Benjamin’s Desk

I’m a tenant here, so am I biased? Maybe. But I can scrutinize things that I love! I loved the Force Awakens but I can say it wasn’t PERFECT.
Anyhow, after running my business for about 2.5 years mostly from home, aside from a short stint at Indy Hall I decided to try out a space at BD. One of the best decisions I’ve made in years, outside of remembering to rub my wife’s back regularly and stop eating Taco Bell.
Let’s review the staff since you can’t *really* review the other people in the co-​working space, since that experience will vary. Myself personally, I’ve made some terrific connections — not only for business, but some real friends.
Anthony, Michael, and Shelton are three of the best people you’ll ever meet in Philadelphia. Genuine, thoughtful, and dedicated to your success as a member there. Sure, they are all busier than Kevin Costner on draft day, but once you’ve got a few minutes of their time — you’ll be able to see how engaged they are and willing to listen to your thoughts.
Benjamin’s Desk is the ELITE when it comes to co-​working spaces in the city. It’s professional, sleek, friendly, has access to snacks, and is full of coffees.
…Sometimes it’s cold on the 8^th floor, and the water never gets hot in the bathrooms… but it’s still amazing. It’s the Force Awakens of co-​working.

I did a three month trial at Benjamin’s Desk in the spring, in an effort to get out of my work from home (sometimes in my pajamas until 5pm) routine. My plan got me something like five days at Benjamin’s Desk per month, plus several hours of conference room time per month. I thought the price was reasonable at something around $ 99/​month but I believe that may have been a limited-​time offer.
The set-​up is spread across two very unique floors. The first floor is a quiet space with lots of desks, a nice-​sized conference room, some offices and several phone rooms which were available to reserve (perfect for interviews or phone calls). While I noticed some socializing on this floor, it was mostly done in whispers. This is the put your head down and work type of space.
Upstairs is a much more vibrant floor. It reminded me of Unilocal’s offices, actually. It’s an open floor plan with desks and chairs but also some couches and counter seating around the outskirts of the room. The vibe on this floor is a lot more casual and the conversation flowed. I made some buds and felt energized by the company.
At the end of my three months, I ultimately decided that I wasn’t utilizing my membership to the fullest. I truly enjoy working primarily from my home and bouncing around the city to different coffee shops as necessary. But I can absolutely see how Benjamin’s Desk could work (and does work) for creative, work-​from-​home professionals. Check them out if you’ve got a flexible work schedule and you’d like a change of scenery.

Benjamin’s Desk is actually two floors of the building, 7^th and 8^th. The 8^th floor is an event space as well as offices, complete with a full kitchen, A/​V and an outdoor rooftop escape up the stairs. It’s a beautifully, newly redone space that they are continually improving. It fits about 100 people comfortable while seated, and provides a great atmosphere for networking. Highly recommend it to hold your future events in!
We also got the whole tour of both levels. The spaces at Benjamin’s Desk are really great for entrepreneurs and startups. Plus, the coordinator there, Katie, and the owner, Mike are very involved in the tech community — and really easy to work with.