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During the whole “future of work” debate a while back between Ypulse and PSFK, I pretty much took a back seat and played the role of comment moderator. But,  recently I’ve been thinking back to the subject. Not so much the “get a job” vs. “create a job” aspect, but more the general shift in the working landscape that’s taking more and more professionals (including, but not limited to freelancers and particularly twentysomethings), out of the office and into alternative working spaces.

Since I started working virtually for Ypulse around six months ago, I’ve been watching/participating in this culture as it exists in the coffee shops I frequent here in Brooklyn. What does it look like exactly? Probably what you’d imagine: A sea of furrowed brows crouched behind their Macbooks and held up agains their iPhones (seriously when you hear that signature Apple “text” sound, everyone looks down to see if it’s them). But more on that in a bit.

I know the idea of using cafés as de facto offices/libraries predates my generation by several decades and my neighborhood is certainly a hotbed for this type of lifestyle. Still, I imagine there has been a significant increase in the full-timers (both self-employed entrepreneurs working on individual or collaborative projects as well virtual staffers like myself) among these wifi scavengers. And similar “hotbeds” are sprouting up more and more all over the country.

From my own experience, even though working from home is probably the most accommodating arrangement (quiet, music of my choosing, steady wireless signal all day long) it’s simply just not the most appealing. I enjoy the semblance of a workspace. Not only because it creates an environment separate from the one where I decompress when the day is done, but also because of the social component (even if I hardly ever socialize). I imagine a lot of my “café coworkers” feel the same way.

Obviously, it was this same train of thought process that came up with the idea of “coworking spaces” (a trend I was turned on to, once again, by the good folks over at PSFK), which refers to “café -like collaboration spaces.” It appeals in theory as it would alleviate the need to make periodic purchases as well as some distractions that come with a café , but… the options out there haven’t exactly been publicized, and the idea of paying rent (as required by some of the options) when I have a perfectly good (again, in theory) paid-for apartment at home just doesn’t hit me right in principle.

What I would like to propose (and if it exists someone, by all means, let me and the community know) is a hybrid of these two environments: a rent-free, work-friendly (not merely tolerant) environment where phone calls, coffee and food are allowed (otherwise, libraries would be a perfect candidate). Maybe there’s a brand out there that could sponsor this space, and help raise its profile for twentysomethings and recent grads interested? Apple would be the obvious choice.

Note: photo above was on PSFK and features the change you want to see, a coworking space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

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Categorized under: Collegians

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