Chicago Toy & Game Group Review

1871 is by far the best coworking space in the city. The facilities are nice, spacious, and full of conference rooms. The staff is spectacular, helpful, and friendly. Ability to quickly meet with mentors and in-facility VC firms is an incredible boon to startup life as well.

I have worked for startups in various other coworking spaces, and none could hold a candle to 1871. While some had particular amenities which are individually nicer, none can come close to the whole package that 1871 offers, especially for the price point.

Conference rooms are always available if you look a day in advance, and there are no overall maximums to the amount of conference room time you get. This is the first coworking space I have used which does not have a problem in that area.

The staff are phenomenal. Everyone is incredibly fast and helpful. Courtney deserves a shout out for her prompt attention to all communication and her ability to turn around requests on unbelievably small timeframes.

The flexibility that 1871 offers is incredible as well. We have paid for individual memberships, team memberships, and reserved space - the transitions among these have been seamless.

If you are starting a small business in Chicago, you simply can't beat 1871 for workspace.

A great tech hub in Chicago. Tip: the Orleans St. elevator does not run on the second floor on weekends so if you're coming from the Brown/Purple line, you need to take the stairs down to the first floor first.

This place is Jumping with the Energy of Ideas in Action!

An awesome co-working space with a creative atmosphere.It is very spacious and offers kitchens, sound-proof booths for calls, and an onsite coffee shop.

I've been to 1871 only a few times, but I've loved it every time. This is probably one of the first incubators that most people learn about, and it will continue to be one of the best.

The location is nice. You can't beat working at merchandise mart, which is always a plus. They have designed the office to also increase the likelihood of strangers interacting. Interactions create bonds which create friendships and connections: networking done easy without even realizing it.

A lot of universities also own a room which can be booked by students who are aware. If you've never been to one of these kinds of locations, then you should visit. Especially if you're in entrepreneur, you should go at least a few times a year when they hold events.

Such a cool atmosphere, but the Wi-Fi could be faster weirdly enough.

Awesome place for Startups to grow. The space also has some early stage angel investors and VCs. They also host tech and startup events weekly.

What a wonderful experience! Brightest mind around the Chicago working on top-notch ideas and changing the world. Great space to get started with your startup. No shortage of skilled mentors and is opened 24 x 7 for the members.

Went here for a few events, nice staff and well kept area. Everyone is helpful and friendly !

It s like a university campus with the best snacks, booze and facilities all in one space. Loved being here. Can t wait to come back.

1871 is a very inspiring place to go to - the quotes on the walls are great - but the truth is that if you are in the shared workspace, it's just too noisy to do real work. It is great for networking, though.

Went to the Chicago science expo. Boring and uninteresting for the most part.

Great incubator and coworking office space. Features cool art in the upstairs section. They are expanding the floorspace. Great for conferences.

Super cool and friendly place for entrepreneurs n aspirers

Unlike any other workspace I have ever seen. Bring your ear buds; it gets noisy.

But it has the best (and quirkiest) art gallery lining the hidden hallways. Be sure to roam; you never know what you re going to find.

What other people have said is true. The space is full of people full of so-so ideas (mostly poorly thought out mobile apps) created by non-technical people looking for technical people to do all the work for them. The co-working space is crowded and noisy and it's hard to get any work done.

I would advise anybody who is a technical startup founder to find another space.

Attended a private event. Nice location and staff at front desk were really helpful guiding us around

Maybe the best innovation center in Chicago. Only problem is it feels overcrowded and not too organised, but that's also part of the startup culture.

I attended several events here including the Chibuys Winter Tasting. The awesome thing about the event is that 1871 partnered up with minority and women owned food vendors across Chicago. There were samples of many different foods that were delicious, and I was able to discover some new vendors that I was not aware of.

1871 is on the 12th floor in the Merchandise Mart. The space is large and offers many opportunities for growing businesses.

1871 is Chicago's center for technology and entrepreneurship. They offer co-working spaces, special events, a community of start ups, corporations, and community partners. Workshops and in-depth courses to teach design, technology, and business skills, incubators and accelerators, also a great place to work, they are always on the cutting edge.

SpotHero was an early tenant at 1871. They are responsible for the growth and mentoring of many new businesses.

What a great place to help grow your business!

Great location and exceptional workspace. Lots of amenities, including a sound proof telephone booth. A number of companies and universities run programs out of this space (including University of Chicago). The large public speaking space is ideal for a moderately sized Ted-style talk.

Great co-working space and a beehive of Chicago's startup tech community. Can get a bit chaotic at times.

Unbelievable atmosphere. You really want to get to work and build something impressive!

Extremely unprofessional staff. Went here for a tour and spoke with multiple staff members at 1871 who said would provide follow up information on how to become involved. 2 months and over 50 emails later to 10 different people can't even take the time to send a response back. Recommend finding another co-working space or working elsewhere. Save your money/time.

What a great place to network with other like minded people. A truly unique community

Nice space, great to work in (as long as you don't need reliable internet). The wifi is patchy.

One of my favorite places to visit. It's a coworking space/incubator for startups that holds many public events. Bloggers Meet Startups is one that I co-host here every other month. Located on the 12th floor of the Merchandise Mart!

Killer co-working space. I've been working here for over a year and love it. 1871 has become the center of the Chicago startup ecosystem. There are tons of fantastic resources and people here. A great place to get started with a new idea.

This is the perfect place for start-ups in Chicago! Plus, the Bunker is located in side and is dedicated to providing start-up space for Veterans.

Amazing co-working space! The best place in town if you have a startup!

Best incubator in the country, hard to say something negative about it. I was there for a presentation of start ups that are led by women. The event was well run and everyone there is incredibly friendly.

This working space reminded me of a college library. It was loud, disorganized and there were post in notes for mobile apps all over the place. This seems like it would be a huge distraction from actually building anything tech related, so I think it is more of a business development and product development space for people who like to talk and be in meetings. If you want to write some code, find a good coffee shop somewhere else.

Very friendly and relaxing environment with inspiring art and mor amenities that most will ever need.

1871 is a very inspirational place, the true heart of Chicago's tech scene. They offer decent amenities to visitors and tenants including a shared kitchen with filtered water station, Intelligentsia coffee bar and a variety of vending machines. It's a great place to visit for an event but as a shared co-working space it's noisy and a bit too social.

Go here once a month for Google Developers Group meetings as well as the annual Google I/O event. Always a fun time and learn something new every time! Amenities and decor are fine, and the close proximity to the Motorola HQ make for interesting experiences every visit!

Workspace that has a lit more than just space. It's a tech space that helps partnerships form. Bathrooms can be bigger and better. Guest WiFi works sometimes. People are friendly, space is huge and so are the ideas and energy. Having Intelligentsia Cafe inside is a big plus!