It really boggles my mind how the default approach to corporate real estate in the startup world seems to be getting a lease in a trendy (ie, expensive) neighbo

It really boggles my mind how the default approach to corporate real estate in the startup world seems to be getting a lease in a trendy (ie, expensive) neighborhood, spending significant money to make the space nicer, paying a lot in terms of perks (food, laundry, etc)....but at the end of the day, everyone's in this big open-air, hangar-like environment where you can't have a private conversation, and there's such a demand for conference room time that it becomes a source of conflict. I used to work in an office in a trendy part of NYC at a company that had 3 catered meals per day, a VERY well-stocked liquor cabinet, and a varied, seemingly endless supply of high-end drinks and snacks (as in the fresh-squeezed juices that retail for $9.99, candy imported from Japan, etc). They also had an open office that was not horribly crowded but very open nonetheless. I have also worked in a shabby nondescript office in a standard, non-sexy building and neighborhood where I had my own office with a door that closed. It wasn't big, but it was private. The latter was definitely cheaper on a $/employee basis, and not only did I prefer it in an abstract way, but I was definitely more productive.