My top learnings from 2024: best spaces to work in Warsaw

During 2024, I had a few months of freedom to work from wherever I liked. In the process, I tested and discovered a few places where one might find a desk and some space to work. This article concludes the mini-series of blog posts summarizing some of my 2024 learnings.

My top 5 places to work in Warsaw (Poland)

Here are my top 5 favorite places to work, ordered from my favorites to my least favorites.

#1: WeWork (coworking space)

Although this was the last place I discovered chronologically, I put it in the first position because, so far, it is my favorite of the ones I tested. Why? It’s a combination of a few factors:

• Pro: while not free, it’s affordable, even when starting your own business. I’m sure I’d pay more monthly for coffee and cakes if I worked in a cafe, not to mention how much more convenient it is to have your desk guaranteed for all day.
• Pro: It’s open seven days a week until midnight. Which is perfect if your best job is done on non-standard hours. Public libraries, in contrast, usually close pretty early.
• Pro: relaxed atmosphere and reasonable privacy (personal space). While this might not be natural initially, the place has music playing 24/7, and the vibe is somewhat like in the cafes. Each office even has a barista station (service included in the subscription)! Also, if you need privacy for your screen or calls, there are usually enough phone booths or places to sit to make you feel comfortable.
• Con: ergonomics is below the standards of a typical office. Desks and chairs don’t have height regulations. If you want a laptop stand or a secondary monitor, you need to bring it with you.
• Pro: fast and reliable internet. Which I could never find in any large-scale public library in Warsaw.

If you’d like to try WeWork, you can help me by using my referral link, which I can share as a member 😁 Just for clarity, I write this blog for fun, and I don’t think my opinion would be any different without this incentive 🙂 Check out the WeWork coworking space in Warsaw yourself.

#2: National Library

The National Library is quite the opposite of WeWork in the vibe but has other strong points that make it my number two:

• Pro: Access is free, as in “0 zlotys”. Hard to beat.
• Pro: It’s beautifully located in the Pole Mokotowskie park. It was perfect to take a break in the middle of a park in the summer. It also has a garden where I spent many hours learning Spanish 💃
• Pro/Con: The building has extreme sound isolation and is completely silent. This can be helpful. I found it easy to go into deep focus mode in such conditions. However, you also start to be very aware of every little noise you make—chair, clicking mouse, typing keyboard, etc. and be a bit uncomfortable in such an environment.
• Con: As in most libraries, there are some rules about not bringing food or drinks into the reading rooms. Even though people in the cloakroom were always nice, it’s a small barrier to overcome each time you enter/leave because you need to leave some things outside.
• Con: The Internet is not reliable. Some domains seemed blocked (e.g., I couldn’t call OpenAI API this year), and sometimes the connection expires and needs authentication. Sometimes, the network seemed overloaded by too many people using it. The only reliable solution was setting up my hotspot.
• Pro: Air conditioning in the summer works well!

#3: University of Warsaw Library (BUW)

When I started my solopreneur adventure, I thought I would spend most of my time there. But I often saw it was overcrowded and had to look for another place. So, I no longer go to BUW for work.

• Pro: beautifully designed building with a rooftop garden, located by the Vistula River, and in a lively neighborhood.
• Pro: if you want books, you have everything available at your fingertips – free access to thousands of books of different kinds.
• Pro: while it’s not allowed to eat/drink in the library, you can bring and carry your backpack without any issues, regardless of what’s inside – and it’s convenient.
• Pro: usually open 24/7, with some exceptions.
• Con: overcrowded, and during university exams, extremely overcrowded.
• Con: the internet is a joke. And the building acts like a Faraday cage, preventing you from using your own hotspot in most areas. Also, access to electrical sockets is rare.

#4: CIC Warsaw @ Varso Place

It might seem like an unfair comparison with other options because I’ll only describe the free (non-commercial) part of this coworking space.

• Pro: I don’t think you can find a more centrally located coworking space than this. It’s next to the central station, in the Varso building. There are plenty of options to eat nearby, so you won’t be hungry. The design is nice and modern.
• Pro: While coworking has commercial offices, it quite generously offers ample space to be used for free by anyone
• Pro: easy access to the place without any registration needed.
• Pro: good internet access.
• Con: unpredictable hours of opening. I went there a few times, and twice they had some events going on when the space was closed. So, in my opinion, it’s not a reliable option for serious work. Also, on evenings and weekends, it’s officially closed (I’m not sure if it’s practically closed, too, because the building lobby is probably open all the time).

#5: Faculty of Modern Languages ​​at the University of Warsaw

This modern, spacious building is opposite the University of Warsaw Library I described earlier.

• Pro: It’s in a good location, next to BUW. It has a nice design, with a modern space and rooftop garden available until 17:00.
• Pro: Usually not crowded, finding a good spot to sit is easy.
• Con: you don’t get internet access unless you are a student. I was a student in evening Spanish classes but didn’t qualify either. Your hotspot might be the best option.
• Con: while no one seemed to have a problem with 30-something-year-old me working there a bit, it has a university vibe, so I felt a bit out of place, even though I was a student of evening classes myself 😅

Honorable mentions

I’ll also mention two more places that are not meant for serious work but were a fun option from time to time:

Suntago

While the humid atmosphere might not be electronics-friendly, I used my flexible schedule to go there for a full day, read motivational books, and plan tasks for the week on a sun lounger 😁 Quite a pleasant experience.

University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Physics

I don’t think I was legally allowed to be in the student’s club there, but it’s so close to my home that I went there a few times (and in the summer, it was pretty empty and didn’t seem to bother anyone). It was a good workplace, with high-speed open internet access, air conditioning, and a pleasant design.

Places I wanted to try but didn’t find time

• Brain Embassy—I was there once for a meetup, and it looks like a great coworking space. I selected WeWork because they had more transparent pricing and offerings, but I haven’t tried Brain Embassy yet, and it might be interesting, too.
• Public Library at Koszykowa Street—I only briefly visited it; I might like it, but I haven’t spent an entire workday there.

What do you think?

Have you tried to work in any of the places I mentioned? Can you recommend another one?

Good luck finding the perfect spot!