TIL that coworking spaces in Budapest have a very different vibe than the ones in Bali

I spent 3 months working from Ubud last year and got used to the super social, lounge-style coworking spots. Last month I landed in Budapest and walked into this place called KAPTAR that was basically a quiet library with standing desks and soundproof booths. No one was networking or chilling on couches, everyone had their headphones on and was grinding. I felt weird at first because no one made eye contact, but my productivity actually went up like 30% in that setting. Now I'm wondering if the loud social coworking trend is just a Bali/West Coast thing. Has anyone else noticed big regional differences in how coworking spaces operate?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbara9674d ago

@miaa41 you're not wrong but I actually prefer meeting people at coworking spots.

miaa414d ago

That KAPTAR place is exactly what I experienced in Berlin. I worked out of a spot called Betahaus for a week and it was the same vibe - total silence, everyone in their own zone, felt almost rude to even whisper. But I'm not gonna lie, I got more done in 4 hours there than I did in a full day at those Bali lounges where people are constantly offering you kombucha or trying to talk about their travel blog. I think there's a big cultural split between the Mediterranean/Asian coworking style where it's all about community and the Eastern European/Northern German approach where it's treated like a serious office. The loud social thing definitely isn't the global standard, it's just what blew up on Instagram because it looks cool.