Before you dive into one of our most popular articles to date, we just wanted to gently remind our readers that in light of the current COVID situation, now may not be the best time to explore different co-working spaces around the city. That being said, staying safe shouldn’t stop you from working effectively! Feel free to scroll through our list of favorite co-working spaces below, but in the meantime, definitely check out these articles and resources to help you stay productive as you work from home during COVID. Be sure to join the community to explore more tools, resources, job opportunities.
- Tips For Working From Home
- Work During COVID: Tools, Tips And Best Practices
- 5 Habits For A Productive Morning When Working From Home
- WFH Playlist To Boost Your Remote Work Vibes
- How To Boost Remote Employee Morale And Engagement
- How To Support Your Remote Team During the COVID-19 Crisis
- Zoom Fatigue – Why You’re Feeling It & What You Can Do About It
- How to Cope With Stress During COVID-19
Our Favorite New York Workspaces
There are millions of free places to work around in NYC great for co-working, from WeWork to Workville, to female-friendly spaces like The Wing or The Luminary, to more flexible spaces like Kettlespace or Spacious. But when you work for yourself you find yourself working without an office and sometimes we end up fighting for table-top spaces more than we are actually working.

When you find yourself in the middle of Manhattan or Brooklyn and need to step into a space great for that urgent call or email you need to send out, of course you have your standard places: coffee shops and bookstores.
But here at Rise we wanted to go above and beyond and share with you some of our favorite unique space to pop in from places with nice bathrooms to hotel lobbies.
Of course, this Google Sheet list is ever-evolving and more will be added, so we suggest bookmarking this page and coming back to it for more places to check out on our radar.
Hotel Lobbies

NYC is the hub of hotel central, with millions of visitors from around the world coming into this beautiful city, there is definitely no lack of hotel lobby spaces for you to find. They are not only quiet, but have a ton of space to sit. Most of them also serve coffee, drinks and snacks for when those munchies kick in.
- Ace Hotel
- Public Hotel
- Hotel Indigo
- Arlo Soho
- The Ludlow
- citizenM Bowery
- Paper Factory Hotel
- Hyatt Hotel Union Square
- Z NYC Hotel
- The Hoxton
- The Westin New York at Times Square
- YOTEL New York
Retail Locations

Did you know that at the basement level of the Lululemon store in Union Square there is a co-working space? They offer yoga classes where you can sweat your work week stress away and get your work done (social media strategy, anyone?) post-class. Or for the techies out there, there’s Amazon’s AWS Loft in Downtown Manhattan.
For that last-minute phone-call with your boss, you may want to stop inside a CB2 real quick or how about a meeting inside the Restoration Hardware store inside their beautiful rooftop restaurant.
- Capital One Bank
- Apple Store
- Eataly
- Whole Foods Market 365
- Hudson Yards Food Market
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) Popup Loft
- South Street Seaport- Pier 17
- Union Square Greenmarket
- Hub Seventeen
Fit to Work

Are you a multi-tasker, who likes working but LOVES working out? Check out these spaces that are perfect for getting your pilates and work-call in check.
Places with Nice Bathrooms

We understand the urgency of needing to go without feeling the need to jump in a pool of Purell. And for New York City, knowing where to go is half the battle.
- Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place
- Chelsea Market
- The Oculus
- TimeOut Market
- Industry City
- Ayurvedic Plate
- Freehold
Libraries

Do you remember these places called libraries that you use to frequent? They still exist, and for most you do not need to have a membership to enter, although we suggest you should because who doesn’t love renting free books.
- New York Public Library
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Poet’s House
- Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Tompkins Square Library
Community Spaces

Co-working spaces can feel overwhelming especially when everyone is working on their own thing. Good thing these spaces below were designed with community and collaboration in mind so you can work, relax, and mingle. Another major perk is these are great for hosting events and panels for startups without a home base.
Art Museums and Parks

For those who are culturally curious or need some inspiration, we suggest heading to your local art museums or even a nearby park, such as Bryant Park, which has free wifi and the perfect outdoor view.
- David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center
- Brooklyn Bridge Park
- The High Line
- City Hall Park
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- MoMA PS1
- Astoria Park
- Riverside Park
- The Public Theater
For Our Caffeine Lovers

Last but not least, of course, we cannot forget the good ol’ coffee shops because let’s face it, who doesn’t need coffee? Check out the list below for more than your usual cup of joe.
- Swallow Cafe
- White Noise Coffee
- City of Saints Coffee Roasters
- AP Cafe
- Cafe Erzulie
- Kávé Espresso Bar
- Bean&Bean Coffee Roasters
- Intelligentsia Coffee Highline Coffeebar
- Pause Cafe
- Brooklyn Roasting Company
- Qathra Cafe
- Boris & Horton
- Think Coffee
- Outro
- The Bean
- Ole & Steen
- The Chipped Cup
- Manhttanville Coffee
- Brooklyn Ball Factory
- Le Pain Quotidien
- Common Good Harlem
Check out more inspiring spaces in your neighborhood, see the entire list here: