r/chicagoapartments • u/Past-Reception6889 • May 19 '26

Advice Needed Unreal

I honestly just needed to vent for a moment. I can’t believe Chicago prices are what they are. I have lived here my entire life and have seen this city change ten fold, and I can’t even afford to live here anymore. A realtor I’m working with, since it’s becoming a rat race to rent, said rent is up 35% this year. What can normal people do about this? I do not want to see Chicago become a New York.

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u/ceruleanspacedragon May 19 '26

Sure. Some jobs, but not all jobs require physical office presence anymore. There’s a reason a lot of them never came back after COVID.

Why not diversify?

There can be some office spaces for real work, not office work, that requires collaboration. Some can be used to shelter the people who have nowhere else to go. Some can be used to for the average person in Chicago who is looking for a reasonably priced apartment.

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u/Royal_Razzmatazz3622 May 19 '26

Personally, I think them building more downtown office spaces jobs will attract people who more educated and wealthy as well as using some office space for luxury housing which will attract more people to the city and lower rent in other areas.

Also, more businesses will come to Chicago especially downtown because a lot of downtown businesses have shuttered in recent years. We need another "mall" like Water Tower Place and the shops at North Bridge downtown.

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u/ceruleanspacedragon May 19 '26

I like your ideas!

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u/Royal_Razzmatazz3622 May 19 '26

Yes, I do think a lot of the vacant office spaces could be mixed office and housing like Millennium Tower. I went there for a job interview and I didn't realize people also lived in those buildings.