The age of the remote worker is here to stay. Between people working from home because of the pandemic and freelancers who always did, a huge part of London's workforce isn't office based. The number of self-employment has increased a lot in London in recent years, rising by 37% since 2008 (compared to 25% across England). Whatever the reason, working hours and locations are becoming more flexible and we love it.
With these changes comes an increasing need for interesting and inspiring places to work in the capital. Here, we take a look at the 15 of the best spots to work remotely in London.
Central:
The Welcome Collection
One of London's most unusual free museums, which connects science with art, the reading room on the second floor provides an interesting location for freelancers to work. It's a gallery and library in one, with comfy sofas and Wifi – and a postbox where you can send a card for free anywhere in the world.
The Ambrose Cafe, Heal's
A furniture shop in the heart of bustling Fitzrovia may not sound like the most likely place to work for the day, but this is one of London's best-kept freelance secrets. Their cafe provides a big wooden table where you can plug in your laptop, and table service means you don't have to worry about packing up every time you want to order more tea.
The British Library
The UK's biggest library is a calm and quiet place to work, especially if your job requires research and access to the 25 million books and articles located there. All you need to do is get a free reader's pass to access the library and you're good to go.
North:
Sable D'or, Muswell Hill
This artisanal French cafe in upmarket Muswell Hill serves a wide choice of pastries and crepes throughout the day to fuel you through your work. For those early birds, it opens at 7.30am. Head for the spacious, industrial upstairs to get yourself a quiet spot.
Creative Works, Walthamstow
Drop in desks from £20 a day make this an easy spot to work from on flexible basis. It’s all set up with meeting rooms, bright office spaces and lounges, different payment plans and a supportive community of entrepreneurs and freelancers. Being right by Blackhorse Road tube, Creative Works is really easy to get to on the Victoria line too.
Vagabond N17, Holloway
Sit amongst reclaimed furniture and sturdy tables to get stuck into your workload. Keep your mind ticking over with wholesome lunches, and tasty baked goods or head out into with the walled garden and sit amongst the dappled shade. Vagabond are well known for their coffee too so you can be sure to get a good caffeine hit here.
South:
Wimbletech Wimbledon
A former library, this has been transformed in conjunction with the local council into a co-working hub for over 140 freelancers and start-ups. You can choose from various memberships, including flexi – where you have access to a floating hot desk as you need. They also hold various events such as talks and training sessions.
The Peckham Pelican
This bar and exhibition venue attracts an eclectic mix of artists, freelance workers and students thanks to its large work area and inspiring artistic surroundings. And once you're doing with the working day, check out their massive range of evening events from supper clubs and spoken word to film and music nights.
John Harvard Library
Regardless of whether or not you live in Southwark, you can become a member of this little library and gain access to their 24 public use computers. But if you want to drink coffee while you work, head to their cafe, Mouse Tail Coffee Stories (named after the ideal shape of a stream of espresso) and plug into the free wifi.
East:
Second Home, Hanbury Street
A self-described 'workspace for creative nomads', this unusual work hub boasts a beautiful hanging garden, unusual perspex architecture and Scandi-style furniture. It's members-only, but if you don't want to fork out on a joining fee, their restaurant featuring former staff from Middle-Eastern chain Ottolenghi is open to the public.
The Good Hotel, Royal Victoria Dock
This floating hotel, staffed by previously long-term unemployed locals, came over from Amsterdam in 2016, and will be moored at the up and coming Royal Victoria Dock for the next two years. Their lobby features neon art, free Wifi and plenty of space to work as you gaze out until the calming waters of the dock. In summer, you can unwind during your lunch break with one of their seasonal rooftop yoga classes.
The Collective Canary Wharf
Whether you stay at The Collective Canary Wharf for a night, or move in for longer, you get access to all the shared spaces - including lounges, a library, gym, pool, spa and 20th floor restaurant and bar. There are so many different places to work from, each filled with plenty of natural light, interesting artwork, and a whole host of other remote workers. Members can also book out the conference room, and attend events like business bootcamp, breath-work and personal finances 101.
West:
The Collective Old Oak, North Acton
Move into The Collective Old Oak and you have access to lots of different spots to set up shop. There's an expansive co-working space on the ground floor (pictured top), a library for quiet work, a restaurant and cafe and several lounges large and small for remote work or events. Your rent here also includes super-fast wifi, printers, gym membership, a regular events schedule and access to all spaces.
Peter Jones (top floor restaurant), Sloane Square
If you fancy working with a view, this department store restaurant boasts impressive views over west London thanks to its panoramic windows. You’d think it would be pricey, but freelancers love coming here thanks to their wide selection of affordable cakes, homely cooked food and coffee, as well as free wifi.
Granger and Co, Chelsea
For those who prefer to start work late, the word is that 3-6pm is the perfect time to come here as it quietens down – first, start off your day with a visit to the neighbouring Saatchi Gallery. For health-conscious workers, this Aussie cafe is known for its large smoothie menu featuring ingredients such as cacao, matcha and avocado to keep your energy up.
The Collective builds one of a kind co-living spaces to live or stay. Enjoy a private studio or ensuite, with co-working, pool, gym and spa and connect with great people at events like yoga, coding and cocktail making. For true peace of mind, everything is included in one easy bill. That’s all the big stuff, like spaces, events, gym membership and the little things, like maintenance, wifi and cleaning too. We sort the boring stuff so you’ve got time for what really matters. Discover more at The Collective.com.