Habitat by Alexandra Tults

interiors / lifestyle

humble homes for active humans

Spring 2015

habitat Rent City exploring small apartments to understand roommate culture and the nature of temporary housing

10-14

Home Turf profile: follow Andrea Tults, a studio artist making a living in New York

6-9

Spring 2015

letter from the editor : We like to think of home as more than just a living space. Home is the culmination of a personalized space, the surrounding environment in which it exists, and the relationship between those with whom the space is shared. While many dream of spacious dwellings and sprawling properties, we cherish living spaces of a more modest nature. Here at habitat, we love to explore the lives of those with small homes and small budgets. We are fascinated by the sacrifices people make to maintain an active lifestyle in captivating locations. In this Spring 2015 issue, we shift our focus towards the lifestyles and relationships of those living in small, urban spaces. Join us in exploring the financial, spacial, and interpersonal demands of living in alluring urban centers. Celebrate the interaction between personal spaces and shared communities that allows for a home to become a habitat.

Alexandra Tults

Contents

6 Home Turf 6-9 profile: follow Andrea Tults, a studio artist making a living in New York words and images by Alexandra Tults

10 Rent City 10-14 exploring small apartments to understand roommate culture and the nature of temporary housing words by Andrea Tults images by Alexandra Tults

habitat

4 For The View celebrating the big environments that surround little homes words by Catherine Lacey

4 Urban Gardening incorporating greenery into an urban apartment images by Alexandra Tults

5 Spacemakers making the most out of your small space words by Lydia Schmidt images by Alexandra Tults

Spring 2015

Departments

For The Lifestyle a reflection on the perks of living minimally in the city by Catherine Lacey succulent orbs and windowsills save space

Urban Gardening how to incorporate greenery into your apartment images by Alexandra Tults

For most single New Yorkers, the tyranny of living in a small space, or worse, a shared space, is all too familiar. And with the number of single New Yorkers growing, the demand for more of these spaces is inevitable. Enter My Micro NY, the city’s first micro-apartment complex, at 335 East 27th Street, with 55 units ranging from 260 to 360 square feet. The building will begin leasing studios this summer for around $2,000 to $3,000 a month. My Micro NY, made of prefabricated modular units built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, will be stacked into place this spring. The apartments will come with kitchenettes, wheelchair-accessible bathrooms, ceilings over nine feet high and big windows. And to help make living in a small space more palatable, tenants will have access to storage units and common spaces scattered throughout the building for convenience. To waive current zoning and density rules that limit apartments to no less than 400 square feet. The interior of the winning design, “My Micro NY,” in New York City’s tiny-apartment competition. The entry packs a lot into units less than 370 square feet. The project is being watched with interest by both housing advocates and developers, and not just because of its modular construction. Housing advocates say the creation of more micro-apartments could open up many more reasonably priced living options. More units dedicated to singles could eventually bring down rent prices across the city, as more two- to four-bedroom apartments would then open up to families. Singles looking for larger apartments to share with others may have artificially inflated the rental market, as the combined incomes of roommates can be greater. To waive current zoning and density rules that limit apartments to no less than 400 square feet. The interior of the winning design, “My Micro NY,” in New York City’s tiny-apartment competition. The entry packs a lot into units less than 370 square feet. The project is being watched with interest by both housing advocates and developers, and not just because of its modular construction. Housing advocates say the creation of more micro-apartments could open up many more reasonably priced living options. More units dedicated to singles could eventually bring down rent prices across the city, as more two- to four-bedroom apartments would then open up to families. Singles looking for larger apartments to share with others may have artificially inflated the rental market, as the combined incomes of roommates can be greater.

habitat

5 Clockwise from top left: an empty corner becomes bike storage

hanging racks save space for small cabinets

personal belongings all have their own space

Spacemakers how to make the most out of your small space words by Lydia Schmidt For years, temporary walls (i.e., room dividers, rent-savers, space-creators) have answered the prayers of NYC apartment hunters looking to save space and money. With a one day installation and a one-time payment averaging between $800-$2000 (based on wall size and type), a one bedroom apartment could turn into a two, a two bedroom into a three, and so on. Being both convenient and affordable, temporary walls are an easy fix for young professionals and students looking to rent within a budget. The wall gives apartment hunters the luxury of expanding their search, allowing them to consider additional factors they may have been previously

unable to prioritize, such as neighborhood, commute time, and building amenities. There are three different types of temporary walls to choose from that better fit your needs based on budget, apartment size, building regulations, and of course, personal preference: pressurized walls, partial walls, and bookshelf walls. Just remember: get your landlordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approval first. With a one day installation and a one-time payment averaging between $800-$2000 (based on wall size and type), a one bedroom apartment could turn into a two, a two bedroom into a three, and so on. Just remember to get your landlordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approval first.

Spring 2015

Andrea getting ready for the studio

habitat

HOME TURF follow Andrea Tults, a studio artist living in New York, and check out the place she calls home. words by Alex Tults, images by Alexandra Tults

Spring 2015

The bedroom was no wider than a subway car, painted Q-train yellow, and had a window facing a construction site that jackhammered at all hours. But I couldn’t wait to move in. I’d answered a Craigslist ad to join a new communal home, and though I wasn’t sure I was the communal-home type, I was also in a phase of reconsidering what type of person I might be. My six housemates planned to open a collectively owned and operated bed-andbreakfast in our building. If our projected costs and occupancy rates were correct (and if the jackhammering would let up), each partner would work 10 to 15 hours a week at the co-op to cover our rent, utilities and shared groceries, freeing up time to pursue the low-tozero-pay projects we all had in music, art, education and writing. Last year David Byrne publicly bemoaned New York’s bank-breaking living costs as a blight on the creative classes. Patti Smith has warned non-independently wealthy artists to take the next Greyhound to cities like Detroit. More recently, Clayton Patterson, a photographer and chronicler of city life, announced that he was moving abroad, saying, “There’s nothing left for me here.” And yet many young people still move here to work in publishing, theater or the arts, despite the modest paychecks, and plenty of struggling artists remain inspired and enriched by the city. There are also far more resources for funding and support here than in your average city: our public library, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Creative Capital, to name a few. But you still have to pay the rent. How? My experience with a small cooperatively owned business offers one possible solution, especially for those with a craft or passion project vying for their attention. The only reason I can see why artists aren’t starting more worker co-ops is the challenge of getting businesses off the ground. When we started our bed-and-breakfast in 2010, I was a slightly idealistic 25-year-old, but I knew our plan could fail or spend years limping at the mouth of failure, as so many seemed-like-a-great-idea businesses do. If it succeeded, however, I hoped to be able to work full time on a nascent fiction-thing I wasn’t yet calling a novel, worried I might scare it away. We hired an accountant and a lawyer to make sure our sweat-equity business model and tax registration were all in order, hammered out the legal details of one of the partners’ lending a chunk of his savings to the co-op, tracked our progress on a huge spreadsheet, then went to work. The first year was the hardest for us, most notably because the two-floor apartment we rent had endured more than a decade of abuse by a recently departed and possibly deranged tenant, Carl. At some point Carl had been running something that — only in the most generous terms — could be called an inn. We spent about four months un-Carling the house, which he’d left packed to the ceiling with broken furniture, spare mattresses and all manner of detritus hauled off the street. His decorating style, if you could call it that, erred on the side of optical abuse — nasty fabrics staple-gunned over walls painted puke green, moldy aubergine or a color I can describe only as “scab.” We uncovered dubious plumbing maneuvers and ludicrous electrical work, and found that most of the windows had been bolted over with plexiglass — the place hadn’t felt a natural breeze since the 90s. The word “Carl” became house slang for lazy work, ugliness or a surrender to entropy: all cardinal enemies of a well-run cooperative. “The fuse box is all Carled up,” we explained to our beloved, jolly electrician. “Don’t be a Carl,” we warned one another. Carl — patron saint of bad decisions. Carl — chooser of hideous paints. Carl — a menace, a scapegoat, the name of our deepest fears. Carl. The Great Un-Carling was also a crash course in what it meant to function as a cooperative: half exciting, half difficult, always something to learn. Before this, I’d suspected that cooperative homes were full of naïve, shower-eschewing college kids wearing a lot of hemp and believing too many platitudes, I probably spend but thankfully, that was not the case here. There was no chore wheel, no folky singmore time in the alongs to a bongo beat — just the agreement studio than I spend that living intentionally with others was better than blithely tolerating roommates, that great at my home. New York tradition.While cleaning, painting and hauling junk, I had those sorts of long talks with my housemates that ended with the

habitat

Making a cup of espressor before a day in the studio

feeling that we’d just written a book aloud together. We debated philosophy, told long, meandering stories, and offered support through dating woes and other hazards of the urban 20-something. But we became like a family in the more difficult ways, too; we annoyed or disappointed one another, and sometimes wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Add to this the stress of opening a business — the small failures and bone-deep fatigue of manual labor — and you could easily experience a full range of human emotion in a single afternoon, especially in those early days. What could be more familial than that? We debated philosophy, told long, meandering stories, and offered support through dating woes and other hazards of the urban 20-something. But we became like a family in the more difficult ways, too; we annoyed or disappointed one another, and sometimes wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Add to this the stress of opening a business — the small failures and bone-deep fatigue of manual labor — and you could easily experience a full range of human emotion in a single afternoon, especially in those early days. What could be more familial than that? The first year was the hardest for us, most notably because the two-floor apartment we rent had endured more than a decade of abuse by a recently departed and possibly deranged tenant, Carl. At some point Carl had been running something that — only in the most generous terms — could be called an inn. We spent about four months un-Carling the house, which he’d left packed to the ceiling with broken furniture, spare mattresses and all manner of detritus hauled off the street. His decorating style, if you could call it that, erred on the side of optical abuse — nasty fabrics staple-gunned over walls painted puke green, moldy aubergine or a color I can describe only as “scab.” We uncovered dubious plumbing maneuvers and ludicrous electrical work, and found that most of the windows had been bolted over with plexiglass — the place hadn’t felt a natural breeze since the 90s.

Spring 2015

an apartment complex in Brooklyn >

rent city words and images by Alexandra Tults

habitat

We are exploring small dwellings in big cities to understand the nature of roommate culture and temporary housing.

Spring 2015

a cozy living room

EVERY SPRING (and occasionally starting in the winter), the loaded bicycles and trailers start piling up outside the Adventure Cycling “world headquarters” in Missoula, Montana. Throughout the rest of the summer and fall about 1,000 sunburnt, helmet-haired, smiling, and oft odorous cyclists wander through the office for an ice-cream, a polaroid, and a chance to experience the quirky, down-to-earth “mecca” where historic bikes and black-and-white portraits of cyclists hang on the walls and where bicycle travel became a thing. Many of them are riding Adventure Cycling’s longest and most popular cross-country route, the TransAmerica Trail. The summer of 1976 saw a similarly sunburnt and carefree group of cyclists who were participating in the Bikecentennial ride that established the TransAmerica Trail and launched Adventure Cycling. These cyclists and those following in their tread have kept Adventure Cycling’s wheels turning with their inspirational, unique, strange, funny, adventurous stories, photos and personalities, their volunteering and contributions, reports from the road, dreams of new routes, and infectious love of bicycle travel. And we do our part to keep their wheels turning too. In this respect, not much has changed over the last (almost) 40 years. The TransAm is still the iconic bicycle route that provides a

habitat

pedal-powered means for people, young and old, of all income levels and backgrounds, to experience self-empowerment, a rite of passage, or transformative exploration of their backyard landscapes and themselves. As Dan Ambrosio wrote in an article chronicling the history of Bikecentennial, “Many cyclists who took part in 1976 (and those who take TransAmerica trips today) say essentially the same thing about the experience: “I learned more about this country in 90 days than most people learn in a lifetime.” And more about themselves. Every one of us should, someday, have an experience like the Bikecentennial summer of 1976.” Bikecentennial was a big vision that could easily have dissipated had it not had passionate, hard-working, and idealistic staff and supporters who made it happen. Greg Siple, current art director and a founder of Adventure Cycling, describes the vision in its earlier stages: “My original thought was to send out ads and flyers saying, ‘Show up at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco at 9 o’clock on June 1 with your bicycle. And then we were going to bicycle across the country. I pictured thousands of people, a sea of people with their bikes and packs all ready to go, and there would be old men and people with balloon-tire bikes and Frenchmen who flew over just for this. Nobody would shoot a gun off or anything. At 9 o’clock everybody would just start moving. It would be like this crowd of locusts crossing America.” The event evolved from its originally envisioned spontaneous exodus of cyclists, but the amazing thing is that it happened. There were 300 trips consisting of 4,100 men and women representing all 50 states and several other countries taking part; 2,000 of them cycled the full 4,250 miles from Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown, Virginia. Over only a few decades Bikecentennial’s legacy and development into Adventure Cycling has created a network of over 42,000 miles of mapped bicycle routes, 100 tours, an award-winning magazine, and 47,000 members. And while there is no large-scale organized event, every year thousands of cyclists depart on their own TransAmerica adventures, fueled by the same desire for exploration, self-discovery and camaraderie

Home is where my roommates and my coffee maker are.

as the original Bikecentennial riders. A New Chapter for the TransAm: U.S. Bicycle Route 76. Now another vision is helping cyclists to experience the TransAmerica Trail and other interstate bicycle routes in a new way – the U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS integrates existing bicycle routes like the TransAm and new routes created by local and state partners on roads and trails to create a national system of numbered and signed bicycle routes that will eventually connect all of the lower 48 states (also in Alaska and Hawaii) with over 50,000 miles of routes. The TransAm route, aptly numbered U.S. Bicycle Route 76, already has 1,613 miles of approved route designations in Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. Official approval from state transportation agencies encourages the development of bicycle-friendly improvements and infrastructure along the route. Engaging tourism agencies, local bike/trail groups, and businesses helps to create bicycle-friendly communities that bring sustainable economic growth through increased bicycle tours. Celebrating U.S. Bicycle Route 76 in Missouri. Missouri in particular has a lot to celebrate when it comes to USBR 76/TransAm Trail. The state designated and signed the route in the same year – 2013 – which no other state has since accomplished in that time span. The route traverses 350 miles, from the Mississippi River in Chester, Illinois, to the Kansas state line near Golden City. Cyclists climb the beautiful Ozark Mountains, one of the oldest ranges in the world, ride through lush, green forests and agricultural land, and can swim at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park on the East Fork of the Black River. They spend their dollars locally, stopping at small town cafes and restaurants to fuel up on pie and coffee, picking up bike parts at local bike shops, and finding quirky accommodations like Al’s Place, an old jailhouse that was rennovated into a bike hostel in Farmington, Missouri. Towns like Farmington (population 17,800) have used the TransAmerica Trail to create a culture of welcoming bicycle travelers and building their identity as a bicycle tourism destination. Farmington will be hosting a celebration and dedication of the TransAm’s designation as U.S. Bicycle

Route 76 this Saturday, October 11th at Al’s Place on 11 North Franklin, starting at 11:30 am. We welcome you to join us and our partners, the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, the Missouri Dept of Transportation, and the City of Farmington, for this event which will feature speakers, lunch and a dedication cake, and tours of Al’s Place. It will be an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the history of the TransAmerica Trail and the benefits that 40 years of bicycle travel has brought to Farmington and to Missouri, and to celebrate its incorporation into the U.S. Bicycle Route System.

a bed shared by roommates

Spring 2015

where living room and bedroom meet

(and occasionally starting in the winter), the loaded bicycles and trailers start piling up outside the Adventure Cycling “world headquarters” in Missoula, Montana. Throughout the rest of the summer and fall about 1,000 sunburnt, helmet-haired, smiling, and oft odorous cyclists wander through the office for an ice-cream, a polaroid, and a chance to experience the quirky, down-to-earth “mecca” where historic bikes and black-and-white portraits of cyclists hang on the walls and where bicycle travel became a thing. Many of them are riding Adventure Cycling’s longest and most popular cross-country route, the TransAmerica Trail. The summer of 1976 saw a similarly sunburnt and carefree group of cyclists who were participating in the Bikecentennial ride that established the TransAmerica Trail and launched Adventure Cycling. These cyclists and those following in their tread have kept Adventure Cycling’s wheels turning with their inspirational, unique, strange, funny, adventurous stories, photos and personalities, their volunteering and contributions, reports from the road, dreams of new routes, and infectious love of bicycle travel. And we do our part to keep their wheels turning too. In this respect, not much has changed over the last (almost) 40 years. The TransAm is still the iconic bicycle route that provides a pedal-powered means for people, young and old, of all income levels and backgrounds, to experience self-empowerment, a rite of passage, or transformative exploration of their backyard landscapes and themselves. As Dan Ambrosio wrote in an article chronicling the history of Bikecentennial, “Many cyclists who

habitat

took part in 1976 (and those who take TransAmerica trips today) say essentially the same thing about the experience: “I learned more about this country in 90 days than most people learn in a lifetime.” And more about themselves. Every one of us should, someday, have an experience like the Bikecentennial summer of 1976.” Bikecentennial was a big vision that could easily have dissipated had it not had passionate, hard-working, and idealistic staff and supporters who made it happen. Greg Siple, current art director and a founder of Adventure Cycling, describes the vision in its earlier stages: And while there is no large-scale organized event, every year thousands of cyclists depart on their own TransAmerica adventures, fueled by the same desire for exploration, self-discovery and camaraderie as the original Bikecentennial riders.

River. They spend their dollars locally, stopping at small town cafes and restaurants to fuel up on pie and coffee, picking up bike parts at local bike shops, and finding quirky accommodations like Al’s Place, an old jailhouse that was rennovated into a bike hostel in Farmington, Missouri. Towns like Farmington (population 17,800) have used the TransAmerica Trail to create a culture of welcoming bicycle travelers and building their identity as a destination. Farmington will be hosting a celebration and dedication of the TransAm’s designation as U.S. Bicycle Route 76 this Saturday, October 11th at Al’s Place on 11 North Franklin, starting at 11:30 am. We welcome you to join us and our partners, the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, the Missouri Dept of Transportation, and the City of Farmington, for this event which will feature speakers, lunch and a dedication cake, and tours of Al’s Place. It will be an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the history of the TransAmerica Trail and the benefits that 40 years of bicycle travel has brought to Farmington and to Missouri, and to celebrate its incorporation into the U.S. Bicycle Route System.

car camping after a day outdoors

Spring 2015

socializing after a day of hiking

habitat

The friends I made in the outdoors are the friends I will keep for a lifetime.

ter for the TransAm: U.S. Bicycle Route 76. Now another vision is helping cyclists to experience the TransAmerica Trail and other interstate bicycle routes in a new way – the U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS integrates existing bicycle routes like the TransAm and new routes created by local and state partners on roads and trails to create a national system of numbered and signed bicycle routes that will eventually connect all of the lower 48 states (also in Alaska and Hawaii) with over 50,000 miles of routes. The TransAm route, aptly numbered U.S. Bicycle Route 76, already has 1,613 miles of approved route designations in Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. Official approval from state transportation agencies encourages the development of bicycle-friendly improvements and infrastructure along the route. Engaging tourism agencies, local bike/trail groups, and businesses helps to create bicycle-friendly communities that bring sustainable economic growth through increased bicycle tourism. Celebrating U.S. Bicycle Route 76 in Missouri. Missouri in particular has a lot to celebrate when it comes to USBR 76/TransAm Trail. The state designated and signed the route in the same year – 2013 – which no other state has since accomplished in that time span. The route traverses 350 miles, from the Mississippi River in Chester, Illinois, to the Kansas state line near Golden City. Cyclists climb the beautiful Ozark Mountains, one of the oldest ranges in the world, ride through lush, green forests and agricultural land, and can swim at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park on the East Fork of the Black River. They spend their dollars locally, stopping at small town cafes and restaurants to fuel up on pie and coffee, picking up bike parts at local bike shops, and finding quirky accommodations like Al’s Place, an old jailhouse that was rennovated into a bike hostel in Farmington, Missouri. Towns like Farmington (population 17,800) have used the TransAmerica Trail to create a culture of welcoming bicycle travelers and building their identity as a bicycle tourism destination. Farmington will be hosting a celebration and dedication of the TransAm’s designation as U.S. Bicycle

socializing after a day of hiking

Spring 2015

a community of campers >

tent city words and images by Alexandra Tults

habitat

For those who live in, and for, the outdoors, home is more of a feeling than a place. Temporary spaces become tangible homes when combined with good company.

Spring 2015

Every spring (and occasionally starting in the winter), the loaded bicycles and trailers start piling up outside the Adventure Cycling “world headquarters” in Missoula, Montana. Throughout the rest of the summer and fall about 1,000 sunburnt, helmet-haired, smiling, and oft odorous cyclists wander through the office for an ice-cream, a polaroid, and a chance to experience the quirky, down-to-earth “mecca” where historic bikes and black-and-white portraits of cyclists hang on the walls and where bicycle travel became a thing. Many of them are riding Adventure Cycling’s longest and most popular cross-country route, the TransAmerica Trail. The summer of 1976 saw a similarly sunburnt and carefree group of cyclists who were participating in the Bikecentennial ride that established the TransAmerica Trail and launched Adventure Cycling. These cyclists and those following in their tread have kept Adventure Cycling’s wheels turning with their inspirational, unique, strange, funny, adventurous stories, photos and personalities, their volunteering and contributions, reports from the road, dreams of new routes, and infectious love of bicycle travel. And we do our part to keep their wheels turning too. In this respect, not much has changed over the last (almost) 40 years. The TransAm is still the iconic bicycle route that provides a pedal-powered means for people, young and old, of all income levels and backgrounds, to experience self-empowerment, a rite of passage, or transformative exploration of their backyard landscapes and themselves. As Dan Ambrosio wrote in an article chronicling the history of Bikecentennial, “Many cyclists who took part in 1976 (and those who take TransAmerica trips today) say essentially the same thing about the experience: “I learned more about this country in 90 days than most people learn in a lifetime.” And more about themselves. Every one of us should, someday, have an experience like the Bikecentennial summer of 1976.” Bikecentennial was a big vision that could easily have dissipated had it not had passionate, hard-working, and idealistic staff and supporters who made it happen. Greg Siple, current art director and a founder of Adventure Cycling, describes the vision in its earlier stages: “My original thought was to send out ads and flyers saying, ‘Show up at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco at 9 o’clock on June 1 with your bicycle. And then we were going to bicycle across the country. I pictured thousands of people, a sea of people with their bikes and packs all ready to go, and there would be old men and people with balloon-tire bikes and Frenchmen who flew over just for this. Nobody would shoot a gun off or anything. At 9 o’clock everybody would just start moving. It would be like this crowd of locusts crossing America.” The event evolved from its originally envisioned spontaneous exodus of cyclists, but the amazing thing is that it happened. There were 300 trips consisting of 4,100 men and women representing all 50 states and several other countries taking part; 2,000 of them cycled the full 4,250 miles from Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown, Virginia. Over only a few decades Bikecentennial’s legacy and development into Adventure Cycling has created a network of over 42,000 miles of mapped bicycle routes, 100 tours, an award-winning magazine, and 47,000 members. And while there is no large-scale organized event, every year thousands of cyclists depart on their own TransAmerica adventures, fueled by the same desire for exploration, self-discovery and camaraderie as the original Bikecentennial riders. A New Chapter for the TransAm: U.S. Bicycle Route 76. Now another vision is helping cyclists to experience the TransAmerica Trail and other interstate bicycle routes in a new way – the U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS integrates existing bicycle routes like the TransAm and new routes created by local and state partners on roads and trails to create a national system of numbered and signed bicycle routes that will eventually connect all of the lower 48 states (also in Alaska and Hawaii) with over 50,000 miles of routes. The TransAm route, aptly numbered U.S. Bicycle Route 76, already has 1,613 miles of approved route designations in Virginia, I learned more Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. USBR 76 signs have gone up in Virginia and Missouri, about this country which not only helps cyclists with wayfinding in 90 days than and branding the route, but also lets motorists know that cyclists are legitimate road-users most people learn and to be aware of them. Official approval in a lifetime. from state transportation agencies encourages the development of bicycle-friendly improve-

habitat

Malcolm posing at one of his trip stops

ments and infrastructure along the route. Engaging tourism agencies, local bike/trail groups, and businesses helps to create bicycle-friendly communities that bring sustainable economic growth through increased bicycle tourism. Celebrating U.S. Bicycle Route 76 in Missouri. Missouri in particular has a lot to celebrate when it comes to USBR 76/TransAm Trail. The state designated and signed the route in the same year – 2013 – which no other state has since accomplished in that time span. The route traverses 350 miles, from the Mississippi River in Chester, Illinois, to the Kansas state line near Golden City. Cyclists climb the beautiful Ozark Mountains, one of the oldest ranges in the world, ride through lush, green forests and agricultural land, and can swim at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park on the East Fork of the Black River. They spend their dollars locally, stopping at small town cafes and restaurants to fuel up on pie and coffee, picking up bike parts at local bike shops, and finding quirky accommodations like Al’s Place, an old jailhouse that was rennovated into a bike hostel in Farmington, Missouri. Towns like Farmington (population 17,800) have used the TransAmerica Trail to create a culture of welcoming bicycle travelers and building their identity as a bicycle tourism destination. What’s Next: The TransAm Turns 40. A year and a half from now, in 2016, Adventure Cycling and the TransAmerica Trail will be turning 40 and national celebrations of the journey from Bikecentennial to U.S. Bicycle Route 76 will commence. It will be “The Year of Bicycle Travel,” and we hope to have the rest of the TransAm designated as U.S. Bicycle Route 76 by then. If you have ever dreamed of riding across the country, or wish you had participated in Bikecentennial, the TransAm in 2016 will be the place and the time to make it happen. We’ll see you there!

Spring 2015

ONE BELGIAN, ONE BIKE

Follow Malcolm Moncheur on his Transamerican bike tour, and find out how he supports a life on the road. words and images by Malcolm Moncheur

I would absolutely recommend it to anyone. Any budget can accommodate it, any pace works, and you’d be surprised by how easy it is to get in biking shape, regardless of how fit you were before. Physical disrepair is no excuse for not being able to tour. I’ve met several couples in their late 60’s / early 70’s who were having an absolutely fantastic time. There were times when thought I’d made a huge mistake. I would think: “What kind of hubris inspired me to take on this trip?”. But after pushing through and continuing on, I realized that you can only thrive in adversity - constantly blowing your comfort bubble to smithereens and exalting in the catharsis that ensues. The challenge - both mental and physical of putting in 50+ hour weeks of biking will change you. It’s impossible to spend 8 hours a day on a saddle with negative, petty, or angry thoughts. You simply won’t make it. Instead, you find yourself focusing on the positives of every situation, and on the amazing experience you’ve gotten yourself into. Touring isn’t about biking. It’s about the people you meet. This trip restored my faith in humanity. I didn’t meet a single bad person during the 58 days I was on the road. Everyone I met was kinder than the last. There are good people regardless of where you are, be it the high peaks of Colorado, the plains of Kansas, or the windy mountain roads of Appalachia. America is an amazingly varied region, and biking through many different climates and geographical conditions gave me a great overview of the country - even if I didn’t scratch it’s proverbial surface. However, thanks to this trip, I experienced

habitat

Malcolm posing at one of his trip stops

Spring 2015

Departments

For The View a reflection on the perks of living minimally for the sake of adventure words by Conrad Richter

above: wild fern, below: morning view from a tent

Home In Garden where home is the ultimate garden words by Lydia Schmidt Identifying plants while hiking - sounds boring? or impossible? As a kid knocking around in the woods in Michigan, I learned a few plant names, mostly because they were unusual or useful: Dutchman’s britches (the flowers really look like little pairs of bloomers), bloodroot (we painted each other’s faces with the red fluid from the stems), trillium (gorgeous white lilies with extravagant green leaves).

John Keats once wrote, “The poetry of the earth is never dead.” Poet or not, almost all of us have been awestruck by nature at one time or another. Whether it’s running at sunset on a sandy white beach, walking alongside a cool trickling stream, watching sunset over a mountain ridge, or even hearing the wind blow through the trees in the morning, being outdoors and aware of the world’s beauty can make you feel energized and alive. Recently, much research has focused on the socalled “nature connection,” and how it affects our health, outlook and overall life. It seems that just being out in nature does your body, mind and soul some good. According to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the closer you live to nature, the healthier you’re likely to be. The study took an objective look at 345,143 Dutch people’s medical records, assessing health status for 24 conditions, including cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological diseases. The records were then correlated with how much green space was located within 1 kilometer and 3 kilometers of a person’s postal code. And what did researchers find? People who lived within 1 kilometer of a park or a wooded area experienced less anxiety and depression than those who lived farther away from green space. John Keats once wrote, “The poetry of the earth is never dead.” Poet or not, almost all of us have been awestruck by nature at one time or another. Whether it’s running at sunset on a sandy white beach, walking alongside a cool trickling stream, watching sunset over a mountain ridge, or even hearing the wind blow through the trees in the morning, being outdoors and aware of the world’s beauty can make you feel energized and alive. Recently, much research has focused on the socalled “nature connection,” and how it affects our health, outlook and overall life. It seems that just being out in nature does your body, mind and soul some good. According to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the closer you live to nature, the healthier you’re likely to be. The study took an objective look at 345,143 Dutch people’s medical records, assessing health status for 24 conditions, including cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological diseases. The records were then correlated with how much green space was located within

habitat

25 Clockwise from top left: laundry drying out in the sun

minimal belongings for place-to-place living

setting up a tent for a short stay

Spacemakers how to make the most out of your small space words by Lydia Schmidt A new generation of mobile individuals has risen, the revolution is over, and for the rest of America, that means fulfilling a lifestyle where every new day is to be spent at your leisure is a real possibility. We spoke with a dozen full-time travelers, from self-proclaimed nomadic geeks building iPhone apps to blue collar migrant construction workers ready and willing to work. Liberal college students to a Christian family of 14, some were barely of the legal drinking age while others are nearing a traditional retirement, but already seven years into their new “vacation lifestyle”. That term should not be taken lightly, though, because more than any other common thread, these wandering workers share one thing in common.

The Internet is in need of a Noah in this particular arena, there is a worldwide flood of information on how to live and work from the road, however much of it has been procured by travel writers who are not also full-timers, while other very insightful articles tend to only apply to their particular author’s experience. Here we attempt to provide a solid, systematic outline of exactly what steps nearly everyone we spoke with followed. There will be bullet points, there will be diagrams, but we’ll be sure to throw in some real life tales as well. Grab a coffee, kick back, and have the atlas ready, as we’re fairly certain that by the time you’ve gleaned every last syllable available here, you’ll be itching to start picking out the spots on the map you want to head to first.

Spring 2015

Contents

23 One Belgian, One Bike 20-23 profile: follow Malcolm Moncheur on his transamerican bike tour words and images by Malcolm Moncheur

18 Tent City 15-19 Home isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only defined by the things we keep. In the outdoor community, home is best defined by the company we keep. words and images by Alexandra Tults

habitat

24 For The View celebrating the big environments that surround little homes words by John Butler

24 Home In Garden where home is the ultimate garden words by Catherine Lacey images by Alexandra Tults

25 Spacemakers making the most out of your small space words by Catherine Lacey images by Alexandra Tults

Spring 2015

letter from the editor : We like to think of home as more than just a living space. Home is the culmination of a personalized space, the surrounding environment in which it exists, and the relationship between those with whom the space is shared. While many dream of spacious dwellings and sprawling properties, we cherish living spaces of a more modest nature. Here at habitat, we love to explore the lives of those with small homes and small budgets. We are fascinated by the sacrifices people make to maintain an active lifestyle in captivating locations. In this Spring 2015 issue, we shift our focus towards the lifestyles and relationships of those living from place to place for the purpose of travel and outdoor recreation. Join us in exploring the financial, spacial, and interpersonal demands of living in cars, cabins, and tents. Celebrate the interaction between personal spaces and shared communities that allows for a home to become a habitat.

Alexandra Tults

Spring 2015

interiors / lifestyle

humble homes for active humans

Spring 2015

habitat Tent City Home isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only defined by the things we keep. In the outdoor community, home is best defined by the company we keep.

15-19

One Belgian, One Bike profile: follow Malcolm Moncheurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bike tour across America.

20-23