Working from home sounds like the dream until about week three. The commute is gone, the sweatpants are comfortable, and the coffee is free. Then the kitchen table starts to feel like an office you can never leave, the days blur together, and you realize you haven’t had a real conversation with another human since Tuesday.
If that sounds familiar, you’re in good company, especially here in Portland. A lot of us work remotely, and a lot of us are quietly looking for something in between the home office and the corporate office. That something is a coworking space.
Portland is one of the most remote-work cities in America
Portland ranks sixth nationally for its share of remote workers, according to an analysis by Coworking Mag of 109 large U.S. metro areas using Census Bureau data. In 2023, 21.2% of Portland-area workers were remote, up from 6.4% in 2014, when the city ranked seventh. PDXtoday covered the findings, and Axios Portland reported that roughly 278,000 people in the metro area were working from home in 2023.
That’s a lot of kitchen tables! And it explains why so many Portlanders are looking for a better place to do their best work.
What working from home can’t give you
Remote work gives you freedom, but a few things tend to go missing along the way:
- A line between work and life. When your office is your living room, it’s hard to ever fully clock out. Walking into a workspace, and walking out again, gives your day a beginning and an end.
- People. Work-from-home isolation sneaks up on you. Even a quiet introvert needs the occasional “how’s your week going?” The friendly faces you see a few times a week, what researchers call weak ties and what I prefer to call loose connections, make a bigger difference to how a workday feels than most people expect.
- A professional setup. Reliable internet, a real desk, a conference room for the client call, and a place to print the thing you need to sign are all easy to take for granted until you don’t have them.
- A reason to get out of the house. A different environment can change how you think, and it’s good for your mood, too.
A coworking space isn’t a return to the corporate office. There’s no assigned cubicle and no one looking over your shoulder. It’s the best parts of an office, like community, structure, and good tools, on your terms.
Finding the right coworking fit at VIDA
VIDA has three coworking locations across the Portland metro area, in NE Portland, NW Portland at Montgomery Park and Beaverton, so there’s likely one close to where you live or work. Not every remote worker needs a desk five days a week, which is why we offer memberships that flex with how you actually work, including:
| Membership | Best for | What’s included |
|---|---|---|
| PT Flex | A change of scene a few days a month | Five visits per month during staffed hours (Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm); mail and address service |
| OPEN Flex | Flexibility, with anytime access | 24/7 access; mail and address service plus Oregon Principal Place of Business registration; four hours per month of conference room time |
| Dedicated Desk | A desk that’s yours every day | 24/7 access; six hours per month of conference room time |
Every membership includes VIDA’s member amenities and an invitation to all community events, plus access to our online community, [VIDA Virtual]([VIDA Virtual URL]), which keeps you connected on the days you’re working from home. If you work with a small team, we also offer [private offices]([private offices URL]).
To find current rates and availability, visit vidacoworking.com/availability.
Come see if it fits!
Portland has made remote work a way of life. Coworking is how plenty of us are making it a better one. The best way to find out whether it’s right for you is to see the space and meet the people, so Book a Tour, and then a Trial Day, to see how a workday at VIDA feels.
FAQS
Is coworking worth it if I only work from home a few days a week?
That is exactly who PT Flex is for. Five visits a month is enough to break up the week, see some familiar faces, and still work from home the rest of the time.
Do I need a membership to try VIDA?
No. Book a tour first, then a Trial Day. You will know within a few hours whether a workday here feels right.
Which VIDA location is closest to me?
We have three across the Portland metro area: NE Portland, NW Portland at Montgomery Park, and Beaverton. All three include access to VIDA Virtual for the days you stay home.
VIDA is a coworking community designed to #MakeLifeWork for our members. With locations in Portland, Beaverton, and now Montgomery Park in NW Portland, we offer private offices, dedicated desks, and open coworking, along with thoughtfully curated amenities and a member community that feels like your own. Book a tour of any VIDA location and see what it feels like to be a regular. Prefer the community without the commute? Explore VIDA Virtual instead. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Book a tour | Explore VIDA Virtual | Read more on the Make Life/Work Blog