Co-working Space Thrives in Garfield

Catapult offers work space, meeting rooms, events and even coffee roasted on-site.

Photo courtesy of Catapult

Self-employment can be isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. That’s where co-working center Catapult comes in. Inside a nondescript building, writers and designers with open notebooks curl up in chairs. Desk-renters work amid overflowing pen jars, coffee mugs and reminder notes, and a smattering of empty desks await drop-ins with laptops.

Despite the initial impression, the group “is not just a bunch of people sharing office space,” emphasizes Catapult founder Elliott Williams.

The community makes it unique, he says: Here, people can find motivation and accountability. In addition to daily interactions, Catapult hosts Monday-morning meetings for individuals to set weekly goals for their respective projects; it also brings in speakers from local businesses and nonprofits, and it even houses a creative team of designers, developers and web gurus for hire.

Anyone can visit, though donations are encouraged; for a monthly fee, you can get a key for access anytime ($90) or rent a desk (an extra $60).

For those moments when it seems that nothing is working? Catapult roasts its own coffee, too.

[5139 Penn Ave., Garfield; catapultpgh.org]