Would You Rather: A building with a communal workspace or a tricked-out roofdeck?

Gorgeous roofdecks are a popular amenity in NYC — a place to soak in some sun in the warmer months. But with telecommuting becoming increasingly popular, communal workspaces in residential buildings are growing more desirable, too — even necessary. We asked six New Yorkers whether they'd rather their building put in a Wi-Fi-equipped, shareable workspace or a tricked out roofdeck? Take notes, developers!

• Why have an office when you can have coffee? Starbucks is my Wi-Fi enabled workspace, as are a few really good cafes around, if I really don’t feel like working from home. A roofdeck with lounge chairs, grilling stations, tables and maybe a water feature of some kind? Sounds like a good place to chill and actually get away from working for a bit. Which is actually important to people who work from home! - Dirk, Clint
• Sunshine trumps the desk. Of course I’d love a roofdeck for parties and to catch some much needed Vitamin D (my Vitamin D deficiency was probably brought on by working indoors all day long). I think the value of a roofdeck to get some down time, enjoy the views, and maybe get to know your neighbors cannot be underestimated. - Martin, Astoria
• A place to quell distractions. I actually love the idea of a communal, Wi-Fi enabled workspace in my building! I work from home sometimes, but I don’t like it. I get distracted when I’m in my apartment and it sometimes gets too quiet. I miss having people around me who are working, too. Keeps me in work-mode. So if my building could design a large common area with comfortable sofas and coffee tables, and some bar-height tables and chairs (for when I want to fee like I’m working in a cafe), and a little room for conferencing, and a kitchenette with a coffee station, I wouldn’t mind at all. - Martin, Harlem
• Cater to the masses. I know more and more people telecommute, but honestly, I think a roofdeck would be more beneficial to our — or any — building. For the few people who work from home, it may be beneficial. But even those people would benefit from a lovely roofdeck where people can have parties, or have play dates, or even real dates! A work room would benefit a few, while a roofdeck would benefit all. - Antonia, Midtown West
• All the bells and whistles. A roofdeck, especially a tricked out one, would be amazing to have. To me, that would mean it should have a barbecue area, a pool area, a basketball court, and lounging area. If people want an urban garden with bee hives and whatnot, they can have that too, I guess. - Marc, Park Slope
• Back to school. I work from home a lot of the time and would love a place to go that is inside my building — the main perk of working from home is having zero commute. I imagine it would kind of be like being back in the common room of my college dorm. The main advantage I can see to having a workspace in my building is being able to leave it behind after the work day. It’s hard to shut off at the end of the day when you’ve been working in your own living room all day long. But of course, reclaiming the space in my apartment that is currently taken up by a huge desk and messy shelves would be great, too! - Zachary, Harlem

Verdict: Wi-fi enabled work space: 2 Roofdeck: 4

Winner: Roofdeck!

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