One Year Into Maeve House: What We’ve Learned About Belonging
One Year Into Maeve House: What We’ve Learned About Belonging
On October 29th, Maeve House quietly turned one year old. The House opened with a soft invitation, paint still wet on the walls, and a big hope: that adults in Southwest Austin were looking for a place to belong.
A year later, we know this to be true. And more than that, we’ve learned how belonging forms, what people crave, and what makes this clubhouse model work so beautifully.
Here are the four biggest insights from our first year.
1. People crave low-pressure, welcoming spaces
Most adults aren’t looking for a packed social calendar or high-stakes networking. They’re looking for something gentler — a place where they can show up exactly as they are.
A quiet morning with a laptop.
A friendly conversation over lunch.
A familiar face at the end of the week.
We’ve seen over and over that connection grows best when the pressure is removed.
2. The clubhouse model works better than we ever imagined
Maeve House was created as a clubhouse for grown-ups — not a coworking office, not a traditional social club, and not a drop-in community center. Something in between. Something softer.
And it works.
People settle in easily when the environment feels like a beautiful, welcoming home — when they can choose where to sit, when to chat, when to work quietly, or when to join in for an event.
It’s not just flexible.
It’s human.
3. Events are as much about belonging as activity
We’ve learned that Lunch Club isn’t really about lunch.
Fun Club isn’t about the game or the movie.
Mind Body Club isn’t about perfect form.
Every event — even the simplest weekly ones — is really about belonging. About having a place to go, people who expect you, and a moment in the week that feels grounding.
The activity is just the doorway.
4. The impact is bigger than we expected
This one surprised us most of all.
Several of our Google reviews use the phrase “life-changing.” Members tell us they finally feel part of something. Remote workers share that Maeve House gave them a rhythm again. People new to Austin say they found their first real friends here.
The impact of belonging is bigger and deeper than we imagined when we opened the doors.
It continues to be the most meaningful part of this work.
A year later, we’re just getting started
If the first year taught us anything, it’s that community grows through small, consistent moments — and that adults are hungry for places that feel warm, easy, and welcoming.
We’re grateful for every person who has walked through the door, for every conversation around the table, and for the friendships forming in this little clubhouse of ours.
And truly… we’re just getting started.
Curious about Maeve House?
Come visit, meet a few Maevies, and see how belonging grows here.