Kindred stories

I’d seen the major tourist sites, but I had no truly unique, personal experience here. I gave myself two objectives: to advance my own writing work, and to become personal with this city, something similar to what my wife feels, like having an “ownership stake” here. I am not a natural friend-maker so I also felt this would also be a good personal challenge, a good growth opportunity.

Back when offices were a thing, my wife’s office was right across from the Kindred building. As soon as she spotted it and pointed me there, I knew I had to check it out. I stuck my head in, thinking I would find a place that was chic and cool–but would I fit in there, would I be comfortable working, eating and drinking there?

I did a trial week, and within a day or two, the Kindred team knew my name. I wasn’t just a body showing up–I was recognised and welcomed. That told me, right off the bat, this co-working space, this club, was something different. Just sitting in and listening to the Monday coffees wowed me; the amount and quality and diversity of the talent belonging here, made me want to also belong.

It was instantly clear this wasn’t just a desk-rental widget zone, this was a dynamic environment that I could draw from in my own way.

Early on, I remember comparing Kindred to a place that I left behind in Los Angeles, a little coffee shop in Burbank, called Priscilla’s. You have to understand, Priscilla’s is the best coffee shop in the world (not exaggerating.) It’s a place where I had “my” table seat, it’s a place where the baristas and owners are also friends with the hard-working creative people they see every day for coffee and tea and pastries. The flow of interesting people doing cool work is always going, going, going. And that’s the vibe I got at Kindred, right way, with no pretense, no effort at all. It was just there.

Then, obviously, coronavirus struck.

Coronavirus interrupted everything in so many head-spinning ways it’s difficult to put in words.

Throughout the changing rules-and-regs, Kindred has been steadfast; they’ve always found a way to show up for its people.

In most hardened, locked-down part of lockdown, Kindred put together Zoom programming that helped keep me sane, because it gave me an immediate, local connection.

When the building re-opened, the work that went into doing it–there was an “all in” mentality toward keeping the doors open and doing it safely. The space is spotless; the food and drinks are outstanding–I’ve been able to get an immense amount of work done. I deeply admire both parts of the equation: the work ethic, and the results.

Now I’m preparing to return to the states. I am sad to be leaving Kindred, and also the Hammersmith & Fulham borough. But I’m also aware that I have made deep relationships through this space, and those aren’t going away.

Really, it has been a privilege to belong here, and I look forward to bringing this vibe back to California with me.