“We’re having crumpets today, yeah?” I ask no one in particular.

“No, that was last Tuesday. I’m pretty sure they’re doing bagels,” says a campaign manager.

“You’re both wrong,” says the social media coordinator. “I was just in the lunchroom getting some mint and cucumber water. It’s crepes today – we’re going to France, baby.”

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The Broadsheet office goes through some version of this conversation every Tuesday morning, when The Commons puts on the weekly breakfast club (and absolutely no one chooses to work from home).

It’s one of the many little magnets that lure us to work in Surry Hills each week. Don’t feel like coming in on Wednesday? That’s a shame, you’ll miss the wine tasting. Oh, on Thursday there’s a screening of Clueless in the cinema room (that’s right – there’s a cinema room). And what do you know? It’s Friday afternoon already – time to hit the beer and cider taps for a knock-off and watch the sunset from the dining room. Or play some table tennis and wipe the floor with the sales and partnerships exec.

You might be wondering if Broadsheet staffers do any actual work. We do heaps, I promise –in the sunny office space we have all to ourselves, or sometimes in the moody, one-person phone “pods” (I don’t know what they’re actually called). For our monthly all-company meeting, one of the massive meeting rooms makes us feel extra professional. But my favourite place to really knuckle down and hone my focus is on a beanbag in the tearoom, where designer greenery and organic brews with names like “immunity”, “vitality” and “calming” are abundant.

Personally, though, I can’t get anything done without dangerous amounts of caffeine in my body – that’s where the bottomless filter coffee, self-serve espresso machine upstairs and a barista downstairs all come in handy.

Back to food, the subject of “what’s everyone eating for lunch?” is a saga that never ends. This writer sees absolutely nothing wrong with eating Froot Loops for lunch every day (the kitchen has a cornucopia of cereals available) but for everyone else, the regular community lunches are a great way to meet the neighbours. Plus, some of Sydney’s best pubs, sandwich shops and cafes are a stone’s throw away.

Then there’s The Commons crew – an always-friendly bunch who will happily field the same questions and troubleshoot the same tech issues over and over again (it’s us, not them).

Bless this place – it’s way better than Broadsheet’s Melbourne office (just don’t tell the Melbourne team that). I hope we’re here for a while.

thecommons.com.au