[zachruss92]

I work out of own of the first coworking spaces in the country, Indy Hall. I have been a member of it since 2012. I can say hands down that going there was the true catalyst to my professional career.

Unlike most high tech "fancy" workspaces, Indy Hall purposefully has the literal cheapest Ikea desks and an assortment of random chairs to use at them. I'm not saying it's a dump, but it does not have the "wow" factor that a WeWork has. Instead of coming to The Hall for the space you come for the community. It's the people who make it a place where you want to be at.

It has a super diverse community. There are obviously people in tech but there are also non-profit, journalists from USA Today, WaPo and Gizmodo, artists, and even a plumber. The collective experience of this community is awe inspiring.

One of the best parts is the lunch table. On any given day you can engage in surprisingly intellectual conversations about almost anything (from the Phillies to social issues to intricacies of the patent law with a lawyer member).

There is a big downside to the space though, distraction. It literally a giant open office plan and it is way to easy to get distracted. They have a quiet zone and I have noise canceling headphones which help - but it's not ideal.

All in all I'm happier at a coworking space than I am at home.

[toomanybeersies]

You've described my exact experience with coworking spaces.

Luckily I wasn't self employed and all my colleagues also worked in the same space, so lack of productivity wasn't a huge bugbear for me. Everyone else was equally affected and they paid me peanuts anyway so I didn't really care.