If you’re like this blogger, maybe you’re sick of spending your workday alone in your room with your cats, unshowered, and alternating between working and napping. Or maybe that sounds like heaven to you. But eventually you’ll get ornery and need to wipe the crusties out of your eyes for someone. Good news, there’s a place for you — in fact, several. And they’re not that expensive.
Shared Workspaces
There are several ways to fight the isolation and lethargy that can come with being a freelancer. One is to rent a desk at a shared workspace. Shared workspaces vary in price, size, and amenities, but most give you a desk, printer, wifi, coffee landlline, business address that isn’t your apartment, and sense of legitimacy for your work for a montly rate. Here are some options:
Ditmas Workspace
Located in pastoral Ditmas Park, on the south side of Prospect Park, this workspace is professional with a homeyness not found in most offices. Membership is $200/month, with first and last due at signing. That might sound a little intimidating, but it’s the cheapest monthly space available. 535 E 17th St., near Ditmas.
Brooklyn Fireproof
This workspace off of the Morgan L offers members the unique feature of having 24/7 access for $250 per month. There are two desks available for stations for $20 per day. The vibe here is super artsy, as there is an adjoining library, art gallery, and production studio. If you’re into feeling like you’re still in art school and not really working at all, this is the place for you. 119 Ingraham Street at Porter Ave.
Brooklyn Creative League
If you are a real official type who runs a serious business, this is the place for you. This is a gigantic space in Carroll Gardens offering anything you need to run your small business — desks, private offices, conference rooms. ANYTHING. Prices range from $225 per month for a part-time workspace to $1500 for a full-time office. 540 President Street, Third Floor.
Coworking Spaces
The difference between shared workspaces and coworking spaces is that, in a shared workspace, you can go, buy some desk space, sit in a cubicle and work on your HTML coding or Photoshop or whatever it is that you do if you don’t have a full-time job. (I’m looking at you, Williamsburg.) And you could go home and be just as sad and lonely as when you started. But if the community aspect of working in an office is the thing you miss, then check out some coworking spaces. Coworking spaces are built around the idea of creating a community in the workplace. Everyone is there, doing different stuff, but there are no desks, only tables and open spaces.
If you’re intimidated by the monthly fees at the shared workspaces (say, you’re just a fledgling comedy writer and renting another place in New York City seems totally unfeasible to you),most of the coworking spots offer drop-in rates so that you can still spend some days working from bed and some days working from a desk.
Greenpoint Coworking
Drop-in rate for a full day with no commitment or membership fee is $25. (There are levels of membership and you can rent a desk space for $350/month.)The vibe is very creative, relaxed, clean, airy, and professional. Like an ad agency without the pressure. 240 Norman Avenue
Brooklyn Coworking
This place has the best deal in town. In Williamsburg, it has a suggested donation drop-in rate of $15 with the first time free, but they will even barter with you if you don’t have cash and you’re into that sort of thing. This space is artsy and feels like the loft of someone’s living room. There is a large emphasis on community and the organizations boasts monthly dinner parties. 84 Havemeyer Street, Storefront.
For more photos of Greenpoint Coworking and Brooklyn Coworking, be sure to check out Timothy Krause’s Flickr photo pool.
View Comments (11)
Over here at Bitmap Creative Labs, we also offer open desks, privates offices and amenities like free color laser printing, discounts on large-format printing, and give all of our members 25GB to start on our secure servers. Also, if you're a day renter there are no membership fees - a flat fee of as low as $35/day covers everything! Odd that we were never contacted for this article.
Just a little side note, Brooklyn Fire Proof is more for the professional crowd. It's 4 stories of hardworking, talented people. Art students don't typically take spaces but are welcome here too!
We'll totally vouch for Brooklyn Fireproof. Walter is awesome. If the rest of the crew is nearly as awesome, and you're looking for a place to do your shoots (photo or video), we at Bitmap highly recommend them!
Big love for Brooklyn Co-Working on Havemeyer.
Great deal, focused environment and friendly atmosphere. Aside from the essentials (ergonomic chairs, the option to spread out, wifi, etc.) other boons are as a store front space so I can easily step in and out just for fresh air/sunshine breaks, which not long ago were smoke breaks.
There is a kitchen and a fridge but for cheap eats and foodie type this is a pretty excellent location. Plus, if you forgot your packed lunch there is a grocery store just up the street.
The variety of fields represented in this space has done me wonders; programmers, graphic designers, architects, film makers, writers and activist organizers all under one roof—my work and process is ever influenced and I love escaping the mentality of the vector. I've also seen some of the best programming of my life here (although I'm not sure when the next series is coming up).
Recently I had to go from full time co-working to part time (my company finally got a larger office) but even though at my company I have my own desk and a sick-ass tower I still two (or more if possible) days work out of Brooklyn Co-Working.
I mean, come on, it's the OG of co-working.
Thanks for the love, Brokelyn! One quibble: I wouldn't say Brooklyn Creative League is "official"--unless by that you mean "laid-back, yet professional." We're pretty hands-on managers--making coffee, trouble shooting, brokering relationships and gigs between BCL members. We've recently launched Brooklyn Beta, a way for members to pitch and polish new ideas to their. And we're also looking at creating new ways to fund small businesses. Drop us a line if you want to check it out! Thanks! Neil (BCL co-founder).
Love Brooklyn Co-Working! Why? The best people around! Kind, smart, intelligent, creative. yay.
Hi from 3rd Ward -- We just opened up a new and improved coworking space. It's $149/mo for shared desks and $299/mo for dedicated desks. It also looks awesome and gives you access to all the classes and creative workspaces at 3rd Ward. http://www.3rdward.com/coworking
Also check out BrooklynWorks at 159! Awesome new affordable co-working space in South Slope!
http://www.brooklynworks159.com
Makeshift Society on Hope x Havemeyer recently opened - lots of different, flexible membership types, everything from day-passes to dedicated desks. Gorgeous space for all types looking for a co-working spot.
Check out Nowhere Studios! A new coworking space set in the heart of Brooklyn... Nowhere Studios is a 2200sf shared artist and office space curated for creativity, collaboration, cross-pollination and community.
1582 Atlantic Ave
2 blocks from the C train; 10 blocks from the 2,3,4 trains; 3 blocks from the LIRR
We make a magazine here. You can do whatever it is that you do… 1200sf of private work bays with natural light and 15-foot ceilings, plus 1000sf of communal space, teaching area, event space, full kitchen, photo studio, bike rack, bathroom/shower and a good old-fashioned living room ... plus a 2000sf roof garden with outdoor work space, conference table, sundeck and a renewable solar/water system. (Yes, you get a garden plot with your desk...)
Located at the crossroads of Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill and Bushwick, we are 20 blocks from wherever you want to be in Brooklyn.
Available 24/7. Work space from $150. Opening June 1, 2014.