THE HIVE: BUILDING A VILLAGE IN S. AUSTIN

By now, I'm sure we all have at least one friend or family member who "telecommutes" or spends at least part of their time working from home, which could explain the many "co-working" spaces popping up all over the place. Why, we even have one here in little ol' Wimberley! However, the place my kids have discovered, near their home in S. Austin, has taken this concept to a whole new level. Welcome to The Hive!

The Hive is the brainchild of Shelly Weiser -- an idea that came to her after the disastrous day when she tried to handle a panicking client who's account had been hacked, while her infant and toddler both had epic meltdowns in the background. She dreamed of a space where people could get "The Three C's": Coffee, Co-working, and Childcare. But not full-time daycare, which can cost almost as much as you are making yourself. Just a few hours here and there, when you need it most.

She brought that dream to life, but didn't stop there. They do offer WiFi and co-working spaces where one can be connected in a quiet place to work and network, but they also offer parents much-needed time to get things done -- whether working or just visiting with friends -- while their little ones enjoy playing in a safe and fun on-site supervised area. There's the beautiful cafe area and lounge, where you can work at no charge, a shady area outside with picnic tables, and two co-working offices with multiple desks in each, some private, some semi-private, where you can rent space. Plus the cafe has all the popular beverages you love, as well as breakfast, lunch and snack options.

All that is great, but what I really love are the many ways in which they are building community. For instance, there is wine and beer available at the end of the day, if you want to kick back with friends, as well as a food truck on the premises. On Saturday mornings they offer live children's music, while young families hang out and visit in their large outdoor play area, which is what our Calvin is doing in the photo above. This Wednesday they will have Story Time and Crafts with Usborne books, and, as if that weren't enough, on Saturday, April 13th, they will be hosting a Draft & Craft Buzzaar from 9-4, where our daughter Alexis will be selling her handcrafted jewelry. And that is how a "village" is built, one brick at a time.

If only they'd had someplace like this when we were young, instead of me starting my contract work each night around 9:00, after I finally got them both to bed!