M-rge Is Offering $1 Million of Free Coworking Space and Classes for Hackers (opens in new tab)

The real difference is that AlleyNYC HELPS spartups, and has offered free space. Other co-working places have never done this EVER. GA is all classes and they are SUPER expensive. Its all about vibe and community. Come to ALleyNYC and you will understand!

The goal of M-RGE isn't to compete on classes/events at all. It's all about creating a community and curating the top people to be there.

It's the people that work there that is the differentiation. The article mentions they are trying to build a community of designers and hackers. Also building an authentic vibe where people care "about who you are, not your investors"

I did not even know people were prejudiced against the 'bridge and tunnel' crowd (I live in New Jersey) , but just because this co-working space is close to Penn Station, I am more likely to make an appearance there.

The space is not trying to be like GA, ie. classes aren't the point. It's trying to curate the best hacker and design talent into a common community. From my experience at Dogpatch Labs in NYC, free is extremely effective at getting the best people.

The article doesn't mention it but Obie Fernandez who wrote The Rails Way is an advisor