Tucked inside the historic Nissen Building on Portland’s East End, just a block from the buzz of Washington Avenue, The Wave doesn’t look—or feel—like your average co-working space. There’s no crowded bullpen of desks or corporate branding. Instead, you’ll find sunlit windows, thoughtfully curated artwork on the walls, and a fridge stocked with LB. MINI-MART’s wellness-forward snacks and drinks. The aesthetic lands somewhere between boutique hotel lobby and modern coffee shop. It’s intentional, calming, and just a little under-the-radar.
“We actually tried to avoid calling it a co-working space at first,” says operations manager Katie Wolitarsky, laughing. “We were throwing around phrases like ‘community workspace,’ but ultimately, yeah, it’s a co-working space. Just a different kind.”
Wolitarsky, a public relations consultant by trade, helped shape The Wave after being approached by the building’s owner, Jake Edwards. Formerly the home of The Body Architect gym, the second-floor space sat vacant after the pandemic. “Jake thought the neighborhood needed something more community-oriented,” she says. “He asked if I could help with branding and concepting, and it kind of unfolded from there.”
From the start, The Wave was designed for a different kind of working professional: one who might not want to work from home, but also isn’t looking for a traditional office. With 26 desks, no private offices, and a structure built around memberships and multi-day punch passes, The Wave emphasizes connection over anonymity. “There’s something powerful about being able to just turn your chair around and ask someone a question,” Wolitarsky says. “You might be a digital marketer chatting with someone running a DTC business, or a copywriter getting feedback from a designer. That kind of interaction is something you don’t get working alone.”
Most of the members are freelancers, consultants, and creatives, often with ties to larger cities like Boston or New York but now based in Maine. Others are hybrid workers negotiating remote flexibility. “I think people really want to be out of the house again,” Wolitarsky says. “They’re not necessarily craving a corporate office, but they do want structure and community.”
While Portland has a growing list of co-working options, few are located on the East End, and none with quite the same vibe. Membership at The Wave includes access to six phone-booth-style workspaces, three meeting rooms, a rooftop patio, and even showers. There’s also a steady rotation of local snacks and drinks and a conference room available for rent or use by members’ companies. Those interested in more casual use can purchase 3-, 5-, or 10-day passes. “Because we’re not on a prime foot-traffic corner, and the door is locked, we’ve leaned into that speakeasy feel,” Wolitarsky explains. “Google figured us out eventually, but for a while, we weren’t even using the word ‘co-working’ on the website.”
The name “The Wave” comes from Washington Avenue (W.Ave.), a nod to the street and to Maine’s coastal energy. “We had fun with the branding,” Wolitarsky adds. “There’s a wavy ‘W’ on the elevator. It’s subtle. Kind of an ‘if you know, you know’ thing.”
A big part of the space’s success comes down to Wolitarsky’s personal investment in building the culture. She curates a balance of full-time and part-time members and caps growth to avoid the dreaded co-working conundrum of “nowhere to sit.” She also organizes informal programming: happy hours, breakfast pop-ups, a writing group on Wednesdays, and events with organizations like the Portland Society of Architects and Held. “I don’t want it to feel corporate,” she says. “But I also want people to know what the person across the room does. That’s what makes it work.”
Wolitarsky and Edwards collaborated with Evan Carroll of Bild Architecture, interior designer Kaitlyn Payne of Basic Space, and Jesse Hutchins from Nest Carpentry on The Wave’s design, along with a tight-knit crew of contractors familiar with the building and its businesses. It was a slow buildout, complete with lots of night and weekend work, but it gave the team the flexibility to get it right without the pressure of a tight timeline.
Memberships are straightforward with basic and premium (parking included) options available, along with discounts for teams (visit waveportland.com to see current pricing). While day passes are priced slightly higher than some of the city’s other offerings, the focus is on creating value through environment and community. “We’re not trying to be everything to everyone,” Wolitarsky says. “We’re small by design. If someone’s not using the space as much as they thought, they might cancel, and then come back a month later with a punch pass. That flexibility matters.”
Looking ahead, Wolitarsky is interested in growing The Wave’s role as a neighborhood hub, whether that’s through rotating local art, creative collaborations, or simply making the most of their rare rooftop patio. “At the end of the day, this is still a co-working space,” she says. “But I want it to feel like more. A place where you can belong, be productive, and still feel like you’re part of something.”