May I have your attention, please? In today’s episode of what’s new in town, we have our latest discovery: Cluj is listed as the most appreciated city in Romania on Nomad List, a platform especially created for the digital nomad community, which shows the top cities where they can work, based on their experiences in that places. You can find there over 800 different places around the world, sorted by the cost of living, the Internet’s speed, the quality of air and many, many more.
First of all, let’s make it clear for everyone what these, so called, digital nomads are. They are people who use telecommunications technologies to perform their job, more generally, conduct their life in a nomadic manner, they don’t need a permanent home base. Basically, a digital nomad is someone who can work from their laptop and derives income remotely and online. Anytime. Anywhere. They can be a freelancer, or they may be managing their business online, either way, they are their own boss. If you ask me, it’s the ideal way to combine work with the passion for travel. Fancy money and travelling? Sounds like a job for you! For all of us!
So how did Cluj manage to get on top of the list, in Romania? There are a few characteristics of the location that are very appealing for the independent professionals and among that we can mention the air quality, the traffic safety, the nightlife, the fact that we are very friendly to foreigners and also fluent in English. The city provides good WI-FI connection and considering the European standards, is affordable, even more than Bucharest. It’s satisfactory in terms of quality of life and peace and really bad if we’re looking at discrimination and tolerance towards LGTBQ community.
Now, let’s see what their favorite places are. The order is random.
Co-working spaces in Cluj
If we’re talking about co-working spaces, Cluj Cowork, The Guil Hall and Cluj HUB cannot be overlooked.
The Guild Hall is the best place where you can go if you have these two big hobbies: entrepreneurship and board games. Yes, you heard just right! The Guild Hall is described to be the tabletop gamers’ playground, so working here brings more satisfaction than stress. Imagine that you have your own cozy desk and that you are surrounded by friendly people who are ready to be your best partners in games. Here, you are part of a growing community and you will never feel lonely because everybody is ready to support you with some pieces of advice. So, what do you get if you rent a desk at this place? Unlimited access to the board games collection, free drinks (water, coffee, tea), access to RPG books and accessories and many more advantages you can discover on their Facebook page . Remember, you don’t have to be a professional player to come here. All you need is that geeky part you have it hidden in your soul and your willingness to do great things with your business.
Where: Samuil Micu #4
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 10am – 6pm
Single desk rates: ~9 EUR/day / ~84 EUR/month
If you don’t want to distance yourself very much from the center of the city, Cluj HUB is the co-working space for you, as it is strategically located in the heart of downtown Cluj-Napoca. It’s smaller than Impact Hub, but this shouldn’t be a problem. The cool thing about this place is that you can work from a ping-pong table or from a hammock in the courtyard, when the sun is up and the weather is good. The space is really bright and colored, with cozy couches and bean bags, ergonomic chairs and storage lockers. At Cluj HUB you will meet and socialize with like-minded people, you can work in a stylish place, there’s always speedy internet for you along with coffee, tea or whatever you please. What you’ll find here is more than a space, it’s a community designed for entrepreneurs and freelancers in hopes of improving the free exchange of ideas.
Where: Ferdinand Street 22-26 (3rd Floor in CENTRAL Commercial Center)
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9am – 7pm
Single desk rates: 11 EUR/day, 60 EUR/month
Somewhere in the nine rooms of Cluj Cowork, there must be a place for you. Seven of them are dedicated for hot-seat desks, while the biggest one is for meetings. If you go there just for one day, you will probably sit at this large table on the ground floor, along with other people. You’ll think that working face to face with other colleagues is not the perfect set-up for you, cause you won’t be able to concentrate, but think about all the ideas you will exchange with other local freelancers and entrepreneurs. Coffee always awaits you, as well as fresh fruit.
Where: Emil Isac Street #23
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am – 8pm
Single desk rates: 10 EUR/day, 40 EUR/week, 140 EUR/month
All this places are properly equipped with printers and scanners, you can find something free so you can stay hydrated, the Internet works… you know, faster than in America, as Bernie Sander made it clear, there’s a kitchen and obviously, a chill-out area. The only thing missing is you.
In the next couple of days we’ll talk about friendly bars and cafes for digital nomads in Cluj, so stay tuned.
If you’re interested in working in cafes, bistros or pubs, you can find here some suggestions.
