Bought into the hype about coworking spaces in Medellin - wish I hadn't

I was super skeptical about paying $200 a month for a desk when I could just work from my Airbnb. But after three weeks of spotty wifi and noisy construction outside my apartment in El Poblado, I caved and tried Selina coworking. Honestly, the vibe is cool and I did meet a few other nomads, but the constant background music and people taking calls right next to me drove me nuts. Has anyone else found a decent quiet spot here that's not a library?

3 comments

3 Comments

hugoh5519d ago

lindaowens saying she would have walked out day one is exactly the problem though. People give up too fast. Look, I'm not defending Selina here, but what nobody talks about is how loud coworking spaces are basically the new normal everywhere now. I gave up on the big name places and ended up at a tiny spot called Colectivo Superior in Laureles. It's nothing fancy, just a room with a long table and decent chairs, and the owner actually shushes people if they talk too loud. Yeah it's only got like 15 desks and no AC some days, but for $150 a month I can hear myself think. Sometimes you gotta dig past the Instagram-friendly spots to find the real gold.

cooper.phoenix1d ago

Lindaowens has a point about walking out, but I think the bigger issue is that these coworking spots sell themselves as productive spaces when they're really just social clubs with wifi. You pay a premium for the "Instagrammable" decor and end up with all the distractions of a coffee shop but without the ability to just leave. What nobody tells you is that the real estate model relies on churn - they sign up a bunch of people who quit after a month and never ask for refunds. @lindaowens would probably have better luck doing what I eventually did, which was split the difference: rent a quiet room in someone's house through a local Facebook group. I found a retired teacher with a spare bedroom she converted into a small office space for $100 a month, and the only noise is her cat walking across the keyboard sometimes.

lindaowens19d ago

Paid $200 a month just to deal with background noise and loud phone calls? That's wild, I would've walked out day one.