Temescal Works
Who We Are
When we call ourselves a ‘neighborhood coworking space,’ we mean that literally.
We’re a group of Temescal residents, with deep roots in the community.
We own homes here. We’ve raised kids (and dogs and cats) here. A number of us work here.
We couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
Long before we went into business together, all of us had been struck by what was then a dilapidated warehouse with lovely bones, languishing at the end of our block.
When we decided to pool our money and purchase it (a resolution we came to over drinks and snacks at our annual 43rd Street block party) we saw it as more than a real estate venture.
In our eyes, it was also an investment in our neighborhood.
Exactly what we would do with the warehouse, we weren’t sure.
But at very least, we figured, we could make it look better. A whole lot better.
While providing a useful service for our community.
Only after more than a year of restorations—gutting the interior, replacing the leaky roof, bringing the building up to safety and seismic standards, adding skylights and more—did our plans for the building begin taking shape.
We opted to turn it into a coworking space.
Not another corporate operation of the kind we saw emerging all around the Bay Area.
A coworking space suited to Temescal, with all the modern amenities such businesses require but with a local purpose and personality. It would cater to our neighborhood, of course, but also to anyone in surrounding areas—from Mosswood to Piedmont, from Longfellow to Fairway Park to Rockridge—working for themselves or working remotely who might need flexible, beautiful, convenient office space.
That’s just the sort of place we think we’ve created: a neighborhood business in the truest sense.
The Neighborhood
We feel pretty lucky to be a coworking space in Temescal. The neighborhood has become a leader in the Oakland renaissance through its eclectic eateries, craft breweries, and thriving arts scene. It even has its own tool lending library — one of the few in the country.
We’re blocks from the MacArthur BART station, steps from AC transit, and minutes from Highway 24 if you are coming by car. And with onsite bike racks, there’s no shortage of options for your commute. Within walking distance are dozens of cafés, shops, bars and restaurants that have made Temescal one of the most vibrant districts in Oakland.
The Temescal Telegraph Business Improvement District (TTBID) is a fantastic resource for all things Temescal. Check them out at at temescaldistrict.org. We’re also thrilled to have the TTBID as one of our founding members at Temescal Works.