Coworking It!

happy. productive. loosecubes.: Dear Loosecubers, Friends, and Fans,We are deeply saddened to...

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:45:26 -0500

happy. productive. loosecubes.: Dear Loosecubers, Friends, and Fans,We are deeply saddened to...:

Dear Loosecubers, Friends, and Fans,

We are deeply saddened to announce that on November 16, 2012, Loosecubes will be closing its doors and shutting down.

The past two and a half years have been such an incredible journey. From a team of two to an incredible company of 16. From a big idea to…

REV closing on Friday November 16, 2012

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 09:56:56 -0500

I just received an unfortunate email from Jeff Gunther the Founder and CEO of REV saying that the last day of their operations will be Friday, November 16.

It is too bad because this is such a beautiful space in a good location.

Laurea’s take on coworking at Rev on Friday, June 15, 2012

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:19:00 -0400

I found out about Rev from the Loosecubes site when they announced their Summer Coworking Challenge which you should definitely check out!

The unique feature about Rev is that it is located under the Vitra store in Chelsea so it is furnished with Vitra furniture, giving this coworking space an advantage of having the nicest office furniture of any coworking space or most offices for that matter that I have seen so far.

Rev is located near the Highline, right next to Soho House and a few blocks from Chelsea Market - such a design lover’s neighborhood.

Even though Rev is in the lower level of the Vitra store, you don’t feel like you are working in a basement, which was my initial concern before seeing the space. The ceilings are pretty high for a lower level space and since the Vitra storefront is all glass, sunlight comes down into the Rev space.

What I liked:

The furniture was gorgeous, comfortable and functional. I had a big desk with a giant monitor (about 40 inches). The desk came with a laptop plug, iPhone charger, mouse and keyboard. Definitely the most complete desk I have tried working in so far. The chair was also extremely comfortable which most coworking spaces understandably so cannot afford to have so it was a luxury to work in the space for the day. Clearly the Vitra marketing with Rev worked on me because I had such a good experience with their furniture.

There was a communal desk that you could work from standing up. I was so into my desk for the day that I did not get a chance to try to work standing up even though it is supposed to be better for you.

There was a nice couch area if you wanted to have a meeting or just not work at a desk for a bit.

The fridge was stocked with IZZE soda and there were snacks available.

There restroom was super clean and fancy. Since the restroom is shared with the Vitra office, you got to walk by their gorgeous office on the way to the restroom.

Internet speed: Download speed: 15.60, Upload speed 5.02

What could be better:

If you are lucky enough to get a desk for the day then it definitely feels spacious but if the space is busy I can see the communal tables getting pretty crowded since the chairs are quite close together.

There isn’t space for a proper conference room so if you are someone who is looking for a space with a conference room then this won’t work for you.

If you make a ton of phone calls and want a phone booth then this open plan space is also not a good match.

The front door is locked until the Vitra store is open so you have to find someone on their staff of 3 to open the door to let people in who are meeting you if the store is closed; so you don’t have the freedom of having keys to the space unlike other coworking spaces.

Lunch: Martha, Jen and I went to http://www.friedmanslunch.com/ in Chelsea Market and then brought our food to the Highline.

This kind of lunch option is when you are reminded of why you work so hard to live in NYC - being able to enjoy a beautifully designed public space that people from all over the world travel to see with some delicious food during your lunch break.

Happy hour: Martha and I went to the bar at the http://www.hotelgansevoort.com/ for a drink. Ridiculously nice views (pictured below) but you have to go before 6 PM before the crowd gets unbearable. The drinks are pricey ($18 for one cocktail) but they are strong. There were tater tots on the menu which seemed like an awesome idea but there are only 3 of them for $9. So don’t order them!

Cost: Rev has two plans - occasional and unlimited.

The occasional plan reminds me of Zipcar because you can pay hourly and even by the minute!

The unlimited plan for $249 a month is a really good deal for a plan that is Monday - Saturday 9 am to 9 pm and located in Chelsea with some of the best office furniture you can get.

More details about costs and benefits here.

Since Rev is still new, it is not really clear who the community is yet but I’m definitely keeping an eye on it to see how the community develops since it is such a beautiful space.

Laurea’s take on coworking at Projective space (Soho Location) on Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:02:05 -0500

This was a really hectic day for me so I was glad that Projective Space was an easy 15 minute train ride with no transfer on the J from Williamsburg.

When things are really stressful for me, it is tempting to just hole up and work from home but I have found that since coworking enables small interactions with people it actually alleviates the extra stress that occurs from being isolated. Being able to quickly vent to someone or just talk about something unrelated to work for a minute helps a lot.

The border of Chinatown and Soho is one of my favorite neighborhoods - there are a lot of calm spaces in between the crowded streets, the architecture is interesting and there are a good selection of lunch and happy hour spots.

What I liked: The location on Broadway near Grand street makes it really easy to get to by train. All the Canal street stops are very close as well as a few stops on Spring street.

The ceilings are high so even though the desks are very close to each other the room doesn’t feel as tight as it would with ceilings that are a standard height. The lighting is nice because it warm and bright. It is not the headache inducing fluorescent type. There are floor to ceiling windows that look out onto Broadway so there is also a fair amount of natural light that comes into the space.

People were very friendly - they had a good balance of engaging in conversation but everyone was really productive. The atmosphere was very busy that day, lots of people on phone calls and you could feel a general sense of energy.

One of the people that works there teaches a yoga class from time to time at the end of the day and invites people to participate. I didn’t have time for the class that day but that is a big plus for me since I do yoga regularly.

Type of people who work here: Mostly established tech startups like Uber, SeatGeek, and IndieGoGo. Martha and I sat next to a developer that day and I also ran into Kat Popiel who I met awhile ago who runs content and community for IndieGoGo so it is always nice to run into people you know. She said she likes coming into work in the space and she gets a lot done.

What could be better: The desks in the coworking space were really suited to 2 people but since it was busy that day each desk had about 4 people working on it. I accidentally lightly kicked the person in front of me a few times (sorry lady) since I did not have enough leg room. Larger desks could fit into the coworking space with a different layout.

An area to take phone calls that is more insulated like a phone booth or room would also improve the space. Since the space has high ceilings and is long and narrow, when 2 or more people are on the phone the entire space echoes and it can be a bit distracting to hear every detail of someone’s conversation.

It would also be better to put up a barrier around the one conference table to allow for more privacy during any group conversations and in person meetings.

Projective Space did follow up right away with Martha and I about our visit and I told them about what could be better and they addressed my feedback right away and said they are already planning on building out a lounge with phone booths and lockers up front, and a few more tables to increase the coworking area capacity to 20.

This is another important thing for all coworking spaces to do - follow up with every person who tries your space out. Some spaces have been doing this but not all of them. This is such an important part of cultivating your coworking community. The physical aspects of the space are of course very important but without the community the space is not interesting and will not survive.

Lunch: Martha and I wanted to eat at La Esquina but the wait was too long so we ended up at Cafe Select since we were in a hurry.

The space is comfortable and well designed but the food isn’t very exciting, it falls under the category of French/American *not* one of my favorites but since we didn’t have much time we couldn’t afford the wait for one of the better spots.

Happy hour: There are so many great bar options, but we decided to try Lani Kai which is a kitschy tiki bar with good drinks. We tried it because people we knew on Foursquare had been a few times.

Coworking at Projective Space is by application. They also have another larger location in the Lower East Side which we are looking forward to trying.

Laurea’s take on coworking at In Good Company on February 17, 2012

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:27:00 -0500

It is amazing how much better the Flatiron neighborhood has gotten in the past few years. I really think that Shake Shack has had a lot to do with the transformation of the neighborhood. Madison Square Park used to be very quiet and there were not very many compelling businesses around then when Shake Shack opened it seemed like all the other interesting places followed.

In Good Company is right across the street from Madison Square Park so it is really easy to get to by subway. The building is on 23rd Street on a great block so their location is really desirable.

What I liked: The receptionist was very friendly and the front room had a lot of light. The workspaces are all well designed white desks and each desk had a tulip. Having a flower on each desk was a really nice touch that I haven’t seen at any coworking space yet.

It is amazing how that small touch can really add to the space. The chairs made you sit in a good posture but were not uncomfortable. There was a nice lounge area with clean couches so if one of the three conference rooms were booked you could use the lounge area for a meeting if you didn’t want to meet at your desk.

The space has soft track lighting and art on the walls (which are for sale, smart move) so even though there are no windows in the workspace (there are only windows in the front) you don’t feel like you are working in a dreary box.

In the front of the space there is a larger conference room that can seat about 8 people or so with windows overlooking 23rd street.

One of the three conference rooms. It has track lighting, a plant and art on the wall - it turns a tiny space into an appealing one with just those three details.

Internet speed: Download 15.01 Mbps, Upload 1.42 Mbps

Type of people who work here: Since this space is geared towards women the majority of the people working were women though there were a few men who came into the space throughout the day. The average age of the coworkers seemed to be between the mid-30’s to 40’s, so definitely an older crowd.

One of the founders, Amy Abrams pointed out that it was holiday weekend so last Friday was quiet but that since In Good Company is industry agnostic they have a wide range of people from different backgrounds such as marketing, social media, business strategy, tech businesses, product businesses and designers. She said they also have businesses that focus on health and wellness and people who are academic advisors, career coaches, caterers, recruiters and style consultants.

What could be better: A bigger kitchen and more tolerance for higher voice levels on the phone. I really tried to keep my voice down but apparently it was not low enough. There weren’t too many people on the phone and the enforced volume for the space is pretty low, about library level - so even though I really like the space, I am probably too loud for it since a lot of my job entails me being on the phone.

Lunch: We did not have time for lunch today but if we did we would have had a TON of options - Eataly, Shake Shack, Calexico, and if for whatever reason you really have to impress a client or are just feeling fancy in general there is Eleven Madison and Gramercy Tavern.

Happy hour: We didn’t have time for happy hour but we did do dinner at Shake Shack since we skipped lunch. If we did end up going for cocktails we would have gone to the Flatiron Lounge.

More info about costs and options here.

In Good Company, February 17, 2012 We were greeted by a really...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:50:00 -0500

In Good Company, February 17, 2012

We were greeted by a really really friendly receptionist by the name of Donna, who has some really fun pink highlights in her hair. She instantly knew who I was and guessed my name. Showed me where to sit and made sure Laurea and I met up and all that jazz.

The space itself has the energy of a really nice loft space with warm gallery art on the wall, nice desks (I’m biased though because they’re the same model as my desk at home just a different color), and a red tulip on everyone’s desk (my favorite flower). Internet was super easy to get on, coffee was easy to find, and everything was just, homey.

Our biggest challenge, though, which is also one of the biggest pluses for the space, is that it’s quiet. And it’s enforced as you can see with the picture of the quiet rules. Laurea and I are loud chiquita bananas so that’s a tough one for us. BUT, I did get a LOT done for the amount of time we were here.

We were a little skeptical of the female-only member list for this venue, but we saw plenty of men. So, it’s not like an all women’s college :) It’s just that the business networking is mostly women, which as someone with a degree in women’s studies, is fine by me!

The chairs are nice. The seating areas are nice. The conferences rooms are nice. The library for book swapping is awesome. The soap and whatnot in the bathroom is a bit nicer than other venues and yes, nice. Was a delight to work here.

They have a networking community related to the space; so you can be part of their community without working out of here. And one of those perks, beyond events, is the ability to put your contact information on the big board near the coffee station (again, smart since that’s a time when people want to look at something).

It was only about 1/3 of the way full while we were there so not sure how loud it is when it’s fuller, but we are sure that Donna will enforce the quiet with kindness. (Nicest scolding I’ve gotten in months, thanks!)

Pros:

Details have been taken care of, lots of nice touches like tulips on everyone’s desk
Nice furniture
Nice lighting
Nice people
Great internet
Art gallery on the wall
Land lines for phone calls if you want them
Nice conference rooms (I want to book that front room at some point)
Location in town, Flat Iron, hello!
Tiered structure
Family vibe

Cons

Volume, we’re loud. This is a plus for others :)
No daily drop in rate, but we see why. They really want the family vibe here

We’ll likely be doing a follow up call with one of the founders soon and may add more notes.

But all in all, a great space! We quite enjoyed it. If you are a woman who is more mature, likes a quiet space, loves Flat Iron and works in communications in some manner (coaching, editing, etc), this is probably a community worth checking out.

So Techie Spaces, February 10, 2012 The two things that have...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:42:33 -0500

So Techie Spaces, February 10, 2012

The two things that have become clear to us as we go around to the various co-working spaces of NYC are that every space has it’s own vibe and there’s probably a space for everyone. In the case of So Techie Spaces, this is the space that the guys from “The Big Bang Theory” would probably join if they were NYC co-workers. The energy here is reminiscent of the computer science floor that I lived on my Sophomore year of college: computer junk everywhere, black electronics and desks when possible, more interest in work space and outlets versus design and somewhat introverted.

This co-working space is sponsored by a small company and we believe shares a space with them. There are regulars who sit in the back and pretty much keep to themselves the whole time beyond a hello greeting when you come in and telling you where things are if you’re the first one in your group. (I wasn’t so Laurea told me)

All the seating areas are black which is a sort of developer chic. Not really my choice, but works with the vibe. Overhead light is bright and harsh so you will want to come early and get a window seat. But be careful about watching your seat. Mine was taken when I was at lunch and the offender didn’t apologize. The individual we got into an overhead light battle didn’t either. Normally we would just have a chat, but this is a space where people seem to avoid eye contact and we aren’t the type to knowingly make others uncomfortable. Pros Location, it’s nice being near Bryant Park Light from the front Desks near the window facing out Building is taken care of, they’re renovating the hallway Desks are a novelty Cons Not that friendly Could be a bit cleaner Not all outlets work Harsh overhead lighting Hard to maneuver coffee and the like It is pretty loud. This is a good spot to check out if you need somewhere cheap for a day near 42nd street and you won’t be seeing clients. Could also be a good space for a cheapish conference room.

Laurea’s take on coworking at SoTechie Spaces on February 10, 2012

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:55:00 -0500

When we emailed SoTechie spaces to ask if we could try out their space for the day they emailed us back right away, were very welcoming and even said they read our blog so it was great to get some recognition!

I wasn’t too excited about the location since I am not a fan of Midtown but SoTechie Spaces is located at 28 W. 39th St between 5th and 6th Avenue closer to Bryant Park so it isn’t as hectic as being right in the Times Square or Port Authority area. I think that the park really diffuses hectic energy.

What I liked: There were fairly spacious desks arranged by block so you could easily talk to someone who sat next to you but since everyone is at a desk, space is delineated more clearly than a shared table. There were ethernet connections at most desks which I prefer using when available since wifi can be less reliable. The chairs at each desk were fairly comfortable.

Internet speed via Ethernet cable: 2.34 Download & .42 Upload

What could be better: The SoTechie space was longer, narrower and smaller than the other coworking spaces we have visited. The private offices are quite small so people leave their doors open and you can hear all their conversations. There were some tense conversations taking place that day so it made the overall vibe a bit strange. The people coworking in the space that day were not very social. Granted there were only 4 or so people working in the common area but no one introduced themselves to us. We got the impression that most of them were introverts. It seemed like most of the social interactions took place in the private offices.

The majority of the light sources in the space were standard overhead rectangular fluorescent lights which wouldn’t have bothered me so much if the ceiling was higher. I tried to turn the lights off since there was a fair amount of light coming from the main window but someone kept turning them back on so I just gave up on that light switch battle.

Lunch: I was really happy that one of my favorite restaurants, Szechuan Gourmet was right across the street so naturally Martha and I took advantage of the lunch special there.

The spicy sesame noodles are super yummy and they also do spicy fish dishes really well. If you can handle really spicy soup try their hotpot for dinner.

Happy hour: We didn’t have time for a neighborhood happy hour but if we did we might have gone to the bar in the ice skating rink at Bryant Park.

More info about costs and options here.

Laurea’s take on coworking at the Loosecubes HQ on February 3, 2012

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:05:00 -0500

Since Loosecubes is an online database of coworking spaces that enables people to book coworking slots in different spaces, features reviews *and* they allow anyone to cowork in their office if you sign up in advance and pay $5 to work there for the day; Martha and I were excited to try it out. It was the first time that we coworked in a space that was primarily made up of the company. The coworkers were the minority in this case which was new for us.

Loosecubes is in a building on 20 Jay Street in DUMBO. It is a quick walk to and from the York stop on the F train and there are plenty of places to stop by and get coffee on the way to the building.

DUMBO is growing and there are definitely more businesses than there were a few years ago, but the neighborhood still feels isolated. If you live in, within walking distance or a short bike ride from DUMBO, it is a good neighborhood to work in but it doesn’t offer the diversity of the other neighborhoods of the coworking spaces we have reviewed in the past. If you have a lot of meetings in Manhattan then this isn’t going to be a good place for you.

What I liked:

The Loosecubes office is in a spacious loft office with big windows and plenty of light which I loved since I need both while I work. The desks were large and there were monitors that I could plug into. It was great having the ability to replicate my exact external monitor set up at home for the first time in a coworking space.

If you have a bike you can bring it up into the office so you don’t have to worry about locking it it up on the street.

There is a tent where you can work, make calls, have a meeting, take a nap or just hang out if you feel like you just need some astroturf in your life!

What could be better: Some way for Loosecubes to more effectively integrate the coworking area into their space to facilitate a better interaction between their team and the coworking community in their space.

I wouldn’t be making this recommendation if the company office were just a shared space with no coworking objective but since the focus of the company is coworking they should take better advantage of connecting with the coworkers they attract.

We were given a friendly introduction to the space which covered all the basics - available desks, location of bathrooms and wifi password but since Loosecubes is about coworking and they have opened up their space to anyone to work in for a small fee, I expected them to take a stronger interest in how and why Martha and I chose to work in their space for that day and the kind of work we are involved in.

Since they let other people work in their space it would also be better if they built a conference room or some other private space for them to have their company meetings. It was a bit awkward for us to hear meetings that should be separated from the shared space.

Lunch: Martha and I ate at Superfine that day which has a solid menu and comfortable tables but it is not a great bargain. Lunch will cost you around $15-$20 per person. This is not the neighborhood for lunch specials.

Happy hour: There are a bunch of casual bars close by. The most popular one being reBar, but since we wanted to try something else, we ended up at 68 Jay Street bar. It is a small space and was mostly standing room which works if you don’t plan on drinking for too long. They offer standard, basic drinks - nothing too fancy or different but the main benefit is that it is affordable and close to the office.

Special features and costs: Cool tent, ability to bring a bike into the office, very affordable $5 day rate, $400 a day event space rental for a group, $400 a month for an individual desk, $1600 a month for a group desk

More info about costs and options here.

Loosecubes, Friday, February 3, 2012This is our first company...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:40:13 -0500

Loosecubes, Friday, February 3, 2012

This is our first company office with co-working spots, versus a pure co-working space. Quite a different dynamic. The co-workers are put in an area to the side, while the company works in the main space. 3 out of the 5 co-working desks are used all of te time, so there’s really only 2 guest spots. On Feb 3, we were the guests.

Pros:

Monitors available at the co-working spots
Nicer chairs (though not enough. one of us almost had to work on a stool
There’s a tent for a conference room!
Bright space
Bike parking
Fast internet (Download 41.91, upload 54.25 pr speakeasy.net, what!)
Nice views, we’re on a high floor so you can see over the buildings
Not as close to the bridge (a huge concern in DUMBO because the subway is loud)
It’s only $5 a day. Dude!
Decent bars nearby

Minuses

Because it’s a company, they aren’t as welcoming and inclusive in the co-working experience. They set us up pleasantly enough, but it’s not the same energy of “omg, yes, be part of our community please!” like other places. It’s also not the point to the space either. Although, since they’re focused on co-working for their business, we were surprised at the insularity.
Sitting with a company can be loud. They have a lot of meetings.
Not terribly quiet, any confidential conversations can be heard by everyone
Not too many cheap lunch options

Highlights:

The tent. It’s cool.
Having a documentary film maker come in and ask us if we wanted to talk about butts. yes, like the one you are sitting on. Apparently they’re doing some documentary about anal sex or something. We all had a good laugh about that. Definitely office wide bonding moment.

This is a great space to try for a day but not necessarily to settle into for good. There are 3 folks who work here on an on-going basis, but they pretty much keep to themselves. The split between office and co-workers is clear.

It is however a great space to overhear others talking about the concept of co-working. Very cool on that! We had hoped for more of that though. They really sounded like any other tech startup talking about resumes and wireframes.

Co-working: Questions to ask yourself before you go hunting for a space

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:55:17 -0500

Various folks have asked us about co-working, frequently asking us which spaces they should join, what it’s like, should they do it, etc. We always come back with a “you should, but there’s no one right answer for every co-working.”

So, we’ve put this list together of questions you need to ask yourself before you choose a space:

Are you looking for just one space to be at all the time, or do you want to work from different spaces?
What’s your main motivation for joining a co-working space?
What sort of people do you want to network with? (age, industry, gender, types of clients they have, etc)
What sort of facilities do you want? (Do you want your own desk? Are you ok with sharing a desk or big table? Do you need access to a conference room? Do you want a mailbox?)
What sort of commute are you open to?
How important are regular networking events?
How often do you want to be in the space? (This will help determine if you should sign up for a monthly membership or a daily membership)
Do you want access to training facilities?
How do you feel about phone calls in a big room with other people around?
How do you feel about being in an open space versus a private office?
Do you want to chat all day or do you want a quiet workspace?

We are finding that these questions set the tone for selecting the type of co-working space a person will be most comfortable in.

Eventually, we’ll put some sort of a grid together laying this out for the NYC co-working spaces. Alas, we’re not done reviewing them yet! Next up: Loosecubes HQ!

Plans for 2012

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:03:05 -0500

There are still co-working spaces popping up all of the time in NYC and we still plan to review all of those fabulous places. However, we plan to expand our blog this year to get into talking about co-working on a higher level. We’ve already laid out some awesome questions and features that we want to cover. But hey, why not ask you what you want to know?

Please reply with questions you care about and we’ll try and address them.

Worldwide #Jellyweek 2012

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:02:00 -0500

Starting TODAY, January 16 until next Sunday, January 22 is Worldwide #Jellyweek 2012.

If you have been thinking about coworking and haven’t had a chance to try some spaces out, this is the week to take advantage of all the free coworking opportunities happening this week!

Brave the cold, beat cabin fever, meet some new people and get some work done!

From http://jellyweek.tumblr.com/about:

EVERYBODY is invited to start a jelly at his place and to invite coworkers from all over the world. Push your local coworking initiatives and develop ideas and actions to connect the global community!   JELLY is a casual working event. People are coming together (in a person’s home, a coffee shop, a public space or an office) to work for the day. Bring a laptop (or whatever you need to get your work done) and a friendly disposition. And you are free to create an interesting program (barcamps, exhibitions, workshops, networking events, exchange programs with other coworking communities etc.) during the jelly week.

Check out this global map to find a coworking group to join.

Here are some NYC coworking spaces that are offering free days this week:

- Bitmap in Williamsburg will be hosting three free days from today, Monday, January 16 until Wednesday, January 18

Reserve a spot and see more details here.

- 3rd Ward in Bushwick is offering a free coworking 1 day pass that can be used between January 16 and January 31.

- We Create NYC near Union Square in Manhattan will be hosting open coworking hours. Contact them to find out details, I couldn’t find the schedule on their site.

- Greenspaces in Chinatown in Manhattan will be hosting a free day today, Monday January 16.

Reserve a spot.

- Loosecubes HQ in DUMBO Brooklyn will be open today, Monday from 11am - 5pm to “host anyone who’s interested in working, hacking, catching up on personal to-dos or craft projects, and collaborating on new ventures.”

No sign up required, just drop by. Details here.

- So Techie Spaces in Midtown Manhattan will be hosting people from today, Monday January 16 until Saturday, Jan 21, 2012.

Contact them for more details.

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If you are a coworking space in NYC and I missed your #Jellyweek listing tweet me @Laureado and I will include your listing in this post.

Martha’s take on Greenpoint Co-Working If you want a...

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:27:58 -0500

Martha’s take on Greenpoint Co-Working

If you want a neigborhoody co-working space, perfect for just getting out of the house and working with others who are also just a bit more serious than working in their living room, but not necessarily driven by big time networking, this is the place! The woman who runs this space, Sara, really knows what she’s doing. It’s well designed to be both attractive and functional (there are lots of chalk board walls, all the colors work together, etc) We weren’t surprised to find out that she’s a designer :)

It’s on the smaller end, so expect the small company feel where everyone gets to know each other (and you can hear each others phone calls). The day we went was all female, but there are other male members as well. There is also an adorable dog named Sushi, who is super chill and just kinda sleeps on the designer beanbag chairs. Sushi is cool with you snuggling with her. So, there’s a huge plus here: puppy naps!

Everyone sits so they can face outside, which is kinda fun. There is also a big table that you can rent for the day if you want to have a meeting in Greenpoint. (Btw, this was the only Brooklyn co-working space that is cool with spontaneous drop-ins. Many offer tours but nto sample days. Meh!)

Pluses:

Puppy naps
people who get to know you and actually care about what you did last night
Group food delivery
Group conversations
Good music on Sara’s playlist
Did I mention Sushi, the doggie?
Variety of industries in the room (travel advice, web design, non-profits, etc)
Great design
Functional
Small so you get to know everyone
Attention to details
Drop-in available

Minuses

Super far from Park Slope
Not many lunch options outside of delivery
Small, so not as much networking (which is also a plus)

I see this place as a different genre of co-working, the neighborhood space. Definitely something that needs representing. Not every co-working space needs the big manifesto. Sometimes, you just wanna go hang with peeps in your hood while banging out some work.

Laurea’s take on Greenpoint coworking on December 6, 2011 (Yeah I know super LATE!)

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:51:00 -0500

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We hope you had a festive holiday and the new year is treating you well so far.

Yes our posts are SUPER LATE for the Greenpoint coworking space but that is what happens during the holidays.

Everything gets nuts in order to close out the year.

I got back from an amazing trip to Mumbai last Saturday so I am just now catching up and getting back into the swing of things here.

Ok enough excuses, here we go…

The Greenpoint coworking space would be perfect for you if you lived in Greenpoint and wanted to stay in the neighborhood but get out of your house. It is not super ideal for me since I live on the South Side of Williamsburg so it is an awkward location for me and actually faster for me to get to a coworking space downtown.

It is the smallest space we have seen so far which would work if you want to work in an intimate space and don’t need to do a lot of client meetings and phone calls in the space.

Address: 240 North Henry Street, Brooklyn

Website: http://greenpointcoworking.com

What I liked: The people working there were very friendly, there was a relaxed atmosphere and the workspace faces a window so you don’t feel like you are working in a small box. You get to hang out with a cute dog named Sushi.

Lunch: Martha and I had lunch at http://www.fireplaceny.com/ which had a pretty diverse menu of bistro type food. The portions were huge for the price so if you are super hungry then go here.

Good happy hour spots close by: We didn’t have time for happy hour that day but if we had we would have tried one of the spots on Nassau Avenue or went to Five Leaves by the park.

What could be better: More desks and bigger space but given this seems to be a very neighborhood space their amount of space is probably the right fit for the neighborhood.

Special features:

- Discounts with Zipcar

- Up to 15% off at Moxie Bookkeeping

- Up to 15% off packages with Social Media Consultant/ Strategist Marian Schembari

-10% off any business coaching package with Susan Martin of Business Sanity

- 15% off legal work/contracts with Franqui Law Group

- Discounted rates on events and workshops at GPCW

- Free access to coworking spaces all over the world as a part of the Coworking Visa Program

Costs: http://greenpointcoworking.com/membership/

I also started a Twitter list of all the coworking spaces in NYC -

https://twitter.com/#!/Laureado/nyc-coworking-spaces

Martha’s take on Greenspaces (NYC location) on November 11 Wow,...

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:24:17 -0500

Laurea at Green Spaces

Green Spaces Kitchen

Green Spaces private desks

Martha’s take on Greenspaces (NYC location) on November 11

Wow, time flies when you are having fun, doesn’t it? Laurea already wished you a happy holiday and I echo that and wish you a happy future holiday, too. All of em!

Anyway, on a lovely sunny but crisp day, Laurea and I checked out Greenspaces, just a block south of New Work City, aka 3 blocks south of Canal on Broadway. We walked into a lovely but small lobby and took the elevator up to the 5th floor, right above a karate studio and below a design studio. We were greeted by a very bubbly and nice receptionist who gave us the tour and then came back and chatted with us after we settled into the open area in the back.

The space is split into private desks in the front and communal working in the back, near the kitchen and bathroom areas. There are 2 conferences rooms that have glass walls. As you’d hope from a “green” aka “environmental” space, most of the furniture is reclaimed, giving it a cozy feel. The kitchen area has an elaborate recycling system, splitting out cans, paper and composting. There is also a nice little sitting area with coaches near the kitchen, so you could take a break there. Some people really do use that area as a break because we saw a guy sleeping there half he day with jackets all over him. No one said anything or thought oddly of him.

It seems that coffee supplies are a concern there, because I had to ask to have a new pot made and the coffee was taken out of a secret spot. Good coffee, though! And good to know: da coffee be hidden, ask for more!

Everyone there has a green slant to their work, including various internet designers, writers, investors, someone who works for GOOD and NPR, and others. There are various green oriented meetings there for both networking and community knowledge purposes. Certainly a place to check out if your primary industries are green oriented.

The crowd is a bit older than the tech spaces, some folks seem more established, others seem like they’re struggling a bit (we overheard a lot of “I’m working on my resume” conversations). But everyone seemed a laid back. We did get a noise complaint(Laurea and I are talkers and we bring a lot of energy with us), so do speak quietly. We found that noise travels in general in that space, we could overhear meetings in their conference rooms. So, be aware of that!

Onto the random Martha list (you know to go get the facts in Laurea’s take):

There are slightly more men then women in this space. If you like dating writers and political activists and are a single woman (which I am and you all know this by now), this is a good venue
The racial mix is a bit more mixed up here. We saw more Asian and Black people than other spaces we’ve been to.
The lighting is a bit dark. Not a good space to work out of if you have say, glaucoma.
Seems like a great space to work out of if you’re a small green start up.
Also a good space to work out of if you want to do karate at lunch (there’s a place in the building).
There is a mix between introverts and extroverts, some people doing lots of chatting, others deep in their email. A wider mix of personality types than other co-working spaces we’ve been to.
They follow up! I got an email from the community manager afterwards to ask what we thought about the space and if we’d want to join. We like people who follow up.
Lots of awesome cheap lunch options, it’s Chinatown after all.
Good train action.
Good office supplies – we saw an area of paperclips, recycled paper, books to trade.
They have another venue in Denver, so it’s possible to travel between the two and work in both. Neat concept.

All in all, this space feels like a real community. There seems to be something about organizing a space around basic shared values. Not sure this is where we’ll join, though, I love green politics and putting money where my mouth is, but it may not be the perfect fit. I would be happy to go to events here, though!

Laurea’s take on Greenspaces (NYC location) on November 11

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:57:00 -0500

We are delayed in posting because of the craziness that ensued before Thanksgiving. Martha and I hope you all ate a lot and spent time with the people you loved. We definitely did and are going to try to squeeze in some more reviews before the holidays!

Here is my take on Green Spaces which we visited on November 11…

Green Spaces is a few doors down from New Work City so everything I wrote about NWC in terms of the neighborhood is relevant. Canal Street is the stop you get off at to go to Green Spaces and it is in Chinatown.

Most people working in the space were pretty quiet and only a few people were on the phone throughout the day. This was the only space where Martha and I were told to lower our voices and what was strange was that the person who thought we were talking too loud told the receptionist to tell us to lower our voices. Not sure why the person couldn’t have just told us themselves to lower our voices - that was like a weird grade school flashback so whomever you were that thought we were too loud you should have just told us yourself and we could have also apologized to you and bought you a drink or something to make up for annoying you!

I was surprised by the number of people who ate lunch at their desk. One of the benefits of being a freelancer is being able to leave your desk for lunch. Since there were a number of people eating lunch at their desk it got a bit smelly for an hour or so until everyone was done eating.

Wifi: Download speed 23.85 mbps, Upload speed 4.89 mbps, Ping 15 ms

What I liked: I like how Green Spaces has a free day pass that is easy to find on their website.

All co-working spaces that are looking to be inclusive should have a link to a day pass on their website.

Amy, the receptionist was very friendly and gave a detailed tour and overview of the space.

There is a decent kitchen, one pretty good lounge area that you could add chairs to yourself to accommodate any meetings. There are two fairly small conference rooms which could fit about 4-6 people max. There is free coffee and tea all day and 24/7 access to full time members.

There is one phone booth which can fit a laptop if you need to duck somewhere to have a phone call.

You don’t have to be a part of the Green community to work here but they are aiming to be the hub for the Green community so if you are a freelancer or business looking for desk space then this is the best co-working community match for you.

Lunch: We went to Nha Trang One for a quick lunch which is decent but not the best since we didn’t have much time that day to really be picky but since Green Spaces is in Chinatown the options are numerous!

Good happy hour spots close by: We didn’t have time for Happy hour that day unfortunately but if we did I think we would have gone to Winnie’s for some divey drinks and $1 per song karaoke action

What could be better:

I prefer a space with more natural light. It was a bit dark here but they kind of made it work by going for a library look.

I wish there were plugs embedded in the desks. You need to be by a wall if you want an outlet though there are a few extension cords available.

From an aesthetic point of view I liked the eclectic mix of furniture but from a functional point of view some chairs were more comfortable and a better match to the desks. I had to take some time to find the right chair to work in for the day.

Special features:

Colorado and NYC locations

Event space rental, use of the space to host workshops for $175 an hour and events with a Green community focus

Curated connections, an intern program and a referral network

Costs:

The costs and benefits for each tier are outlined very clearly here

Martha’s take on Hive at 55 on November 3 I had been part...

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:17:31 -0500

Room shot

Room shot

Laurea and Sandhya

Martha’s take on Hive at 55 on November 3

I had been part of a couple of meetings here with Live with Design, so I had already had a sense of the space at night and for giving classes (pretty smooth in the back room, a really great venue for group work in the big space, btw). BUT, I had no idea what it was like to work there during the day. So, this was a fun treat to see a new angle on a place I’d been to already.

First off, it’s in the Financial District which makes it a bit more difficult to find, but is still pretty convenient from my part of Brooklyn (I live on the 2/3, among other trains). So, if you’re not an expert on the Financial District, be sure to bring your favorite mapping app (FourSquare, Google Maps, HopStop, etc). Hive at 55 is located on the 13th Floor of a build owned by the city and is part of the Alliance for Downtown NYC. So, the entire building is a fun mishmash of mostly non-financial companies (including the Reputation Institute, which is a name we are intrigued by. If you work there, do email us and tell us about your work.) Unlike most of the co-working spaces we’ve seen, Hive at 55 is only part of a floor. (Co-working spaces seem to take entire floors of big and small buildings on the norm)

Daria, who mans the front, was quite friendly and gave me the tour (which she’s done many times considering that this space is 2 years old). She gave me the password and told me how to pay the $25 drop-in rate on their website (quite easy).

When I walked in, the first 2 things that stood out to me instantly were: This space is unusual because there are private offices right off of the main space and it’s smaller than other spaces. There’s coffee, coffee mugs, 3 conference rooms, a more casual couch area for phone calls, and a table in the kitchen. People works in a variety of industries. I overheard conversations in tech, real estate, development, beauty and design.

We found that the smaller size had 2 big affects on the community: People are a lot friendlier with each other (they can clearly hear each other’s conversations) AND it felt cozier. Being physically close to others was nicer than we originally thought it might be. The one draw back to the smaller space is a bit of a battle for the best spots, not that it isn’t hard to be close to windows, but there does seem to be a bit of strategizing by the more experienced folks to get their favorite spots. Since this is the day that our lovely friend Sandhya joined us, I was a bit nervous about being able to get us all together (luckily we did that just fine, phew!)

Lunch and Happy Hour options all seem to be best on Stone Street. There is a strip of bars and restaurants that are well frequented by the financial community (aka men in blue button down shirts and women in suits). We didn’t find them to be our people, but if you are comfortable with those types and overhearing conversations about derivatives and the like gets you excited, this is a good part of town for you. If you’re starved for creative folks, this probably isn’t your best part of town to be spending time in. Hive at 55 is also fairly close to Battery Park, could be a good outdoor lunch option as well.

OK, now for the silly Martha points:

There are more men than women (it was roughly 1/3 female), 1/2 of the men were wearing button down shirts, most of those being blue. Seems to be a uniform for this part of town.
People are in their 20s-50s, so a nice range of experience in the room
There are fun little coin snack machines for your inner 8 year old, who doesn’t like that?
Overall feeling is pretty casual and friendly. Not sure it’s ideal for all client, but certainly fine for some
Decor is very yellow and green, couch is modern, plug-ins at table easy
My friend Nathalie Molina has a private office there, how fun! I didn’t know until I was there :) Oh the fun-ness you find!
Internet is generally super fast (certainly compared to my home network)

We liked Hive at 55. Not so sure we’re huge fans of the part of town it’s in, but we liked the space and it felt homey. Certainly worth checking out!

Laurea's take on The Hive at 55 on November 3

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:01:00 -0500

Wall Street is *not* my favorite neighborhood. Due to the location I was not very excited, though on the plus side the commute was extremely short for me - the J straight from Williamsburg to Broad Street (15 mins) so that was a plus.

I was not very inspired by the building (55 Broad street) but I got a good laugh in the elevator when I saw that there was a placed called “The Reputation Institute” on one of the squares that light up for each floor in the elevator.

When I arrived at the Hive at 55 the receptionist was friendly and the space looked pretty busy. This was the first time we co-worked on a Thursday so that might have had something to do with the space being busier. I also learned from the receptionist that their members are pretty diverse. Although there is a big base of tech workers there are also journalists, lawyers, writers and designers who work from their space.

(New iPhone = better pictures. YESSSS!)

The Hive is one of the oldest co-working spaces in NYC.

From their website:

In July 2009, Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced the MediaNYC 2020 program, a series of initiatives to support and promote the city’s media and technology industries. Included in this announcement was a “freelancer hive” offering affordable workspace to sustain small business and start-ups. In December 2009, the Hive at 55 officially opened in NYC’s Information Technology Center, 55 Broad Street, in the heart of Lower Manhattan.

The Hive is an initiative of the Alliance for Downtown New York, the business improvement district for Lower Manhattan. The Alliance provides many services that make the neighborhood a better place to live, work, and visit. With a grant from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Hive partners with the local community as well as the city’s greater technology and media communities, such as Pace University, the Freelancers Union, GuruLoft, Girl in Tech, the Hatchery, and others.

What I liked: Friendly vibe, the members were of varying age ranges and worked in different industries, easy commute from Williamsburg, fast internet (I plan to measure exact internet speed starting at the next place).

Lunch: The most obvious lunch spots are chains like Au Bon Pain and Pret A Manger since they are right outside the building. Just because you name a chain with a French name it does not make it better than eating at Subway.

Stone Street seems to be the closest street to the Hive at 55 with non-chain lunch options.

We had pizza at Adrienne’s Pizzabar which is on 54 Stone Street. The pizza was good (square slices) and it was pretty busy. Everyone was wearing cornflower blue dress shirts except for Martha and I.

(I was too hungry to take a picture of the pizza so you just get to see Stone Street)

On the way to lunch I got shoulder checked by a bunch of tall white men who I guess didn’t see me. There were a lot of tall white pushy men in this neighborhood. I was not surprised.

Good happy hour spots close by: I was trying to make plans to jump on the J and do happy hour in the LES but Martha (rightfully so) insisted that we stick with the format and get drinks in the immediate neighborhood so we went back to Stone Street.

Again, anything decent seems to just be on that one street.

We had cocktails at Vintry which is on 57 Stone Street RIGHT next to Adrienne’s. It was pretty decent and the crowd was mellow. Douchebag quotient was low.

Sandhya co-worked with us for the day, here she is with Martha and I at cocktails!

What could be better: I wish the workspace was bigger. The tables are quite narrow and there aren’t many loungey spaces for meetings. There is only one area with one couch. The space was just busy enough when we went but with a few more people (even 10 more) it would feel crowded.

There aren’t many places to have a phone call since the private rooms are offices or rented out for meetings, so if there are meetings happening in every room that day and you need to make some calls everyone in the space will pretty much hear what you are saying. If your job doesn’t require many phone calls or you don’t mind people hearing everything you are saying then this space could work for you. I need private space for calls since a big part of my job requires me to be on the phone.

Since they have such a diverse set of members it would be better if they could develop their member page. They did say they are working on it but right now there are only 5 people listed on the page. They mentioned it has been a challenge to get people to fill out their profiles.

To me, the list of members, knowing who belongs to the co-working space and what they work on is just as important as the physical component of the workspace.

Special features:

- A wide variety of membership plans, listed below.

- The Hive at 55 has events every day of the week so it is a very social space.

You can check out their calendar here: http://hiveat55.com/events

- They also rent out their space to events that match their mission.

Their capacities are:

1. Conference room with table for up to 12 people

2. Classroom space for up to 30 people

3. Main space for 30-75 people

Application form here: http://hiveat55.com/files/hive-event-application-form.doc

- A membership also comes with discounts with Zip Cars, Mints Cars, Voxel, and others.

Costs below.

(Note: all lockers are subject to availability)

Drop in $25 daily

- Does not include mail, locker, ID card, or key access

Basic $50 a month

- Mail for $25 a month

- Locker for $25 a month

- No ID card and no Key Access

Part-Time 1 $150 a month

- Includes 8 visits a month

- Mail is included

- Locker is $10 a month

- ID card is included

- Key access is not included

Part-Time 2 $200 a month

- Includes 12 visits a month

- Mail, locker and ID Card are included

- Key access not included

Full time 1 $300 a month

- Includes 20 visits a month M-F

- Mail, locker and ID Card are included

- Key access not included

Full time 2 $450 a month

- Unlimited access

- Mail, locker, ID Card and Key access are included

Off Peak $150 a month

- After 6 pm, Weekends

- Mail and ID card are included

- Locker is not included

- Key access is included

We are taking a break and will be back next week!

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:51:02 -0400

We have not disappeared or slacked off. Martha and I both got slammed with work. I finished event production for The Contact Summit and Martha had some project work which I am sure she will provide updates on and then she went to London for a few days!

We’ll be back next week with more co-working coverage! In the meantime check out this article Coworking Provides A Haven For Rural Entrepreneurs.