I’ve had the pleasure of working at Policy Research for over 10 years. I remember walking into the building on my first day and feeling overwhelmed by the labyrinthine offices. It took some time for me to learn where the site visit assets were stored and which part of the shared office fridge was “mine.”

Over the course of the next 7 years, the building became a second home to me. I had five different offices within the building. My favorite, “the cave,” had raised windows with a wonderful ledge that housed many plants, sparkly rocks, and other treasures. It was also next to the elevator that would roar each time it was used.

I spent so much time walking the rail trail behind the office, debating where to order lunch (spicy rock shrimp from Shogun or a Reuben from McCarroll’s?), and admiring the beautiful daffodils that were the harbingers of spring at the office. I knew the office as well as my own home.

After so much time spent in and around the building, the office became another character in the many stories I have about work. There was a neighbor’s Bengal cat, Ally, who would come greet us when she was roaming the neighborhood. To my delight, she would sometimes sneak into the office after a door was left open too long. The opening of the Policy Research gardens was an exciting step in enhancing our workplace wellness, and it was so lovely to sit out back at the picnic tables to share a lunchtime meal with a coworker. Our parking lot would periodically become a mini–Olympic Village, where staff would team up for events like project and acronym matching, egg balancing, and three-legged races.

Then the pandemic hit, and our little office community retreated to our respective homes. It was incredible how well we all adapted to a remote-first environment. With a lot of careful planning, our onsite events became virtual ones. We found that we could provide technical assistance, conduct research, create engaging content, and plan for systems change from our homes. This shift worked so well, in fact, that working from home has become our new standard—we are a remote-first organization, to the great benefit of our work and home lives.

To adapt to our new working reality and our need for a more flexible space, we have moved to a coworking space a few towns over in Troy, New York. Our time at 345 Delaware Ave has ended after 22 years (before we were at 262 Delaware Ave), and we are embarking on a new adventure across the river at The Works at the Hedley Park Place.

The new office space fits our needs well and will be beneficial during our twice-annual staff gatherings. Working from home has become the norm and allows us to be fully present in our work and home lives, freeing us up from commutes and providing space for more innovation.

While I’ll miss the funny stories that came from the interactions between 50 people in a building, I am so excited to see what our new home at 433 River Street, Suite 1005, Troy, NY 12180, has in store for us!