Serendipitous Co-Working Space Opens On Post Road West

Once upon a time, Westport was a commuter town.

Men — and a tiny handful of women — took the train every day to New York. Every night, they took it back here. The rhythms of our town were tied to the rhythms of the rails.

Times change. Today, it is believed that more people commute into Westport than out of it. Westporters work everywhere: New York, Westchester, Stamford.

The nature of work itself has changed too. It’s more collaborative. Office buildings have adapted.

Just look at 55 Post Road West.

Once the home to a large marketing company, it’s undergone a top-to-bottom renovation. This week, it reopens as the newest Serendipity Labs location.

Serendipity Labs, at 55 Post Road West.

The company offers 23,000 square feet of co-working and flexible workspace — private offices, customizable team rooms and suites, plus meeting and event space — in 3 dozen cities across the country.

So why Westport?

“Why not Westport?” answers Serendipity vice president of marketing Paula Gomprecht.

“It’s a great market for us. Westport is a hub of business. It’s a well-educated community that understands our value.”

It’s a “natural extension” too. The Stamford site has been very successful. A number of people from Westport went all the way there to work.

The Post Road West building is perfect, Gomprecht says. It’s close to restaurants, delis and stores. Downtown is just a few steps away.

Most Serendipty co-working spaces are in cities like New York, Houston and Los Angeles. But they’re branching out to “underserved secondary markets” like Rye, New York; Ridgewood, New Jersey, and Alpharetta, Georgia.

“Our customers come from the suburbs,” Gomprecht explains. “They want to work closer to home.”

Those customers include individuals, as well as members of corporations. They use Serendipity Labs if they’re entering a new market, or working somewhere on a short-term project. Companies that are growing — or contracting — like the flexibility too.

Serendipity Labs is like having your own office — without all the hassle.

On Post Road West, Serendipity offers various configurations of office space: single, 2-person, and team rooms of 3 to 10 people. Flexible walls can create larger suites, for up to 20. There are meeting rooms, and a studio that seats 75.

High-speed, secure internet connections are Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, even Department of Defense compliant.

Fees begin at $49 a month. A dedicated desk with locked cabinet starts at $540 per month. Team rooms begin at $2,200 a month. Office members gain free access to all other Serendipity Labs locations.

Serendipity wants to be a good neighbor. They offer meeting space gratis to community organizations for fundraisers and networking events.

And local artists can display their work on the walls. The company will even host an opening.

The first members moved in earlier this moth. A grand opening is set for Wednesday, February 12 (3:30 p.m.).

(For more information, click here.)