Learn me: co-working

slowbird said:

That sounds like the software support tech I had to work with recently...it sounded like he was at an amusement park. There was all sorts of background noises, music, at one point I heard an engine revving...so weird.

LOL, You know how long it took him to put that ambient noise tape together? I bet nobody bothers to make him do phone meeting anymore...

93gsxturbo said:

What sort of amenities do these co-working places offer?

Large format printers?  Tip-top MFPs?  Good free coffee?  Comfy desk that is "yours" with lockable storage?  A chair that isn't full of a stranger's farts? PO box and mail hold service?  Secretaries/admins to make coffee and do paperwork/build manuals or whatever the heck you need help with?

Who is paying for this?  You or your employer?  Are you self employed work from home or an employee working from home?

I get the reason to want a place that isnt home, but it seems like a lot of cheddar.  The amenities must be good.

They have nice printers, nice chairs, couches, sitting and standing desks, and short-term-use private phone call booths on a first-come first-served basis. Coffee, tea, beer, water, infused water and "craft beer" (we'll see about that) are all free, as are regular after hours social events. Premium snacks are available at one of the places. Dedicated offices, dedicated desks with locking storage, lockers, and group office space are all available, but I'm not paying for that as a co-working member. They offer al a carte mail and "business identity" services, and other stuff, some of which is rolled in to the higher plans. Conference rooms are also available at various rates.

I actually upgraded the office when I moved in here in May. I have a large power-operated standing desk, an "unstable" stool, a pair of large monitors and a docking station, along with shelving and a whiteboard. I'm just going weeks at a time without talking to any humans other than my wife, or going anywhere other than Target and 7-Eleven.

mtn said:

Oh, don't forget about your train ticket. You're looking at $40 or $125 a month, depending on if you go 10 ride or monthly pass. And depending on where it is, you may want a CTA pass as well. 

 

Personally I'd go to a library or coffee shop. Actually, there were a few times that I had to drive my wife to work and I'd just work out of the Friendly Coffee Lounge, pretty sure it was on Roosevelt either at Harlem or Oak Park. A little loud, IIRC, but coffee was decent. Usually there was someone else picking away at their laptop too. 

I looked it up, and Friendly is actually just a couple of blocks from home and a ten minute walk. I may give that a try for a quarter of a day. No Metra - the blue line is about fifteen minutes on foot, less than ten minutes by bike.

My office away from the office always seems to be Starbucks. Outlets, coffee, pisser. Costs scalable with caffiene intake/fanciness. 

So, I signed up, and I'm doing this now. Actually, almost a month. Thanks for comments. I'm still tuning the commute, and the contents of my bag, but when I'm there, I'm generally more productive.