OpenSpace

More and more people are choosing to work away from the traditional office. Today’s technology makes this easier by allowing us to stay fully connected almost anywhere we roam.

This new breed of worker has been lingoed: a “nomad”, the “mobile worker”, or “worker in limbo”.  The word on the street is that about 23% of the U.S. do their jobs outside of the office and this number is on the rise.

So as people work outside the box, moving around in the real world, they find the freedom exhilarating and motivating. But they also find that working alone can be lonely. We are social creatures after all. Being connected to the Internet does not replace being connected to other human beings.

That’s where places like OpenSpace come in. We offer the connection, the buzz, the synergy. The atmosphere needed to work independently and a feeling of belonging to a community.

These “coworking centers” or “limbo pit-stops”, or “creative work environments” are popping up in cities across the nation. They are all a different flavor, depending on the needs and philosophies of the locals. There is Office Nomads in Seattle, Beehive Baltimore in Maryland, BLANKSPACES in L.A., Sandbox Suites in San Francisco, and New Work City in Manhattan–to name a few.

And the media is getting caught up on the buzz.

NPR ran the story Co-Working Offers Community To Solo Workers on January 6, 2010.

CNN ran the story Working in ‘Wi-Fi’ limbo on January 22, 2010.

If you’re in the Charlottesville area and you haven’t stopped by OpenSpace for a tour, please do. Our staff are kindly, our members are eclectic, and our coffee is hot.