There's no doubt, Brooklyn is New York's hippest borough. It's going through a remarkable renaissance and Brooklyn's neighborhoods are now home to some of the cities hottest restaurants, clubs, bars and, increasingly, tech companies.
We recently visited four of Brooklyn's hottest tech companies — and, believe us, they don't make tech offices in Brooklyn like they do in Manhattan. The offices were spacious, art-filled and sunny. They even came with amenities like rooftop gardens, nap rooms and in-house restaurants. Welcome to Brooklyn.
How big is this place? The first floor is 17,500 square feet and the second floor is 9,000 square feet, so in total it is 26,500 square feet.
It's a really cool space — and I love the Bob Dylan and Iggy Pop pillows. When did you move in? We've been in the space for a little over two years. We moved here in April of 2014.
It's not very often you come across an office where things are actually being built by hand in Manhattan. How many people do you have working here? We have 120 in our NYC office and 200 across all of our offices.
What's the best part of working in Brooklyn? The best part of working in Brooklyn is that so many of us live here, it gives it a real neighborhood vibe. When you walk around your office you're not being jostled by tourists and crowds, our streets are filled with art, and it's a much more laid back environment.
What's your favorite thing about the office? My favorite thing about the office is Fitz, our office cantina.
A cantina! You can get a made-to-order drink and we all eat lunch together every day, family style. It's really cute and a nice place to hang out and drink a latte.
Is there anything the office is missing? I'd love a nap pod. Or an escalator to the second floor — those stairs get rough in heels!
How big is the office? Our space is about 30,000 square feet, including a two-story theater, kitchen and dining spaces, courtyards and a green roof.
That courtyard is amazing. How long have you been in the space? We moved into the new space December of 2013.
And how many people are working here? Not counting the dead guy in the corner... We are currently at 125 employees, on site, and growing.
What's the best part of working in Brooklyn? Not having to go into the city and deal with the crowds is wonderful. Many of us live in Brooklyn as well, so Manhattan trips happen only when we want them to.
And why did you pick this neighborhood? Greenpoint, in particular, is a relaxed area with solid food choices and plenty of after work spots. We are probably three years from all the new buildings being finished and seeing a huge increase in population.
It's like you have a forest up here. What's your favorite part of the office? The green roof is my favorite space in the building. I am able to work up there for about nine months out of the year if I want. There are plenty of hideaway spots to get some quiet work done, as well as a very fruitful kitchen garden.
A green roof, theater, library... Is there anything the office is missing? I have heard all kinds of answers to this including a sensory deprivation tank and a music studio.
It's so bright in here! How big is the space? The space is approximately 200,000 square feet.
How many people work here? As of December 31, 2015 we had 496 employees in Brooklyn.
What's the best part about working in Brooklyn? Brooklyn is in our roots, and it’s where we’ve been based from the very beginning. Etsy enjoys many benefits of being based here, in the world capital of other creative industries like media, fashion and advertising, with visitors and residents from all walks of life. Because of the creative energy here, New York is by far one of the most interesting and vibrant cities in which to build a global company.
How big is the space? It is probably close to 4,000 square feet.
How many people work here? Around 20.
What's the best part about working in Brooklyn? Downtown Brooklyn is the best transit hub in the entire city. It's also a vibrant, diverse neighborhood that changes every day.
Look at all those toys. They look complicated. What's your favorite thing about the space? We have a corner space, so it's filled with light and plants. There's also enough room for people to have privacy and to work in areas other than their own desks.
A nap room! Is there anything this space is missing? We could probably use more nap rooms — there's only one, called Freud.
Images via Built In & Etsy
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