Keep Cottage

Keep Cottage — or just Keep — is a housing & dining co-op located just a block from the Allen Art Museum and Hall Auditorium, and across the parking lot behind Stevenson dining hall. With a larger ratio of new students to upperclassman compared to other co-ops, Keep is known to be one of the most welcoming communities on campus. 

Keep houses over 50 members and is one of the largest residential co-ops at Oberlin College. Additionally, we feed roughly 25 dining-only members. Although not a vegetarian co-op, we usually do not serve meat more than once a week, and vegan and vegetarian options are always available at every meal. Keep is an inclusive and friendly co-op for eating, living, or just hanging out. With a comfortable living-room space, you can often find members spending time together throughout the day. With a porch (and porch swing!) and lawn, many Keep members choose to eat outside on sunny days. 

Keep does not provide tables or chairs, so members sit on couches, the floor, or the ground. Certain members have raised concerns that a lack of chairs and tables can make participation difficult for members with certain physical constraints. The layout of Keep's serving space can also make serving food a difficult task, but we implement various policies each semester to ensure that access to food is as stress-free as possible. 

Overall, Keep offers a place to feel at home that is dedicated to excellent, nutritious food (complete with a wall for cooking tips and food comments), kind souls, acoustic music, circus arts, bicycles, vegan desserts, great bagels and general good cheer. In fact, one wall in Keep is dedicated as a “wall of appreciation” where members write appreciative notes to each other.

The inherent relaxed feeling in Keep is bolstered by members who truly care about the democratic process. For most decision-making, there is a consistent and thoughtful dialog which deters apathy. 

Keep opened in 1965 as OSCA's third co-op.