men and women

Check out all the collaboration going on in the back! Tony Bacigalupo, founder of New Work City (a coworking site in Greenwich Village) is in the forefront of more than just this picture. He is considered one of the founders of this movement and I've heard of him for so long that it was finally great to meet. "So what does coworking need?" I ask him. "A guide for people who want to open up a space," he replies. Sure enough, I go to the wiki and see that there is no guide (a broken link), but more importantly, there is no coherent, organized web presence for coworking.

(a wide shot of the space) It's a guy's workplace with those big, comfy. dark, leather office chairs paired with a jeans and sneaker dress code. Relaxed.

Later that day, I ventured further uptown to In Good Company, run by Amy Abrams and Adelaide Lancaster. Amy doesn't really consider the space a coworking site. She says that it's a for-profit company, and when I checked, it is listed under alternative venue in the coworking wiki. It also targets a female population (although there are screened male members) and it is very apparent when you walk in. The white desked, flower filled venue is immaculate. Women in dresses and high heels with that chill of overly conditioned air that I often associate with corporate environments. Here there are cake designers, flower arrangers, life coaches, and interior designers unlike the tech businesses in New Work City.

I'm really glad that "In Good Company" does not claim to be a coworking place. From talking with Tony and seeing and feeling several coworking environments, there is something organic, laid-back, and personal about authentic coworking, which I did not realize before. It's a place where you can come and leave a mark, an impression that stays because you connected with people who embrace community and conversation. Both are fabulous places for those who feel productive in them. Again, it's about deciding what flavor you like, especially when you pay for it.