Sometimes it’s hard to love this sprawling, jacked-up town Pollyanna politicians like to call the heart of America. We may devote plenty of ink to griping about all of its flaws, but we know that just underneath the surface, it has a beautiful soul. That’s why we spend our biggest issue of the year stoking old romances and uncovering brand-new things to adore about the city. This year we’ve stitched together a red-blooded, plush and sparkly Best Of guaranteed to open up the hardest hearts. Spread out these pages and start feeling the love.

