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'Mature' Co-Working Space Is First of Its Kind on Upper West Side

By Emily Frost | November 20, 2014 11:32am
 The co-working space is the first in the neighborhood and can accomodate 400 workers. 
The Yard in Lincoln Square
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LINCOLN SQUARE — A co-working space opening this week is hoping to attract "mature" professionals who aren't interested in sharing space with young people who lounge around while they're trying to be productive.

The Yard, a 30,000-square-foot space for 400 workers at West 67th Street and Columbus Avenue, is the office space provider's largest location yet, the first of its kind for the neighborhood and the fourth to open since the company's inception in 2011.

The people who are drawn to the space tend to be "a little more professional, more mature business owners," who find that "it's nice that there's nobody playing Ping-Pong outside your office," said Andy Smith, director of operations for The Yard.

"We try to cater to people who are really focused, and dedicated to their business, who are past the early networking phase," he explained.

The setup features both multi-person private office space and desks in an open communal space, accommodating both independent freelancers and teams with as many as five people. The monthly pricing starts at $295 for a rotating desk in the communal space and $395 for a dedicated desk in the communal space. The rent jumps to $795 per month for an office with a door and goes up to $3,795 for a five-person office. Larger suites for teams ranging from nine to 20 people start at $7,000 a month, said Smith.

On each of the two floors, there are four conference rooms, whose use is included in the monthly fee, as well as a kitchen and two lounge areas. 

While office equipment is still getting set up this week, there are already some early takers in the space, which Smith expects to have half-filled by Dec. 1. 

Sharon Schanzer, who dreamed of building her own co-working space, has already happily moved into The Yard in Lincoln Square. She used to work from her one-bedroom apartment in the neighborhood but found it extremely isolating.

"Talking to people during the day is still a luxury to me," she said of the exchanges she's had with fellow workers at the space. 

Through networking groups she plans to start at The Yard, Schanzer hopes to share clients with fellow workers, as well as meet more people who both live and work on the Upper West Side. 

"Just being out and about with other people is a luxury," she said.