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Wellbeing

London's coolest coworking spaces

By Jen Barton Packer on 11/7/2019

In 2019, the most important membership to have isn't to the gym or your favourite museum - it's to the coworking space that ticks all of the boxes you need it to, from giving you a flexible place to work or hold meetings to providing creative inspiration, professional mentorship and even childcare (yes, coworking spaces with childcare are the future!).
Not all coworking spaces in London are created equal: some bring nature into your work, like Second Home, others, like WeWork's Wilson Street location, let you bring your dog to work and hang around outside - because workspace wellness is so crucial to our sanity, and our productivity. Here are the coolest coworking spaces in London you'll want to know about - and join ASAP.

Best for helping that startup flourish: Google Campus, Shoreditch

Putting an inspiring community of like-minded individuals in one space, as well as providing plenty of mentorship opportunities, entrepreneurial talks and hands-on classes (the workshops tackle topics like how to get up to speed with Google Analytics, or how mindfulness can be an essential life-management tool for entrepreneurs), is just part of why Google's London Campus is the most coveted workspace for any startup or tech-inclined freelancer to join. Past initiatives like Google Campus for Mums offered a family-friendly atmosphere where parents could step away from their seat in a Startup School class on how to get seed funding or how to market their business to change their baby's nappy or feed. The newly appointed head of Google for Startups, Marta Krupinska, is focusing on social impact technology and how machine learning can change the world for good, with startups like Mendelian and Feebris in the cohort for 2019.

WHERE

4-5 Bonhill Street, London, EC2A 4BX

Best for makers: Makerversity, Westminster

Located in the basement of Somerset House, Makerversity is a co-making space with desks which gives its creative members access to the machinery and tools they need for their businesses, whether they're working in wood or developing a new biodegradable material from waste. Community atmosphere is also at the heart of this co-making space: the hub of over 350 creative minds hosts programmes to inspire the next generation of makers, offering a rolling desk set-up with three months of free membership for under-25s to develop their businesses. Roaming memberships start at £240 a month for 60 hours of hot-desk space. Now, if only we had some practical skills, so we could apply...

WHERE

Old Post Room, Somerset House, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 1LA

Best for all the little touches: WeWork Wilson Street, Finsbury Square

One of the pioneers of the coworking movement, WeWork knows the recipe for an inspiring, productive coworking space: a great location, top-notch amenities (from soundproofing to on-site showers), and the little details, like being able to cuddle your pooch at your desk, bike to work (there's on-site storage) and sit outside to make a call. Hot desks start at £450 a month. This is also the workspace to join for wellness fans: from pilates to meditation, there's always something going on to help mind and body function in harmony. If this location doesn't suit your commute, don't fret: WeWork has over 40 locations in London alone.

WHERE

70 Wilson Street, London, EC2A 2DB

Best for the chill factor: Fora Soho

With locations around London, Fora offices are known for their pleasant vibe of chic boutique hotel meets coworking space (down to little touches like concierges trained at L’École Hôtelière de Lausanne and tiles handmade in Marrakech). The newest outpost, in Soho, has everything a small team or individual needs - and then some, including comfy beanbag chairs and podcast rooms. Some Fora locations have added extras: Clerkenwell Central St. boasts chef Stevie Parle's Italian restaurant, Palatino, while Fora's Borough location has a rooftop lounge, gym and personal trainers. Tech is central to Fora's ethos, and there's an integrated Fora app which allows members to book meeting rooms, order team coffees from concierges ahead of presentations or find out about networking events happening in any Fora location.

WHERE

Fora, 33 Broadwick Street, W1F 0DQ

Best for the endless options: Soho Works, Shoreditch

The Soho House aesthetic seamlessly merges aesthetics with ease, and the coworking space doesn't disappoint, offering members everything from brand building workshops to mindfulness to hands-on sessions, where you can upcycle your pillowcase or make your own energy balls. Situated in London's iconic Tea Building, the vast 16,000 square foot space is open 24/7 and features numerous membership options, from day and night hot desking to guaranteed desks to spaces that can accommodate teams of 10 (Soho House members get a discount on rates). There are plenty of on-site amenities members can't get enough of, including a roof terrace, workshop with crafts and tools, screening room, photo studio, cafe and bar, library and reading room, 3D printer, showers and lockers, 200 pages of free printing a month and private phone booths. Did we mention the access to Shoreditch House? Look out for a new location opening in White City soon.

WHERE

The Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6JJ

Best for connecting with nature: Second Home, London Fields

Design and nature are at the heart of Second Home's ethos, and the latest outpost in London Fields, designed by Madrid-based firm CanoLasso, acts as a landmark for the creatives in the neighbourhood. Not only is the space a riot of colour and light, but it's also biophilia at its best, with hanging gardens, live moss, and unusual materials like hanging Portuguese cork for soundproofing. There are different membership levels (hot-desking roamers pay from £250 per month), although non-members can hang in the ground-floor cafe and use the Wi-Fi. It's no surprise creatives from all industries, as well as NGOs, have already set up shop here. Second Home London Fields is all about integrating the community around as well, with yoga sessions from Hackney's Stretch London and a stunning nursery space, with rooftop terrace for the kiddos, running in collaboration with NFamily Club. Members also get access to Second Home's other workspaces (Spitalfields, Holland Park, Clerkenwell Green, as well as locations in Lisbon and L.A.), talks from the likes of Ottolenghi's Sami Tamimi and London mayor Sadiq Khan, and skill-sharing, business-boosting workshops, courtesy of its Breakthrough programme. Yes, Second Home London Fields is flexible working-meets-family-life at its best, but there may be one problem: you won't ever want to leave the office...

WHERE

125–127 Mare Street, London, E8 3SJ

Best for a corworking space that puts families first: Cuckooz Nest, Clerkenwell

Best for putting family first: Cuckooz Nest, Clerkenwell

While a working space with a fabulous daycare facility on-site shouldn't be revolutionary in 2019, coworking spaces with creches are still few and far between, and many working parents are still parking themselves at Starbucks and plying their two-year-old with croissants in the hopes of sounding professional during a morning conference call. The coworking spaces with childcare that do exist, like Cuckooz Nest, are amazing, because they're designed to meet the needs of working parents. At Cuckooz Nest, this translates to affordable on-site childcare, a breastfeeding-friendly atmosphere and total flexibility - you can book in on a Pay-As-You-Go basis for as little as an hour or two a day. The creche, created with childcare specialists Manny & Me, has Ofsted-registered childcare providers and includes climbing soft play, crafts, dressing up, a reading corner, a darkened naptime area, buggy storage and its own kitchen.

WHERE

24 Ray Street London, EC1R 3DJ

Best for creatives who like the warehouse feel: De Beauvoir Block

Best for creatives: De Beauvoir Block, Hackney

If your workplace is a reflection of who you are, then we all want to be De Beauvoir Block: architects Henley Halebrown transformed these Victorian warehouses into modern industrial blocks with exposed bricks, steel accents, timber floors and large windows that encourage the light to flood in. It's a creative haven, with brand and content agencies, architecture firms and production companies working side by side. Another bonus? You can sign up to a Casual Membership, which gives access to the cafe, communal area, outside courtyard and meeting room, for just £100 (plus VAT) monthly.

WHERE

92-96 De Beauvoir Road, London, N1 4EN

Best for the techie crew: Plexal, Olympic Park

Plexal takes the concept of the coworking space to the next level: more than a series of desks and community spaces, it's a mini-city with an indoor park, high street and room reserved for prototyping and making. Taking the idea that innovation comes from diversity as its starting point, the space is designed with private rooms as well as ample opportunities for cross-collaborations between the tech businesses and start-ups on-site. The events space with bleacher seating accommodates over 300 people, so is an obvious choice for hackathons, conferences and inspiring speaker talks. Hot desking starts at £220 a month, and gives you a chance to join in with member events like the weekly Plexal football club, 80s themed aerobics classes, funding consultations and women in tech lunches.

WHERE

14 East Bay Lane, The Press Centre, Here East, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, E20 3BS

London's coolest coworking spaces

Best for helping that startup flourish: Google Campus, Shoreditch

Best for makers: Makerversity, Westminster

Best for all the little touches: WeWork Wilson Street, Finsbury Square

Best for the chill factor: Fora Soho

Best for the endless options: Soho Works, Shoreditch

Best for connecting with nature: Second Home, London Fields

Best for putting family first: Cuckooz Nest, Clerkenwell

Best for creatives: De Beauvoir Block, Hackney

Best for the techie crew: Plexal, Olympic Park

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London's coolest coworking spaces

Best for helping that startup flourish: Google Campus, Shoreditch

Best for makers: Makerversity, Westminster

Best for all the little touches: WeWork Wilson Street, Finsbury Square

Best for the chill factor: Fora Soho

Best for the endless options: Soho Works, Shoreditch

Best for connecting with nature: Second Home, London Fields

Best for putting family first: Cuckooz Nest, Clerkenwell

Best for creatives: De Beauvoir Block, Hackney

Best for the techie crew: Plexal, Olympic Park

Best plastic free shops in London

Best luxury yoga retreats, UK

London's best spice tours and cooking classes

Early morning London: things to do before the city wakes up

The best vegan ice cream in London

Plogging: what is it, and where can you do it in London?

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