http://desktimeapp.com/spaces/92-coworking-evanston
We "officially" open on Monday, but we are already functionally open and a group of us have been working out of the space for about a month. The picture above only shows one small section. It has open shared spaces, a small lounge, a collection of private offices and meeting space. If you are a north Chicagoan, stop by!
Coffee shops are great, I really love working out of them and we have some awesome ones in the area, but I needed a change. IMO, coworking spaces can do a good job of having the positive atmosphere of a coffee shop while also being conducive to actually getting work done and they make it easier to connect with people working on similar things. It's also a great way to crowdsource an awesome office for people who otherwise would be working in more isolated environments.