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+-- Thread: woodworking in a city - is it possible? (/showthread.php?tid=7068770)
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woodworking in a city - is it possible? - jgrogan - 08-05-2015
Kids are gone and it time to downsize. We are moving from the suburbs of boston to downtown Richmond. My requirements for a house in Richmond is a basement (for the woodshop) and a garage (for the cars). I did not appreciate how hard it would be to find a house with woodworking space. I am beginning to think that woodworking may not be possible in a city. I suppose that I could rent some industrial space, but separating the house from the shop is inconvenient. Does anyone woodwork in a city?
Re: woodworking in a city - is it possible? - kompera - 08-05-2015
I live in Somerville (hi neighbor!) and have a basement with a workshop... it's definitely possible to find but you'll pay a premium for workshop space in a city obviously.
Instead of having a shop in your house, you may want to check out shared workspaces, a quick google search brought up http://www.hackrva.org/ in Richmond, and they say they have woodworking space/tools.
Hacker/Maker spaces are pretty cool communities, we have one in here in Somerville call the Artisan's Asylum. Worth stopping by to check out.
(And honestly as you get older it's pretty great to be involved in a community of friends who make stuff instead of being by yourself in your basement all the time.)
Re: woodworking in a city - is it possible? - Tapper - 08-05-2015
My wife is from Richmond and we visit there periodically. Somehow, I wouldn't have thought that homes with basements would be that difficult to find. I've worked out of a basement shop for years (including presently) and would not have it any other way.
Unless you have the space on your property to build a separate workshop building, a basement workshop is the way to go IMHO. Having to drive to another location and share space with others is not my idea of having fun in this hobby - YMMV.
Doug
Re: woodworking in a city - is it possible? - John Mihich - 08-05-2015
You are mistaken. It is not a 2 car garage you are looking at - it's a workshop with a large door. Silly man.
Haven't parked a car in a garage in 30 years.
Re: woodworking in a city - is it possible? - Bill Wilson - 08-05-2015
There's downsizing and then there's downsizing. Are you married to living right downtown? I would certainly think one could find homes just outside the city limits, in a nice suburb, that aren't too big, but have the garage & basement you need.
Re: woodworking in a city - is it possible? - JimReed@Tallahassee - 08-05-2015
Yes, it is possible. Just depends on how much passion you have for woodworking. I refinished furniture when I lived in a dorm. I repaired antiques when I lived in married student's housing. I also did projects in apartments for years. I even had a buddy who used his tablesaw for a table in his apartment (drop the blade, add a plywood top and cover, and Bob's your uncle--tablesaw. Take it out on the porch to cut. I had a bandsaw in a closet that saw use. You can pull up carpet and put a nice workbench in a spare bedroom. Get some handtools and plane away.
Good luck with your move.
Re: woodworking in a city - is it possible? - 3finger - 08-05-2015
Anybody remember the guy who had a woodshop in a cellar beneath a parking garage in downtown Tokyo? He had a website, but I no longer have the link.
Re: woodworking in a city - is it possible? - Cian - 08-05-2015
3finger said:
Anybody remember the guy who had a woodshop in a cellar beneath a parking garage in downtown Tokyo? He had a website, but I no longer have the link.
I do remember that, but wasn't that our very own Stu? His setup was amazing especially the hurdles he overcome to get equipment and let alone deliver it to his basement beneath the garage.
Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzgAczlG_lo
EDIT: I won't ever complain about access into my basement shop.
Re: woodworking in a city - is it possible? - EdL - 08-05-2015
Yes, that's Stu.
Ed
Re: woodworking in a city - is it possible? - Cian - 08-05-2015
This discussion has come up occasionally between the wife and myself. We ponder about moving to a more "urban" city for retirement. It won't ever be Chicago - uggh - but possibly North or South Carolina maybe even Tennessee. (But of course there is more open land down there so we'll see.) The access to everything in a city via walking or short public commuting distance - restaurants, entertainment, social activities, shopping, etc. - is appealing, but as mentioned here, I could only do it if I could have a woodshop. In a city, that would definitely have to be a basement shop (would need to keep the garage for the cars - city street parking can be horrendous), but I'm already in a basement shop (which I love) so I know it can work. I really don't need a lawn or a yard (famous last words). The way I see it, I'd have to buy a 3 or 4 story building and rent out a floor to help offset the cost. But I certainly could imagine myself doing it.
