10) Does Recreational Weed Have a Chance in Illinois?

By Tatiana Walk-Morris

The political tide has turned against marijuana in recent months. So why are two state lawmakers introducing a legalization bill now? (May 2)

9) Long-Simmering Instagram Fashionista Feud Goes Public

By Chiara Milioulis

Two of Chicago’s top social media personalities, who happen to have very similar feeds, are clashing about who’s copying whom. (December 8)

8) Chicago's Best Steakhouses

By Carly Boers, Penny Pollack, Jeff Ruby, and Carrie Schedler

A new guard of restaurateurs has shaken up our list of the city’s 10 best steakhouses. (October 23)

7) Welcome to Refugee High

By Elly Fishman

At Sullivan High School, where hijabs are as common as high-tops, a new mission has meant a second chance—both for the Rogers Park school and its swelling ranks of immigrant students. (June 6)

6) Like It or Not, Chicago’s About to Get a Lot Less Orange

By Whet Moser

When Chicago’s high-pressure sodium lights are replaced with LEDs, the city will lose its distinctive orange glow. Maybe it’s for the best. (April 21)

5) What Cops Know

By Peter Nickeas

You can learn a lot about a city by seeing it through the eyes of police officers who patrol it. (June 26)

4) Best New Restaurants

By Jeff Ruby

Ultrahaute tasting menus in dressed-down environs. Veggie-centric dining in the heart of a red-meat district. A food court stall transformed into an after-hours Korean feast. As this year’s picks prove, with great risk can come even greater reward. (April 10)

3) Chicago's 50 Best Bars

By Lisa Arnett, Carly Boers, Sarah Freeman, Matt Pollock, and Carrie Schedler

We rank our favorite watering holes, from high-end cocktail dens to total dives. Drink up! (January 24)

2) Blago: His Life in Prison

By David Bernstein

Five years ago, Rod Blagojevich kissed his wife and daughters goodbye, waved one last time to reporters, and flew to Colorado to start a 14-year sentence. In his first prison interview, the ex-governor reveals in startling detail what life has been like on the inside. (September 11)

1) Chicago Isn’t Just Segregated, It Basically Invented Modern Segregation

By Whet Moser

The Great Migration happened right around the time powerful Chicago interests found ways to separate people of different races. (March 31)