Advice needed, looking for 2bed/2ba

Moving to Chicago in July, I have a roommate, we have a budget of $1500 (so $3000 for the both of us) and want in-unit laundry. Both of us have 700+ credit scores. I have to work in the Loop and don’t want to live too far from work (want to keep my commute to ~30 minutes if possible).

I have a lot of friends that live along the blue line, so we were looking at West Loop/Fulton Market, but wow, I was not expecting those prices. :,D

I’ve looked at the usual websites (Apartments.com, Domu, etc.), but all of these prices are way above budget. Does anyone have any specific advice on how to look for apartments :,) or maybe any insight on alternative neighborhoods? Am I too ambitious with what we’re looking for with our budget?