Open Office Space

Why Are There No Coworking Spaces In Long Island? Inspired By The Centre For Social Innovation

I just finished reading Emergence - The Story of the Centre for Social Innovation. Emergence is the first of a three part series published by CSI entitled Shared Spaces for Social Innovation. The three part series offers a comprehensive overview of the CSI shared space model...talk about sharing.

Part 1 - Emergence - The Story of The Centre for Social Innovation

Part 2- Rigour - How To Create World-Changing Spaces

Part 3 (coming soon) - Proof - How Shared Spaces Are Changing The World

I dare any entrepreneur to read this book and not feel at least a little ping of interest in opening/ working out of a coworking space. As a matter of fact, I was so personally inspired by this book, I am seriously considering putting out my feelers to see if there is any real interest from others in starting a coworking space here in Long Island, New York. 

Based on my preliminary research there are a grand total of ZERO coworking spaces on Long Island.

I want to know Why?

Is it because Long Island is just too spread out?

Is it because mass transit is somewhat limited and getting to a space would require a car?

Is it because there are not enough entrepreneurs on Long Island? 

Is it possible that there are coworking spaces in Long Island and I just don't know about them?

I did find a couple of random past threads from others looking to start coworking in Long Island but these folks never seemed to get beyond the planning stages. Why?

With the amount of colleges situated in such a relatively condensed area you would think that some young motivated entrepreneur would have led the coworking charge by now. But to my knowledge, this has not been the case. 

So for the last time, as quickly as coworking spaces are popping up throughout the country, WHY hasn't anyone launched one in Long Island? It seems to me that Long Island can certainly benefit from an infusion of entrepreneurial energy.

To quote from the book Emergence "If you're in, I'm in..." If you have any interest in exploring the concept of coworking in Long Island, please reach out to me as I would definitely be willing to coordinate a meeting. I can be reached at david (at) openofficespace.com

Here are a few of great excerpts from the book:

Animation As Practice. Community animation is what turns "a place to work" to a space of social innovation. We've been building the practice of animation and developing its role as a central feature of successful shared spaces.

Openness & Light. "...light is how you achieve openness...I don't think people should be anywhere where they can't have access to natural light."

Equally essential to creating and sustaining this sense of community are common spaces. Everyone coming into or out of their office in CSI has to pass through the common area, and much like the living room in your house, it contains all the essential for a comfortable break: an arrangement of couches, a rug or two, a coffee table piled with newspapers, a few plants and knick-knacks that have been picked up over time.

There is much wisdom in the old adage that bonds are forged and friendships formed over the breaking of bread. It is wisdom that hold to this day, and it was over shared meals and communal lunches that CSI's members first and most strongly developed connections to one another.

The selection process itself was an exercise in breaking traditional workplace models in which factors beyond a potential member's ability to make rent were taken into account.

Animation as opposed to programming, is all about enabling community rather than directly trying to create it: it's a philosophy of supporting and fostering an environment in which collaboration emerges naturally rather than intervening to try to instigate collaboration by sheer force of will.

Now, on to the next book in the series, Rigour.

Content Source: Centre for Social Innovation

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Officebytes TV - Officeport CHI (Coworking in Chicago) A Quick Tour + An Interview

 
During my visit to Chicago this weekend, I had the opportunity to visit a very cool coworking space located right in the heart of the city. From the minute I walked in the space I received a warm welcome and was invited to take a tour of the space. Immediately following the tour, I requested an opportunity to film the space and interview the manager and some of the entrepreneurs doing business at Officeport CHI.

Listening to a few of the residents discuss how the space has improved their productivity as well as the overall image of their company really drives home the value of the coworking concept.

The space was huge, clean and well designed, complete with it's own man-made putting green. The only amenity that I felt was missing was a full court nerf basketball hoop...perhaps that is in their future plans. 

The interview is below along with some good quotes from some of the residents of the space:

James Carver, site Manager of OfficePort CHI, a coworking space in Chicago, discusses how the idea for creating the space was conceived, the convenience of the location also describes the endless list of features offered by Officeport CHI.

"It definitely presents my company in a better light. Having the downtown address on my business card that doesn't look like obviously like a residential address, goes a long way in make me look like the professional that I want to look."         James Epstein-Reeves | Founder - Do Well. Do Good. (www.dowelldogood.net)

"One day I just decided that there might be kind of a healthier way to live, where home can be home, and work can be work. It makes for a more professional impression I think."     Tiffany Meyers | Freelance Writer, Journalist, Copywriter (www.tiffanymeyers.com)

"I was working for home for about 4 years prior to this. And, unfortunately the walls in my house don't speak back to me. So, I wanted to get to a place where I could talk to others. Even just asking questions of people that are not even into my industry really helps me out alot. The fact that everything included from the wireless, to the fax and the printer and the coffee, it just makes for a great environment."     Brian Lefkowitz | President (www.theblueswing.com and www.thechillster.com)

If you or your company has a knowledge that would help entrepreneurs or small businesses to improve the quality of their workplace, openofficespace.com would love to interview you.

 

Topics might include:

- Commercial Real Estate Expertise

- Workplace Wellness

- How To...(any topic related to improving the workplace)

- Creating an Eco-Friendly Office

- Office Products and Office Furniture

- Workplace Interior Design

- Streamlining Office Expenses

- Property Marketing Solutions 

 

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Officebytes TV - Advice for Entrepreneurs on Sharing Office Space by Rob Basso

Officebytes TV just launched a new interview with successful entrepreneur Rob Basso. Rob is the owner of Advantage Payroll Services, BassoOnBusiness.com and Working Lunch With Rob.

Rob describes his experience with sharing office space and offers some very good advice/insight to entrepreneurs that are just starting out as well as those that are thinking about expanding into a bigger space.

A few good quotes from the interview:

"Just get creative, don't get stuck thinking I have to be in a $50 per square foot building, or I have to be on this street or I have to be on that street. The reality is if you are in an entrepreneurial business people understand the mode that you're in."

"As long as you do what you do really well,it won't make a difference if you're in the lower level of a hotel or renting space from somebody. So don't let that pressure really make a difference in the type of office space that your going to look for."

"If you can help it, don't get locked into a really long term lease, especially if your going to be a growing organization."

"When you rent space from somebody else, or you work in a shared or collaborative work environment, you can do and have access to some people that you may not have access to if you're out on your own and you buy a building or your rent a space where you have no inter-connectivity with other small business owners."

About Advantage Payroll Services

Advantage Payroll Services, based in Freeport, New York, has been providing comprehensive payroll and tax-filing services for clients since 1996. With professional and responsive local customer service associates and backed by the strength of a centralized processing system and technology, the company has become one of the most recognized names in the industry in the New York metropolitan area. The company is proud to call many of the region's most recognized companies and not-for-profit organizations as its clients.

About Basso On Business 

Basso on Business an in-depth business program hosted by successful entrepreneur Rob Basso. Episodes focus on regional companies, organizations and associations and the visionary owners who lead the charge.

Rob explores each operation firsthand, uncovers challenges and helps with practical advice and solutions to make businesses stronger.

About Working Lunch With Rob

Working Lunch with Rob Basso is a unique forum for those who have the craving to feed their entrepreneurial spirit. Each monthly lunch is designed to motivate and support small businesses with innovative presentations, business growth strategies and informative speakers.

At each Working Lunch event, guests view the premiere of the latest Basso On Business episode, and get involved in a live, interactive business discussion with Rob and leading experts. Topics vary, but the advice and commentary is priceless.

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Shared Office Space Part 1 | An Entrepreneurs Perspective

Shared Office Space Part 2 | A Space Holders Perspective

Small Biz/Entrepreneurs - Estimating The Right Amount of Office Space For Your Company

If you or your company has a knowledge that would help entrepreneurs or small businesses to improve the quality of their workplace, openofficespace.com would love to interview you.

Topics might include:  

- Commercial Real Estate Expertise

- Workplace Wellness

- How To...(any topic related to improving the workplace)

- Creating an Eco-Friendly Office

- Office Products and Office Furniture

- Workplace Interior Design

- Streamlining Office Expenses

- Property Marketing Solutions

A VERY COMPREHENSIVE List of Resources To Recycle Your Used/Old Office Electronics

 
Donating/recycling your used office electronics (computers, monitors, laptops, flash drives, cell phones, televisions, scanners, printers, hard drives, keyboards, speakers, cables, cords, ink and toner cartridges, appliance, cameras) can not only go a long way to help the environment, it can also aid many people in remote and underprivileged communities, schools and organizations by providing them with access to technologies they could otherwise not afford.

Below is a VERY COMPREHENSIVE list of resources to help you sell or donate your used office equipment:

Goodwill partnered with Dell Computer to create RECONNECT, a comprehensive electronics recovery, reuse and environmentally responsible recycling opportunity for consumers in participating communities. RECONNECT offers FREE drop-off recycling and reuse options for unwanted electronics.

CollectiveGood collects used cell phones and donates refurbished phones to both the developing world and organizations in the US, such as Planned Parenthood, United Way, Center for Domestic Violence Prevention, etc.

Inveneo, a non-profit social enterprise whose mission is to empower people in remote and underserved communities and the organizations who serve them through access to computing and communications will take old flash drives (otherwise known as USB Memory Sticks) and get them into the hands of students, aid workers and small business entrepreneurs in the developing world.

Close the Gap makes reused and refurbished computers available to underprivileged individuals in Africa and other developing countries.

Digital Linkshas provided more than 65,000 computers to schools, hospitals and NGOs across Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Your business can help provide technology solutions for development.

World Computer Exchange helps to bridge the global digital divide for youth all over the world by expanding local capacity for the educational use and responsible disposal of computers.

Interconnection'smission is to make information technology accessible to underserved communities around the world.

Source: Digital Tips

Find a Local Program

Earth 911
Earth 911 is a comprehensive communication medium for the environment. Earth 911 has taken environmental hotlines, web sites and other information sources nationwide, and consolidated them into one network. Once you contact the Earth 911 network, you will find community-specific information on eCycling and much more.

My Green Electronics
Provided by the Consumer Electronics Association, this site is a resource for consumers wishing to purchase green products and/or searching for local opportunities to recycle or donate used electronics.

Electronic Industries Alliance's Consumer Education Initiative
The Electronic Industries Alliance's eCycling Central Web site helps you find reuse, recycling and donation programs for electronics products in your state.

TechSoup
TechSoup has compiled a comprehensive body of information to promote computer recycling and reuse. This site provides resources for those who would like to donate hardware, those who would like to acquire recycled hardware, and refurbishers.

Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC)
RBRC can help you recycle portable rechargeable batteries commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys. Search for collection sites by zip code.   

Manufacturer and Retailer Programs

Manufacturers and retailers take different approaches to give you several options to donate or recycle your electronics. The following programs developed by EPA's Plug-In To eCycling partners may be national or regional in scope and may:

• Offer takeback, mail-in, or trade-in programs;
• Support local organizations that collect equipment;
• Host collection events at retail locations; or
• Support local recycling events with cities and municipalities.

Government-Supported Donation and Recycling Programs 

e-cycle St. Louis: Electronics Recycling for the Region
This consumer electronics collection program has been developed by the St. Louis Regional Partnership for Electronics Recovery to encourage reuse and recycling of unwanted electronics in the St. Louis region.

eRecycle.org
This Web site provides guidance and information to consumers in California about recycling electronics.

Federal Electronic Challenge
If you are a government agency or a business, check out the Federal Electronics Challenge for tools on how a large institution can donate or recycle its used electronics.

www.ecyclingtools.com
This resource kit provides information on the entire lifecycle of electronics and contains useful information to help you address your e-waste concerns.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

Some More:

E-cycling Central

PC disposal

Gazelle

You Renew

Electronic Recycylers

Turtle Wings

FREE GEEK

Recycle Spot

Green Citizen

Freecycle.org

Buymytronics.com

My Bone Yard

Green Phone

Cell for Cash

If you know of other resources to help recycle your used/old office electronics, openofficespace.com would love to hear about them so we can share with our audience.

  

Shared Office Space Part 1 | An Entrepreneurs Perspective

 


One thing I have realized from bumping around from one shared office space to another is that the coolest, hippest and most impressive "looking" spaces do not always make for the most productive.

When I launched openofficespace.com last March, I was sharing office space with an extremely "hip" advertising agency in the heart of trendy SOHO, NYC. From shelves lined with Orange Crush soda bottles to the sliding wall enclosing the conference room, the space reeked of AWESOME! Every single client who came to visit me in that SOHO office was visibly impressed.

The only problem, I was completely unproductive. 

Possible reasons: my toetapping neighbor, the heat banging through the pipes, the construction in the building, the action going on outside, the elevator that took 20 minutes to come, the every company for themself culture, the extra 45 minute commute, etc.

By way of comparison, my previous office, (2 blocks from Madison Square Garden) looked like a garage sale threw up in a second hand store. It was dirty, the furniture was barely standing and there were more random artifacts and used video equipment than the Smithsonian. And guess what, between the collaborative atmosphere and pure energy that flowed in that "dirty" space, I was never more productive.

The moral of the story, while sharing office space can certainly seem like a "no-brainer" for cost conscious entrepreneurs, it is vital that your final space decision extends beyond simply the decor or monthly rent. If the space does not cultivate a productive environment for YOU, then all the "cool" orange crush bottles in the world won't matter.

To help ensure that you find the right shared office space environment for your company, we have compiled a list of important factors to consider before making your final decision:

General
- Long and short term business and real estate priorities

Location
- Location (travel time, accessibility via public transportation, proximity of: clients, customers, competition, suppliers, vendors, partners, hotels, etc.)
- Branding image (What does your office space say about your company? Do you care?)
- Space requirements (How much actual space your company requires?)

Culture
- Is there white noise music played overhead? (yes or no)
- Are you allowed to bring pets to work?
- Does the space offer dress down Fridays?

Maintenance
- Does entire space get cleaned regularly by a professional cleaning service? -     - Is there construction happening in the building? In neighboring buildings?

Supplies/Furniture
- Do spaceholders share a refrigerator?
- Does space com furnished?     - What equipment will be shared?
- Which utilities will be shared? (electric, cable, internet, phone, etc.)

Space Considerations
Open space plan
Closed Offices
Natural Light
Windows

Building Considerations
- Hours of Building Access
- Will every tenant get their own key to the building? To the space itself?
- Does space offer 24 hour air-conditioning?
- Does space offer 24 hour elevator access?

Legal & Privacy Considerations
- Is it required for new tenants to sign a confidentiality agreement? (yes or no) - Are you comfortable with hearing others hearing details of your day to day operations?

Environmental Considerations
- Is space eco-friendly? (yes or no)

Networking Considerations
- What type of business are you in?
- What types of businesses do you want to connect with?
- What types of businesses would complement yours?

If you are an entrepreneur and have additional considerations that you would add to the list above or even have a horror story about a shared office space, we would love hear from you. You might just help prevent a fellow entrepreneur from making a VERY costly decision.

Shared Office Space Part 2 will review things a spaceholder needs to consider before deciding to share their unused office space with a potential stranger.

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Looking For Office Space? Price is only one of the options you need to consider.   

Batch Upload - Add Multiple Office Space Listings At One Time

To quote one of our users: "Your site would be so much better if I was able to upload all my office listings at one time instead of entering them one by one."

Well user who chooses to remain nameless, we agree. So, as a result, we are happy to announce the launch of our new batch upload functionality which makes the process of posting multiple properties on openofficespace.com as easy as posting a single property. 

Here's how it works:

Step 1: Login to an existing account or create one.

Step 2: Once you've logged in, click the batch upload link located in the manage properties area.

 

Step 3 Upload an excel file with all of your office property listing information. The batch upload system will automatically separate all of your data into columns as per your excel file.

Step 4 Select the relevant label for each column from the provided drop down menus. Each drop down menu consists of labels that pertain to listing fields on our property pages. 

 

Step 6 Click next and your done! At this point you can click the manage properties link to modify any of your listing data as well as add photos of your properties.

So what are you waiting for? Expose your unused office space to a captive audience of entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to find the"perfect office space" for their company.

Also, before I forget, we just launched a slightly new look to our homepage and would love your feedback, good or bad.

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Feature Update: The Commercial Real Estate Broker Business Card 

Feature Update: The Commercial Real Estate Broker Business Card

Feature Update: Improved Commercial Property (Office) Search

Today's feature update comes as a result of a phone call from one of our users which actually made me laugh. It was either laugh or cry, I chose the former.

The user pointed out that when she did a search for office space and typed in Boston, Massachusetts, it returned a certain number of results, whereas when she typed in Boston, MA, the site returned quite a different number of results. In other words, if someone abbreviated a state or entered just a zip code, the search feature was not effectively capturing all the properties in our database for that given location.

All together now..."Hey, that sucks!"

To overcome this issue the "brains" at openofficespace.com have built a new and improved "smart search" feature. The smart search will auto-suggest a location as a user begins to enter a city or zip code, ensuring that all relevant properties for that location (in our database) will be returned. 

As part of this upgrade we have also applied this technology to assist users that are POSTING unused office space. To maintain consistency I think we will call it our new "smart post" technology.  

Similar to the smart search feature, the smart post will auto-suggest a location as a user begins to enter a city or zip code. If for some reason that location is not already part of the database, it will automatically be added and shown on future results.

If you are posting or searching for unused office space in Canada, simply click the international link and select Canada from the dropdown. This will automatically change the data of the "smart search" and "smart post"  to reflect locations in Canada.

Check back in the next few days as we will be launching another new feature that will be very helpful to commercial real estate brokers, executive suite operators or any other spaceholder with multiple properties.

Please continue to give us feedback, good or bad, and we will do our best to accommodate your suggestions.

Here are a few screenshots of this new feature:

SMART SEARCH

SMART POST

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Feature Update: The Commercial Real Estate Broker Business Card

Feature Update: The Commercial Real Estate Broker Business Card

You're talking and we're listening.

Over the next several weeks openofficespace.com will be rolling out a host of new features on our site. Most of these new features were developed as a result of constructive feedback and suggestions we received from visitors to our site.

As of this morning, commercial real estate brokers can now add a virtual broker business card to their property listings...a great way to promote themselves to small businesses and entrepreneurs in addition to promoting their listings. The virtual business card can include the broker's photo, name, title, email, phone number, office address and their company name and website.

In addition, if a broker has multiple properties listed on openofficespace.com, a link will appear below their business card encouraging users to visit the other properties they have listed on the site. 

The process to add a broker business card is simple:

Step 1: Click The I HAVE SPACE button on the homepage.

 
  
Step 2: Select broker on the space holder section and the fields to create the broker business card will appear. Once you fill out this information along with the rest of your property details, just click save and you are good to go.

The Finished Product: Your broker business card will appear on the bottom right of your property details page.

FYI- You do not need to fill out this information every time you post a new property. While you can edit your broker business card at any time, your most recent version will automatically appear on every one of your property listings.

Openofficespace.com welcomes any comments or suggestions regarding how we can improve this new feature as well as the site in general. Please feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] or via comment on our blog.

Small Biz/Entrepreneurs - Estimating The Right Amount of Office Space For Your Company

Whether your company is looking for its very first office space or your current lease is ending and you are looking for some new digs, it is very important that you first carefully assess your office space requirements both from a short and long term perspective.

While a small and cozy space might cost a little less initially, if there is a strong possibility your company will need to expand its staff within your lease term, choosing this less expensive space can result in some very tight quarters and severly hinder productivity in your workplace. (#7 on our list of the Top 10 Leasing Misaktes)

Conversely, while it might be fun to have a football catch across the office, taking on too much space can result in a big drain on your company’s bottom line and a potential blow to morale.

Estimating how much office space you will need is not an exact science. The nature of your business, corporate culture, workflow and even your individual preferences might vary significantly from other company’s. These variations make it virtually impossible to standardize a specific guideline that will work for every company.  

As you contemplate the amount of space your company actually needs, it is helpful to understand the difference between rentable and usable space.

Landlords charge tenants based on the number of rentable square footage leased. The rentable square footage is calculated by adding the usable square footage (the amount of square footage to be used exclusively by you, the tenant) to a portion of the common area (areas shared by all tenants such as the lobby, restrooms, shared hallways, etc.).

The distinction between the two is especially important as you estimate the amount of usable space that will best suit your company.

As many leases will lock you into your space for at least 2 years, it is vital to carefully consider your company’s future growth before making a final decision on how much space you need.

Terminating your lease early because your company outgrew its space will cost your company money, time and probably serve as a major distraction from your normal course of business.

OK, good advice but how exactly are we supposed to estimate the right amount of space for our company?

Good question.

Open Office space recently launched Office Space For Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses: An Evolving Guide to Leasing. The guide breaks down the entire leasing process and offers several strategies to ensure you accurately estimate the amount of office space that is right for your company. 

The guide includes an indepth look at the Top 10 Leasing Mistakes, a breakdown of The 4 Steps involved with the leasing process and also includes 50+ ways to streamline office expenses.  

In addition to valuable content, the guide also features two powerful (and FREE) tools to help you estimate and plan the right amount of space for your company:

1) The space planner/floor plan tool allows a user to layout their entire office space including furniture...before the moving van arrives. The extremely easy to use interface features an ability to drag and drop furniture directly onto a floor plan. Finished plans can be saved, printed and shared.

2) A space estimation tool  which will give you a head start with regards to estimating the right amount of office space based on your company's needs.

As an entrepreneur or small business it is very likely that a large portion of your time/overhead will be devoted to your office. With stakes so high, it is mission critical that you take the time to plan accordingly.  

If you do find yourself in a situation where you are left with unused office space, consider posting it on our site and we will do our best to promote it for you.  

 

 

 

Open Space Ventures LLC Launches a New Website to Help Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses Find and Plan the Perfect Office Space for Their Company

Woodbury, NY (PRWEB) October 26, 2009 -- Open Space Ventures LLC. launches OpenOfficeSpace.com (http://www.OpenOfficeSpace.com) an innovative new website that allows companies to post their available office space online, while offering small businesses and entrepreneurs an opportunity to find and plan the "perfect office space." It's a win-win situation: companies with unused office space can eliminate the extra carrying cost, simultaneously small businesses can find niche office space at the right price. Best of all, there is no cost associated with either listing or finding a space.

Created by David Gise and his partner Marc Spector, OpenOfficeSpace.com (http://www.OpenOfficeSpace.com) was designed with ease of use as the number one priority. "We set out to create an extremely clean and user friendly experience that is unlike any other typical real estate or classified website" said Gise.

OpenOfficeSpace.com (http://www.OpenOfficeSpace.com) streamlines the process of finding and posting office space, while providing insightful advice and powerful interactive tools to help small businesses throughout the leasing process.

Gise, a former personal trainer turned entrepreneur and social media consultant, conceived the idea for Open Office Space after meeting with several of his clients. He noticed a trend of companies hampered with carrying the cost of their extra office space but unsure or unaware of the options available to ease this burden.

The comprehensive "Evolving Guide to Leasing" (http://openofficespace.com/index.php?mistake=1&mod=top_10_leasing_mistakes_made_by_entrepreneurs_and_small_businesses) alone is worth a visit to the site. The interactive guide explores the "Top 10 Mistakes" made by companies during the leasing process, outlines in layman's terms "The 4 Steps" it takes to be successful every step of the way and even offers more than 50 ways for companies to reduce their office expenses. From finding the right space and negotiating the lease to planning the layout and creating an eco-friendly work place, the site's powerful interactive tools and easy to understand content simplifies the leasing process for everyone involved.

One of the most common mistakes made during the leasing process is estimating how much space a company actually needs. Leasing too much can result in an unnecessary expense while leasing too little can leave a company in some very tight quarters. The site's free space estimation tool (http://openofficespace.com/index.php?guide=4steps&mod=space_estimation_tool) helps entrepreneurs and small businesses calculate the right amount of square footage based on their specific requirements. Whether a business requires a single desk, a cubicle, a shared office, a private office, a coworking space or an executive suite, the space estimation calculator will ensure that a company gauges their space requirements correctly.

Once a company determines their correct space requirements, the space planning/floor plan tool can be used to lay out the entire space by dragging and dropping furniture directly onto the plan. "It's a lot easier to arrange furniture using the space planning tool than to be surprised when the moving van arrives" Gise explains. Determining the placement of phones, computers, printers and copiers before the day of the move can help save entrepreneurs valuable time" adds Gise. Floor plans including furniture layouts can be saved, printed or shared with friends and colleagues or even posted on other property listing sites.

"The site is an excellent resource, not only in this economy but in any economy. It can really help many companies streamline their expenses while helping others create an ideal working environment" said Spector.

Open Office Space is based in New York. Users can design, find or post available office space at no cost anywhere in the US and Canada. Featured cities on the site include Austin, TX; Charleston, SC; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Toronto, Ontario; Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; San Jose, CA; Vancouver, British Columbia; Boston, MA; Dallas, TX; New York, NY and Seattle, WA.