We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the Boston startup sphere is booming, and we owe it to the heroes of our tight-knit community. Boston’s tech ecosystem is built on pillars of collaboration and pay-it-forward, and there is a collective belief that the rising tide will lift all boats. No where is this mentality more evident than at Startup Institute, as so many industry experts volunteer their time each session to mentor our students in support of our growing talent pool.
One of the really awesome ways that Boston’s techies manage to stay so connected is through the recent spurt of coworking. Tunnel vision happens to the most creative among us, but when you’re rubbing elbows with other entrepreneurial minds and diverse thinkers day in and out, new perspectives and solutions are easy to come by. Sharing space with Techstars, our students and team are lucky to feed off of the inspiration and energy ofthe accelerator’s growing companies.
With a list of benefits far beyond the eight mentioned here, coworking spaces are the new coffee shops for the innovation economy. They offer a place to work for the day, alongside a network and community that can support your growing business. Most coworking spaces offer resources that Starbucks simply can’t give you, including: fireside chats, mentoring, and networking mixers.
With the endless options for coworking in Boston, choosing one could take months. Instead, set up shop at one of these up-and-coming spaces:
Photo credit: jwalsh via Flickrcc
Championing the slogan “Code big or go home,” hack/reduce is a non-profit hacker space in Kendall Square, aiming to cultivate a community of Big Data experts in Boston. From hackathons to free UX design consultations, they’re making sure that Boston companies are on the map for building great products and making them beautiful.
Photo credit: Tiffany Knight
Workbar is that something-for-everyone coworking space, offering quiet spaces, music rooms, closed and open offices to meet your productivity needs du jour. With locations in the Leather District, Cambridge, and “outerspaces,” Workbar boasts “the professionalism of a corporate office, the flexibility of a gym, and the comfort of a cafe.”
Photo credit: Ed Wonsek
Forget standing desks— at Brooklyn Boulders in Somervile you can scale a rock wall while you work! BKB knows that a little bit of exercise is all you need to get the creative juices flowing, so they’ve planted this coworking space on top of a 120-foot-long and 22-foot-high climbing wall. Best part? Coworking is free with your BKB membership. If you’re interested in checking it out to learn if the climbing-coworking super-combo is right for you, join Startup Institute at Brooklyn Boulders for our monthly Startup Rock Climbing Series.
Super-zen Oficio on Newbury Street will make your daily coworking feel like a relaxing spa experience. Like most office spaces, Oficio has taken on the personality of its gallery neighbors and not only holds art receptions, they have rotating work from various artists in support of the local community.
MassChallenge oozes inspiration for scaling big ideas, and when their programs aren’t in session you can get in on this action. Their month-to-month leases mean minimum commitment, but you’ll probably want to stick around for the open space– perfect for collaborative work, and added support from the MassChallenge team.
This coworking community, located outside of Downtown Crossing, isn’t just about fostering creativity and growth– they have a mission to make a better and more sustainable world. Their global community is made up of over 7,000 members, and they’re committed to developing connections between members worldwide to see that your big ideas can make a true impact.
Photo credit: Todd Van Hoosear via Flickr cc
Greentown Labs is devoted to cleantech startups. Their focus is on hardware, providing prototyping space, shared machine shop tools, networking opportunities, and on-site seminars to support the growth of their entrepreneurs and startups.
Just in case there’s any doubt about availability of coworking space in Boston, you can use the Desktime Directory to see spaces listed. Filter by amenities (open 25 hours, parking, pet-friendly, etc) to find the perfect space for you.
A final tip: if you’re in the process of choosing a space, give your top choices a call. Most spaces are more than happy to offer you a few days or even a week’s trial in their space. Like your favorite pair of jeans, you’ll want to find the perfect fit before buying. Be sure to ask the right questions and you’ll be coworking in no time.
