I'm a remote worker who moved to Chicago. Social media helped me make friends, but it's hard to meet people during the city's freezing winters.

Tech Insider
Aley Clark sits on her sofa in her apartment in Chicago, holding a hot drink and looking at a magazine
Summer is the season for socializing in Chicago, Aley Clark says.

Courtesy of Aley Clark

Young families are still fleeing major cities in huge numbers, a 'big surprise' for metros trying to escape the urban doom loop

Tech Insider : Economy
A row of students ages 5-7 raising their hands while standing along a chain-link fence on a playground during recess at P.S. 111, a public school in Hell's Kitchen, New York City.
A row of students ages 5-7 on a playground during recess at a public school in Hell's Kitchen, New York City.

Deb Cohn-Orbach/Getty Images

When renters get locked out, it's unlikely they'll ever get back in.

Tech Insider
A couple standing in front of the car they live in.
Henisha Dunn, right, and her fiancé were forced out of their basement apartment in Atlanta in February 2023.

Alyssa Pointer for Business Insider

I ate at the world's biggest Starbucks. The meal was tasty, and the setting was super cool, but it wasn't worth the $43 I spent.

Tech Insider
Avocado toast at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago
I got a meal from the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

I've tried over 100 restaurants in Chicago, from dives to Michelin-starred spots. Here are 11 that are worth visiting.

Tech Insider : Travel
caviar plated on a big sunflower bowl at a restaurant
I've enjoyed a mix of fine dining and little-known eats.

Latifah Al-Hazza

I tried Italian beef from 3 popular Chicago chains, and there's only one sandwich I'd order again

Tech Insider
three italian beef sandwiches side by side, left to right Portillo's, Al's, Buona
I tried Italian beef from three Chicago staples to find which I liked best.

Alexis Kishimoto

Take a look inside the world's biggest Starbucks — which is spread over 4 floors, has a roof terrace, and sells pizza, luxury coffees, and hot-honey cocktails

Tech Insider
Composite photo showing merchandise at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago and then people sitting at the Arriviamo Bar in the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago as a bartender makes them a drink
The biggest Starbucks store is in Chicago.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

Millennials who can't afford to buy homes are helping make suburban Chicago and Miami the most competitive rental markets in the US

Tech Insider : Economy
View of Lake Michigan and the city skyline in Chicago, United States on October 14, 2022.
Rising competition in rental markets has been shaped in recent years by severe housing shortages

Jakub Porzycki/Getty Images

I visited Wayfair's first physical store and got major Ikea vibes — with a few surprises thrown in

Tech Insider
Dominick Reuter at Wayfair's first store in Chicago
I visited Wayfair's first store near Chicago.

Dominick Reuter/Business Insider

I went to the only US McDonald's that sells items from its international menus. The super speedy table service was even more impressive than my spicy Thai sandwich.

Tech Insider
The Samarai McSpicy from the McDonald's global kitchen in Chicago
I ordered the Samurai McSpicy from McDonald's Thailand.

Grace Dean/Business Insider

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