Today is the 4th post in the "Work Shift, Work Styles, Work Anywhere – Flexible Work across Canada" summer blog series.
I’ve spent as much of my summer outside as I can, and that isn’t just limited to weekends. Whether I’m working from parks and my rooftop patio, holding meetings on coffee shop patios, or going for team lunches where we can find a patio in the sun, summer means finding any and every excuse to enjoy the weather. In my last post I wrote about my adventure working from High Park – the challenge to stay connected and find a tranquil spot to work.
Things to consider:
How to get there. You can’t just stroll down to the Islands whenever you please. You have to take the ferry across, which limits the accessibility and time it takes to get there and back. The ferry leaves from the terminal at Queen’s Quay and Bay, and you can take it across to any one of the three docks. The schedule is pretty flexible – during the summer it leaves as early as 6:35am and returns as late as 11:45pm. Having to take the ferry isn’t free - it costs $6.50 round trip, which would add up if you went over every day but is hardly more than taking TTC.Getting around – bring a bike across. Rent a bike from one of the many rental stands – at the very south point.
Where to work. The Islands aren’t exactly small, so you should try to have a plan in mind before heading over to work. Check out a map to see the main points of attraction. If you like to people-watch for inspiration you can work right in the Centreville amusement park, but it’s quite loud and busy between the children and the rides. I didn’t see any picnic tables, and while there are some benches to park yourself on you may want to bring a blanket to lay down on the ample green space. I grabbed a spot on a bench on the south tip, a 10-minute walk away from the ferry dock. It would likely have gotten uncomfortable after an hour or two. You’re allowed to bring your bike across on the ferry, and you can also rent bicycles on the Island – great for exploring and getting around quickly.
Amenities on the Island. There are several places to buy food and drinks, but I would suggest bringing a small cooler or lunch bag with your own – it can get pricy (a small bottle of Gatorade was $3.75 in Centreville). There are a few restaurants but I didn’t check them out. Bathrooms are quite accessible – again, check out the map to find locations. If you do like to work on the beach, there are change rooms and lockers available.
Again, bring your own WiFi. I couldn’t get a WiFi signal anywhere, though I did have full phone reception. I used my mobile Internet stick to stay connected, so make sure you come prepared with a solution.Working from Centre Island had its ups and downs. I had to avoid going there during a severe thunderstorm, which would be true of any outdoor space but in this case even more so because you can’t come and go as you please. It definitely felt like an escape from the city, which was a welcome change in the middle of the week. But while I would say it’s a fun place to explore, relax and have fun it’s not an environment that’s conducive to working hard (unless the beach makes you want to dive into a project). I would suggest bringing your laptop along on a pre-planned trip if you have to squeeze in some work, but Centre Island is really meant to be enjoyed leisurely on a Saturday afternoon.
Have you worked from the Islands before, or do you plan to sometime soon?
About the Author: Erin Bury, Sprouter.com Community Manager and Guest Contributor
After cutting her teeth managing public relations for tech companies, Erin joined Sprouter to better utilize her passion for networking, community-building & Web 2.0 technologies. As Community Manager, Erin is the voice of the Sprouter community of entrepreneurs – the connector between Sprouter and the world at large; providing ongoing communication in both directions. A journalism grad who loves all things social media, Erin is also a tech writer at BlogTO and a columnist at Women’s Post, and has written for publications including VentureBeat. Erin is one of the co-organizers of Twestival Toronto, one of the founders of GenYTO and can be found on Twitter at @erin_bury or on her blog, ErinBury.com.
