Businesses, startups and freelancers just got a new space to collaborate in Queens.
WeWork, the co-working space with 63 locations around the world, recently opened its Astoria location at 35-37 36th St., right across the street from Kaufman Astoria studios.
The 60,000-square-foot space is the company’s first location in Queens and boasts a beer garden and rooftop space as well as five floors of offices, lounges and kitchen space. There are 50,000 WeWork members across all locations and about 700 will rent space from the Astoria location, dubbed Studio Square.
Chief Operating Officer and President Artie Minson, a Rockaway native, said the company chose Astoria as its first Queens location for its strong sense of community.
“We think that Astoria as a creative center continues to grow and I also think Astoria has always been a place where community is important,” Minson said. I think bringing that sense of community in the work place to a part of Queens that has always had a passionate community, I think its a very good thing.”
A wide range of companies have already moved in including real estate companies, graphic design companies, nonprofits and a lingerie design business.
George Eliopoulos, who has been working in Astoria for more than 20 years, started Velios Capital, a commercial real estate finance consulting firm, with three other people in December 2015. He heard that WeWork was moving to Astoria and was the first person to take a tour of the space and first company to move in on March 1.
“I consider this the hippest building in the hippest neighborhood,” Elipoulos said.
He said using WeWork allows his startup to cut costs and also collaborate with other businesses.
“There’s a sense of camaraderie,” he said. “It’s not like your typical office building where people go into their little cubbie holes and disappear and they reemerge at 5 p.m.”
Docs for Tots, a nonprofit led by pediatricians that aims to promote practices and policies for improved healthcare for children, rents space for a four-person team. Though most of the team is not based in Queens, the organization implements many of its programs, including developmental screenings, on Long Island.
“We chose Queens specifically because a lot of our projects are being implemented on Long Island but a lot of us are in New York City, so it provides a really smooth segue,” said Ikadshi Thukral, project assistant for Docs for Tots. “I like the fact that it’s really open and you get to be outside if you do choose to.”
Clients have the option of renting a shared office desk or private offices for up to 45 people. Each office comes equipped with printing capabilities and lounges on each floor. The glass screens surrounding each office encourages collaboration and there are also private rooms with landlines for sensitive calls, according to Stephanie Carino, community manager at WeWork.
Those we rent space have access to the kitchen, which provides tea, coffee and local beer on tap.
For pricing and other information about WeWork’s locations, click here.
