Update: This story originally ran on June 21, 2012.
Just letting you know right now: Your entire office is about to feel a serious pang of envy, thanks to a place called 1871. It's the recently opened co-working space in the Merchandise Mart, managed by Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, that's got busy professionals in the tech world and beyond clamoring for the keys. The concept is simple genius: Your start-up company rents desks in a communal workspace filled with other start-up companies. It takes the pressure off opening your own HQ and lets you get professional in a much more productive environment than, say, your couch.
