# Would anyone be interested in volunteering for a free place to stay in New Orleans?



## Raging Bird

This wouldn't happen for a few months, but I just want to gauge interest......long story short,, I bought a house in New Orleans and I'm trying to start a cheap DIY hostel in the lot next door. I got a trailer that sleeps 6-8 people and have now commenced the absolute shitload of work I will need to do to get this of the ground. I want it to be a totally green space with big trees, grass, giant plants, shade, basically the opposite of 90% of New Orleans. I want to put a tiny house on stilts to make a treehouse, and build an earthbag house out back to sleep 2-4 more people. 

I think there's a lot of opportunity for fun and experimentation with alternative housing and planting here, and I'm really psyched by what I've been doing already (planting 100 year old heirloom banana trees and a weird breed of elephant ear plants with leaves that grow to be 5 feet long....it's really cool.) 

So just out of curiosity, do you think anyone would be interested in like, one week volunteer opportunities where you have a place to crash in exchange for doing some work on the project with me? I've got water and I'm getting electricity turned on soon. It's about 6 blocks from St. Roch Tavern, if anyone is familiar. I just wanted to post here in advance to see if anyone thinks it sounds cool or if I'm just totally out of my mind.


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## Matt Derrick

i've been fantasizing for several years now about starting a hostel as my 'retire from traveling' plan in the far off future, so that sounds pretty fucking rad. frankly i'd be shocked if a bunch of people didn't jump on this, considering how many folks ask about farms and woofing stuff on here.

as for myself, i'd definitely be interested, but are you trying to limit most folks to a week? i've been away from new orleans for almost 6 years now, so i'm thinking about moving back there after the jamboree. i'm not insisting i move in or anything like that but i'll be around if you wanted someone that was going to be in the area for a while, and also interested in helping you build stuff (and maybe make some youtube videos if you're doing shit like tinyhouse/treehouse stuff, etc).

i guess my only caveat is that i'm definitely busy until the jamboree, and after that i was going to spend a few months in the slabs finishing a book im working on. of course if something interesting enough came along (i.e. your project) i might cut that timeline a bit shorter.


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## Raging Bird

Matt Derrick said:


> i've been fantasizing for several years now about starting a hostel as my 'retire from traveling' plan in the far off future, so that sounds pretty fucking rad. frankly i'd be shocked if a bunch of people didn't jump on this, considering how many folks ask about farms and woofing stuff on here.
> 
> as for myself, i'd definitely be interested, but are you trying to limit most folks to a week? i've been away from new orleans for almost 6 years now, so i'm thinking about moving back there after the jamboree. i'm not insisting i move in or anything like that but i'll be around if you wanted someone that was going to be in the area for a while, and also interested in helping you build stuff (and maybe make some youtube videos if you're doing shit like tinyhouse/treehouse stuff, etc).
> 
> i guess my only caveat is that i'm definitely busy until the jamboree, and after that i was going to spend a few months in the slabs finishing a book im working on. of course if something interesting enough came along (i.e. your project) i might cut that timeline a bit shorter.


 
Well, I'm pulled in two directions with this, and I have a couple reasons for even saying the one week thing. One is that with a set amount of time like a week or a month, that could be a trial period so if someone is working out I could just say to hell with it, stick around...but I could still make a clean break if someone gets a little too New Orleans too fast, if you know what I mean. That's if I even do a volunteer thing at all.

The thing that's on my mind now (my brain kind of races when I mess around with big ideas like this) is whether to even bother with a hostel or whether I should just make it a little freak village in St. Roch...you know, build a tiny house, build an earthbag cottage, come up with space for 15 people and charge somethjng stupid cheap like $100 a month to just live here...basically make it halfway between a commune and a normal renting situation. 

A hostel would make a lot more money, but I'm not really trying to get rich here...when it comes to what my actual goals are for the life I want to lead, I'm mostly interested in building a community, and as long as I can pay the mortgage and fund the repairs the house needs, I'm not too hung up on things past that. 

It would be very cool to have you, because the best squats or collective houses I've lived at all seemed like they had a million projects going on and a passionate person at the heart of them...it'd be cool to have a podcast or YouTube show based here just like the pirate radio station was based out of Hellarity in Oakland, or Plan B at common ground back in the day.

I've just been sleeping in the trailer. The house is already rented to two guys from the hood and I think they'll probably stay. I would feel weird kicking them out or raising rent.


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## Matt Derrick

Raging Bird said:


> Well, I'm pulled in two directions with this, and I have a couple reasons for even saying the one week thing. One is that with a set amount of time like a week or a month, that could be a trial period so if someone is working out I could just say to hell with it, stick around...but I could still make a clean break if someone gets a little too New Orleans too fast, if you know what I mean. That's if I even do a volunteer thing at all.



i totally understand that; it's one thing to be friends with someone, it's another thing all together to live with that person. i'm going through a terrible roommate situation right now that i can't wait to get away from. i'd say stick with the week (maybe 2?) thing so you have an 'out' if someone isn't working out. most good punk houses i've been to work that way and it seems to work well.



Raging Bird said:


> The thing that's on my mind now (my brain kind of races when I mess around with big ideas like this) is whether to even bother with a hostel or whether I should just make it a little freak village in St. Roch...you know, build a tiny house, build an earthbag cottage, come up with space for 15 people and charge somethjng stupid cheap like $100 a month to just live here...basically make it halfway between a commune and a normal renting situation.



i don't really know the space you're working with here, but i'd suggest maybe doing both? like, have the hostel as the ultimate goal, but start with a collective group of people working together (and with cheap rent) and use that to build up the space to the point where it's ready to be opened as a hostel.

another reason i think the hostel is a great idea is because you can organize events and stuff for people in the hostel to do, i know if i had a hostel i'd do pub crawls to crappy dive bars and bike dumpstering excursions or other new orleans experiences you wouldn't get anywhere else.


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## etpyh

Raging Bird said:


> whether to even bother with a hostel or whether I should just make it a little freak village in St. Roch...you know, build a tiny house, build an earthbag cottage, come up with space for 15 people and charge somethjng stupid cheap like $100 a month to just live here


You could also have like a core of ten people who are living long term for cheap and the remaining spaces for travelllers just passing through at a higher rate. That way you would always have new people while still having the commune aspect.
Depending on space you could also especially in summer just let people pitch up their tents for a few bucks and if you provide some communal space showers etc.
Whatever you will do it is probably going to be pretty awesome. Getting a house or at least some property and building up some kind of commune is probably something everyone has dreamed of. Congrats on making it!
How are the prices on New Orleans? I thought about doing something like this in the very far far future somewhere in europe, but it is just so fucking expensive and building stuff like earthhomes is usually a pain in the ass if you want to stay legal.


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## tobepxt

sounds great i have a pile of things to worry about right now but i need to come back through nola sometime


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## Deleted member 125

good on you @Raging Bird if i wasnt set up in rva i would love to be part of this. high fives for low lives i hope everything works out for you.


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## petergreen

Once I complete Operation Desert Lizard and deliver these books and pick people up for the Jambo I can head to NOLO and help with construction. I have lots of tools. In fact I am a tool. But I do have experience pouring concrete and building Earth Ships.


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## Matt Derrick

petergreen said:


> Once I complete Operation Desert Lizard and deliver these books and pick people up for the Jambo I can head to NOLO and help with construction. I have lots of tools. In fact I am a tool. But I do have experience pouring concrete and building Earth Ships.



maybe i could catch a ride with you to nola after the jambo?


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## petergreen

Matt Derrick said:


> maybe i could catch a ride with you to nola after the jambo?



I'll make sure there are burritos in the cooler.


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## Raging Bird

Matt Derrick said:


> i totally understand that; it's one thing to be friends with someone, it's another thing all together to live with that person. i'm going through a terrible roommate situation right now that i can't wait to get away from. i'd say stick with the week (maybe 2?) thing so you have an 'out' if someone isn't working out. most good punk houses i've been to work that way and it seems to work well.
> 
> 
> 
> i don't really know the space you're working with here, but i'd suggest maybe doing both? like, have the hostel as the ultimate goal, but start with a collective group of people working together (and with cheap rent) and use that to build up the space to the point where it's ready to be opened as a hostel.
> 
> another reason i think the hostel is a great idea is because you can organize events and stuff for people in the hostel to do, i know if i had a hostel i'd do pub crawls to crappy dive bars and bike dumpstering excursions or other new orleans experiences you wouldn't get anywhere else.



Yeah, this is exactly what I'm kind of envisioning...The space isn't massive, but it's big by New Orleans standards...the house has a backyard of maybe 15x20 feet, and the lot next door is about 32x100 feet. I attached a picture.

It would be great to take have events there and do some real shit for tourists...it'd be even cooler to do weird skill shares and host classes in alternative housing or urban agriculture...stuff like that. I don't know, I'm not black but it's a black neighborhood, I'm really conscious of that and maybe it's naive, but I'd like to try and give something to the neighborhood instead of just profiting / exploiting the cheap housing and lax code enforcement.


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## Raging Bird

etpyh said:


> You could also have like a core of ten people who are living long term for cheap and the remaining spaces for travelllers just passing through at a higher rate. That way you would always have new people while still having the commune aspect.
> Depending on space you could also especially in summer just let people pitch up their tents for a few bucks and if you provide some communal space showers etc.
> Whatever you will do it is probably going to be pretty awesome. Getting a house or at least some property and building up some kind of commune is probably something everyone has dreamed of. Congrats on making it!
> How are the prices on New Orleans? I thought about doing something like this in the very far far future somewhere in europe, but it is just so fucking expensive and building stuff like earthhomes is usually a pain in the ass if you want to stay legal.



Yeah thanks man, I'm pretty psyched about the whole thing. Tents are an idea, another thing I thought of was having a total lean to with nothing but 4x4 supports and a tin roof with mosquito netting for walls and hanging hammocks in there for two or three people to rent for like, $10 a night. New Orleans is actually the opposite, the summer is the only time of year you _couldn't _do that, ha ha. It gets insanely hot down here.

New Orleans has gentrified incredibly quickly over the past few years, so in some ways it's the worst place to attempt something like this -- housing prices are skyrocketing yet crime remains the same. I just got extremely lucky and found a stupidly cheap house by keeping my eyes out for over two years. To give you an idea I qualified for a loan for the thing and I make around $10K a year. I think you could get away with earthbag stuff just because the city doesn't have time resources or motivation to enforce shit like that. The neighborhood associations in historic districts like Bywater or Marigny are extremely overzealous, but in a neighborhood like St. Roch, I don't think anyone will care.


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## Raging Bird

petergreen said:


> Once I complete Operation Desert Lizard and deliver these books and pick people up for the Jambo I can head to NOLO and help with construction. I have lots of tools. In fact I am a tool. But I do have experience pouring concrete and building Earth Ships.



Sick man, give me a shout. I'd really like to build at least a shed or cottage in the back earth home style, a friend of my mom's teaches classes in how to do it, but I've only been to one workshop before. It would be awesome to have more people on board with experience.


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## Deleted member 16034

I think you just convinced me to go to New Orleans. I was planning on staying away but this sounds far too bad ass to not go. 

I can travel out there as early as September. I can convince people to join. Tell me what I need to do and I'm yours.


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## Aleus

I will be in New Orleans in early August sometime and I am definitely interested. I will shoot you over a message when I have a better idea on the dates. Sounds like a great idea though!


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## OstrichJockey

I'm in the 8th ward right now, and may be here as late as September. If you are going to have this started before then, let me know and I'd be down to volunteer full time. I'm a carpenter, and I have tools here, as well.


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## TMG51

Raging Bird said:


> I got a trailer that sleeps 6-8 people and have now commenced the absolute shitload of work I will need to do to get this of the ground. I want it to be a totally green space with big trees, grass, giant plants, shade, basically the opposite of 90% of New Orleans. I want to put a tiny house on stilts to make a treehouse, and build an earthbag house out back to sleep 2-4 more people.



Do you know if your plans meet whatever zoning regulations are in place? I don't know anything specific to the area so I'm not saying it's a problem, but I know some places where the stuff you describe could be a problem.


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## Straps

Raging Bird said:


> This wouldn't happen for a few months, but I just want to gauge interest......long story short,, I bought a house in New Orleans and I'm trying to start a cheap DIY hostel in the lot next door. I got a trailer that sleeps 6-8 people and have now commenced the absolute shitload of work I will need to do to get this of the ground. I want it to be a totally green space with big trees, grass, giant plants, shade, basically the opposite of 90% of New Orleans. I want to put a tiny house on stilts to make a treehouse, and build an earthbag house out back to sleep 2-4 more people.
> 
> I think there's a lot of opportunity for fun and experimentation with alternative housing and planting here, and I'm really psyched by what I've been doing already (planting 100 year old heirloom banana trees and a weird breed of elephant ear plants with leaves that grow to be 5 feet long....it's really cool.)
> 
> So just out of curiosity, do you think anyone would be interested in like, one week volunteer opportunities where you have a place to crash in exchange for doing some work on the project with me? I've got water and I'm getting electricity turned on soon. It's about 6 blocks from St. Roch Tavern, if anyone is familiar. I just wanted to post here in advance to see if anyone thinks it sounds cool or if I'm just totally out of my mind.


My car has been telling me to go to nola for a while now and seems to collect nola themed things... I'd be down to help set things up but won't be free til mid July or mid August or so headed from socal mid June to Oregon then I think I'm open (and looking for road dogs)


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## Raging Bird

TMG51 said:


> Do you know if your plans meet whatever zoning regulations are in place? I don't know anything specific to the area so I'm not saying it's a problem, but I know some places where the stuff you describe could be a problem.



Yeah, I thought of this. I'm gonna try to get licensed as a bed and breakfast. The way it kind of works here is there's historic districts where you can't do anything, and outside of them, you can pretty much do whatever the fuck you want. Talked to some of the neighbors and everyone's attitude was basically "Yeah, no one gives a fuck."


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## TMG51

Alright I'd just actually check with the city instead of the neighbors before putting money or mortar into it. Just sayin'.


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## Raging Bird

TMG51 said:


> Alright I'd just actually check with the city instead of the neighbors before putting money or mortar into it. Just sayin'.



Yeah totally, that's 100% intelligent thinking anywhere else in America. Come here some time though, you'll get it. There is no "city." There are no cops. If someone, somewhere got it into their head that they wanted to start enforcing laws, they would probably start with the prohibitions on murder and armed robbery, ultimately descending the list until they reached "building a shed out of dirt on your own property." Lol. Until then, we tolerate the violence and crime and make the most of the total lack of authority or oversight.


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## TMG51

I've been there. Build how you like though!


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## Andrew Ellis

Raging Bird said:


> This wouldn't happen for a few months, but I just want to gauge interest......long story short,, I bought a house in New Orleans and I'm trying to start a cheap DIY hostel in the lot next door. I got a trailer that sleeps 6-8 people and have now commenced the absolute shitload of work I will need to do to get this of the ground. I want it to be a totally green space with big trees, grass, giant plants, shade, basically the opposite of 90% of New Orleans. I want to put a tiny house on stilts to make a treehouse, and build an earthbag house out back to sleep 2-4 more people.
> 
> I think there's a lot of opportunity for fun and experimentation with alternative housing and planting here, and I'm really psyched by what I've been doing already (planting 100 year old heirloom banana trees and a weird breed of elephant ear plants with leaves that grow to be 5 feet long....it's really cool.)
> 
> So just out of curiosity, do you think anyone would be interested in like, one week volunteer opportunities where you have a place to crash in exchange for doing some work on the project with me? I've got water and I'm getting electricity turned on soon. It's about 6 blocks from St. Roch Tavern, if anyone is familiar. I just wanted to post here in advance to see if anyone thinks it sounds cool or if I'm just totally out of my mind.


Ill volunteer


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## salxtina

Hi RagingBird, is this still happening? I have concrete pouring and construction experience, some painting/mudding/remodeling too, and would be down to set up a time to help for a week....


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## Matt Derrick

anything new happening with this? and just out of curiousity, are you trying to keep the yard open or would you put a fence around it? i just mention the fence since if it was tall enough you could then do whatever you wanted inside without outside scrutiny (not sure if that's an issue or not).


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## john felix

Raging Bird said:


> This wouldn't happen for a few months, but I just want to gauge interest......long story short,, I bought a house in New Orleans and I'm trying to start a cheap DIY hostel in the lot next door. I got a trailer that sleeps 6-8 people and have now commenced the absolute shitload of work I will need to do to get this of the ground. I want it to be a totally green space with big trees, grass, giant plants, shade, basically the opposite of 90% of New Orleans. I want to put a tiny house on stilts to make a treehouse, and build an earthbag house out back to sleep 2-4 more people.
> 
> I think there's a lot of opportunity for fun and experimentation with alternative housing and planting here, and I'm really psyched by what I've been doing already (planting 100 year old heirloom banana trees and a weird breed of elephant ear plants with leaves that grow to be 5 feet long....it's really cool.)
> 
> So just out of curiosity, do you think anyone would be interested in like, one week volunteer opportunities where you have a place to crash in exchange for doing some work on the project with me? I've got water and I'm getting electricity turned on soon. It's about 6 blocks from St. Roch Tavern, if anyone is familiar. I just wanted to post here in advance to see if anyone thinks it sounds cool or if I'm just totally out of my mind.


Heading to NOLA today or tomorrow. I would be interested for one.


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## Raging Bird

john felix said:


> Heading to NOLA today or tomorrow. I would be interested for one.



Fuck, leaving town in exactly 12 hours for a couple weeks. I'll be back around the 5th or 6th of August if you're still around.

It's been a while since I posted in this thread, so I'll briefly say that shit is still coming along. I installed a 30amp breaker/outlet so the trailer has electricity and AC now. The top half of the house (where I want the hostel to be) is in the process of getting cleaned out, and the bottom half is still low income housing for people from the neighborhood, how I want it to stay. There are 3 chickens and we got our first egg yesterday. I planted a shitload of plants (Banana trees, Yuccas, thai giant elephant ears, a mimosa tree, gunnera manicata, majesty palms, sago palms, queen palms, canna lilies, dieffenbachyia, and a couple more) so it's _beginning _to look like a crazy fucking jungle, which is how I want it to look. 

The concept I'm kind of going for right now is to get a hostel going with approximately 6 beds and variable pricing -- you can either pay $10-15 a night with mandatory community service (probably like an hour or two every couple days), or $30 a night without, since a lot of tourists just want to show up and get drunk, and this is a way for them to do whatever they do and still pay something forward. I'm also trying to get a couple tiny houses or earthbag structures in the lot next door, as well as the trailer, so if anyone with skills they can bring to the table wants to stay longer term, there'll be a place for something like "collective members" to stay for work trade. I'm mostly trying to make a couple bucks, in a way that doesn't exploit the neighborhood and actually gives something back, and in a way that creates a community where real people get to live in the real world and do some real shit -- and hopefully learn a thing or two that they can take with them. 

Anyway, I'm gonna really start gunning it in September. I'll post some pics of what it's looking like now in a minute if I can find any.


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## Raging Bird




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## Hillbilly Castro

Yes 100%, if you're down, I'm down. I'd love to scoop in after the jambo. V down to bust ass in any and all ways and would be down to stay a while if things went well for a few days.


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## meatcomputer

Dude that overhanging second story looks hilariously awesome. I'd love to come by when it starts getting cold in the north east.


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## WanderLost Radical

Im really considering going to the jamboree, and I'd be absolutely down to head there afterwards!! Sounds absolutely awesome!! Got experience in construction and farming. Ill keep in touch!


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## DudeDuderton

Mm.. I actually really enjoy building things.. Anything. As long as you can get creative, you can do so much.

I've actually lived in that neighborhood before, I wouldn't head that way without living arrangements since in getting off the road.. Too bad, that sucks. I was just there!


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## Matt Derrick

just a random idea, but i just paid $20 to sleep in a tent in portland on airbnb. first time ever doing that site/app, but i needed a place to put my stuff for 24 hours for logistical reasons. i was kinda surprised to find something like that, but i've heard of people renting igloos on airbnb, so who knows, anything is possible. might be a good way to get paying residents for the hostel.


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## bluecifer

Raging Bird said:


> This wouldn't happen for a few months, but I just want to gauge interest......long story short,, I bought a house in New Orleans and I'm trying to start a cheap DIY hostel in the lot next door. I got a trailer that sleeps 6-8 people and have now commenced the absolute shitload of work I will need to do to get this of the ground. I want it to be a totally green space with big trees, grass, giant plants, shade, basically the opposite of 90% of New Orleans. I want to put a tiny house on stilts to make a treehouse, and build an earthbag house out back to sleep 2-4 more people.
> 
> I think there's a lot of opportunity for fun and experimentation with alternative housing and planting here, and I'm really psyched by what I've been doing already (planting 100 year old heirloom banana trees and a weird breed of elephant ear plants with leaves that grow to be 5 feet long....it's really cool.)
> 
> So just out of curiosity, do you think anyone would be interested in like, one week volunteer opportunities where you have a place to crash in exchange for doing some work on the project with me? I've got water and I'm getting electricity turned on soon. It's about 6 blocks from St. Roch Tavern, if anyone is familiar. I just wanted to post here in advance to see if anyone thinks it sounds cool or if I'm just totally out of my mind.


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## bluecifer

iim moving out there from san francisco i could totally help maybe put a tent up in the yard for a week


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## Raging Bird

Sup y'all, just checking in. Shit's still buzzing along, my boy Ian (Desert Punk) and his girl Kitty are staying here and taking care of mad business with us, basically taking the place from a squat to an actual civilized household.

It's been a week and a half since we rode UP back from Denver and we've got a working toilet, ran a gas line to a stove we dumpstered, ended a mouse infestation, rigged up a butterfly valve to make both a shower and bath faucet, dumpstered a boat, and began sanding the hundreds of feet of reclaimed fence posts I grabbed to build a giant fence around the place so no one can see the insane tiny houses we're going to build on stilts around the yard. We also got a fridge and washing machine and kicked multiple substance habits. Not bad for 10 days in the drunkest, laziest city in America!

The chickens went to camp at my buddy Matt's farm and caught a disease there, so they are out of the picture. We did plant some oleanders, root beer plant, aloe vera, giant bird of paradise, and a lemon tree, though, and some of the banana trees actually started fruiting. So the plan to turn this into an extremely cheap hostel that feels like an Amazonian rainforest is chugging along.

We're working on the fence and on getting a back entrance opened up, as well as locks for the inside doors so we can have more people inside without worrying about getting all our shit stolen. I'm picking up some bunk beds tomorrow, so long story short we're trying to get it cool for people to roll through as soon as possible. There are some who we've been talking to for a minute and feel cool about, but in general I think in the next month or two it'll be more fluid and cool to come out and stay for a week or something if anyone wants to drop by. If anyone's in town and wants to chill, hit us up, but we should be opening it up to stay short or long term progressively as time goes on.

Anyway, I'll post some pics tomorrow if anyone is still interested in this project.


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## Matt Derrick

fuck yeah man, that's awesome! glad to hear things are chugging along. i'm totally excited and a little jealous of you! i'm really coming around to the idea of doing something like this myself someday, and I'd still like to come out and help at some point.

I'd like to come out after the Jambo, but I'm really trying to dedicate myself to getting this book done before I do anything else. But, I'll head through that way at some point, maybe before the end of the year.


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## hahahaimnoone

Raging Bird said:


> This wouldn't happen for a few months, but I just want to gauge interest......long story short,, I bought a house in New Orleans and I'm trying to start a cheap DIY hostel in the lot next door. I got a trailer that sleeps 6-8 people and have now commenced the absolute shitload of work I will need to do to get this of the ground. I want it to be a totally green space with big trees, grass, giant plants, shade, basically the opposite of 90% of New Orleans. I want to put a tiny house on stilts to make a treehouse, and build an earthbag house out back to sleep 2-4 more people.
> 
> I think there's a lot of opportunity for fun and experimentation with alternative housing and planting here, and I'm really psyched by what I've been doing already (planting 100 year old heirloom banana trees and a weird breed of elephant ear plants with leaves that grow to be 5 feet long....it's really cool.)
> 
> So just out of curiosity, do you think anyone would be interested in like, one week volunteer opportunities where you have a place to crash in exchange for doing some work on the project with me? I've got water and I'm getting electricity turned on soon. It's about 6 blocks from St. Roch Tavern, if anyone is familiar. I just wanted to post here in advance to see if anyone thinks it sounds cool or if I'm just totally out of my mind.


I really like the idea.


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## Skidkidfox

I'm going to me making my way to NOLA for December, If you're still looking for a hand around that time I'd love to help out! I've worked on similar projects and it's a damn good idea. Great to hear that everything seems to be coming along so well!!


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## deleted user

Glad you are still rolling along on your hostel project. I live in Hammond right now so after the jamboree I'll be back in state. Definitely down to help out, would like to stay for a week in november before having to find work. I can also borrow heavy equipment ( excavator/skit steer/mini skit/etc) if you need. Probably gonna be in LA until I have enough money to travel again (probably till Jan/Feb) so whenever I have free time I'd be down to swing by and help.


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## Raging Bird

stukovthetuna said:


> Glad you are still rolling along on your hostel project. I live in Hammond right now so after the jamboree I'll be back in state. Definitely down to help out, would like to stay for a week in november before having to find work. I can also borrow heavy equipment ( excavator/skit steer/mini skit/etc) if you need. Probably gonna be in LA until I have enough money to travel again (probably till Jan/Feb) so whenever I have free time I'd be down to swing by and help.



Hell yeah, man. Sounds like you have actual construction experience and don't need to frantically Google shit to avoid electrocuting yourself before starting projects. If you live in LA... do you know anything about building stuff on stilts?


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## Deleted member 16034

@WanderLost Radical Is a carpenter. Or was in a past life.. Do you know about stilts and stuff?


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## deleted user

Nah man, I'll still be Google searching and shocking myself, my experience is in laying concrete and asphalt, I'm naturally useless but I learn and apply myself constantly. I will hopefully be starting a entry level electrician job once I return so I'll be learning on that front as well. And I know people who know about building elevating structures, maybe I can get them to help/pass their info on.


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## WanderLost Radical

Ive never done it, but its not much different than with sonotubes, I'd guess


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## tobepxt

Would love to see whacha got going on if I pass through later third month 

Sent from my F3113 using the Squat the Planet mobile app!


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## RoooflessHoboLord

Bout to be in nola and can help...hit me up


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## RoooflessHoboLord

Bout to be in nola and can help...hit me up


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## Anti

I could contribute work and I have some experience withings that might be helpful. Headed down to New Orleans from NY soon.


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## NatashaVelvet

Given that you have permission and everything works out in your favor, I'm down for this!


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## deleted user

Hey man, im thinking of coming to check out your punksted this weekend or just right after the weekend. would that be cool?


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## deleted user

Hey just wanted to say, after meeting @Raging Bird and seeing what he's got going on, I would definitely recommend checking out his flophouse. He's got a great scene of patients for people, strives to build community, and is good company. I wish I would have checked it out earlier but glad I did non the less. If you go threw Nola be sure to check it out.


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## Andrew Ellis

This place up?


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## Mad Mike

Raging Bird said:


> This wouldn't happen for a few months, but I just want to gauge interest......long story short,, I bought a house in New Orleans and I'm trying to start a cheap DIY hostel in the lot next door. I got a trailer that sleeps 6-8 people and have now commenced the absolute shitload of work I will need to do to get this of the ground. I want it to be a totally green space with big trees, grass, giant plants, shade, basically the opposite of 90% of New Orleans. I want to put a tiny house on stilts to make a treehouse, and build an earthbag house out back to sleep 2-4 more people.
> 
> I think there's a lot of opportunity for fun and experimentation with alternative housing and planting here, and I'm really psyched by what I've been doing already (planting 100 year old heirloom banana trees and a weird breed of elephant ear plants with leaves that grow to be 5 feet long....it's really cool.)
> 
> So just out of curiosity, do you think anyone would be interested in like, one week volunteer opportunities where you have a place to crash in exchange for doing some work on the project with me? I've got water and I'm getting electricity turned on soon. It's about 6 blocks from St. Roch Tavern, if anyone is familiar. I just wanted to post here in advance to see if anyone thinks it sounds cool or if I'm just totally out of my mind.


 well I think that's freaking awesome, I currently live in New Orleans and hostel off Saint Charles I'd be very interested in speaking with you about Arrangements I'm also a chef here in town. I've been interested in the hostile environment and bed and breakfast for at least 15 maybe 20 years reside at a hostel here in town I have experience in restoration of pre Civil War homes and Landscaping experience along with a multitude of what 40 years gathered experience I think I'd be a fine asset that's my own personal opinion but honestly get back with me I think we could make something awesome happen!!!

Mike


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## AzureSoul

This is fuckin awesome. Haven't been to New Orleans since 2006, but I'll help out if I can pitch my tent somewhere...


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