New Cincinnati co-working space in Walnut Hills
The Eddy Cincinnati, a co-working space in Walnut Hills, opened on 1 June targeting remote workers looking for a relaxed place that blurs the boundary between work and leisure. The founders claim that it is easier to write off that home office costs or coffee receipts as memberships have no contract and are 100% tax deductible.

CINCINNATI – The line between work and play has grown ever more blurred as millennials and cubicle-dwellers scour their neighborhoods for coffee shops with the least spotty Internet connection or curl up on a blanket in Washington Park to analyze spreadsheets in the sun.

A new co-working space called The Eddy Cincinnati opens June 1 in Walnut Hills as a solution for remote workers who want the relaxed café vibe along with all the amenities and equipment they need to be productive.

Taking its name from the nautical term of a swirling current created as fluid moves past an obstacle, The Eddy gathers conference rooms, private office space, an enormous recreation room and a full kitchen under one roof in a 24,000-square-foot “multiplex” at 656 E. McMillan St. that’s inspired by Google’s headquarters.

“We figured this is a place for you just to relax and get your bearings and make yourself more productive for your next idea or concept,” said proprietor Mike Mattox. “When you feel that you’re hitting that lull in your work day, you can go out and play Ping-Pong or throw some darts and get back mentally into the game.”

The Eddy has been hosting free preview days from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday since May 17 and expects to gain about six to 10 members from that first week. Mattox's goal is to have 50 members by the end of 2016.

Shawn Braley and Chris Ashwell of monthly storytelling initiative Cincy Stories use a break-out room at The Eddy to plan an event.

Shawn Braley of storytelling initiative Cincy Stories is one of the early adopters who said he’s already “addicted to this place” since it puts him in a working mindset despite the alluring distractions of shuffleboard, giant television screens and unending coffee.

“Knowing that the break room was there let our minds relax,” Braley said. “It was really helpful because we had something to work toward, and then we could come back and finish.”

The memberships have no contract and are 100 percent tax-deductible. They claim it’s easier to write off your time at The Eddy than a home office or coffee receipts.

The Eddy Cincinnati offers five levels of daily and monthly memberships.

Alongside the five daily and monthly membership levels to use the workspace on the second floor, Mattox and his business partner Bryan Isenberg plan to lease out the ground floor and walk-out basement to diversify their revenue and not go the way of the short-lived Cincy Coworks around the corner on Gilbert Avenue, which shuttered its doors in 2012 after functioning for just a couple years.

The century-old building housing The Eddy was originally a mechanic’s school with ramp access for vehicles on all floors. This will prove convenient for the first tenant moving into the basement: Over-the-Rhine’s Sabbath Recording studio.

Jake Merritt of Sabbath Recording Studio shows off the basement recording studio that's under construction at The Eddy.

Jake Merritt of Sabbath Recording said The Eddy’s community spirit drew them to move to Walnut Hills and renovate the building’s basement space into a studio.

“Sometimes (the recording studio) feels a little like an assembly line,” Merritt said. “The concept of The Eddy really fit into what we’re trying to do with having a space where you can go and rest and reset and really focus in on what your vision is for what you’re trying to accomplish.”

A photographer is setting up shop in the basement, but Mattox is also kicking around ideas for complementary businesses that create synergy, such as a brewery, a screen printer or a small deli.

The Eddy co-working space at 656 E. McMillan St.

“Since it’s such a big building, we have great opportunity, but it’s going to take time. It’s a marathon, not a sprint strategy. And we want it to be the right fit,” Mattox said. "At Panera, you’re less likely to walk up to some stranger and ask them what they do, so you have some sort of community here.”

The stretch of McMillan just east of Interstate 71 that The Eddy sits on looks a bit forlorn at the moment, but it’s about to explode as The Pickled Pig barbecue joint, Landlocked Social House coffeehouse and a beer garden are set to open soon next door, all of which Mattox hopes will get folks in the door at The Eddy.

Alongside the entrepreneurial hub that The Eddy is trying to establish in this “unknown” area of Walnut Hills, Mattox hopes to host special events at least twice a month, such as the Bloatarian Brewing League’s open competition that they hosted May 22. Yoga, movie nights and FC Cincinnati watch parties for away games are all on his brainstorming list.

People sick of commuting from the urban basin to the suburbs can ditch their commute and “cubicle city” for The Eddy starting June 1. The workspace will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with 24-hour entry through a key fob for the more expensive membership packages.