While coworking spaces were certainly around before the pandemic, the number of professionals working remotely or from home has increased dramatically over the past two and a half years.
This has led to a surge in the popularity of coworking spaces, which prior to the pandemic were primarily utilized by entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Post pandemic, working from home isn’t just for entrepreneurs anymore. With every type of professional, from government employees and sales professionals to high level managers and “almost retired, but not quite yet” retirees working a few consulting hours, there has been a continued growing demand for more and better spaces to work from in Sonoma and Marin counties.
Those wondering why those who are allowed to work from home would prefer to pay for a shared office space instead of actually working from home aren’t alone. Here are the most common responses we got from those we spoke to who work from coworking spaces in Sonoma and Marin.
– Need a more professional environment, and an excuse to get dressed and get out of the house every day (aka don’t fall prey to the pajama pant work day)
-Don’t have a home office
-Have a partner who is also working from home or a stay-at-home parent partner, making it difficult to focus on work (a few said coworking spaces have “saved their marriage”!)
-Crave social interaction/working from home can be isolating/want to see other humans
-It’s simply more convenient (fresh coffee is always ready, comfortable chairs and different workspaces/desk options, printer is available and conducive to their professional needs, meeting rooms available for client meetings, walking distance to cafe or restaurant for meetings, high speed wifi that doesn’t cut out during Zoom calls, etc.)
Keller Street CoWork (Petaluma)
Located just a 5-10 minute walk from much of downtown Petaluma. Flexible hot desk memberships, make yourself comfortable at any open table, desk, etc. or purchase a membership that comes with a dedicated desk, and access to two conference rooms, four phone booths and a kitchen/coffee station.
Monthly memberships run from $300-$400/month for unlimited hours/usage (hot desk or dedicated desk), but Keller also offers less expensive options for those who don’t need a full space, such as day passes ($30/day) and 10 day passes ($200).
What we love most about this space:
– Freshly brewed drip coffee + Nespresso espresso machine always available
– Ability to book group meeting or conference rooms included in membership
-Regular social networking events such as Happy Hour Fridays, Stretch Labs and more
-Fun social extras such as a downstairs ping pong room, a keg on tap, etc.
-Walking distance to markets, restaurants and cafes
-Flexible day pass and lower package options
Things to know:
-While there is plenty of free parking available near this space, there are two and four hour limits, so it’s necessary to move your car at least once a day.
Address: 140 Keller St., Petaluma
Website: www.kellerstreetcowork.com
SOMO Cowork (Rohnert Park)
Slated to open in the next several months, SOMO is currently in the final stages of construction. The space will feature 65 private offices, 24 designated desks, 80 flexible desks (for hot desk members), six flexible membership offices, six phone booths, four huddle/Zoom rooms and a podcast room.
Members can have complimentary coffee, flat and sparkling water, and will be able to fuel up with healthy snacks at the SOMO Cowork Cafe. The space is also taking the “healthy workspace” concept to a new level, with plans for health and wellness focused features and amenities such as massage and maternity rooms, a Peloton bike room, a Zen Garden workstation and showers under way.
The SOMO Cowork offices are located in SOMO Village in Rohnert Park, just .5 miles from the Cotati SMART train station. The space is slated to open by late August/early September.
Address: 1500 Valley House Dr., Rohnert Park
Website: www.somocowork.com
CoLab (Santa Rosa)
Located just a few blocks from 4th Street in the heart of downtown Santa Rosa, CoLab offers a convenient location, as well as plenty of space for both those in search of flexible hot desk memberships plus those seeking a permanent dedicated desk space in a shared office environment. The CoLab building is also home to a handful of local business offices or headquarters.
CoLab memberships include affordable and flexible community memberships and monthly packages that start at $35 for a day pass (but allow the member to add on additional days for $20/day) or $199/month for a “Collaborative Membership,” which includes 10 day passes/month.
Regular monthly coworking membership rates are $299/month and include unlimited use of the space, seven days/week. Monthly memberships also include a certain number of hours’ use of meeting rooms/conference rooms by appointment.
CoLab access hours are Sunday through Saturday from 5am–midnight.
What we like best about this space:
-Free sparkling water and coffee
-Ability to book group meeting rooms included in membership
-Plenty of space and different options for where to sit as a flexible hot desk member
-Located just blocks from downtown Santa Rosa and plenty of restaurants (Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican, American, bistro, etc.), cafes, markets and the Wednesday night Santa Rosa market
-Affordable day pass and lower monthly plan options
-Dedicated/private parking lot (with passes to display in car for members)
-Dog friendly
Address: 427 Mendocino Ave., Suite 100, Santa Rosa
Website: www.colabconnect.com
CraftWork (Healdsburg)
Situated in downtown Healdsburg, CraftWork has served as a shared workspace, office space and gathering space for local professionals since early 2020. The space features a lobby (complete with a fireplace and cozy seating), a large open space with flexible and dedicated desks/seating, two meeting/conference rooms, two phone booths and a handful of private offices.
Monthly “Bohemian” memberships (use any open desk space at open tables/desks) at CraftWork cost $300, while a dedicated desk is $450/month, day passes are $35/day and packages of 10 half-days are $200.
All monthly memberships include use of meeting rooms (a certain number of hours is included in membership) by reservation, attendance at entrepreneurial events and social mixers, and printing services.
CraftWork is open to members (who have full monthly memberships) from 6am to midnight, seven days a week.
What we like best about this space:
-Free sparkling water
-Free snacks are always available (nuts, granola bars, chocolate, etc.)
-Freshly brewed (local) coffee and access to an espresso/cappuccino machine, where members can make their own espresso, steam milk, etc.
-Access to an outdoor patio, where members can have coffee or lunch or take phone calls
-Walking distance to everything in downtown Healdsburg (tons of restaurants)
-Ability to book group meeting rooms included in membership
-Regular social networking events that include food and/or drinks and which are well attended (i.e. the management here works hard to ensure that events are successful and that people connect with each other on a regular basis)
-Walking distance to everything downtown Healdsburg has to offer: restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, etc.
-The space is dog friendly
Address: 445 Center St., Healdsburg
Website: www.craftworkhbg.com
Trailhead Coworking (Mill Valley and Corte Madera)
Located off of East Blithedale Avenue in Mill Valley and with another location in Corte Madera, Trailhead Coworking offers private offices and shared work spaces. Coworking memberships come with access to phone booths and/or conference rooms (to take calls or hold meetings), and shared workspaces feature electronic stand-up/sit-down desks.
Monthly memberships ($450) are for dedicated desks in a shared space. There are also private offices available for rent.
What we like best about this coworking space:
-Collaborative, supportive and social environment
-Responsive ownership/management
-Privacy and comfort features such as privacy dividers for desks and stand-up/sit-down desks
-Walking distance to Whole Foods and fitness studios (Mill Valley location)
What Trailhead Coworking doesn’t offer:
-Hot desk memberships
-Day passes or packages of day passes
Address: 650 E Blithedale Ave., Suite M, Mill Valley
Website: www.trailheadmarin.com
Venture Pad (San Rafael)
Venture Pad is located in the heart of downtown San Rafael, at the corner of B St. and Julia St., within one block of a paid public parking lot.
Venture Pad offers flexible daily, weekly and monthly membership packages, as well as both private offices and shared spaces. Amenities at Venture Pad include 500 MBPS Wi-Fi, a kitchen (where members can prepare lunches, keep things refrigerated, etc.), four meeting rooms and three phone booths.
Members can choose a month-to-month membership that automatically renews each month or purchase single day, five-pack or 10-pack day pass options. All memberships include 10 hours of meeting space access per month.
At $435/month for a flexible hot desk membership, this is one of the more expensive options on this list for a regular monthly coworking space membership (that doesn’t come with a dedicated desk). However, with day passes at $25/day and packages of five day passes for $100 and 10 for $150,
Venture Pad provides some great affordable options for those who may not want to spend $400+ a month or who don’t want or need to use a space five days a week.
What we like best about this coworking space:
-Within a few blocks of lots of different businesses (restaurants, cafes, banks, theaters, etc.)
-Flexible membership options
-Free coffee, espresso, water, tea
-Kitchen to prepare lunches
-Dog friendly
– Venture Pad spearheads or is involved in a lot of different community initiatives and events. They host four active Meetup groups (one for startup founders), as well as events related to social justice, climate change, sustainability and more. The space also hosts a monthly Lunch and Learn event series for space members.
Address: 1020 B St., San Rafael
Website: www.venturepad.works
The Livery CoWork (Sebastopol)
Surrounded by downtown Sebastopol businesses and services and adjacent to ample free public parking, the Livery offers a variety of membership options, all with high-speed fiber internet, access to meeting rooms, front desk support, community support and networking, kitchen access, and bottomless tea and Retrograde coffee. Common areas feature sit-stand hot desks with ergonomic chairs, bistro tables and a lounge complete with sofa and armchairs. Private spaces include state-of-the art ventilated ROOM phone booths, focus rooms, and limited dedicated offices. Memberships start at $200 per month. Day passes are also available.
What we love most about this space:
-Stylish-this is an industrial space with plenty of natural light and greenery, art by local artists, and a tech-equipped community table custom milled by a local artisan with lumber from a redwood tree that once grew on Mill Station Road.
– Leafy balcony with comfortable outdoor seating
– Bottomless Retrograde coffee and Numi teas
-Weekly yoga classes and “Third Thursday” learning labs free to members
-The space is available 24/7 to monthly members
Address: 6940 Burnett St., Sebastopol
Website: www.livery135.com/the-cowork
