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The Original Coworking Spaces Around The World
Considered by most as an alternate to traditional office spaces, coworking spaces have become the new trend. It was a risk back in 2005 when Brad Neuberg, owner of the first coworking space ever, took a risk in giving traditional office spaces a run for their money. It's safe to say Neuberg's risk worked out really well for him. Nowadays, you'll see coworking spaces around the world.
Let's take a short trip down memory lane on this one. Here are some of the first coworking spaces ever created and the ideas behind the concept.
Spiral Muse
Of course, we have to start with the man who started it all.
Back in early 2005, Brad Neuberg was unsatisfied with where he was at in his career. He was frustrated that his new freelancing job provided the traveling he always wanted but lacked the camaraderie and community that came with working in an office.
So, he decided to open Spiral Muse, the first coworking space in San Francisco.
No one came for the first month. Next month was better as Brad began marketing with fliers around local coffee shops in the Mission District. Ray Baxter, an athlete, startup developer, and father began working at Spiral Muse and was the first official coworker. Spiral Muse closed their doors within one year but Brad will go down in history as the innovator of co-working.
Citizen Space
Shortly after the Spiral Muse shutdown, Citizen Space opened in 2006. Citizen Space is still open in San Francisco and was the first coworking space that was exclusively created for freelancers and entrepreneurs to work in.
They take the best elements of a coffee shop (social, energetic, creative) and the best elements of a workspace (productive, functional) and combine them to give startups freelancers the chance to have their own, affordable space. Citizen Space was built on the coworking philosophy.
Their residents are software engineers, web developers, small startups, social media strategists, entrepreneurs, designers, UX consultants, researchers, writers, public relations specialists, and more.
Indy Hall
Indy Hall opened their doors in Philadelphia in 2006. A community of people who choose to work together, more productively, to make our work, our lives, our cities, and communities better. They took a good hard look at an office, stripped away the obstacles, and focused on making the best parts even better.
Designers, developers, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, scientists, educators, small business owners, telecommuters, marketers, videographers, game developers, and others make up the Indy Hall community.
Office Nomads
Office Nomads is a co-working space in Capitol Hill, Seattle. From the day they opened, they have been dedicated to cultivating a dynamic, creative and productive community office for Seattle’s nomadic workforce.
Their members are developers, telecommuters, planners, consultants, publishers, organizers, and students, who all believe that by working together we can accomplish more than we could alone.
Grid
Grid’s creative director opened Rochester’s first coworking space in 2007. Since then you’ll find other wireless workers and nomadic entrepreneurs sitting at big desks with proper lighting, in comfortable chairs, with bottomless cups of coffee, and a stable, fast, internet connection.
This location is also a hub for entrepreneurs. The environment offers a collaborative attitude in an unorthodox work atmosphere that still promotes productivity.
New Work City
Tony Bacigalupo is a director at Open Co-working, a nonprofit that advocates for co-working worldwide. An avid organizer, Tony has been working on the development of co-working communities and support ecosystems for the new workforce since 2007.
He was co-founder and Mayor of NYC's first dedicated co-working space, New Work City, from 2008 to 2015.
New Work City is still open but they are no longer a co-working space. They have pivoted into helping companies build the best possible communities by attracting and keeping their members.
Impact Hub
Impact Hub is a global network of innovation labs, business Incubators, social enterprise community centers, and co-working spaces. They have co-working spaces around the world that are modern yet comfortable.
Their spaces foster collaboration and creativity for individuals, groups, and events. The spaces are uniquely designed creative environments that provide the infrastructure to work, meet and learn.
NextSpace
A chain of co-working spaces that began in Santa Cruz and rapidly expanded throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area. They now have offices in Los Angeles and Chicago as well.
NextSpace provides an innovative infrastructure that freelancers, entrepreneurs, and creative class professionals need to succeed in the 21st-century knowledge economy.
Similar to other coworking spaces in this list, NextSpace is also home to a collaborative community of freelancers and entrepreneurs. Their members collaborate in big and small ways. NextSpace is perfect for any freelancer or entrepreneur looking to expand his/her knowledge. People here are more than willing to share their expertise, refer you to their colleagues or business partners, and collaborate on future projects.
Urban Station
One of the first coworking spaces in Latin America is the Urban Station in Buenos Aires, Argentina has long been dubbed one of the best coworking spaces around the world. This coworking space has since ballooned to have 10 branches throughout Latin America. Aside from Argentina, you can also find them in Chile, Columbia, and Mexico.
They offer interesting rates - you can pay by the hour, day, week, or month. They also have prepaid card options and special packages for members and companies. Their system is simple. You sign up, pick a chair and desk, and get right down to work.
Workbar
Workbar is a web of communal workspaces that started in Boston where freelancers, start-ups, and remote employees of larger enterprises can enjoy high-quality office amenities at an affordable price. It's considered one of the best coworking spaces in the world for it's convenient and accessible locations around the cities of Boston and Cambridge. Furthermore, Workbar provides an extraordinary workplace for its members.
They have meeting rooms to meet with clients and give presentations; event spaces; and a wide variety of social and educational programming including happy hours, lunch seminars, workshops, and networking events. Workbar provides the professionalism of a corporate office, the flexibility of a gym, and the comfort of a cafe in a nutshell.
Betahaus
This coworking space is hands down one of the best coworking spaces around the world. Betahaus is located in Berlin and spans over 3000 sqm. Members have access to private rooms, networking events and professional working environment. They have fixed and flexible workstations, meeting rooms, a telephone room as well and a beautiful café.
Over 300 freelance professionals from the creative scene work at betahaus: graphic designers, programmers, photographers, architects, designers, academics, lawyers, non-governmental organizations, translators, video artists, journalists and bloggers. Some great startups grew up in the betahaus.
Today, the betahaus network includes more than 10 locations all over Europe and is growing.
Derick Quinanola is a dedicated digital marketer and writer who loves helping businesses maximize their potential through online marketing. In his spare time, he loves to exercise, play video games, and spend time with his family.
