Tried and tested: 5 creative coworking spaces in Quezon City
Need a break from the work-from-home routine? If you’re a freelancer, remote worker or student, you might find it helpful to use a co-working space as your office for the day to help boost productivity.
While cafes are ideal for short stays, most spots can get noisy and crowded, while others lack WiFi and sockets essential for remote work. If you need to spend the whole day or hold meetings, coworking spaces might be a better option.
Here are a few coworking spaces around Quezon City for your consideration.
The Glass House Study Hub
Located beside the University Hotel inside the UP Diliman Campus, The Glass House Study Hub is an inspiring co-working and study hub for remote workers and students. Coworkers can enjoy the quiet, well-lit, air-conditioned space, fast WiFi and charge gadgets on multiple sockets, while working with a view of trees beyond the wide glass windows.
Working here is like hanging out in a gorgeous private library, surrounded with shelves filled with books that you can browse and buy. One of the best draws is that stays include unlimited coffee, drinks and snacks to help you power through the day. But in case you want more food options, there’s a restaurant and coffee shop next door at the University Hotel and lots of student-friendly budget picks along J.P. Laurel Street near the UP Shopping Center within the campus.
Those with private transport can also use the spacious free parking area for cars, motorcycles and bikes. You can also get here via public transport and Ikot jeeps.
The Glass House Study Hub is open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday to Friday and 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday to Sunday. Coworking rates start at P550 (P500 + 10% service charge) from 8:00 am-5:00 pm for walk-in guests and P110 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm (exclusive for UP undergrad students with valid IDs). They also offer monthly rates with unlimited access and discounts ranging from P6,000 to P10,000.
The Glass House Study Hub, University Hotel, Gomburza cor. Aglipay Street, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.
47 East
If you’re looking for a space in the Katipunan area, 47 East offers a nature-inspired and resort-like ambiance for coworking or brainstorming sessions. This large house with a garden along Esteban Abada Street has an al fresco coworking space on its second-floor balcony overlooking the garden. 47 East also doubles as an events venue with a boutique resort, pool and in-house cafe for city staycations. The resident furbabies add to the appeal.
With the lush surroundings, working here feels like you’re on a mini-vacation from the city. There are a few large tables on the top floor and staff and enough extension cords for sockets and electric fans to keep you cool. Coworkers can bring their own food and use kitchen facilities, but for convenience, you can order from Silong Cafe, which offers hearty breakfast meals and drinks. There are various restaurants and fast food joints nearby catering to students in the Katipunan area.
There are a few slots for parking in front of the space for cars and motorcycles and a secure garage to park if you’re traveling by bike. There’s also a pay parking area next to Open Space, another coworking space with a few food stalls across the street.
47 East is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Coworking rates cost P550/head for whole-day use inclusive of coffee. It’s best to check availability ahead of time, as the space sometimes gets rented out for private events. 47 East also offers air-conditioned conference rooms for P2,000/hour (good for 10-15 pax) and function rooms at P3,000/hour (30-50 max capacity). QCID holders are entitled to discounts. For events, a corkage fee is charged for outside food.
47 East, 47 Esteban Abada, Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
StrEats CoWorking Cafe
Fancy working in a hotel lounge for a day? StrEats Coworking Cafe inside Ibis Styles Hotel beside Gateway Mall 2 is open to walk-in guests looking for a structured, yet fun work environment. Located near a quiet section of the mall, StrEats offers a secure work environment with fast WiFi and proper tables and sockets so you can easily get work done.
Aside from a long counter table for solo workers, there are comfy couch seats and tables spread around the space ideal for meetings. While it’s not exactly an enclosed, office-like set-up, it’s a quieter alternative to restaurants, where you can legitimately stay longer beyond eating. Stays come with complimentary coffee and snacks, and you can order additional grab-and-go eats like coffee, pastries, juices, soda, pasta of the day, salad and more. There are loads of other dining options in the mall as well.
Since there was hotel security and cafe staff, I felt secure enough to leave my laptop on the table to go to the restroom while working there. There was a pleasant buzz of people around on a weekday, but it does tend to get busier towards check-in and check-out time (before and after lunch) and on weekends, so plan your visit accordingly.
Gateway Mall is connected to two train lines in Cubao, so it’s easily accessible by public transport and easy to find mall parking. However, parking fees can add up if you stay the whole day.
StrEats CoWorking Cafe is open 24/7 for in-house hotel guests, while walk-in visitors can stay from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Rates start at P500 for 3 hours/person (inclusive of 1 brewed coffee, 1 cookie, free-flowing water, WiFi access) and P900 for 6 hours/person (inclusive of 1 brewed coffee, 1 Musubi sandwich, 1 soda, free-flowing water, WiFi access). Group packages start at P1,999/for 8 persons for 3 hours. Book through their website to ensure availability.
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StrEats Coworking Cafe, Level 4 of ibis Styles Manila, Araneta City, Gateway Mall 2, Quezon City.
Space IO
If you prefer working in an enclosed office-like environment, Space IO in Sgt. Esguerra is another option ideal for content creators, freelancers, entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, creatives and students. This coworking space on the 3rd floor of Symphony Towers, a residential and commercial building has roughly 16 seats, with counter seating near the window, individual tables against the wall and a center table with a large screen LCD table that can be used for meetings and presentations.
Coworkers can get WiFi internet access and choose any table they’d like to work in and avail of scanning and printing services for an extra fee. There’s a small meeting room for up to 5 people and a phone booth room for those who need to make calls without disturbing other coworkers. The lower floor of the building has a cafe, but coworkers can bring their own food, order delivery, and use the kitchen and pantry. Stays come with unlimited premium brewed coffee (sourved from local farmers) and milk chocolate and tea.
Parking is a bit limited for cars and motorcycles in front of the building (first come first served). The building is also accessible via the MRT, just a 5-minute walk from GMA-Kamuning MRT Station, adjacent to GMA7.
Space IO operates from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday. Weekends are exclusively reserved for bookings, and dedicated to seminars, workshops, and group meetings with a minimum of 9 participants.
Coworking rates start at P360 for 3 hours for students and teachers. Regular rates cost P450 for half-day (up to 6 hours) and P540 for full-day (6 to 12 hours) use while monthly membership costs P7,200. It’s best to reserve slots beforehand as the place is sometimes fully booked for private events or group meetings.
Space I/O, Unit 3F, 3rd Floor, Symphony Tower 2, Sgt. Esguerra Avenue, Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City.
Happy Hive
If you’re looking for a homey work environment in the Maginhawa area, Happy Hive is another possibility. This apartment-turned-coworking space offers hot desks ideal for freelancers, students, and residents looking for a small but dedicated space for meetings and work. Working parents will appreciate a small area for kids in one corner with children's books.
There’s a cozy space on the ground floor with a center table with 4 seats and 2 seats on the counter near the lobby. Amenities include the use of WiFi, power outlets, use of a projector, a doodle wall, unlimited coffee and juice, and pantry access with a clean-as-you-go policy. There’s no corkage for bringing in food and drinks but the space also sells a few basics like instant noodles and snacks for customers. You can easily explore the Maginhawa nearby area for budget eats.
This space is a bit hidden, with limited parking on the street for cars. But they offer a secure garage for motorcycles and bikes and even offer shower use.
Happy Hive also provides other services, including business registration, bookkeeping, tax compliance, payroll, and other consultancy services for startup companies and professionals.
Happy Hive is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday. Coworking rates start at P80 per hour to P700 a day on weekdays and P100 per hour on weekends and holidays. Meeting rooms cost P400-P500 per hour on weekdays and P520-P700 on weekends. They also offer virtual office services for freelancers for P2,200 per month.
Happy Hive, 105-A Matimtiman St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City.
