Affinity Lab

Horrible service from the front desk person. Messy office space. The people who are working in the space seem cool though.

Nerd alert.
I attended a «Behind the Blog» panel at Affinity Lab last night. It was hosted by Glory of
(maybe not the best website to visit while you’re working) and moderated by Dan Silverman (otherwise known as the Prince of Petworth). The panel featured several local bloggers, one of whom I follow regularly, and free wine, which I drank happily. Score one for Affinity.
For those not in the know, Affinity Lab is a rentable space for start-​ups, small businesses, group events, etc. The front room of the U street location (there’s also one in AdMo) featured a mini kitchen and was decorated with bright art pieces and what looked like writing icebreakers. I was curious enough about the place to wander around after the panel, and discovered a much bigger, inviting back room lined with hardwood flooring and full of couches and computers.
I can’t evaluate the staff because there weren’t any present at the event, but from Glory’s introduction they sound like a friendly and open group of people. I like the idea of having a built-​in community available for entepreneurs to tap into when they first start out. I bet you could throw a pretty nice party in the back room, too…

As a member of the Affinity Lab I saw my business grow by 37% in a year when most of my competitors were losing market share or getting out of business. I owe the bulk of that growth to the relationships I built at the Affinity Lab. It is truly an extraordinary place to work.

The Affinity Lab is the source for DC’s thought leaders in business. This is the place in the City to network and learn from other driven business owners. I highly recommend the co-​working office as a space to create your dream business.

If you’re looking to start your own business, need a workspace and love Adams Morgan… then Affinity Lab may be your scene. It is located above the ever popular 24 hr eatery, The Diner in Adams Morgan. It is basically a shared office space for businesses, start-​ups and non-​profits minus the cubicle walls. Fun is a crucial element of its members — as I hear they have mandatory happy hours, events, outings and celebrations throughout the year.
They have different levels of membership — Virtual, Shared and Full. According to their website, to become a member, you first contact the general manager, visit the site and apply. Your application is then evaluated and then based on approval and space availability, a start up date is set up or you are added to a wait list.
The space is pretty neat — seems to me that it was once a huge apartment that was converted to what it is now — one huge room for the «office» where all of the desks and equipment are. There’s also a kitchen and a conference room.
My favorite thing about the conference room was this little poster of a puppy that says, «For every minute wasted in a meeting, God kills a puppy.» Curses for not taking a picture of it while I was there!
I was a visitor of the lab during my 4 week photography workshop with Sam D’Amico. Props to Sam for being a part of such a cool work-​office concept. If I started my own business, I’d definitely consider this place for my office space.