Even the most prosperous cities have empty storefronts, of varying sizes but looking out on their city's streetscapes and the sidewalks and the people on them. There are a couple of small closed storefronts on Foster Rd. that I keep noticing, that haven't had anyone move into them yet.
And I picture some writer, an author who's been doing well, buying or renting that space, and making it into a work office. Writing with a view of their city, their city mates, traffic, however much of the sky they can see from that angle.
A writer could do this with them the only person in the place; they could do it with an assistant/receptionist, but probably not too many people because overhead. Maybe a display of books and publications by that author could be available for sale! Or maybe there's a sign visible to the public saying that the author suggests going to [BOOKSTORE] to buy their work. Advertise the writer, advertise the work.
Maybe if the author has a Harlan Ellison-ish streak of exhibitionism, that author can do what Harlan's often done: start writing a short story, and post the printed pages on the windows so passerby can see and read them. Harlan — may I call him Harlan? Lots of people do — does this on a typewriter, so it's quicker for him to put pages up, but plenty of laser printers are plenty quick, so that's almost as good, and — voilà! — people passing by have a short story they can read.
You can write anywhere, you know. I really wonder if any writers do that this way. Maybe it'd help an author connect with more of the public.
I think about offices. It's one thing I do.