Dear friends,

After a summer full of movement, energy and a vibrant exchange of ideas, perspective and incredible guests, it finally feels like we’re landing. Lakefront has been buzzing for months — with week-long residencies, guests from all over the world, and conversations ranging from AI to sustainability, health, music, and more. It’s been extraordinary, and also intense. The house became a global meeting node where so many different ideas and people from all over the world crossed paths.

Now, as summer draws to a close, the energy has shifted. For perhaps the first time, we’re feeling a strong sense of “us.” Instead of people constantly coming and going, we’re settling into rhythms and rituals that make life here feel grounded and connected.

This week was a perfect example of that.

We now have a chef, Paul from the UK, who cooks dinner on weekdays. Gathering around the table each evening has quickly become a highlight, and it feels like the heart of our community.

On Monday nights, we have our house meeting. Helen started us off with five minutes of improv theatre to re-enact the saga of our missing sauna raft (which Tanya impressively tracked down after it floated away). It set the tone for a fun and lighthearted meeting that also gave us space to share updates and organize the week ahead.

On Tuesdays, Priscilla has started hosting wine and cheese salons — informal gatherings where we come together to exchange ideas and dive into dialogue around a specific topic. Last week, the conversation circled around money: our personal relationship to it, Lakefront’s relationship with it, and the role money plays in the wider world. These evenings have already become a meaningful space for openness, curiosity, and connection.

Wednesdays bring the weekly relational space. We kicked things off with spontaneous dancing for those who wanted, before moving into exercises about how each of us likes to be appreciated and loved. Standing on a spectrum in the room, and then sharing more deeply, helped us see each other more clearly and also let out some of the unspoken tensions that had built up over summer. It was both light and profound, and left us with a sense of ease and closeness.

Every day at noon, Philip has been leading workouts on the front lawn. Even for those who don’t join, there’s something about the music, the laughter, and the rhythm of it happening that adds to the sense of life in the house. These daily and weekly touchpoints are proving to be so important for creating a steady feeling of togetherness.

On Thursdays, we hold men’s and women’s circles at the same time. Each group have its own space for deeper sharing, and there is something very special about knowing both are happening side by side.

This particular Friday afternoon, John led a Nonviolent Communication workshop. Practicing how to recognize the need beneath an emotion felt like an important reminder for all of us — to pause, reflect, and connect before reacting.

That evening, Michael hosted an “Irish Shabbat” for his 35th birthday. We each lit a candle for one of the elements we wanted to invite into our weekend depending on our needs, followed by a mellow night of art, music, and connection.

Saturday started with a big brunch to celebrate Michael, complete with Philip’s espresso machine out on the terrace for café-style coffees. It was one of those slow, sunny mornings where people drifted between rooms, music played in the background, and conversations stretched out. Later that night, a group of twelve of us went out together for some dancing. Going as a crew gave us that fun feeling of belonging — carrying the spirit of Lakefront into another setting.

On Sunday, Swan made pancakes for breakfast, and in the evening Maria hosted a beautiful concert in the organ house that also brought in people from the wider community. It was moving, intimate, and the perfect way to close the week.

Looking back, what stands out is not just the events themselves but how they’ve helped us land together. After such a dynamic summer, these shared rhythms — dinners, workouts, meetings, circles — are what make Lakefront feel less like a place people pass through and more like a home, an organism with its own heartbeat.

This is such an exciting phase of this project, and we are now starting to truly feel the magic of community.

With gratitude from the lake,

— Your friends at Lakefront

Ps. We still have available apartments and rooms and are looking for the right people to join us. If you know anyone that could be a good fit, please help us by nominating them HERE.