Hot take: Coworking spaces in Edmonton are pricing out the very people who made them popular

I'm seeing this trend where places like Work Nicer and WeWork are charging $400+ a month for a hot desk now. But back in 2019 when I started freelancing, I was paying $250 for a dedicated spot at a smaller spot on Whyte Ave. The big centers are adding all these perks like kombucha and yoga rooms, but small business owners just want a reliable internet connection and a quiet chair. My buddy runs a side hustle fixing laptops and he can't justify the new rates. Meanwhile the smaller spaces are struggling to fill desks because they can't compete on marketing. Which side benefits Edmonton more in the long run, the fancy high cost spots or the affordable bare bones ones?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_fisher3721d ago

Good point @the_wren but those Instagram spots are usually subsidized by investors not real revenue.

the_wren21d ago

Look at this from another angle: the fancy places are actually creating a two tier system where the serious freelancers get pushed out and replaced by people who just want a trendy place to take Instagram pics. I've seen it happen with two different spaces downtown where the regulars left because the vibe shifted from getting work done to social hour with free cold brew. The smaller affordable spots end up keeping the real talent in Edmonton because they're actually focused on productivity, not on selling an aesthetic.

jesse_green5521d ago

That Mandolin Books spot on 124th Street went from a legit coworking space to a full on photoshoot location in about six months. I talked to the owner once and he admitted they make more money from the coffee bar and t-shirt sales than actual memberships these days. The serious freelancers all moved over to the co-op space on Whyte where it's cheaper and nobody cares about your laptop sticker game.