Chicago launches fun places for remote work this summer
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Monica works from the Offshore Rooftop bar on Navy Pier, one of many spots offering summer workspaces. Photo: Courtesy of Tracy Ivey
Chicago boosters are launching a bevy of cool summer "office spaces" designed to coax remote workers out of their pjs and back into the city for the workday.
- Think museums, rooftop bars, swank hotels and high rises with Wi-Fi, desks and more.
Why it matters: The program, called Work From Summertime Chi, could inject much-needed foot traffic and dollars into downtown, as it struggles to regain its pre-pandemic mojo.
- It could also keep them there for after-work fun.
Current spots include the Museum of Contemporary Art, Cultural Center, Hoxton Hotel, Prudential Building, three restaurants on Navy Pier and existing coworking office spaces, offering introductory rates and freebies.
How it works: Each venue sets aside space with chairs, tables, outlets and Wi-Fi that can be reserved from 9am to 5pm certain days of the week on the Summertime Chi website.
- Each site offers its own amenities (like unlimited tea and coffee or the Prudential's amazing 11th-floor patio) for prices that range from free to $35 a day.
- After the workday, venues highlight post-work fun like panel discussions, after-hours tours of the Cultural Center and fireworks at Navy Pier.
The intrigue: The organizers — Choose Chicago, P33, Navy Pier and World Business Chicago — launched the program this week on a yacht docked at Navy Pier, making us wonder whether boats might join the roster of summer workspaces.
- "Not yet," Summertime Chi co-founder Tifair Hamed tells Axios, "but we're definitely trying to get them on board."
What they're saying: "It's these kinds of creative and strategic partnerships that will ensure our city continues to thrive," Navy Pier CEO Marilynn Gardner tells Axios.
- "I think we're creating a model for our city and cities across the globe."
What's next: Currently, 70 businesses are offering space for the program but organizers want to double that by the end of the summer. To propose a new venue, sign up here.