Chrysalis Cooperative - Boulder, Colorado

Not Kylie Jenner

I had high hopes for Chrysalis, but my experience was disappointing. Despite the availability of vacant rooms, I wasn’t invited to move in after completing a long and tedious application process. The room I was shown was given to a friend of the person handling new members.

After some pushback and questioning why I wasn’t accepted into the house, I was offered to share a basement bedroom with a longtime male member. I was told that one of the members was allergic to dogs and cats, which was why I wasn’t a good fit. They expected me to pay the same amount of rent as the private room I had been interviewing for through dinners over the past month.

Although the house had 12 bedrooms, it was made clear from the beginning that they were for single occupancy only. No one mentioned the dog I brought with me to every dinner and visit.

It felt like many members were more interested in taking advantage of the prime location and affordable rent than in true cooperative living. Most had well-paying jobs or were graduate students, and many rooms sat empty while they traveled or studied elsewhere. I was living in my vehicle at the time and was too embarrassed to share that with them, as decisions about accepting new members were made after meeting them at dinners. I didn’t meet anyone I felt would understand my situation positively.

The house received significant community support, with weekly donations of fresh, healthy food from local food banks and organizations. Although the kitchen was strictly vegan, I witnessed meat being prepared there, and the donated fresh fruits and vegetables were often ignored in favor of takeout pizzas. Meals lacked communal dining; we either sat outside on the porch or on the sofas in the main room, which was often dominated by a loud TV.

My initial experience was in the summer of 2016. After waiting a year, I tried again in 2017, hoping to find a vibrant cooperative living space with new members who understood the essence of Chrysalis. Instead, I encountered mostly the same members, and the outdoor garden had been reduced to weeds, leaving the grounds unkempt. It was truly sad to see. I plan to return soon, hoping that they have found their way back to their core values.

Jessica Westfall

Intentional living at its best. Great house with kind, giving, and welcoming people. The house not only put an effort within the house, but make an effort to build a community among neighbors.

Mary Lewis

Living here was the best intro to Boulder I could have asked for. I lived here in 2021 and still visit regularly for delish meals, beautiful friends, and great vibes. The review left by “Not Kylie Jenner” makes me believe that this person visited a different coop- perhaps one of Chrysalis’s sister coops. Their description does not match this place. Chrysalis doesn’t usually have vacancies because the people who move here fall in love with the people and way of life and become invested in the community. - XOXO a former (but forever) Chrysalisian

Nick Morris

Wanted to live here for a year as a lifestyle experiment, ended up staying two years and meeting some of my best friends and having some of the most memorable experiences of my life. You'll meet people living here that have completely different world views- people that'd you never cross paths with a traditional living situation. Highly recommend.

Paula Burkley-Ibonie

Lovely group of people living in this co-op ❣️
I was lucky enough to stay there while visiting my granddaughter. Great folks all around ❣️

Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi

Lived in the basement for three years, then married one of my housemates. Five stars.

ProHush

Great people with wonderful ideas doing excellent things to better their community and the earth as a whole!

Sam

Great coop! Kinda people.