Written by Emilie Brunet on August 17
Working remotely is a dream. You get to roll out of bed and start your workday within a few minutes of waking up. You get to throw on a load of laundry between meetings. You get to take a nap in the middle of the workday (er… I mean... I’ve definitely never done that…)
But while it’s got its perks, working from home also has its drawbacks.
Thankfully, there are plenty of spaces nowadays that you can hit up in Montreal to get out of your house, get a change of pace and still be productive.
These are the 5 main co-working spaces that our team regularly heads to when they need to mix it up. We ranked them in order of how much we love them and why!
Which is your favourite?
If you haven’t been to this space yet, you need to go. Even if you don’t have any work to do — it’s worth it.
The Crew Collective + Café is located in Old Montreal. It was converted from an old Royal Canadian Bank and because of this it has immaculately tall ceilings, marble floors and beautiful brass fixings.
Just being in the space feels inspiring. In fact, it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
There are multiple movies and television shows that have been filmed in the Crew Collective because of how breathtaking the space is.
They offer day passes, meeting rooms (private and semi-private) and you can even rent a desk for a month at a time.
Because of it’s location and grandeur, it’s a little on the pricier side which is why it’s lower on our ranked list. But still worth checking out!
Cost: $20+ tax for a day pass or if you’re happy to simply work from a coffee table, you can also just get a coffee and sit for a bit.
Closest Metro Station: Square Victoria-OACI (Orange Line)
Why we like it:
Not so much a coworking space as it is a Montreal institution (not to be dramatic lol). Lili & Oli has two locations around Montreal. They opened their first location in St-Henri, and while that is also a beautiful space, it’s not the one on our list.
Lili & Oli in Verdun is a bright, open and sunny space with huge windows. This space always has a pleasant energy. Its buzzing vibe makes it a key staple of the Verdun community. The baristas are always friendly and happy to help. The patrons are always smiling. Whether you’re there to get work done, hang out with a friend or read a book the space is accommodating to your needs.
This is the type of space that just feels energized simply because of the people in it.
The walls are lined with pleasant art, plants and interesting tiling. The floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the cafe liven up and brighten the whole space.
Cost: No day pass, it’s just a café and the coffees can range from $3 to $7 depending on how elaborate your coffee needs are.
Closest Metro Station: Verdun (Green Line)
Why we like it:
This eclectic coworking space is not your typical cafe. Converted from an old apartment, the Anti-Cafe Collective is a space spread out over two floors with large rooms.
The front of the space has couches and board games with big windows lined with a counter to work from while looking out over the city of Montreal.
In the back of the space, there are different rooms, each with mismatched furniture, cool art and funky vibes.
The Anti-Cafe is more than just a coworking space, they are aiming to build a community and regularly host events in the space. While their website is a little bare, you can check them out on Instagram here.
Cost: $14.99 for the day or [x] per hour
Closest Metro Station: Places-Des-Arts (Green Line)
Why we like it:
WorkDen started after the pandemic as a way to help local businesses in Montreal increase their revenue while catering to the influx of remote workers. WorkDen has partnered with a bunch of restaurants around Montreal to offer coworking spaces during their “off hours”.
It’s a brilliant idea to help connect remote workers with local businesses.
You can check out all of WorkDen’s locations here, but our favourite, hands-down, is Burgundy Lion.
The coworking space in the Burgundy Lion is on the top floor. With an entire wall dedicated to plants and a huge skylight-type ceiling, the space is bright, sunny and welcoming.
Cost: $11.49 for the day
Closest Metro Station: Lionel-Groulx (Green Line)
Why we like it:
While not a classic coworking space, the city’s libraries are one of the most underrated place to work from. Available to the public for free regardless of if you have a library card, always air-conditioned and wonderfully quiet, Montreal’s libraries are the perfect place to get work done.
The Grand Bibliothèque de Montreal is spread across 5 floors with places to work from on each floor. You can bring your own coffee but they also have a café on the first floor if you want to buy one there.
Libraries are one of the few public spaces left that are socially-funded by tax dollars. When you’re taking a break from work, you can even take the time to peruse the endless array of books, listen to some music or simply people watch out the windows!
Cost: FREE!
Closest Metro Station: Berri-UQAM (Green, Orange and Yellow Line)
Why we like it:
Which coworking space is your favourite in Montreal?
I'm the People & Culture Manager at Journey Education. I have always had a passion for writing, organization and finding creative solutions. I aim to be personable, empathetic and compassionate and believe that kindness can go along way in both business and life.
Having worked and organized with anti-capitalist, feminist and queer organizations, I strongly believe that EVERYONE deserves, not just a living wage, but a thriving wage and that it should be the priority of every business to create an inclusive, caring and diverse work environment that doesn't just ensures the work happens, but allows people to be people while the work is happening!
My approach to everything I do reflects my training in trauma-informed practices, active listening and harm reduction as well as my interest in understand the way people work, behave and exist as their full human self. I want to create safer spaces for people to explore, create and excel in a supportive environment - whether that's in life or at work.
Be the first to hear about new classes and other news.
.svg)