In their remote work, professionals can have one hand on the keyboard while being within arm’s reach of a forest on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.
The downside is that that kind of work can sometimes feel isolated and worst of all, Wi-Fi is often sketchy in remote locations, but not if you step through the doors of co-working spaces — and they’re everywhere.
The co-working space is one where entrepreneurs, and remote and freelance workers can find high-speed internet and social and private spaces in which to work. They can rent space for a day or long term.
Coworking has been around for decades in one form or another, though there has been a surge in growth in recent years, particularly since the pandemic.
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1Q1A former bank is now the home of 1Q1 co-working space in Hancock.“Covid has completely changed the game,” said Jake Northey, owner of 1Q1 coworking in Hancock on the Keweenaw Peninsula. “That’s when everyone went remote. There’s been a huge influx of remote workers coming to the U.P.”
Across the Upper Peninsula and beyond, Michigan’s rural communities are providing that workspace, with a variety of amenities -- not just coffee -- to keep remote workers happy during the day.
“It breaks the normal flow of your brain,” Northey added. “We’re here to provide options — do I want to work quietly, make social connections, get inspired? You create your workday when you come here. The idea is that we provide everything an office would have. We try to upgrade the average workday.”
Erin Mahaney, manager of CoLAB in Marquette, said the stable technological environment in a co-working office is matched by the potential for start-ups and entrepreneurs. Collaboration can become inspiration.
“Co-working spaces like CoLAB provide opportunities for people to come to our community as a start-up company or idea and flourish,” she said.
These spaces also provide a quiet space for visitors to work and retain some normalcy in their days. "It provides people with a place to work while they travel and discover our amazing area. And it allows remote workers a place to be welcomed, meet new people, and be able to enjoy a cup of coffee with someone who works in a completely different field," she said.
Here’s a sampling of co-working spaces in the U.P. and other parts of rural Michigan.
1Q1, Hancock
1Q1’s location is an affirmation of modern amenities emerging from a remote community grounded in its historic past. 1Q1 is billed as the Keweenaw’s first coworking space, beginning as a local collaboration with Michigan Technological University’s entrepreneurship club.
Jake Northey, owner of 1Q1, runs the co-working space and his software company out of his family-owned three-story sandstone structure constructed in 1888. The building once housed the First National Bank; a third floor was added in 1903. The space also includes networking, happy hours and speaker sessions, providing "opportunities for our members to connect, collaborate, and learn from each other."
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1Q1The comfortable meeting room at 1Q1.Remote work Lianna Miller of Houghton has been coming to 1Q1 for the past five or six years.
“It shakes up the routine a little bit and brings socializing and working together,” she said. “I’ve never been great at the every-day-in-the-office thing. It’s lowkey, and it’s got everything you need.”
Then with a smile, she added, “That and the endless coffee.”
1Q1’s amenities:- 24-hour access
- Private phone booths
- “Insanely fast” internet
- TVs and 4K monitors
- Meeting rooms
- Free coffee, tea, and snacks
Prices vary, starting at $15 for a day pass.
CoLAB, Marquette
Conveniently located in downtown Marquette, CoLab is close to U.P. economic development groups, banking and legal services and more. Shops, the waterfront and recreational opportunities are within walking distance.
CoLAB manager Erin Mahaney describes Marquette’s co-working space as like “a melting pot of jobs, ideas, careers, and people; and that kind of connection is something that you just can’t really find outside of a dedicated coworking space.”
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Tom BuchkoeSarah Konefal at work at CoLAB in Marquette.Remote worker Brett Sukenik found CoLAB when he and his family were on a road trip from Longmont, Colorado.
“It’s amazing that we can come to the U.P. for a month every summer to see my wife’s family, and I can still get my work done,” Sukenik said. “Psychologically, coming here feels like going to work where there’s really good WiFi and no distractions. We’re thinking about moving up here permanently, and I’d still rent space here. I love it.”
Mahaney noted that although remote workers like Sukenik work outside the traditional office, they still benefit from office spaces designed for them.
“Co-working spaces matter because a lot of the time people need a space to work where they can solely focus on their tasks at hand,” she said. “They’re able to get the in-person human interaction that might be missing from working at home or working in a space that is not dedicated to remote workers, such as a coffee shop or library.”
CoLAB’s amenities:- High-speed WiFi
- Conference room that can seat up to eight people
- State-of-the-art audio-visual equipment
- Kitchenette with free coffee, tea, beverages, and snacks
- Access to copying and printing
- 24-hour access
Prices vary beginning at $25 for a day pass.
Commonplace Coworking Community, Traverse City
Commonplace Coworking Community is truly part of a community – a community that owns and operates the four-story building where Commonplace is located.
Commonplace is located in Commongrounds, a co-op space along the Boardman River that includes a collaborative cafe, childcare, a performance venue and more. The space is within walking distance of restaurants and businesses on Eighth Street and a recreation trail that follows the perimeter of Boardman Lake.
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CommongroundsThe site of Commonplace in Traverse City.Executive Director Nick Beadleston said Commonplace has been going strong since its opening and continues to evolve with the growing needs of remote workers. In fact, a major rebrand is in the works and details will be rolled out soon.
Commonplace's website describes commonplacing as going back to the 5th century BCE and is described as a space where innovative minds come together to inspire and motivate each other through shared ideas, knowledge, and reflection.
Commonplace frequently hosts programs to benefit coworkers, including lunch-and-learns, cohorts and business-related workshops.
Commonplace’s amenities- Meeting Rooms
- Sound-proof phone booths
- Fast, secure fiber internet
- Kitchen access
- Access to copying and printing
Prices vary beginning at $35 for a day pass.
The Community Hub, Bad Axe
Be on the lookout for co-working space coming to the
Community Hub in Bad Axe, a small community in Michigan’s Thumb. It will be the first coworking space in a tri-county area.
The Community Hub Project will bring a number of resources to the residents of Huron County, and among those resources, a coworking space is planned. The building will be the permanent home of the Huron County Community Foundation and also include a community board room, residential units and green space.
“During our strategic priorities process, the community shared that retaining and attracting talent was important. We recognized that creating a coworking space allows us to support our current residents who may be working remotely or self-employed but also provide additional tools for recruiting new residents to the area,” said Mackenzie Price, executive director of the Huron County Community Foundation.
“As a rural area with a large tourism economy, we also see the value in providing resources for our visitors to stay in the area a few extra days by getting some work done at the coworking space,” she added.
Planned amenities: - Community board room
- Coworking office space
- Residential units
- Outdoor green space
Fourge Coworking Space, Gaylord
For those who find the arts inspirational,
Fourge Coworking Space in Gaylord offers that aplenty. This coworking space is located with the Gaylord Area Council for the Arts Gallery, whose motto is, “Inspiring Creativity and Enriching Lives.”
Opened in January 2022, Fourge offers budding entrepreneurs, freelance and remote workers the opportunity to get out of the house and set a routine, meet and network with other isolated workers, and gain access to meeting space, high-speed internet, and other amenities.
“In our area, access to high-speed internet can be an issue. It can be spotty; people are working from their hotspots and weak connections,” says Jessica Kane, co-owner of Fourge, said in a
previous interview. “The internet access here is especially great for virtual meetings and jobs that are data intensive.”
The work of local artisans fills the downtown space that is convenient to other businesses, coffee shops and restaurants.
Fourge’s amenities:- 24-hour access contingent on background check
- High-speed internet
- Meeting space
- Workshops and social events
- Printing by donation
- Coffee and tea
Prices vary beginning at $15 for a day pass.
Paula McCambridge has been writing and editing for more than 25 years. She won her first awards for feature writing and ongoing news coverage at the Daily Mining Gazette in Houghton, Michigan.