Office Space & Work Space Rentals

Parent Q&A

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  • Hi BPN -

    My professional practice group is looking for a monthly meeting space that has and Owl camera so that we can beam some of our attendees in remotely. Ideally, we'd like to be in the Lafayette/Lamorinda area, or Oakland somewhere close to the freeway. Does anyone know of a church, synagogue, other space that could accommodate us? We'd probably be 15-20 in person. Thank you.

    Oakstop in Oakland offers owls for rent to those who are members. Membership rates vary, but the concept is a shared workspace with conference rooms that could host larger groups. I think the 2323 Broadway location downtown offers the best support of all the locations. 

  • Has anyone tried the two co-working spaces for writers, Left Margin Lit and Page Street, or the HackerMom's space in Berkeley? What are they like? I'm a writer who also does remote freelance work and would love to meet new people and leave my house in the new year!

    hi, I’m a big fan of Left Margin Lit. It’s definitely for writing, and you’re gonna find most of the people there, if not all, our creative writers. That’s the main thing that’s going on. I especially like it because I can only go on weekends and say have a nice system set up for that. And they also have folks who come during the week. Again, I would highly rate!

    I recently went to an open house at Hacker Mom's -- the space was great and the people were wonderful. I signed up for a membership but haven't gotten into the swing yet. I've been a full time stay at home mom to my 22 month old and I'm transitioning back to part-time work and also looking for creative co-working solutions! I recently posted on BPN for co-working at my house with another toddler-6 year old. I figure if the kids play together, two parents can co-work and take turns being the one interrupted to look after the kids. It's an experiment. I've also heard of a co-working/daycare space in Orinda called Pillar (??) I think and it's a little pricey and far for us so haven't looked into it yet. Hadn't heard of Left Margin or Page Street but might check them out. Nice to meet you!

    I’ve been writing at Left Margin Lit for many years now and highly recommend it. The vibe is very supportive and friendly, but also quiet and focused. It’s a great place to get to work and get inspired. 

    I’m a hackermoms member and recommend it. You can stop by an open house to check it out. It’s a low key vibe, folks are friendly, interesting and you’ll find emotional support, career support, etc. I love seeing the variety of things ppl are working on. Plus, it’s great to have somewhere to go beside home to work.

    Joining HackerMoms has been a joy! I know there is a contingent that are writers, but the group is varied; moms, artists, scientists, writers, creatives, techs, engineers, etc... It is a nurturing and supportive environment. Joining a Failure Club session is a great way to get a feel for the people. 

    I recently joined Hacker Moms, and I absolutely love it. The space is a peaceful oasis where I can focus and be productive. The sisterhood is wonderful, filled with understanding and supportive moms with kids of all ages. It's a community of creative artists and writers, and I couldn't be happier.

    Hope to see you there,

    Lana

  • My child will be attending a foreign language immersion preschool in the Albany/El Cerrito region, while we live in Oakland.  To prevent a daily two-hour commute (it is about 30 minutes each way, for drop-off and pick-up), I was hoping to find some sort of workspace/remote office in the Albany/El Cerrito/North Berkeley area.  The problem is I am also a lawyer so I need to be able to privately pick up calls from co-workers and clients, and I haven't been able to find something (I'll even take a prison-cell type of room, as long as it has a door). Does anyone have any recommendations or advice?

    Thank you!

    Well Grounded Coffee Shop has a co-working space with booths. https://www.well-grounded.com/cowork

    We ended up not joining, as they are open daytime hours and my husband was hoping for an evening space when the kids are home, but it sounds like the hours might work for you.

    Have you checked out Juku in El Cerrito?

    https://www.thisisjuku.com/

    Best of luck.

    May not be far enough north, but I think the workspace in west Berkeley has some private offices and phone booths. 

    You didn't mention budget. One idea is to simply rent an office. Since so many people are working from home, office space must be cheaper than it used to be pre-pandemic. Another idea is to rent a backyard cottage. Some people have cottages but don't want to have a residential rental due to rent control. Since you would not be living in the space, you may find someone who would be willing to rent to you. I'm not exactly sure where you would advertise for "office space wanted," but maybe NextDoor or Craigslist. 

    I haven’t worked from Juku in EC but walk by it frequently. It looks like it may fit the bill for you - thisisjuku.com

    Try Deskpass. I used it recently when I was working out of town and needed a space with reliable internet. I think it’s meant for daily passes but you can search for locations to then contact for longer term arrangements or more details.

  • Does anyone have an available seat/desk in a shared office that is available?

    Flexible on part-time vs. shared. Looking for Berkeley or Oakland only. If yes, please let me know! Looking for a desk for 1-person, quiet, courteous and reliable.

    Thanks!

    Not sure if this will fit the bill but you might want to check out Juku, the co-working space in El Cerrito:

    https://www.thisisjuku.com/

    Best of luck!

    Carinne

    Hi,

    I've been using the Well-Grounded co-work space in El Cerrito  for a few years now and have liked it there.  https://cowork.well-grounded.com/

    Good luck,

    Dori

    I'm a fan of Nextspace. Haven't visited the one in Berkeley but have in other cities. They have a free month deal going now too and it's a great space in my experience at the others. 

    Are you a mom or femme-identified caregiver? Take a look at hackermoms.org on Adeline and Alcatraz. It's been great for me. It's a shared space so you wouldn't have a dedicated desk but there's always one available. 

    Seconding the suggestion for HackerMoms. You’ll have 24-7 access to the space for $80/month.

  • Because of the lengthy school closures, my child’s school sadly may need to find a new space in Oakland or Berkeley for Fall 2020. It is a sweet little program with just 10-15 kids and 2-4 teachers.  They need about 1000-1500 square feet separated into at least 3 rooms. Access to outdoor space and a kitchen would be a bonus. A residential spot could work, although they have been in a commercial office space for the past three years. I am wondering if anyone has ideas on where to look, or any leads on commercial or residential spaces? I think a great option could be a school or small business with extra physical capacity that wants to sublet some space next school year- I'd love any suggestions!

    Check with the local churches. I think the Friends Church in North Berkeley across from Petes coffee might have space. They used to have a preschool there years ago.  Here,s a list of the place i might check; St John,s on College Ave,Berkeley Fellowship, Epworth United Methodist on Hopkins St, St Albans in Albany. There are many places of worship where they are struggling financially because the cogregation has declined, they used a chidcare program in place for service so the facility is there. Good luck

      

    Hi there! I know that the East Bay German International School in Emeryville may have space. You could reach out to them at contact [at] ebgis.org. Best of luck!

    I'm sure there will be a lot of options opening up over the summer, as well as falling rents. I would wait to look until May/June.

  • CoWork-CoPlay near Berkeley

    Mar 6, 2020

    I recently came across a new business that is offering a private coworking space while my toddler is playing, supervised by caretakers. Problem is the distance (takes me 40 minutes to get there for a 3-4 hour block of supervised play time while I can get work done). Is there anything similar in or near Berkeley? I found The KidsGym Berkeley (coworkng space but no caretakers) and The Rec Room (coworking space but optional 1 hour of supervised playtime). Would love to hear recommendations! 

    I only know of Equal Play, in San Mateo! I WISH there were a place like this in the east bay. And open on weekends! Any entrepreneur s out there want to create such a thing?? I love this business model and wish it were more common.

    Several of the YMCA gyms in the East Bay offer up to 2 hours of childcare per day. The cost is in addition to the gym membership, but I think quite reasonable (maybe $60/month?). There's space there to work, which lots of parents do rather than work out. 

    Pillar Cowork just opened in Lafayette

RE:

Hi,

In San Francisco there is a place called Talk Line where there is a playroom for children open in the morning until 2 pm every day. It's close to the Golden Gate Park! There are some volunteers taking care of the children while parents can work in the same building. 

I spent a lot of time there working l and it's very convenient. 

You can find more details online or you can send me a message!

Sabina

Archived Q&A and Reviews



Renting a Space for a Workshop

Jan 2009

I am a teacher and I plan to start a weekend poetry workshop for middle schoolers, and possibly one for adults. I need a place to do it. The idea would be to use the space for 3-5 hours on a weekend day (preferably Sunday). Anyone out there know of something? Also, any other advice anyone has for starting up something like this is welcome. I may want to hold a couple of week long sessions in the summer also, so any advice on that is welcome, too. David


BirthWays on Cedar at Shattuck has a nice room with lots of seating and a small kitchen for rent for $15/hour. Feel free to check out the calendar on our website www.BirthWays.org for times that it is available and then email contact [at] BirthWays.org if you are interested. Stacia

Hunting for studio/office space

Dec 2008

I am a writer and mom of two who can no longer seem to write in her house. I need a room of my own. I am looking for a small, quiet office where I can go, not have laundry, dishes & the dog beckoning me, have privacy, and potentially leave my papers & books there so I don't have to lug them around. I am comfortable with an office share as I won't be there full time. I've heard of these magical sounding places -- writers cooperatives where small offices cluster around a common room and people can actually socialize (imagine that!). Apparently there is one in Oakland? Anyone have advice on how/where I start looking? -Hardly feeling like Virginia Woolf


Try Berkeley Coworking (www.berkeleycoworking.com) or ActivSpace (www.activspace.com). Lisa in Oakland
I think you're referring to ''coworking spaces'' - there is one in Berkeley/North Oakland area:

http://www.berkeleycoworking.com/

You can also search on Craigslist for shared office opportunities.

Also it sounds like your situation might be similar to the needs of a psychiatrist or therapist, who only needs an office for a limited time each week? You might see if you can join a psychiatrist co-op and just use the office as your writing studio for a few hours each week.. Judiah


Looking for commercial space

Oct 2007

hi. i'm looking to lease/rent commercial space/office in the east bay and was wondering if someone could reccommend other sites besides craigs list to see availabilities? thanks! anonymous


Depending on which city you are looking in, there are are usually one or two main commericial real estate agencies that have all the listings. For instance, in Berkeley - Gordon Commercial is a big one. In El Cerrito and Albany - MRE Commercial. Sometimes if you do a internet search for ''commercial real estate (name of city)'' you will find them. Otherwise, take a drive (or walk!) to the area you want to lease in and search around for properties for lease. You'll probably see that the ''for lease'' signs are all from one or two major agencies. give them a call! good luck with your endeavors. Nicole

Studio space for rent?

April 2005

Hi, I like to make art - especially oil paint - and find that I do not have enough space at home to work. The dim light doesn't help much either. I was wondering if anyone out there knows of a way in which I might be able to rent space? Where to look? Art coops or something along that line? Thanks so much. m


You could try Art Gym on 4th Street in Berkeley - it always looks nice. I think studio space there costs about $150/month; not sure if that's in your budget or not. I don't think they have a website, but you could drop in some weekend and check it out. It's down by the Crate & Barrel outlet. JP
ActivSpace in West Berkeley rents spartan but well-lit units that can be used as art studio space. www.activspace.com. Not sure how much they charge for rent. Clarisse
There is almost always a spattering of art spaces for rent listed on Craigs List (www.craigslist.com). Dunno about coops, but if they're out there, they'd probably be listed on Craigs List too! painter mamma
Right next to Amsterdam Art in Berkeley on University at 10th or 9th, there are art studio spaces for rent. They say $99 a month on them. Good luck! --a fellow artist

Photo lab space needed

Jan 2004

I'd love to find a place in or around Berkeley where I could process/develop my own B negatives as well as make prints. I took a class two years ago with UC Extension, but they don't allow folks to use their wonderful lab space unless they are students. I don't have space to set up chemicals in my own house. Does anyone know of a good place to go develop film and make prints? I remember most of what I learned, but a place with step-by-step instructions would be best. I know about Looking Glass, and it's okay, but a bit expensive. -A novice photographer


Try Studio One in Oakland (near 51st & broadway). Haven't been there in years, but I use to develope/print my Black and whites there and remember liking it (and it was very cheap!). Good luck. aprill
The ASUC Art Studio on the Berkeley campus has a photo lab: http://www.asucartstudio.org/ You don't need to be a student to use it! Jenne