I Visited the Netflix Headquarters in Hollywood. Here's What It Was Like!
I’m not one that tends to run towards commitment, but baby, if Netflix proposed, I might have to say “I do.”
What is it like to work at Netflix?
Here, on this Los Angeles lifestyle blog, I give you a look around LA thru my lens. Today, I am a visitor on the Netflix headquarters campus in Hollywood.
As I am not employed by Netflix, I can’t tell you about the workload or company culture as an employee of Netflix, Inc. What I will do, however, is give you an exclusive look inside this beautiful building in which my tush is currently comfortably seated.
A company’s space for employees can give you a feeling of how much the company cares about its employees.
I got my first taste of employee appreciation via employee spaces during my senior year of college when I picked up a new part-time job at a luxury casino in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. During orientation, management walked us into a dining hall and I wasn’t sure if I was in a guest-facing or employee-only area.
Me being me, I verbalized my thoughts. “This is where we eat?” Even after receiving an answer in the affirmative, I had to confirm. “Hotel and casino guests don’t come back here.. at all?” The response to that question assured me that this was for us, and that the level of cleanliness and quality wasn’t by chance. The higher up giving the tour shared a piece of company culture with us in that moment. The establishment was built with the aim to be luxurious thru and thru, not only look good for what the client would see.
What? Have a business that treats both the customer and the worker good? What a concept?!
Now, living in Los Angeles, I’ll temporarily fill a role somewhere that’s immaculate for the guest, but when it comes to the worker, we’re in the back of a supply closet, sitting on a flipped over mop bucket, shoving a burnt corner of bread in our in our faces, like a kitchen rat. This is reflective of a sad norm in L.A. — beautiful on the outside, but wretched within. Both people and places are often deceiving, like the glamourous and wealthy narrative of “Hollywood,” while the reality of Hollywood is nasty and filled with people that can’t even afford to put a roof over their heads. Such an unfortunate truth makes the Netflix headquarters in Hollywood a pleasant surprise.
What makes the Netflix headquarters in Hollywood better?
The place is clean. The amenities are plush. And the people are nice.
When I first received the details for my engagement at the Netflix headquarters, I looked at the address and thought, “ew, why is it in Hollywood?” I’d never looked up the valuation of Netflix, but I assumed they would have enough money to house their offices, in what people tend to consider better areas aroundLA, like their fellow giants (Twitter in Santa Monica, Discovery in Century City, Live Nation in Beverly Hills, etc.).
Palm trees float in the Hollywood sky and the Netflix office headquarters floats even higher. | photo: NBS News
Okay, let’s start from the beginning, spitting my day at Netflix to you from the dome, because my slowpoke behind has allowed the sun to set and I don’t have my lights on me.
My Day at the Netflix Headquarters in Hollywood
As I pedaled my bicycle towards the Netflix campus, it’s as if I was leaving Hollywood. Geographically, it’s 100% in Hollywood, but it doesn’t look like Hollywood.
“Oh, okay, Netflix! You said you don’t have to go to West LA; you brought West LA to you?! Okaaaaay,” goes the voice inside my head, gassing them.
First of all, do you see the outside of the building?
I don’t know if you’ve ever shopped or sold housing, but there’s a term called curb appeal. Take an apartment, for example. An individual unit could be nice, the front door could be nice, and the walkway to the doormat could be nice; but if the entry onto the property isn’t nice, and the grounds aren’t nice, then, even though you aren’t living outside, that apartment unit isn’t as nice. These are aspects that play into the consumer experience, even if the consumer never puts words to it in this way. Curb appeal, before you step foot onto a property, matters. This corporate office for Netflix HQ has curb appeal.
I pull up to one of the entrances and approach the security box office. They ask for my identification, verify my permission to be onsite, print me a visitor’s pass, then buzz me in. The gentleman saw the whip I’d come in and was nice enough to step out of the booth and hold the gated door open as me and my ride rolled in.
Netflix employees scan their badge to walk in, no hold up at security necessary.
Bicycle parking is available behind a keypad-locked door inside of the parking garage at Netflix HQ in Los Angeles, CA. | photo: @aroundLAwithTK
In the parking garage, I don’t only find a measly bike rack, but an entire enclosed section dedicated to bicycles! Oh me, oh my, they’re scratching a sweet spot with that one. Though I take my belongings with me, I noticed bicycle lockers as well, in the event bicycle commuters want to lock up their 200-dollar Airbus helmut, or other personal items they don’t need in the building with them, the way motorists leave stuff in their car.
Related: Why Corporate Offices Should Offer Safe, Convenient Bicycle Parking | aroundLA
The Netflix campus is safe and secure.
When entering the office building itself, you’re greeted by another set of security that’ll walk you thru inputting basic identity information and scanning your face on a tablet. After passing that checkpoint in the lobby, they’ll click a button for the glass doors to light up green and swing open to let you thru. Netflix keeps good track of every warm body on its campus.
There’s a block-ish spiral staircase going up the center of the very tall building, if you want to take the scenic route, or you can go to the elevator hallway, where you’ll type in the number of the floor to which you’re going and be given direction letter direction on a digital screen for your elevator of the 6.
As I’ve already mentioned, Hollywood gets pretty sketch; all these security measures, the ones I’ve mentioned, the ones I haven’t, and the ones I don’t even know about, make you feel safe inside of this building. Nobody can just roll up onto the Netflix campus. That’s a good thing to know. If I had a crazy, stalker ex-boyfriend, working at Netflix would probably keep me safer than a restraining order.
Bending your neck from the sidewalk, it’s nice looking up in the sky, so imagine how much better it gets being up in the sky.
Floor to ceiling windows wrap the outer walls of the Netflix building in Hollywood. The views rival that of a 10-thousand-dollar per month penthouse pad in DTLA. I give that example because a client-turned-hangout-girlfriend of mine lives in one of those. And to be honest, the Netflix headquarters view is even better because there’s more to see. Looking from one direction, you can see DTLA in the distance, looking from another, you can see Griffith Park Observatory, then turn your head just a bit and you’re looking at the infamous Hollywood sign. Getting these types of views daily, without paying the rent, sounds like a pretty good perk to me.
Enjoying the great views of Los Angeles from Netflix HQ. photo: @aroundLAwithTK
Both high-top and a regular dining tables line areas along the perimeter of the building, boasting unbeatable views. I’m a like-to-look-at-the-outdoors-from-the-indoors type of girl, but if you actually like the outdoors, there’s an arrangement of seating on their multi-level patio. There’s big, cozy chairs that arch over your head. There’s cushioned, stadium-style ascending benches. I don’t feel like walking back out there right now, but I think I even saw some bean bags. You can sit in the direct sun or under an awning.
Netflix feeds its people… every day, all day! And it’s good!
Every floor has a snack area with granola bars, healthy fruit snacks and the like, as well as a triple-treat dispenser with the choice of trail mix, goldfish, or peanut M&Ms.
The main dining area offers a selection of cold and hot food options. A catering team sets up an elaborate breakfast buffet in the mornings, and a lunch buffet in the afternoons, with a menu for each that changes daily. If that isn’t enough, another contractor comes in for lunch every day with a warm, pre-packaged meals from various restaurants.
Today was a Mexican cuisine themed day, which made me fill my belly with M&Ms because I do not care for Mexican food. I asked the lead from the kitchen’s team if he had at least any shrimp without cilantro sprinkled on top yet, but he said it was cooked into it. He then let me know that even the spealty salad for the day, a Mexican caesar, had cilantro in it. I could gag at the thought! I’m a part of that 15 percent of the population who has the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap. Cilantro in anything immediately makes me want to hurl.
Oh, I missed breakfast, but I did grab a protein shake out of one of the fridges this morning. Then, for lunch, even though all the specialties were cilantro-ridden, there’s always a traditional salad bar. I made my own custom salad.
That salad digested pretty quickly, so I grabbed one of the grab-and-go sushi options. I’m about to go have a third cup of tea. Yeah, there’s a whole entire tea and coffee bar. There’s also kombucha, cold brew, and nitro on tap!
Pulled this off Google to give you a visual, but this photo must be old because the outdoor patio at Netflix HQ in Los Angeles looks even better today | photo: Architectural Digest
Do you all not understand how expensive that would be to have fresh coffee, an appetizer, a hot plate (entree), a little sushi, all-you-can-drink-everything-non-alcoholic, and snacks throughout the day… every single day?! Child, if I worked at Netflix, I’d save so much money because I’d arrive hungry and leave full Monday thru Friday. What?! And, I’m taking to-go plates on Friday evenings to feed myself over the weekend when I see them closing the buffet and know they’ll be throwing away the food anyway. Who?! Baby, I ain’t shame. Times are hard.
Speaking of hard times…
Am I authorized to speak on Netflix HQ?
I chose to take the “ask forgiveness, not permission” route. I’m just a baby blogger sharing my personal experiences aroundLA on this here little corner of the Internet of mine. Can’t hurt nothing, right?
I don’t remember if I [electronically] signed an NDA, but hey..
What are they going to do, sue me? If so, jokes on them! I’m broke. Oh, they’ll lock me up? Jokes on them again! Their tax dollars will pay to house and feed me. Shoot, I could use a little break anyway.
In all seriousness, this is my perspective, from my own personal experience. I am not a representative nor affiliate of Netflix, Inc.
Now, one more thing before I get out of here.
The one thing I didn’t like about my visit at Netflix HQ today.
Out of the hundreds of people in the building today, they made 7 of us wear a mask. That may seem small, and it is, but it’s the small things that are annoying. Why in the world would it be optional for every other human body in the building that’s vaccinated to wear a mask, but mandatory for me? That doesn’t make any sense and felt very discriminatory.
Oh… There’s no lotion in the bathroom, but because of all the other extras provided, I won’t hold that against them as a thing “I didn’t like”.
Who else has a thing for bathrooms?
Bathrooms really play a part in how much I like a place because these bodies we live in have to excrete waste at some point, whether we like it or not, and a nice bathroom makes for a pleasant experience doing a human requirement.
Bathrooms are also a minor moment of solitude. You can inhale, exhale, get away from everyone and regroup. The ladies room is a sacred place for ladies.
Netflix provides sanitary items in the ladies’ room for us natural-born women of reproductive age. Then, for those with the challenge of body dysmorphia, that choose to identify with us, there’s a so-called “all genders” restroom; I respect this more than the “use whichever bathroom you want” method because it allows them to feel comfortable while not infringing upon the comfort of natural-born women.
Ready-to-use, pre-pasted bamboo toothbrushes are also available in the restrooms. After eating enough peanut M&Ms to give myself a cavity, I brushed my teeth, flossed, and rinsed with mouthwash. Yep, all of that was available complimentary as well. My arms are also feeling fresher after wiping with a deodorant wipe that cleanses and calms. I’d seen floss picks before, but the single-use toothbrush and natural underarm refresher was new to me.
You can come to work, knock out what you have to do, then hit the town after you get off without having to go home in-between.
Am I basic af for being impressed by Netflix HQ?
A brown-skin girl, about the depth of Kelly Rowland, with thick thighs in distressed jeans, rocking a wash-and-go, chatted with me in a passing moment. Based on the pitch of her voice, I wouldn’t be surprised if she went to a private, all-girls Catholic school. She told me she’s been with Netflix for 3 years, if I remember correctly, prompting me to ask her if it’s as good as it looks from the outside looking in. I’m only a visitor. She’s on the Netflix payroll. She said that this is what’s expected of a tech company, like it’s nothing. My eyes bulged, and I began listing the perks I see here that I haven’t seen in other headquarters I’ve popped into, nor have my girlfriends (that work in corporate) experienced. She was coming from the perspective of the even more elevated world of tech workplaces, mentioning San Jose (and then my mind assuming Silicon Valley out in the Bay Area as well). I said, “okay, but where are you getting THIS,” gesturing to the beauty around me, “in L.A.?!” She then sighed and agreed, saying, “yeah, for Los Angeles, it is the best place to work. They treat us well.”
I know you all have been asking how I make it in Los Angeles without a job, and I promise a blog post is coming… as soon as it falls into my spirit. You know what, actually, I’m ready for y’all to get up on y’all side hustles, so I’m going to force it out for y’all. I don’t yet make a full-time living from blogging, and I’m not an employee of anybody’s company, so how do I do it?
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