I have a fantasy about joining a coworking space. In this fantasy, I suddenly become a super-prolific fiction writer of the Joyce Carol Oates variety. This is because I’m no longer wasting precious minutes waiting for slow wifi or looking for a place to plug in my laptop or rationalizing why I really deserve a chocolate croissant.
Which is to say — I waste a lot of time when I work at coffee shops. Despite that, I’ve been reluctant to join a coworking space. My feeling is that if I’m going to go to the same place over and over again to write, I may as well just write at the same old place called home.
Enter Croissant. This tasty-sounding app is basically like Classpass for coworking. Buy a monthly membership, and you can go to any of eight coworking spaces in the L.A. area — all with their own unique amenities and features.
So — I downloaded the app and headed over to The Satellite, a coworking space in Santa Monica. I signed in with the app, got a quick tour from the friendly front desk person, and staked out one of the last spots in the sunny space. Then I got down to work.
Was I productive? Well, I was about as productive as I usually am when I visit a new coffee shop. The Satellite offers complimentary tea and coffee and wasabi peas — which I had to try. Then I got a call and went to the little front nook designated for people on the phone — and hung out there a while talking about Croissant. Then some random person just brought in a free box of donuts — all different and unique flavors — so I ate a donut. On went the afternoon —
I did get some writing done, in the end — and I enjoyed the experience of trying out a new work spot. Also, the donut.
I’m guessing Croissant will add more spots over time, but right now, the app’s especially useful if you live or like to work in downtown L.A., since there are three locations in that neighborhood. The Satellite in Santa Monica and LAX Coworking in Westchester are the only Croissant spots on the westside. Glendale, Chatsworth, and Pasadena each have one participating location.
Curious about Croissant? You can try it out free for a week right now. And monthly memberships — which start at $35 for 10 hours — are a pretty sweet deal, as far as coworking fees go. Happy writing —