il grande milan

A forward-looking generation of creatives and entrepreneurs has turned the once-woebegone Italian city into one of the country's most exciting destinations

- Kerry Olsen

It's an early spring morning in Milan. The cosmopolitan hub of Italy's north is awakening with a shot of espresso. Many are bleary-eyed after a whirlwind week celebrating the Salone del Mobile, the world's largest furniture-and-design fair. Outside Palazzo Serbelloni, I'm standing in a queue that's snaking around the neoclassical palace. If its weathered stucco walls could talk, they'd tell tales of the palazzo's notable inhabitants, including Napoleon Bonaparte and King Vittorio Emanuele II. Yet this crowd of international and local style setters and design aficionados (mostly in smart sneakers, not the suede loafers of yore) isn't searching for history; it wants to see something new. And Milan, which suddenly feels like the most forward-thinking city in Italy-a place of big ideas, investment, and innovation, busily spouting new subway lines, cutting-edge hotels, and infrastructure ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics-is more than ready to oblige.

But the home of Prada, Campari, and da Vinci hasn't always drawn swells of visitors. Until recently, Milan was one of the most bypassed cities in Italy. What's changed? No single thing. Rather, there has been a convergence of sorts-Brexit exiles arriving, new tax incentives for businesses, the city's revamping of a handful of rundown districts. Coming out of the pandemic, Milan, in contrast to other cities around the globe, feels more habitable and inviting than ever, with a thriving cultural scene and a growing number of green spaces. It makes sense that international travelers' eyes have been reopened to it and that a new generation of creatives is calling it home.