Co-Working Wars: The Yard, Bar Works, Offer Tech to Draw NYC Startups
Being a founder of a startup company can be stressful. There are many decisions to make and most of them are influenced by finances. One common problem among startups is choosing a work location that won’t break the bank.
Co-working spaces are popular among startups, especially in New York City. Not only do they provide a solid base to growing companies, but many offer valuable amenities including conference rooms, a professional mailing address, internet, phone and fax machines and space to hold events.
There is an array of co-working spaces in NYC ranging in price from the most expensive to the least. Prices vary by location, amenities, the size of the office and the type of membership. New York City Wired compared The Yard and Bar Works to see who stacks up better in technology, with a close look at internet options. Other offerings are also listed.
The Yard
NYC locations: 7; Williamsburg, Lower East Side, Lincoln Square, 2 in Flatiron, Financial District, Herald Square
National: Philadelphia Spring 2017; Washington D.C. Fall 2017
Price: Co-working starts at $275; Dedicated desks start at $400; Private offices start at $525; Virtual starts at $50
Internet provider: TowerStream; also use Natural Wireless and Verizon FIOS where available
Bandwidth speeds: 300 upload/300 download throughout building; no limit on amount of data for the user per month; for extra security or heavy usage, offers dedicated internet lines, SSIDs and static IP addresses
Phone: Most locations have room-to-room phones that allow community managers to notify each office when someone is waiting for them at the front desk; VoIP service is available for additional telephone needs
Access: 24/7 via key card or app
Other amenities: TV’s and monitors in conference rooms connected to Apple TV; microwaves, dishwashers in kitchens; complimentary coffee and tea; partnership with Samsung so that their charging stations, devices and VR headsets are available to members in select locations and during mini events; Herald Square location has projector that can play slides or videos during events and presentations; printing; shipping and receiving
“We’ve found that our members don’t like office spaces that are loud during the day, have arcade areas and foster an environment that takes away from their work,” The Yard Co-founder and CEO Morris Levy said. “The Yard aims to strike the perfect balance between collaboration and privacy and our intimate locations create venues for authentic networking without feeling lost among floors of strangers.”
For more information about The Yard, visit HERE.
Bar Works
NYC locations: 3; Midtown Manhattan, Times Square, West Village
National: 3; Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco
Price: Co-working $400; Permanent $550; Virtual $50
Wi-Fi: 5G; In the process of installing Fiber in all locations
Internet provider: Comcast
Bandwidth speeds: 20 upload/150 download
Phone: Dedicated landline number with YeaLink T2 Series IP Phone
Access: 24/7 via app
Other amenities: Kitchen equipped with microwave, cappuccino and coffee machines; TV screens in conference rooms for presentations as well as projectors and speakers for events; photocopying and fax machines; P.O. Box
For more information on Bar Works, visit HERE.
