Today we had an interesting trip to Lawrenceville in the heat, focused on exploring coworking spaces similar to those we’re working with in Carrigart. We began the day in Pittsburgh with a visit to the Oaklander Hotel, where Theresa Murdoch showed us around and explained the hotel’s business model. They place a strong emphasis on hospitality, and she explained how they’re always thinking of new ways to elevate the customer experience – from developing a new restaurant to creating a high-end lobby on the 10th floor that offers a beautiful view of Pittsburgh city life, especially at night.
From there, we made our way to Lawrenceville for a presentation about the area and its development with the Lawrenceville Corporation. This was especially interesting because their role is similar to what we’re trying to do in Carrigart, although we’re working with a much shorter timeline. They explained how they rely heavily on events to bring traction and foot traffic to the area. Their focus on community and support for local businesses was something we’ve heard a lot throughout the Haller Program, and it was great to hear how they put it into action. They work closely with local businesses and help promote them through various social media platforms.
After our time with the Lawrenceville Corporation, we stopped for a quick ice cream break at Millie’s, where the service was great. Then we headed to the main destination for the day: a coworking space company called Field Day. Their business model was really impressive, and the discussion we had with the owners was informative and gave us some helpful ideas for our Carrigart projects. Their focus on hospitality and solving community challenges to build business and long-term client relationships was intriguing. The overall space and environment they’ve created felt unique and showed a lot of creativity and care.