Today I had the fortunate experience of getting a day pass at the Workantile Exchange, 3,000 square feet of coworking goodness in Ann Arbor.
If you don’t know what co-working is, it’s where groups or individuals work on their individual projects, but in a (usually) shared space. There are basic amenities, like coffee and really good wifi, as well as chairs and desks meant for getting the job done as opposed to the usual coffeeshop fare.
Professional Without Pretension
I walked into this place in downtown Ann Arbor, needing a place to “get it done” for a few hours.. and found a welcoming guy who ran the place. I plunked down my $15 for a day pass and there was a big orange mug for coffee discounts, decent working chairs and a desk that was just the right height (so much so, I’m going to adjust my home desk to that height). I knew no one, but could jump in a conversation that interested me, or jump out as needed. No harm no foul – we’re all there to get things done but also have a little social interaction.
There are two levels to this place, with what seemed to be three conference rooms on the lower levels. You can get full-on dedicated desks or offices upstairs at a reasonable rate according to the info I picked up – which if I lived there or the business was based near downtown A2, I would totally do.
THIS Is The Droid We’re Looking For In Michigan
Considering the outrageous rent most office real estate folks want to charge, and the ridiculous restraints by governmental or quasi-governmental business “incubators,” THIS seems to be the right choice for the seasoned solo-preneur, the virtual company, or guy who wants to get something started on the side but there’s not enough space (or too much distraction) at home.
It’s an incubator or home for a business that doesn’t have all the pretension and overhead of some targeted program, or the unnecessary trappings of an executive suite.
As someone who has looked into official incubator space earlier in my career, and have been pitched it by various locations I shall not name, I can be frank in saying none of thos spaces meet the needs of many entrepreneurs. They are either too expensive for the market, have lots of useless amenities, or is completely missing the mark on the social and intelligent collaboration aspect (I believe required in today’s economy).
At the WorkEx, from the real bamboo bathroom floors, to the exposed brick and orange colors, the place was fun yet professional. It looked creative but also like a place where you could do some business and be taken seriously, especially the three conference rooms and training loft. I stole away for a phone call (half needing to make the call, half getting a good excuse to check it out on my own) and the WorkEx would do the trick without it seeming childish.
It’s Walkable!
The double awesome? It was in the middle of an urban, walkable downtown with plenty of mass transit and easy, cheap parking just around the corner.
Lunch? A few steps away. Lots of retail nearby for diversions and creativity, and excellent architecture. Although Ann Arbor does not have the signature buildings of some cities, it’s kept its 1880′s-1920′s era buildings in tact for the most part without “missing teeth” (empty lots breaking up a streetscape), and if there has been some torn down, the area has been filling them in creating a cohesive, consistently walkable, visually interesting space.
The place is independently owned, between some techs and who’s obviously a skilled builder who refinished the space.
I wish these guys the best of luck. Check’em out, they’re worth the money.
Photo Credits: Sourced from their site, Workantileexchange.com.
