Generally speaking, I’m a fan of remote work. It does, however, have some trade-offs. Specifically, there are some credible studies that have indicated that it can have a detrimental effect on your mental and physical health, particularly if you are working in complete isolation. The clear trend is in the wrong direction, too: generally speaking, people are spending less time socializing.
This trend further exacerbates the already-urgent need for third places. There is ample evidence that positive human interactions boost well-being, and third places tend to facilitate those interactions.
This brings me to Switchyards. Switchyards opened their first location out of Atlanta back in late 2023 and given that this new location was within walking distance of my house, I immediately became a member.
I was already familiar with the idea of co-working spaces (I had previously used WeWork and eSpaces in Nashville) so what I expected was just a very convenient place to work outside of my home. However, what I didn’t expect was a factor that Switchyards seems to be pretty intentional about. You see, on all their marketing material they describe it as a “neighborhood work club.”. The use of “neighborhood” seems to indicate that they predominately open clubs in, well, neighborhoods, specifically. They aren’t typically located in office districts or downtown corridors. Hence, they pull in a lot of people like myself: those that live in the neighborhood. Offices, in contrast, often build in urban cores, are centrally located, pulling people from all over a metropolis. Many co-working spaces have followed that strategy, which meant that you’re still doing the same commute, and you’re working alongside people that you only ever see while you’re working.
“Switchyards is the world’s first neighborhood work club. A place designed for your best thinking and most productive work. Near home. Around friends and neighbors.”
(This quote is pulled from the Switchyards front page, but the emphasis is mine.)
Switchyards took things in a different direction. By pulling a lot of members that are from my immediate neighborhood meant that I suddenly started seeing a lot of familiar faces around the coffee machine. Folks that I saw in the school drop-off line, the local restaurants, my church, etc. Each Switchyards location has a centralized coffee machine that takes about 70 seconds to brew a (very good) cup of coffee. That’s an excellent amount of time to have a short chat. To make room for serendipity, I made a rule for myself: if anyone else is in the coffee area, I can’t look at my phone or have it out. This opens up the room for more friendly conversation. Since I’ve been a member of Switchyards since their Nashville opening in 2023, it’s become a bit like the “Cheers” theme song: I consistently say hello to two or three fellow members when I drop by to get work done. Those short connections are a huge social and emotional boost!
Furthermore, I’ve been able to make use of Switchyard’s conference rooms to host other group completely unrelated to my work: AI discussion groups, bible studies, game nights with friends. (Sure, I could use my house but I have six kids so it’s nice to have an alternative location.)
All this to say: I really appreciate Switchyards. Being a member has improved my life in measurable ways and is easily one of the monthly subscriptions that I easily find to be providing the most value-per-dollar.
Keep it up, Switchyards team. Y’all are awesome.
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Header photo by Helena Lopez on Unsplash