It would be safe to assume that a coworking space opening just before a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic would be disastrous, but Barnfox has thrived by offering remote coworking outside of city centers.
“You can get out of the city, get out into nature, do outdoorsy stuff, and enjoy small-town living without missing a beat when it comes to work,” said Frederick Pikovsky, cofounder of Barnfox.
Pikovsky and his partner Tim Tedesco met on a Facebook house-search group in 2017 and bonded over their love of the outdoors.
That’s when they decided to build a coworking space that combined community and nature. Barnfox’s first location in Hudson, New York opened in February 2020. Soon after, the operator opened a second location in Kingston, New York.
Barnfox is designed to allow members to feel like they are immersed in nature, while offering the perks of trendy coworking spaces such as fiber-optic internet, snacks, kombucha on tap and more.
It also features traditional office amenities like printing services, phone booths, conference rooms and lower rates for local hotels.
While the original concept hoped to cater to New Yorkers with summer homes or out-of-towners looking for an office outside of the city, the founders quickly realized many of these city dwellers relocated to the area for good.
Barnfox has plans to open a third location in Livingston Manor, as well as the possibility of a fourth location in Beacon. The cofounders say they hope to continue expanding more locations in rural areas across the U.S.