Creative co-workspaces great for business travelers and others

I love freelancing and its obvious perks, like the ability to work at any hour without doing my hair or changing out of my pajamas. But sometimes it can be hard to focus at home when the dishes are towered high or the cat needs petting, and strangely enough, sometimes I actually crave hearing a headphoned co-worker singing along to her iPod or getting a whiff of a cubicle-row’s work-productivity buzz. And when I’m on the road? Forget working from the hotel room, that’s just depressing.

Enter Blankspaces, a new “modern workspace environment” in Los Angeles. Whether you want your own private office, a cubicle or a more communal counter setting, this space offers it, and for rates that seem reasonable.

For long-term use, you sign up for a monthly membership plan, which varies depending on how many hours you’re looking to put in in a week. What’s especially great for travelers or those needing office digs for the shorter term is that walk-in rates are an option. Five hours costs $5 at the work-bar, $50 at a workstation and $75 in your own office. Need to hold a meeting on the road? The conference room is available for $75 per hour. (All prices are pre-tax.)

“I think our space is definitely ideal for business travelers,” said founder Jerome Chang, in an e-mail. “We already have had a few, such as this computer consultant from Australia who camped out here for two days.”

The space is, of course, equipped with Wi-Fi. Plus, everything else you might need is likely here, including laser printers and scanners, mail- and package-receiving service, secure storage areas, parking and a communal lounge and pantry.

If that sounds good to you but the location (on Wilshire Boulevard near La Brea Avenue) doesn’t, consider theOffice in Santa Monica, geared toward writers. Here, there are no meetings, no conference rooms. But focused work and flowing coffee seem central to the operation.

Have you worked at a community workspace in your hometown or on travels? Tell us what you like/dislike in the Comments below.

— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: Blankspaces.com]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, June 5, 2008 at 5:00 am by Susan Derby and is filed under Business Travel, Eco-Travel, Los Angeles, News, Tips & Advice, Travel Insider, Travel Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a comment. Pinging is currently not allowed.