LOWER EAST SIDE — Professionals tired of working from home or in noisy coffeeshops have a new quiet workplace on the Lower East Side.
The Yard, a popular coworking office that started in Greenpoint, opened its second location in a renovated drug rehab clinic on Delancey Street on June 1. The sleek two-floor offices have more room than the Brooklyn counterpart, and by Labor Day, a rooftop greenhouse and outdoor work space will open, along with a deck for monthly cocktail parties.
“I just get more done,” said Travis Hardman, a web consultant who worked from home before joining The Yard and has his own tech company, Annotary. “I bill more hours because I don’t have an Xbox here.”
Co-founder Richard Beyda said the Lower East Side location is perfect because many nearby residents work for tech companies.
“We are drawing a lot from Downtown Brooklyn, Alphabet City, SoHo and TriBeCa,” he said of the 85 Delancey St. space. “We’re close to the J, F, and B [subway lines].”
Just a few weeks after opening, The Yard is already at one-third capacity. Communal work spaces cost $395 per month and private rooms go for $650, but members get more than just a place to work — the Yard offers professional networking opportunities and a chance to collaborate, Beyda said.
“We introduced some people running a web company to outside investors,” said Beyda, who added that he often serves as a professional matchmaker. “A fashion group used web designers for their website and attorneys helped a startup with funding.”
Mike Henderson, 33, of the Lower East Side, signed up for a communal space soon after The Yard opened. He is the only person using the room at the moment and has a large corner office with big windows to himself.
Each office has soundproof walls. Henderson, who is starting a software company, prefers working in his quiet corner office instead of local coffee shops, and he plans to renew his membership in July.
The clientele so far has been similar to what The Yard gets in Greenpoint, primarily people who work in the tech, media or fashion industries, Beyda said.
The Yard is currently working to open two more offices, one in Manhattan and another in Brooklyn.
