Chicago's Best Stargazing Spots
Chicago's notorious light pollution hides the stars, but here's where you have a fighting chance to peek at the heavens.
Jul 02, 2017•9 min
Curious City
Ask questions, vote and discover answers about Chicago, the region and its people. From WBEZ.
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Episodes
Welcome Back, Otters: Could The River Otter Call Chicago's Loop Home?
Forty years ago, it would have been nearly impossible to find an otter in Illinois, never mind Chicago. Today, could they be here to stay?
Jun 25, 2017•8 min
The Meaning Of Boystown: A Conversation About Chicago's LGBTQ Neighborhood
A multi-generational panel talks about what the neighborhood means to them and where they see its future.
Jun 18, 2017•19 min
Chicago's Architectural Clues Reveal How We Live
We look at eight building features and what each reveals about how society and urban life has changed over the years.
Jun 11, 2017•13 min
Building Skyscrapers on Chicago's Swampy Soil
Engineers once compared Chicago’s soggy soil to jelly cake. How did they build a forest of skyscrapers on it?
May 28, 2017•9 min
Rubber Stamp Aldermen: Why Does Chicago City Council Always Vote For What The Mayor Wants?
Most aldermen almost always vote with the mayor, but that's starting to change.
May 21, 2017•9 min
City Of Big Potholes: Is Asphalt The Best Choice For Chicago's Streets?
In the past decade the city paid out nearly $3 million drivers whose cars were damaged by poor road conditions. Is asphalt to blame?
May 14, 2017•8 min
Boystown: How Chicago Got Its Gay Neighborhood
Political activism and businesses helped shape the city's gay neighborhood, but there's a debate about its future .
May 07, 2017•13 min
Curious City: What Happens To Food On Cancelled Flights?
When a flight gets cancelled, it's not only travel plans that get trashed.
Apr 30, 2017•8 min
Curious City: The Nazis' Neighborhood
Was there ever a Nazi neighborhood in Chicago? In this special Curious City mini-documentary and online presentation (complete with archival photos and video) , we tell the story of how an infamous neo-Nazi group settled in the Marquette Park neighborhood and used it as a home base to gain attention and promote its political agenda. The story of the group’s rise and fall on Chicago’s Southwest Side raises questions about the extent of free speech and how mainstream racism in any neighborhood can...
Apr 23, 2017•22 min
How A Rat Balloon From Suburban Chicago Became A Union Mascot
Scabby the Rat is now common on picket lines around the world, but the balloon started in Chicago’s historically blue-collar suburbs.
Apr 19, 2017•9 min
Safer, Faster, Smarter? The Road Ahead For Illinois' High-Tech Highway
Officials say the Jane Addams Tollway will soon be faster, safer and smarter. But will it deliver?
Apr 09, 2017•9 min
First Responder: Why Do Fire Trucks Often Arrive Before Ambulances For Medical Emergencies?
Medical calls outnumber fire calls 20 to one in Chicago. So why does the city own so many more fire trucks than ambulances?
Apr 02, 2017•13 min
The Meteorologist’s Climate Change Dilemma
Tom Skilling explains why most TV meteorologists don't talk about climate change, but should.
Mar 26, 2017•13 min
Are there fallout shelters left in Chicago?
There are plenty, but let's just say they're not ready for a nuclear apocalypse.
Mar 19, 2017•12 min
Searching for Chicago’s Most Family-Packed Neighborhoods
A prospective Chicago parent wants to know where he could be within door-knocking distance of other families with kids. So we mapped them.
Mar 12, 2017•9 min
Deconstructing The Chicago-Style Hot Dog
Chicago-style hot dogs are a beloved culinary masterpiece: A snappy all-beef wiener, steamed poppy seed bun, yellow mustard, chopped onions, neon-green relish, two slices of tomato, a dill pickle spear, two sport peppers and a final whoosh of celery salt. But how did that unique mix of ingredients come to be? In a special Curious City presentation, Chicago’s premier hot dog expert breaks down the history of each ingredient. It’s a tale of immigration to Chicago’s Maxwell street neighborhood a ce...
Mar 05, 2017•8 min
Out In The Cold: Where Do Chicago’s Homeless Go In The Winter?
Coffee shops, hospital waiting rooms and train cars are a few of the places Chicago’s homeless go to escape the cold.
Feb 26, 2017•7 min
Chickens and Goats and Pigs, Oh My! Chicago’s Backyard Livestock Laws
After her neighbor adopted five goats, Jeanne Cuff wondered about Chicago's livestock laws.
Feb 19, 2017•8 min
Red Line To Your Heart: What Makes Chicago's Dating Scene Distinct?
We explore a phenomenon called “cuffing” and the (short) lengths Chicagoans will go for love.
Feb 12, 2017•8 min
'Gratest' Fear: The Psychology Behind Chicago’s Sidewalk Grates
Sidewalk grates make people feel uneasy. An anxiety expert said this uneasiness is rooted in something much deeper.
Feb 05, 2017•5 min
Korean Chicken Wings: Spicy, Crispy, Saucy And Totally Chicago
Two Albany Park chefs fused Chinese and Korean flavors, giving birth to the chicken lollipop.
Jan 29, 2017•5 min
Signs Of The Times: How Chicago Bars Got So Many Old Style Signs
We uncover the history and bask in the glow of a ubiquitous Chicago bar sign.
Jan 22, 2017•9 min
“Who’s Your Chinaman?”: The Origins Of An Offensive Piece Of Chicago Political Slang
Complete with video and archival images, we track down the offensive phrase’s roots and consider whether it’s time to retire it.
Jan 15, 2017•12 min
Icebreakers Of The Chicago River: How Bubblers, Boats And Brawn Keep The City Safe Each Winter
How bubblers, boats and brawn keep the city safe each winter.
Jan 08, 2017•5 min
Curious City Live: This Show Was A Disaster!
In this special podcast episode, Curious City presents three Chicago disaster stories as told at the Old Town School of Folk Music on March 30, 2016. Inspired by questions posed from Chicago-area residents, the tales range from the practically comical Loop flood of 1992, to a terrifying tornado that struck the region, to the city’s infamous Iroquois Theater fire. If you didn’t get your fill of disaster stories, Curious City’s collected even more !...
Jan 02, 2017•54 min
O'Hare's Ghost: Whatever Happened to Terminal 4?
The area’s premier airport sports Terminals 1, 2, 3 and ... 5. What gives?
Dec 25, 2016•8 min
The Willis Tower In 150 Years: Adapted, Demolished or Abandoned?
What will happen to the Willis Tower in 150 years? In this special Curious City presentation, producer Jesse Dukes and the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s Jen Masengarb envision three future scenarios for the iconic skyscraper, and for the Chicago of 2166. Click here for the full story .
Dec 18, 2016•12 min
Christmas Tree Lots: Who Are The Folks Who Keep The Season Bright?
Pop-up tree lots sprout up on every Chicago corner during the holiday season, only to disappear. Who are the people who make these happen and what's the business like? As one operator says it, "It’s fast, it’s furious and it’s over in about three and a half weeks."
Dec 11, 2016•8 min
When Church Meets State: Picking Apart Prayer in Aurora’s City Council
Aurora leads council meetings with prayer, and it sometimes raises eyebrows. But would a judge ever smack it down?
Dec 04, 2016•9 min
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