Art, Culture, and Making Friends in the Heart of Soho with VillageOne

VillageOne’s been a Croissant favorite since day one. The space is open, welcoming, and has plenty of touches that cater to the perfect workday. From the plants, the natural light, the communal tables, and couches. We spoke with their innovative team about creating this hub in the heart of New York City’s Soho neighborhood.

Tell us how VillageOne started and what shaped its mission as a coworking space and studio.

When we think of “village”, we think of the unity within a community. VillageOne was established based on the philosophy behind encouraging creativity. Our mission is to build a community to connect creative people from all walks of life. As our company develops, we can see this growth happening in front of our very eyes. We are located at the heart of Soho, where life flourishes around fashion, culture, arts and all things creative. Individuals who enjoy working in a beautiful and peaceful ambiance are particularly drawn to our space. We often witness friendships budding in the most magnificent ways here.

What is your role within the space? What’s your favorite part about helping creatives in Soho?

Our role within the space is to ensure that our guests have the best experience when it comes to working and executing different activities. We want everyone who steps into our space to feel inspired by the works of art, refreshed by our interior landscape, and a peace of mind knowing that we will do what it takes to cater to their needs. We also have a fully equipped photo studio for professional photoshoot sessions. Not to mention some of our notable clients include Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick, Grumpy Magazine, Moschino, Mango, Who What Wear and many others. Our favorite part is helping creatives make their visions a reality. We promote the wonderful works they create and we learn a great deal along the way. 

Why do you think it’s so important to foster creative communities, especially for those who need an office away from home?

We simply think the one-size-fits-all type of coworking space won’t be enough in today’s society. Everything is personalized and caters to individual preference. People can express themselves through creativity and the arts, which we believe, are so important to help people feel connected. We like to make our clients feel at home in conjunction with being connected to like-minded peers, so they can develop new friendships and ideas with. All of which we think are fundamental to fostering creativity and ambitious goals. 

You’ve really blossomed since you opened your doors. What are some of the biggest differences since when you started?

There has been many changes since we opened our doors to New York City. Some of the biggest is the vast diversity of clients we’ve worked with within the past year, as well as the integration of an immersive art gallery within our coworking space. Having an immersive art gallery within our space allows people to enjoy the beauty of these works personally and it serves as a platform for emerging artists. Before our company was officially established, we envisioned a simple contemporary work space that can promote productivity and creativity for our clients with the addition of curating artworks. However, after having some amazing experiences, we now realize VillageOne is much more than that.

Tell us more about the Village One community and what anyone can expect when they set foot inside. 

VillageOne strives to provide a haven for ambitious individuals who yearn for the perfect place to brainstorm new ideas and solutions. When thinking about a community we’re reminded of a time when one of our members, an immersive performance producer, suggested hosting a test immersive dance workshop for non-dancers. This was very new to us, but we made it happen and it turned out to be extremely successful. Most of the participants did not have a background in dance but loved it and had as much fun as we did.  Although this experience was completely out of their comfort zone, it inspired them to be creative and try something new.

For anyone stopping by Village One, tell us some favorite spots around Soho for lunch or happy hour.

Lovely Day is a beautiful and affordable Thai lunch place and is one of our top picks.  Dig Inn is right around the corner and we believe they make the yummiest mocha latte. There are so many amazing spots around Soho and we can give you a long list of all of them, but there are always new restaurants and cafes popping up. We will keep you posted!

We loved your event you ran during the last season of Game of Thrones. What inspired the Game of Throat competition? Any highlights?

We are big fans of Game of Thrones, so we were inspired to host the events based off of the characters of the show. We realize we’re not the only ones who love Game of Thrones because our guests love the show too! We figured that it would be a great way for everyone to network and have fun at the same time through team work and games. 

What can we expect next from Village One?

VillageOne is always evolving. Currently, we are very focused on our immersive art gallery. So far, we’ve had three art exhibits. Our art curator, Christy Qin, has had many years of experience with different art galleries and diverse artists. With her help, we were able to feature Alex G. Cao’s “Time Tunnel”, Jingyu Xu’s “Light at Night”, and now James Gortner’s “Eternal Flame”. These artists are rising stars in the market and the exhibitions have been commercially successful. People love the idea behind our immersive art gallery, so we wish to continue collaborating with more artists to feature their works in our space in the near future.