In the wholesome early 2010s of social networking in Philadelphia, the Technical.ly newsroom had a faux rivalry with much beloved, now-defunct culture blog Geekadelphia.
We trolled each other on Twitter and at each other’s events and thoroughly confused several well-meaning PR people. The punchline was that we were all friends and collaborators. A decade later, one of the blog’s founders, Eric Smith, is an established YA author, literary agent and cheerleader of Philly’s fiction community — plus one of my closest friends. Now as Technical.ly CEO-publisher, I try to stay connected to Philadelphia’s community of independent journalists, freelance marketers, remote software devs and other creatives who write for a living.
Eric and I are creating a space to bring these groups together.
Since formally going remote, the Technical.ly newsroom has sat underused on the top floor of the historic Curtis Building, once home to a publishing powerhouse on Philadelphia’s Washington Square Park. With a year left on the lease, I wanted to do something with the space for the few teammates who do use it (including myself). This summer, Eric and I started inviting friends to join us in the space, and over time we found we had a small community of writers working and collaborating there. After a lowkey Friendsgiving in the space this month, we decided it was time to welcome others.
This week, Eric and I announced Co.Author, a shared space for writers and other creatives. At present, we’re opening the doors Tuesdays and Thursdays (although some members are using the space more frequently), and offering a quiet, cozy space with great natural light, hot coffee and good friends.
Here’s how we’re planning this phase:
- $25 for day passes
- $50 a month to join us three times a month
- $100 a month to join us twice weekly (8-10 times a month)
- $200 a month (with a six-month commitment) for full 24/7 access
- $500 a month (with a six-month commitment) for full 24/7 access for up to three teammates
We’d love if you join us. Find all the details here and a few photos of the space below.
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