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Why does nobody talk about how coworking spaces changed after 2020
I used to bounce between coworking spots in Austin and they were all about open floor plans and happy hours. Then I went back to one last month after a 3 year break and it was totally different. They swapped the ping pong table for soundproof phone booths and everyone was wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Now I'm wondering if the nomad social scene is dead for good or if I just picked the wrong spot. What did your local coworking space lose or gain after the pandemic?
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marybutler9d ago
Did you happen to read that article in the Atlantic about how coworking spaces turned into "alone together" zones? It really stuck with me because it matches what @scott.olivia saw in Portland. I think the open social experiment just didn't survive when everyone realized they actually needed to take Zoom calls and focus. My buddy runs a space in Denver and he said the kombucha and phone booths are permanent now, people actually pay more for the quiet. The nomad social scene isn't dead, but it's gone from a loud party to a low hum in the background.
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Eight ping pong balls in the trash and a kombucha wall that costs $7 a pint. I walked into my old spot in Seattle and the only conversation was someone asking me to move my laptop so they could charge their phone. @marybutler is right about the "alone together" thing, it's like everyone signed a silent agreement to pretend the other people don't exist. The nomad social scene didn't die, it just moved to Discord servers so nobody has to make eye contact. Guess the ping pong table went the way of the open office plan.
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scott.olivia9d ago
Walked into my old spot in Portland and they had turned the beer taps into a kombucha wall. Kinda felt like the whole vibe shifted from party hostel to quiet library.
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