Forget the Bean Bag Chair: Workers Just Want Short Commutes

What would get you back to the office? Employers all over the country want to know. Writing in Curbed, Kim Velsey provides the answer: “an easier commute.”

As Velsey explains, “Rock-climbing walls, Equinox-caliber gyms and rooftop bars are nice, but what workers really want, it seems, is an easier commute.” These trends, which were already fading pre-pandemic, lost their luster even more in the days of remote work. “When tenants get off work, how many of them really want to linger around their offices for a yoga class or drinks at the rooftop bar?”

Ultimately, data seems to show that “Coming off years of remote work, many people just want to get home, or at least to entertainments and companions of their choosing, after a full day at the office.” In New York City, younger companies that previously couldn’t afford office space can now rent offices in prime, transit-rich locations that let workers get to and from work quickly. Buildings around Manhattan’s Grand Central Station are seeing occupancy rates higher than the rest of the borough.