3 minute read
Cultivating Community & Creating Space
The story behind York’s creative hub, The Grotto Community Center
By David Gonzalez, Jr. | Director, Economic Initiatives & Advocacy
The Grotto Community Center isn’t a new name in York, but it is now operating out of a new space. In 2022, the organization purchased 1523 E. Philadelphia Street in Downtown York. The campus comprises multiple buildings, and the overall site comes with a historic past of hosting many well-known York businesses, such as Rudy Art Glass, York Dispatch Newspaper, and Carriage Works. This new site provides more room, new offerings, and a boundless future.
The Grotto, as members and partners refer to the organization, is offering much more than coworking. As the Interim Executive Director, Alexa Born, notes, “You think you are signing up for the office space and a copier, but it ends up being the community that you can tap into and get answers to your questions that makes the Grotto much more compelling.” The experience Alexa describes is a palpable feeling when members start to walk through the doors, informal meetings spark instantly, and the uplifting of spirits can be sensed.
We want to be a space where the wild questions can be asked...our minds and doors are open to reviewing what is possible.
- Alexa Born, Interim Executive Director
It is that open collaboration of individuals across sectors and specialties that can help generate new ideas and serve as a sounding board for the fellow creatives and small business owners who congregate at the Grotto. Many would call the environment itself a win, but the Grotto team has much more on the horizon. From offering studios for artists, plans for a dark room for photography, and a multiphase campus buildout, the Grotto is looking to the future and serving the broader needs of the community it has formed. “We want to be a space where the wild questions can be asked,” shares Alexa. “We have the space to host a litany of services and amenities. So, my call out to anyone is that our minds and doors are open to reviewing what is possible.”
The site is entrepreneurial in nature, from its past, its current state, and its future. The space is rooted in the downtown – walkable from most of the City of York’s key amenities. Central Market, the Appell Center, restaurants and bars, and the Heritage Rail Trail – whereas the Grotto is a designated Trail-Friendly Business – are all steps away providing the necessary outlets to have complimentary experiences in proximity to the Grotto Community Center. The doors are open, and your Grotto moment awaits.
The Grotto By The Numbers:
650+ members
8 office spaces and counting
12 dedicated desks and counting
30,000 square feet of limitless potential
Hot Desk Membership and above ensures 24/7 access - This level also ensures 1 day a month access to CoworkingPA Passport, to enjoy 8 other coworking spaces throughout the state. More info: coworkingpa.com
