There are a lot of small companies out there these days making nice bags. I ordered a custom bag from Blaq Design, based in Kent, Ohio (http://www.blaqdesign.com - I got the Body Bag, which is huge), in large part because they were (relatively) reasonably priced, and their email response to my stupid questions was lightning fast. They made a mistake in my initial bag order (forgot to put reflective material on both the bottom of the bag and the flap) and actually made me a new bag with some design improvements for my u-lock, and let me keep both. That's pretty good service! If I need a bag again I may go with a Chicago-based bagmaker like Chicago Wig (http://www.chicagowig.com) just to keep things local, but I've heard good things about many of the smaller shops (Seagull, Freight, Reload, etc).

Since you are in the metro, if you're willing to drop some cash (not as much as the Brooks, but more than your other choices), you might want to check out Chicago Wig. They carry some of their bags at a few shops around the north side of the city if you want to take a look yourself.

For my own purposes, these days I would much rather pay a premium for something that was made by hand, with care, in a small shop by either the owners of a company or someone who is compensated fairly for their time and work. The fact that Brooks (along with many, many other companies) can get away with insanely high prices for outsourced, possibly sweatshop production is troubling, though I'm also a supporter of buying whatever you want that does what you need it to do, if you can afford it.

Keep in mind that most USA made small shop bags made for cycling that you'll find are generally one big open compartment (which I like), but one of the great things is that a small shop can tailor and customize your bag to fit your needs. I'd do some shopping around and asking folks if they can make the bag that YOU want.