The 234 Apartment

The Riveter: This one was my favorite. Steve Korn S eattle has the fourth-fastest- growing freelance economy in the country, which explains why there are almost as many coworking spaces opening up as luxury apartment buildings . Since I'll never be able to afford a luxury apartment , I thought maybe I can at least work at a place where the sink actually drains and the coffee is always fresh. So I checked out some coworking spaces and brought my laptop with me. I didn't tell them I was coming. I wanted to see what these places were like inside, without any PR hoopla. Clearly, we are living in the age of the remote worker. By 2020, 40 percent of the US workforce will be freelancers, temps, independent contractors, or "solopreneurs," according to a 2010 study by Intuit. According to the 2017 Global Coworking Survey , nearly 1. 2 million people worldwide will have tried coworking by the end of next year, and around 14, 000 coworking spaces will be in operation. Sixt...

ARTICLE OPTIONS Throughout his early 60s, Brad Buchner and his wife, Elizabeth, lived in the kind of house that many near-retirees dream of: a peaceful, manageable ranch- style property tucked in a quiet Poconos town surrounded by trees, lakes, and plentiful open space . Costing anywhere from $30,000 to $150,000, tiny homes designed by Escape Homes enable anyone to travel around the country in a single-family home. As it turns out, however, that’s exactly what Buchner and his wife don’t want as they think about the next years of their lives. Three years ago, the Buchners packed their things and headed to Philadelphia, settling down in a Center City rental . As if ditching their longtime rural digs weren ’t enough, the pair also abandoned spaciousness, swapping their three-bedroom, two-bathroom home for precisely 345 total square feet . The transition has meant parting ways with a fully finished basement and a home office, and adjusting to an ovenless kitchenette and two miniature...