The Portable New York City Office - Tracy Kaler's New York Life + Travel Blog

LIFE IN THE APPLE
by Melissa Kravitz

Good morning NYC! Where are you working from today? –credit

One of my favorite aspects of the NYC lifestyle is that so
many people do more than one thing. Ask
someone what they do and they may spew off a list of seemingly unrelated
careers: investor, blogger, model, and professional athlete may be a potential
combo, whereas other work as servers and singers or chefs and teachers. While many have traditional workplaces in
office buildings in Midtown or the Financial District, many others live a transient,
more bohemian lifestyle, working anywhere and everywhere with the appropriate work
environment. A sedentary lifestyle is not appropriate for so many in this metropolis.

My personality wouldn’t fit in a cubicle –credit

As a freelance writer (and occasional tutor and editor), I
do not have a solid workspace. The most
common place to find me is on email, and my business cards do not list a work address. I love this feeling of getting to pick a new
workspace at my leisure, or returning to the same coffee shop or library to try
and achieve my day’s projects.

Working in a pillow fort proves unproductive.

The first most important step in working remotely is organization. Whether this be scheduling, deadlining, or packing for the day, working without a permanent cubicle would be impossible without an impeccable organizational method. Though to many it seems I live a wishy-washy Bohemian lifestyle, I wouldn’t be able to pay the rent if it weren’t for my ability to organize and prioritize. Getting out of bed and off the couch is my preferred method to start a workday, but I know plenty of people who can design top-rated websites from under their duvets, so to each her own.

In order to prepare for the day, I pack a bag full of everything and anything I may need. Perhaps this comes from my history as a Girl Scout, but I don’t think you can be over-prepared when it comes to setting out for the day. In my bag (I prefer an oversized tote like my Longchamp or a large backpack), I put the essentials: laptop, cell phone, chargers, notebook, pens, wallet and camera as well as the less obvious items I’ve found I need during the day: a snack (apple or baby carrots), a water bottle, reading for pleasure, scarf or cardigan, sunglasses, bandaids and Advil. I’ve found that the more I have with me, the less I’ll have to return home during the day or run an unnecessary errand, and can maintain a more regular work schedule.

You can’t be too prepared to get to work –credit

The second most important part in lugging around a heavy portable office bag is deciding where to set up shop. I prefer coffee shops and cafés, because I enjoy the buzz of people working and/or socializing. Though the New York Public Library at Bryant Park is a beautiful workplace, the silence of the reading rooms often makes me feel more on edge and less focused than if I had just stayed at home. My time limit for the castle-like public space is about 60 minutes of productive work.

NYPL is a lovely place to work, for many.

I enjoy starting my day at Pushcart Coffee or Toby’s Estate, where seats are limited but the coffee is strong and the Wifi is consistent. People camp out all day at locations like The Bean or Bourbon Coffee, and trading business cards between lattes is not uncommon.

I also like finding more untraditional workplaces- the only requirement is that they have internet access (so I can post informative and creative articles such as this one!) The MasalaWala is an Indian restaurant with Wifi, and Tasty Cafe has salads, pastas, and sandwiches for an all-afternoon working lunch with internet accessibility. The Ace Hotel has an enormous lobby full of plush couches, on which workers of all types lounge while drinking Stumptown Coffee. In terms of finding new workplaces, searching social-powered websites like Foursquare and Yelp for users’ lists of good workspaces has been highly successful for me.

Networking at The Bean.

I have my regular spots, I enjoy being able to switch up my workspace, often meeting new and interesting freelancers, artists, and entrepreneurs, who also work remotely. Though a permanent work address is a comfort to some, there are so many ways to work, be productive, and live in NYC. So, why limit yourself?

Yes, I’m also guilty of working at Starbucks…

Posted on 09/25/2013

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