Carolyn Stein

Carolyn Stein covers news for the Naperville Sun. She is a recent graduate of Stanford University, where she studied communication and East Asian studies. She has previously worked for the San Francisco Chronicle, Mercury News and Mission Local.

Clarify Kitchen's chef/owner Cynthia Hyett, left, and bar manager Ruben Valadez hold a butternut squash balloon at Clarify Kitchen in Naperville on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. What started out as a catering company called BusyButternut has now expanded to include an event space for cooking classes and parties. (Carolyn Stein/Naperville Sun)

Clarify Kitchen, Taste Buds Kitchen approved for liquor licenses; Heinen’s gets outdoor patio drinking OK

February 6, 2026 at 6:48 p.m.

From cooking classes to a grocery store patio, a Naperville commission endorsed new and expanded alcohol service for 3 businesses.

Connie Martin, an Illinois Humanities Road Scholar lecturer, will be speaking at Naper Settlement on Feb. 11 about how quilts with hidden codes were used to help guide enslaved people to freedom through the Underground Railroad. (Connie Martin)

Naper Settlement program focuses how quilts guided slaves to freedom

February 9, 2026 at 12:41 p.m.

Program at Naper Settlement explores how messages conveyed through quilts guided runaway slaves through the Underground Railroad.

One person in attendance at the Naperville City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, holds signs that read, "Just Say 'No' To Electricity Rate Hikes!" Residents opposed to and in favor of extending the city's contract with the Illinois Municipal Electricity Agency. (Carolyn Stein/Naperville Sun)

Naperville council votes to pause contract talks with electricity provider IMEA

February 4, 2026 at 3:34 p.m.

Contract negotiations with city energy provider Illinois Municipal Electric Agency put on hold by the Naperville City Council.

This rendering shows The Atlas, a 236-unit multifamily apartment complex proposed for 2939 Audrey Ave. in Naperville. A senior living facility was previously approved for the site but never materialized. (OKW Architects)

‘The Atlas,’ a 236-unit apartment complex, proposed for land near Route 59/75th Street

February 3, 2026 at 3:16 p.m.

Plans for an upscale 236-unit apartment complex near Route 59 and 75th Street have been submitted to the city of Naperville.

The Eddie Bauer store in Naperville at 110 W. Jefferson Ave., seen here on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, will become the new home for Vuori, a California company that specializes in activewear and athleisure apparel. (R. Christian Smith/Naperville Sun)

Activewear retailer Vuori to take over former Eddie Bauer location in downtown Naperville

January 30, 2026 at 6:15 p.m.

The departure of the Eddie Bauer store in downtown Naperville has created a vacancy that will be filled by a new Vuori store.

Sparrow Coffee barista Victor Tomforde prepares a latte in the Naperville coffee shop on a weekday afternoon in spring 2025. Sparrow Coffee general manager Megan Gottig says the cafe has benefited from the increase in remote work following the pandemic. (Steve Metsch/Naperville Sun)

Naperville ranks No. 12 in US for number of remote workers, study finds

January 30, 2026 at 8:14 p.m.

Naperville has been recognized for having one of the highest rates of remote workers in the country in a study done by SmartAsset.

The location of the new Belmont American Steakhouse is 35 S. Washington St. in downtown Naperville. The restaurant is taking over the former Catch 35 seafood restaurant and expects to open in May. (Carolyn Stein/Naperville Sun)

New downtown steakhouse, MOM’s Organic Market coming to Naperville; Eddie Bauer closing

January 30, 2026 at 4:10 p.m.

Downtown Naperville is saying goodbye to its Eddie Bauer store, but the vacant Catch 35 restaurant is soon to be a new steakhouse.

Visitors to the Naper Settlement Farmers Market take a break at tables set up on the grounds of the Naperville history museum. While attendance numbers fell in 2025 because of bad weather days, it will be returning this June, officials said. (Naper Settlement)

Despite dip in attendance in 2025, Naper Settlement Farmers Market to return next year

January 27, 2026 at 12:21 p.m.

Bad weather may have reduced Naper Settlement Farmers Market attendance last year, but interest remains strong, officials say.

Mesón Sabika staff stand outside the Naperville restaurant at 1025 Aurora Ave. on April 20, 2025. The restaurant has participated in Naperville Restaurant Week every year since 2014, including the one that's currently underway. (Mesón Sabika)

When ‘every penny counts,’ Naperville’s Restaurant Week is important, business owners say

January 24, 2026 at 12:43 p.m.

More than 61 restaurants are participating in this year's Naperville Restaurant Week, which owners say boosts profits and exposure.

Kari Nicewander, pastor of First Congregational Church of Naperville, sits among the crowd at the Target Center arena in Minneapolis on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. They were gathered to protest the ongoing actions by federal immigration agents in Minnesota. (Kari Nicewander)

Naperville pastor joins clergy to protest Minnesota ICE actions: ‘It’s time to be brave’

January 23, 2026 at 10:09 p.m.

Kari Nicewander, a church pastor from Naperville, was among hundreds of clergy members helping fight ICE in Minneapolis this week.

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