TV night (Nyland)
74. Day of the Dead parade and burrito-bar potluck (N Street)
75. Easter egg hunt (N Street)
76. Wedding reception (Bellingham)
77. Ballot Initiative meeting (Harmony)
78. Pub Night (Bellingham)
79. City Council Candidates Forum (Cambridge)
80. Sunday morning a-bag and NY Times (Lake Claire)
81. Cub Scout meeting (Vashon)
82. 16th birthday party (N Street)
83. Neighborhood Council meeting (N Street)
84. Bridge Night (Trillium Hollow)
85. Mom and baby support group (Sacramento Street)
86. Home business group meeting (WindSong)
87. Book club meeting (WindSong)
88. Oscar Night party (Trillium Hollow)
89. Wood-working class (Marsh Commons)
90. Bluegrass jam session (Swan's Market)
91. Disability advocates meeting (East Lake Commons)
92. Getting it Built workshop (Doyle Street)
93. Women's group (Pioneer Valley)
94. Laundry (Vashon)
95. Family reunion (Village)
96. Meeting on proposed golf course behind community (Harmony)
97. Cooking class and jam-baking (Marsh Commons) -
98. Homeowners Association meeting (Commons on the Alameda)
99. New group practice dinner (Doyle Street
100. Bonfire and stories on open porch (Nyland)

Got more creative ideas? Send us your favorite or unusual common house activity.