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Get ready to say goodbye to The Office ™
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Thankfully, we don’t mean the Steve Carrell US imitation of the hit BBC comedy, but unfortunately we do mean the workspace over in Santa Monica.
TheOffice opened in March of 2004, promising a quiet, zen-like space for writers and artists to work in. The idea was very simple, and they pulled it off very well. There is no talking at TheOffice, no faxing, no copying, no chattering printers, no cell phones. The only sound you would hear would be the clickety-clack of computer keyboards, but they give you Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones when you check in, so you don't even hear that. You enter a bubble of quiet near the heart of Santa Monica. Plus they have free coffee, tea, and Red Vines. If they offered Twizzlers, that'd really be something.
TheOffice has had hourly rates that hover around $5 per hour, but they have jumped up and down a bit since opening. Anyone on their mailing list knows that they've struggled from time to time, offering "exclusive" desks for a high fee, preferred sitting if you will, but it's usually been tempered by the fact that they also offer free workshops, and free parking (yes, free parking, in Los Angeles). And of course, free WiFi to their customers. Although sometimes this is too distracting, because when you should be working on something, you're often finding yourself thinking "Oooh, what's happening over on MySpace? Should I check my bank balance? Who starred in Cloak and Dagger? (it's a very young Henry Thomas and Dabney Coleman, thanks IMDB).
However, as of March 1st, that's all about to change. TheOffice will be going "members only", and you won't even get a cool windbreaker to go along with it. It'll also cost you a pretty penny. A full membership will set you back a one-time fee of $395, and monthly dues of $595 a month. Ouch. You might be able to rent a studio apartment in Mar Vista for that much. We'll be very sad when this happens, because TheOffice has been one of our favorite places to get away and write. You can really escape the nagging distractions of your own life here and Get Things Done ™. (TheOffice, if you end up using that slogan, we're expecting a discount).
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So, until March 1st, we recommend that you head over and try TheOffice out. New users get a free two hour pass, and who knows, you might just finally write that hit tv spec script, sell it, and buy yourself a membership.
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