Co-Working Spaces In The Hamptons

With the recent valuation of international co-working experts WeWork/The We Company at around 45 billion dollars, it is natural that entrepreneurs in the Hamptons would take notice and be interested in finding the right formula for a similar venture locally.

Each of three pioneers, The SHED Workspace in Sag Harbor, The Spur in East Hampton and Southampton, and Anchor Point Co-Working in Montauk, has a different approach to offering the same basic service — providing a comfortable, convenient shared space designed to inspire focus on work with successful results. All three face similar issues of pricing, staffing and space availability.

Some basic services common to all three are: charging stations, password protected Wi-Fi, high speed internet connection, a printer, comfortable seating and desks, coffee and tea on demand and scheduling and access for every lifestyle and budget. 

The three founding partners of The SHED Workspace in Sag Harbor, Sarah Cohen, Amanda Millner-Fairbanks and Liza Tremblay, made it clear from the start that The SHED is “By Women For Women”. From the white furry seat covers and fresh flowers, to the name plate at each desk, each with the name of a famous Feminist activist, from Gloria Steinem to Michelle Obama. According to Amanda, when women co-work, there is a special positive energy created. 

Naturally, the home of The SHED is an elegant shed, on the Sag Harbor property formerly occupied by Landscape Details Creative Design. The new location allows for Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 regular business hours, with key code access available if needed. theshedworkspace.com 

The Spur founder and developer Ashley John Heather currently has two co-working locations, one at 280 Elm Street in Southampton, and, more recently opened, The Spur East at 44 Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton, the “324” property, former home of a variety of restaurants and night clubs. 

A left turn from the entry foyer leads to the co-working area, a modern comfortable space, complete with the basics, and with a full service bar and a variety of available seating arrangements. A right turn from the foyer reveals an immense open, convertible indoor/outdoor party space that is available for rent, with full service bar, enough room for a four-table ping pong tournament, banquettes, booths and a powerful A/V system. Ashley calls The Spur “A Private Co-Working and Innovation Community”, “built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs”. thespur.com 

In Montauk, where there is a serious shortage of available commercial space, finding an appropriate location presented a unique challenge to property manager/real estate salesperson/NYS home inspector/master plumber Robert Lambert, owner of Anchor Point, “Montauk’s First Co-Working Space”. His final choice was the current location at 11 Flamingo Avenue, opposite the Montauk Firehouse. The property has 3 structures of various sizes, 2 for co-working and one for long term rentals, offering flexible desk space or dedicated office space. Besides the basics, Anchor Point offers walking distance to the bay or to the Montauk LIRR Station. anchorpointmtk.com 

It will be interesting to follow the development of the co-working concept on the East End, and to see who will be the new players joining in.

All photos courtesy of Richard Lewin