Coworking and Codrinking

Blues 380 Broadway 70 WhiteThe coworking industry—which creates hives for entrepreneurs and independent contractors—continues to thrive. The latest entrant around here is Bar Works, which is seeking investors for a location at 70 White (380 Broadway), which runs from Broadway to Cortlandt Alley: “The property measures approximately 6,000 sf on the ground with approximately 400 available spaces for fixed workspaces with additional private offices with a capacity for around 1,200 paying members (including fixed, flexible and virtual). We have 197 spaces available for investment.” Unless it needs the investors to proceed with a lease, that would appear to spell doom for the Blues jeans store.

Bar Works differentiates itself from WeWork, Grind, New Work City, et al, by offering an actual bar. From the website:

You can work at the bar, hold meetings in the bar or, work in the upstairs space, the choice is yours. The bar environment is an invigorating one to work in. An energizing environment is rare to find in a co-working space. A trendy building or beautiful architecture doesn’t make the atmosphere. The people do. The best way to encourage that energy is through our bar environment. You will get a real opportunity to network with your fellow entrepreneurs. Many of the good ideas are generated in such surroundings and this atmosphere is present 24/7.

We are run by entrepreneurs who have many years of experience building small businesses so they are very sympathetic to the challenges and requirements of entrepreneurs and in particular property requirements having used most of the co-working spaces around the globe! And that means:] Discounted beer and wine, free soft drinks and coffee.

There are currently two Bar Works outposts in Midtown, and one is on the way at 47 Seventh Ave. South in the West Village; the company says it also has plans for San Francisco and London “in the coming months.”

UPDATE 5/19: A gentleman from Bar Works explained that the company is taking the entire building at 70 White, with coworking offices on all of the upper floors and the restaurant/bar on the ground floor, which will be open to the public (although closed occasionally for member events). He said it’ll probably three to four months before the doors open.

UPDATE: 5/23: Tad commented that this was the first any of the residents of 70 White had heard about it, so I contacted the Bar Works rep. He said that he was incorrect in our previous conversation, and that they’re not taking the whole building, just the ground floor. He also said the liquor license is in place, which means I must have missed that when it was discussed at CB1. (I didn’t see any record of it on the State Liquor Authority’s website, but that website is near impossible to search.)

 

3 Comments

  1. Are you sure you have the address right? The General Tool building next door at 80 White is currently empty and under construction. None of tenants in this building are aware of any changes.

    • All I know is what they’ve said, both on the phone and on the investment page linked to in the post. But anything is possible….

      For what it’s worth, the DOB filings for 80 White say this: “CONVERSION OF EXISTING WAREHOUSE BUILDING INTO MIXED USE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL USES, AS PER PLANS FILED HEREWITH. The Schedule A, however, says “Retail” on the first floor, “Gallery” on the second floor, “Offices” on floors 3-5, and one apartment on the sixth floor.

      And there’s nothing filed for 70 White.

      I’ll ask them to re-verify the address.

  2. Fabric signs up at East end of 70 White St for Barworks

Comment: