When you are making the rounds of Boston area co-working space, the Cambridge Innovation Center is likely to be the first, or the last stop – open options, private offices, all the options. The Big Daddy of Boston coworking spaces rises like a monolith in the heart of Kendall Square and it seems everyone visits One Broadway on a regular basis. But make sure you check addresses when someone says “Meet me at the CIC.”
One of our recent Innovation Breakfast meetings was held at 101 Main Street, just down the street from CIC ground central. (Shades of confusing addresses, Batman. One Main Street is just down the block from One Broadway, on the same physical street.) We took over the 15th floor game room and spread out around the ping pong table next to the kitchen. A few of our guests did go to One Broadway initially but were redirected. (Our most recent event was at the One Broadway location, in the Venture Cafe itself.) The CIC also has a downtown Boston location (50 Milk Street) as well as St. Louis, if you are traveling south. (We’re seriously considering it — stop it with the snow already.)
Kendall has come a long way from the isolated corner of Cambridge I remember in the 80s when I first worked at One Broadway (or the Badger Building) at the time. We would get on the T at lunch time and travel a few stops, to either Harvard Square or Downtown Crossing, to get lunch. Kendall didn’t have many options then. Today, a few steps gets you a huge variety of casual options for lunch or a more upscale dinner.
The CIC makes sure its tenants won’t starve with great breakfast and snack options. (In fact, more than one friend who works there worries about their waistline.) There’s terrific regular and special programming – everything from McCarter & English events (we did a social media blitz presentation last week for them) to weekly Venture Cafe networking. On Thursday, February 26, we’ll be at the Venture Cafe: A Night with Female Founders. The CIC also offers cool stuff like yoga and massages if you need a break from the stress of running a startup.