It happened to me when I worked as a full-time editor: I got fed up with being stuck in my living room. I tried all sorts of things, or at least, as many as the COVID-19 pandemic allowed me to. I bought a new, apparently specialized chair for writers, adapted my desk to fit my height and even tried buying an insane amount of scented candles. None of these did the trick.
With the restrictions the Mexico City government imposed, we had little to do space-wise as work-from-home professionals. When the Sana Distancia (Healthy Distance) policy loosened up, however, everyone seemed to have forgotten their love-hate relationship with the capital: we wanted to go outside and see the world again. Along with a terrible toll of 3.4 million victims worldwide, the global pandemic took away these cute, little me-moments outside our homes that most of us enjoyed dearly.
After almost two years of pandemic lockdown, I restarted my weekly walks around the neighborhoods I used to love the most. I found that nothing had changed much, but some new businesses flourished with the demands of the “new normal.” as authorities called the new way of life post-COVID-19. This was when I found some nice spots to write, edit and take my everyday meetings with heartwarming matcha lattes.
Roughly four years later, the pandemic feels like a long-gone, sci-fi nightmare. Paradoxically enough, some workers decided not to return to the office after a long break from regular godínez life. Enter co-working spaces: the last bastion of those turbulent times which still allow us to have decent places to work away from corpo life and our living rooms. Here’s my digest of aesthetic and budget-friendly coworking spaces for home-officers to enjoy in Mexico City.
Chez Vous Time Café
In French, ‘chez-vous’ means “at your house.” When you’re visiting a friend, you usually say “Nous irons chez Martine”, which translates to “We’re going to Martine’s.” That is exactly the idea behind Chez Vous Time Café: to feel at home, with the comfort of business amenities for remote workers.
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This local business won the Mexican edition of “Shark Tank” in 2020 — ironically enough, the year the pandemic started — with a brilliant idea: users don’t pay for coffee, tea or internet use, but for the time they spend at the cafe. Having an important meeting or hosting an arts and crafts workshop? This is the spot for you: you pay by the hour, day or month, depending on your specific needs. Mariana Carrillo, Chez Vous’ founder and CEO, explains that users “don’t necessarily need to pay for a membership: you only pay for the time you work.”
Meeting rooms, shared tables and a seat at the coffee bar are the main formats available for customers. Rates vary, of course, depending on the amenities you’re using. Currently, Chez Vous has 6 locations, distributed around Polanco, Coyoacán, Del Valle and La Juárez. If you happen to be around any of them, you can check in without a previous reservation, with a starting rate of 90 pesos per hour.
Blend Station
“Pasión por el café” — a passion for coffee — is this co-working space’s motto. With two shops in Condesa, one in La Roma and one in Polanco, Blend Station has become a classic for remote workers in Mexico City. In addition to shared and individual tables, this local business stands out for its washed or aged coffees with some liquor, which you can order depending on how long your meeting of the day will be. If you’re brave enough, or if your palate allows you to, you can have a nice cup of aged beans with bourbon and imagine you’re Hemingway writing his next short story.
Every Blend Station location has stylish couches for tackling your daily tasks, with cute little neon lights that cast a gentle glow over your computer screen. The brand’s minimalistic aesthetic could easily be the mash-up of an Amsterdam thrift shop with a New York specialty coffee bar, with an undeniable Mexican taste: tons of natural light, wooden details and, of course, vintage-looking contraptions that exude the beans’ aroma.
In addition to trying their blends, I strongly suggest trying Blend Station’s avocado toast and poached eggs for breakfast, with a flat white to feel the caffeine rush. A piece of ‘pan dulce’ works wonders, too, if you’re willing to take the entire experience in.
HAAB Project
Work, play, grow: these are HAAB Project’s pillars for building a community. This co-working space in Condesa stands out from others in the area for the multiplicity of activities it hosts. A concierge is always available for users to solve internet issues, booking problems and other access-related queries. From early morning yoga lessons to cacao ceremonies, remote workers can really merge into the community.
With nine different meeting rooms available, HAAB shares Chez Vous’ rent-by-the-hour scheme. You can book your room beforehand online, or simply go grab some coffee in its gorgeous lobby. Craving an acai bowl? This is the spot for you. For those who need a fixed place to work, there are several packages to fit their needs — if you book any of these, you get access to special discounts in the cafeteria and special events.
Why not other, bigger co-working spaces?
I worked as an intern at WeWork a couple of years ago. At the time, I marveled at the real possibility of a global community coming together to work in shared spaces. After the pandemic started, however, as a remote worker myself, I longed for businesses with a local feel, that remained budget-friendly and, if possible, had extraordinary coffee. You can find all of these in Mexico City, nestled in well-located areas that feel like home.
Big co-working companies might give larger businesses the visibility they need, with corporate amenities designed for their needs. As remote workers, however, do we really need any of that? I would rather support co-working spaces owned by local entrepreneurs — and, yes, continue to sip on heartwarming matcha lattes in the process.
Andrea Fischer is an editor at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.
