10 Tips For Picking the Perfect Private Office Space in Chelsea 

Chelsea is a thriving hub in the heart of Manhattan, a melting pot of art, cuisine, culture, and growing businesses. If you’re an established organization, a startup, a small- or medium-sized business, or a solo professional looking for the perfect private office space in Chelsea, this guide is for you. 

Here are 10 considerations to make when seeking the ideal workspace.

The Most Essential Considerations When Looking for a Private Office Space in Chelsea

The first step in choosing the right private office space in Chelsea is to get introspective about the nature of your work, the needs of your team, and how you plan to use your workspace:

• What are the must-haves in your ideal workspace? What types of amenities will help foster better and more productive work days for you and your team? 
• How much do you or your team value community and collaboration?
• What will your business look like in two, three, or five years, and what will your workspace needs be then? 
• How much time and money are you willing to invest in building and running your private office space in Chelsea?
• Do you want to be your own office manager, or would you prefer a fully serviced, turnkey workspace where administrative tasks are handled for you?
• Does your team work in the office full-time, or do you operate on a hybrid work model? 
• Where does your office space fit into your brand image? How important is it to have an office space that enhances your overall image? 
• What would be the characteristics of an ideal location for your team and business? 
• How important is privacy and security for your business?

Take a few moments to think about these points and take note of your thoughts. Keep those notes handy as you work through this list.

1. Prioritize Flexibility 

Change happens fast in the modern business landscape, and uncertainty is the only certainty.

For this reason, flexibility is incredibly important for businesses seeking the perfect private office space in Chelsea and beyond. 

There’s a good reason for this—signing a long-term traditional office lease can be risky today because it: 

• Boxes you into a workspace scenario where it’s difficult and expensive to scale up or down as your needs change
• Makes it challenging to end your agreement should you need to
• Requires a significant capital output to set up, customize, and operate your office

Instead of a traditional office lease, a more strategic and cost-effective option is to rent office space in Chelsea from a coworking operator. In fact, many modern organizations are opting for flexible office space options like Work Better, because they offer:

• Workspace scalability
• Flexible terms—you’re not boxed into a rigid years-long contract  
• Three different membership tiers with the ability to upgrade or downgrade as needed
• On-demand offices and meeting spaces 
• In-house support staff that handles the day-to-day requirements of office space management so that you can focus on your work rather than running your workspace. This means you can reallocate resources spent on admin to more revenue-generating tasks 
• Shared costs between multiple organizations that provide economies of scale and cost savings for your business

2. Check for Customizability 

Customizability matters when searching for the perfect office space in Chelsea for a few reasons. 

For one, research says we spend roughly one-third of our lives at work. So, the space where we work should be as pleasant as possible. One small yet impactful way of making it pleasant is by customizing your office space to your needs. 

Second, for established, growth-focused companies and satellite enterprises, immersing employees in a space reflective of brand image, values, and mission can help achieve business objectives. It’s also important to have a space that maintains a consistent brand image for clients and employees. That’s where customizability comes in—investing in a space that you can modify to reflect your brand beyond a professional and sleek look can help achieve these goals. 

At Work Better, our private office spaces in Chelsea come fully furnished with desks, chairs, and filing cabinets, but they can be customized and rearranged to reflect your brand image, values, mission, and any other business’s needs. 

If you contact our team, we can discuss what custom arrangements would suit your needs. 

3. Inquire About Management Staff 

Access to in-house management staff is an important perk that most flexible office space operators provide, and traditional office spaces lack. 

Having helpful and friendly community managers who can meet your needs, greet clients and employees, and enhance your workday experience can leave a positive impression and positively influence employees’ well-being and job satisfaction. 

Community managers are also available to provide assistance with technical or administrative issues. 

In a traditional office space, your business is responsible for every element of office management, from tech issues to cleaning and everything in between. In a flexible office space in Chelsea like Work Better, an on-site community manager takes care of everything, saving your business time, money, and headaches. 

Our members are the first to share that our in-house team, like our community manager Adriana Madera, are always friendly, resourceful, and happy to help whenever there’s an issue. 

When choosing a fully serviced, private office space in Chelsea with a flexible office space operator, you can directly ask about their community management or read through reviews from members. If you need 24/7 support, that may be a factor to confirm when looking for an office space in Chelsea. 

4. Look Into Community and Events

Opting for a community-centric workspace like Work Better offers a unique opportunity to build your network and make genuine connections. Community is a factor that traditional offices often lack.

Conversely, flexible office space operators provide many opportunities for networking and learning through local events. They also help businesses foster connection and community among teams by designing intentional, open spaces that allow for collaboration, conversations, and idea sharing. 

Beyond that, they also offer seminars, masterminds, and workshops to help employees reach personal and professional goals. When browsing options, look out for conferences, seminars, and masterminds hosted by flexible office space operators. 

When searching for an office space in Chelsea, you should gauge the operator’s commitment to building community, connection, and career development through these events. At Work Better, we’re serious about providing businesses, whether established and hybrid or satellite enterprises, with these additional, valuable resources. Our community manager, Adriana, walks the walk by proactively making introductions and fostering mutually beneficial relationships.  

5. Amenities and Perks

Aside from in-house management, consider other amenities when choosing a private office space in Chelsea. This point circles back to those notes you jotted down earlier when initially reflecting on your team’s needs and what you’d consider valuable in a private office space. 

If you’re a team lead, you may prioritize spacious and well-equipped meeting rooms. You may also highly value cost-efficiency and reducing unnecessary use of internal resources. 

If your business is in a creative industry, you may need a space that is very aligned with brand image and aesthetics. You may also emphasize the need to customize the space to maximize creativity, collaboration between team members to help you get into the flow, and stocked kitchens to fuel your brain. 

Here are some amenities and benefits to consider when picking out an office space in Chelsea—be sure to reference your earlier notes and determine if they’re aligned with any of these perks: 

• Concierge service or in-house management. This can reduce additional time and money spent on technical issues or other administrative tasks. 
• Printing services. Flexible office spaces offer a set amount of complimentary printing, again saving money.  
• A reliable internet connection fosters productivity and reduces operational downtime.   
• Flexibility and scalability allow you to easily plan ahead based on business growth and objectives. 
• IT Infrastructure also reduces operational downtime and improves brand image. 
• Member-only networking and community events can increase business growth and boost employee’s well-being and productivity.  
• 24/7 access can be really convenient for satellite and remote teams with more flexible work schedules.  
• Private phone booths are necessary for business calls and can also be handy for employees to use during breaks.  
• Meeting and conference rooms are necessary for more intensive business calls as well as collaborative meetings. 
• Lounge areas can foster connection and well-being for employees.  
• Cafe and/or complimentary coffee can save money, improve productivity, and also maybe win you brownie points with your employees. 
• Stocked kitchen, also cost-effective, and sure to win over your team! 
• Gyms can boost employees’ mental and physical health.
• Storage lockers are super convenient if a lot of traveling is involved in the work you or your employees do. 

6. Ask About Meeting and Conference Rooms 

Whether you’re an established business, a high-growth hybrid team, or a satellite enterprise,  you’ll need to consider meeting or conference spaces at some point. 

Traditional office spaces do not always offer meeting or conference rooms, whereas local flexible office space operators like Work Better do. You can easily access our booking calendar and make an on-demand booking by choosing a specific time and date. 

The big question to start off with is: do you want to pay additional costs for these private meeting rooms (and have that additional overhead cost even when they’re not being used)? Or would you rather choose a space, like a flexible office space operator, that includes on-demand private meeting rooms in the space and total cost? 

Here are some additional questions you may want to consider: 

• Does the office’s meeting or conference room include TVs with HDMI and presenting capabilities?
• How many private meeting rooms are there? How many of these rooms do you anticipate your team needing right now? What about in two or three years?  
• Does the office’s meeting or conference rooms accommodate both larger team meetings and smaller collaborations? 
• Do the rooms come with soundproof features? Is that a must-have feature for your team?
• Is the layout of these private meeting spaces conducive to idea-sharing and productive conversations?

7. Determine Proximity to Restaurants, Landmarks, and Cafes 

Being in proximity to “outsourced amenities” like restaurants, landmarks, and cafes is something to consider when looking for a private office space in Chelsea for the following reasons:

• Booking team lunches is more convenient when the restaurant is close to your office. 
• You can easily take prospective clients to lunches or dinners and impress them with all that Chelsea has to offer.
• Remote employees can grab a quick bite or invite their colleagues or fellow coworking member(s) out to a cafe or nearby landmark/event for a short break. 
  

To illustrate this point, our Work Better office space in Chelsea is near Fifth Avenue and Union Square, both of which have delicious restaurants for team lunches and some casual spots for grabbing a quick coffee. We’re also near Madison Square Park, perfect for a mid-day walk, and the Flatiron Building for team events. 

8. Consider the Design and Experience

In a time when most employees can work from anywhere, your office needs to be a place where they want to be, not just a place where they have to be.

A beautifully designed space that enhances the quality of their workdays can be a great incentive, especially if it’s open, spacious, and has a ton of natural light. 

Consider some features and design elements your employees would love and that would encourage them to work from the office; jot these down if you have to. You can also survey your team to take the guesswork out of this part.

Then reference these points as you tour different private office spaces in Chelsea.   

9. Confirm Reliable Internet Connectivity

This factor seems like a no-brainer, but it is worth emphasizing. 

In a world where most work happens online, having access to a reliable, fast, and secure Wi-Fi connection can boost employee productivity and reduce downtime. 

Traditional office spaces require you to cover the cost of your internet connectivity, including setting up your networks, acquiring hardware, managing your own cybersecurity, and beyond.

On the other hand, flexible office space memberships include reliable, fast Wi-Fi and on-demand tech support.  

So, when you’re looking for private office spaces in Chelsea with flexible space operators, confirm that the internet is part of the package, and be sure to ask about the Wi-Fi reliability and speed. You could also read reviews for an impartial take on the internet service that’s provided at a particular office location. 

10. Focus on Convenience 

Along with choosing a private office space in Chelsea close to restaurants and cafes, be sure to focus on and prioritize local convenience for your employees. This may look like:

• Choosing an office that’s accessible by transit if you walk or prefer city transportation. Proximity to transit can also connect you to nearby business districts. 
• Choosing an option that’s not too far of a driving distance or takes you down a hectic route if you drive may be a factor employees are concerned about.
• Choosing to be close to any other places that are important to you or your employees (daycare, doctor’s office, etc.). This factor may also play a part in incentivizing employees to work in the office, as opposed to working from home. 

Whether you’re an established organization or a growth-focused enterprise, finding the right private office space in Chelsea can fuel productivity, impress potential clients, foster professional connections, and help your business grow. 

At Work Better, we aim to provide a focused environment—robust infrastructure, technologically well-equipped, and community-centric—so you can grow your business. Get in touch to book a tour today.