While many residents fled Manhattan in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that New Yorkers (and others) are coming back to the Big Apple in droves as the vaccination rates rise, according to Business Insider.
This means good news for coworking space NYC-wide who took a decent hit due to the pandemic, as many other businesses did. The global market for coworking spaces fell from $9.27 billion in 2019 to $8.24 billion in 2020 (a 12.9% decrease).
But as the world slowly starts to reopen and, in the words of Michael Jackson, the city blinks its sleepless eyes, coworking spaces still seem to be the future of the way we work.
Here are some of our thoughts on the future of coworking spaces in NYC.
Health and Safety is Here to Stay
With new protocols in place and strict cleaning and sanitation regimens, coworking spaces are taking health and safety seriously. After all, a shared workspace means more close contacts. So, coworking spaces in NYC would rather be safe than sorry.
In some ways, the cleaning protocols in place in a coworking space in NYC might outdo a more traditional setting since the stakes are somewhat higher. Workspaces are to be cleaned after every use by an individual, and in a coworking space, that means more regular cleaning.
Yet, time will tell as to how comfortable people are with the arrangement.
Employers are Embracing Remote Work
Another result of the pandemic is the fact that more and more employers are embracing remote work which opens the door to coworking spaces’ appeal. And keep in mind, just because employees are now working remotely more than ever before, it doesn’t mean they don’t want to use office space.
Teams are also embracing coworking space in NYC to save on overheads in a time where businesses are pinching pennies, still hoping to recover from the initial blows of lost revenue from 2020.
All in all, both employers and employees are catching on to the beauty of remote work in terms of work/life balance and it’s really shaken things up. However, remote work doesn’t have to mean #WFH which, similarly, could be good news for coworking spaces.
WFH Fatigue is Real
Another reason we’re confident that coworking spaces are here to stay is “work from home fatigue”. There are only so many Zoom meetings a person can handle and, especially for small businesses who feel safe working face-to-face in small numbers, a coworking space seems the obvious solution.
Not only that but makeshift home offices and realizing that you haven’t spoken to another human in over a week can be enough to make freelancers and remote workers get creative with how they socialize.
Plus, simply getting out of the house and into a routine of heading to the “office” can do wonders for both mental health and productivity.
Community Cures Isolation
It’s no secret that these days, even though we’re all digitally intertwined, we feel more isolated than ever. Throw in a pandemic and it’s clear that we’re all craving a community that workplaces used to provide.
Coworking spaces seem to be the answer, filling this gap. Between networking events and professional development seminars that help improve your professional life, water cooler chats in the break room, and making new friends in the open kitchens, coworking space can improve your social life as well.
(SEE: Cheapest coworking spaces in NYC)
Now, you can work for any company in the world, anytime you please while still connecting with “coworkers” and peers by opting to use a coworking space in NYC.
Coworking as the New Normal
All signs point to coworking as the “new normal” and the future of how we work in NYC.
As more and more creatives, entrepreneurs, and dreamers flock back to the Big Apple in huge numbers, the city can expect to see more coworking spaces crop up to meet the needs of an ever-changing workplace environment.
The pandemic opened our eyes to the beauty of remote work but also showed us that working from home can just as easily cause burnout. The solution for city-slickers… coworking space in NYC.
And while there are already countless places for coworking in Manhattan, you haven’t seen the last of coworking spaces yet.
Looking for a coworking space, NYC? Check out our list of the top 8 coworking spaces in NYC to find the one that’s best for you.
(READ: Average coworking prices in New York City)
Enterprise software development experience. More recently in positions including CTO, Lead Developer and Head of Product in Australia. Deep expertise in property and legal technology in Australia with a specialty in lead generation and tech scalability across Asia-Pacific.