{"id":30140,"date":"2014-01-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-01-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/30140\/five-alternatives-to-an-office-for-professional-nomads"},"modified":"2023-08-14T10:50:09","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T10:50:09","slug":"five-alternatives-to-an-office-for-professional-nomads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/30140\/five-alternatives-to-an-office-for-professional-nomads\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Alternatives to an Office for Professional Nomads"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the appeal of freelancing, the number of office-less people entering (or re-entering) the workforce in Lebanon is on a constant rise. Entrepreneurs and young professionals who can’t afford office space, students, and part-timers are also often looking for alternatives to working at home, where isolation and a host of distractions can quickly become problematic. <\/p>\n

This list goes out to all these professional nomads roaming the streets of Beirut, computer or iPad in hand, on the perpetual lookout for a good WI-FI signal and a desk to settle down at.<\/p>\n

Hackerspaces:<\/big><\/big><\/b><\/p>\n


(Photo via Facebook<\/a><\/i>)<\/p>\n

Catering more specifically to geeks, hackerspaces are community-operated workspaces where people with common interests, often in computers, technology, science, digital art or electronic art, can meet, socialize and collaborate (and often build or make things).<\/p>\n

There’s only one hackerspace in Lebanon to date: Lamba Labs<\/a>, located in Mar Mikhael. It offers a communal space “focused on the sharing of knowledge and hands on learning.” Projects have a tech focus, but often wander off into the realms of art, music, and social activism. The price to become a member: $20 to $40 a month, with access to tools like a 3D printer and anything needed for electronic prototyping and development. The collective offers a bunch of free workshops, too.<\/p>\n

Co-working Spaces:<\/big><\/big><\/b><\/p>\n


(Photo via Facebook<\/a><\/i>)<\/p>\n

Coworking involves a shared working environment, in a shared office space. The concept is also about bringing together people working independently but who share similar values and skills, and the synergy that results from it.<\/p>\n

In the past year, at least five different co-working spaces, largely geared to tech startups, have opened in Lebanon. Some are private-public partnerships, or strictly for-profit ventures like Cloud 5, Solidere\u2019s 500-square-meter space. But others are youth-driven collectives for entrepreneurs, with perfectly affordable monthly or daily fees, and certain added advantages.<\/p>\n

For example, Seeqnce<\/a>, a startup accelerator based in Hamra, offers access to a zen lounge, kitchen, and high-speed Internet. Other coworking spaces include the recently launched Coworking +961<\/a>, and AltCity<\/a>, a media\/tech\/design startup community comprised of digital entrepreneurs, independent journalists, NGO members, and activists.<\/p>\n

Cafes\/bars:<\/big><\/big><\/b><\/p>\n


(Photo via Facebook<\/a><\/i>)<\/p>\n

In a bind over a project, or struggling to write that last paragraph? Working in a cafe is often a good solution to productivity dry spells. Most coffee shops and bars in Beirut have decent (and free) WI-FI Internet and a quiet, productivity-stimulating atmosphere to boot. And one thing’s for sure: the espresso will taste better than the one you’d get from a coffee machine. For suggestions, take a look at our list of five of the best cafes to get work done<\/a> in Beirut.<\/p>\n

WI-FI gardens:<\/big><\/big><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A couple of year ago, the Telecommunications Ministry launched an initiative aimed at setting up free WI-FI Internet in 12 parks and public gardens across Lebanon. To this day, five parks in Beirut (the Mufti Hassan Khaled public garden <\/a>, the Sioufi garden<\/a>, the Ren\u00e9 Moawad garden<\/a>, the Jesuit garden<\/a> in Geitawi, and the Saint-Nicolas garden<\/a>) have been equipped with the service, with reportedly seven more scheduled to follow suit. Added advantage: it’s free, and you’ll be working to the sound of birds tweeting, leaves rustling to the wind, and, erm, cars honking. But this option is strictly for minimal Internet use: WI-FI speed is considerably slower (what with the shared bandwidth) so don’t expect to get much done.<\/p>\n

Squatting:<\/big><\/big><\/b><\/p>\n


(Photo via Wikipedia<\/a><\/i>)<\/p>\n

Reserved for a privileged few but admittedly the cheapest option of all: squatting in a relative or friend’s office. If your father\/mother\/uncle\/cousin\/BFF\/significant other owns his or her own company and has a desk to spare, consider asking them to accommodate you. Make yourself scarce, maybe buy your benefactor lunch as a thank you one of these days, and revel in the free Internet and lack of pressure to whip out your wallet.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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