What Makes Chicago A Destination For Improv?
Eight improvisers who got their start in Chicago explain what draws so many aspiring funny people to the city’s improv scene.
Jan 28, 2018•13 min
Curious City
Ask questions, vote and discover answers about Chicago, the region and its people. From WBEZ.
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Episodes
What Happens To The Lincoln Park Zoo Animals In The Winter?
Do the animals go somewhere warm, like Florida? Does the zoo give them coats? We took a behind-the-scene tour of the zoo to find out.
Jan 21, 2018•5 min
Why Aren't There More Statues Of Women In Chicago?
Statues of historic men can be found throughout Chicago’s parks and plazas. But one Curious Citizen wonders, "Where are all the women?"
Jan 14, 2018•9 min
What’s With That Demolition Dust? The Rules And Risks Of Residential Teardowns In Chicago
Tearing down an old home can release dust containing asbestos or lead. Curious City found that Chicago rarely enforces laws meant to minimize contaminant exposure.
Jan 05, 2018•13 min
Curious City: The Mystery Collection
Answers to listeners' questions about the mysterious side of Chicago that lies beyond the soaring skyscrapers and the sheen of the Bean.
Dec 31, 2017•52 min
Blacksmiths: The 'Plastic Surgeons' On Chicago's Payroll
The City of Chicago employs 20 full-time blacksmiths. But what do they do? And what's with the ancient job title?
Dec 24, 2017•8 min
Are Taxpayers Footing The Bill For Patriotic Tributes At College Games?
A 2015 Senate investigation found that the DOD did in fact pay college sports teams to stage patriotic tributes at games. Curious City finds out whether they still do.
Dec 17, 2017•8 min
What Would You Do With A Million Dollars? Whether Participatory Budgeting Is Worth The Effort
Some wards vote on how to spend some taxpayer money. Does it help spread the wealth or is it just a feel-good exercise?
Dec 10, 2017•13 min
So, Why Did It Take So Long For It To Be Mayor Jane Byrne's Turn?
It took decades for Chicago's first and only female mayor to land an official honor from City Council. Is there a reason it took so long?
Dec 03, 2017•13 min
Where Does Your Poop Go?
Curious City finds out where your poop goes by taking a journey through the Chicago-area sewer system.
Nov 26, 2017•8 min
Little Fingers And Screechy Sounds: Why Do So Many Kids Learn To Play The Recorder?
The recorder often inflicts squeaky torture on parents. Music teacher Valerie DePriest explains why it became a staple in music education.
Nov 19, 2017•8 min
Without Native Americans, Would We Have Chicago As We Know It?
Names like Marquette and Joliet are cited in history books. But it was Native Americans who first set Chicago on a path to develop into a major metropolis.
Nov 12, 2017•13 min
Don't Believe The Height! Why Chicago Suburb Names Flat Out Lie About Their Elevation
From Chicago Heights to Mount Prospect, here's why Chicago suburb names flat out lie about their elevation.
Nov 05, 2017•12 min
Why Chicago's Chinatown Is Practically Invisible On Apartment Rental Sites
The listings are there — just in Chinese. Is this a form of discrimination, or a way to preserve a neighborhood's character?
Oct 29, 2017•8 min
Cycling In Cemeteries? Why Some Chicago Graveyards Are Changing Their Rules About Bicycles
The answer has to do with shifting ideas about bikes and the proper way to mourn the dead.
Oct 22, 2017•9 min
Which Natural Disasters Are Most Likely To Hit Chicago?
The good news is Chicago probably won’t be hit by hurricanes and earthquakes. But the area is becoming more vulnerable to other disasters.
Oct 15, 2017•13 min
Do Chicago’s Arab And African-American Muslims Share Mosques? If Not, Why Not?
Chicago area Muslim leaders weigh in, and they open up about what divides and unites the community.
Oct 08, 2017•18 min
Forest Foresight: Who Created The Cook County Forest Preserves?
Architect Dwight Perkins' ambitious plan to save Chicago's natural landscapes raised a question: Which kinds of nature deserve to be preserved?
Oct 01, 2017•8 min
Who Came Up With The Iconic Chicago White Sox Look?
The brainchild of a 22-year-old executive, the White Sox look hit a home run with fans and, half a century later, rappers.
Sep 24, 2017•9 min
The Cha-Cha Slide And More: Which Dances Were Invented In Chicago?
Don your dancing shoes as we track down the Chicago band members, musicians, and dancers who helped create five iconic moves.
Sep 17, 2017•12 min
Baring It All: Why Boys Swam Naked In Chicago High Schools
John Connors says swimming naked in high school gym class was “torture.” Curious City looks at why schools enforced the policy for decades.
Sep 10, 2017•12 min
Chicago's Forgotten Civil War Prison Camp
Camp Douglas’ deadly reputation was kept in shadows but now there’s a surprising movement to bring it to light.
Sep 03, 2017•13 min
Push Carts, Popsicles, And Patience: How To Be A Paletero In Chicago
Being a paleta vendor may seem like a sweet life, but we learned that selling Mexican popsicles is anything but a walk on the beach.
Aug 27, 2017•9 min
City Of Big Agriculture: Here Are The Crops Chicago Was Once Famous For
The city deserves cred as an industrial giant, but it was also the first city of flowers, a pickle powerhouse and the heart of American celery.
Aug 20, 2017•9 min
What Happened To Chicago’s Japanese Neighborhood?
Lake View once had a thriving Japanese community, but it fell victim to a push for assimilation. As one Japanese-American puts it: “You had to basically be unseen.”
Aug 13, 2017•13 min
Chicago Bathhouses: A Century Of Sanitation, Sex And Sweat
A quick tour of places where residents would chill, get clean and — sometimes — get down.
Aug 06, 2017•13 min
Is Notoriously Segregated Chicago Becoming More Integrated?
On paper, Chicago is more integrated than it was a few decades ago. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
Jul 30, 2017•13 min
Carl Sandburg's Chicago: The Places, People, And Events That Shaped His Writing
From 1912 to 1930, the famous poet and writer lived and worked in the Chicago area. Step back in time to experience Sandburg's Chicago.
Jul 23, 2017•14 min
Why Chicago Lightning Bugs Light Up One Neighborhood But Not the Next
A listener’s nostalgia for catching lightning bugs as a kid lead her to wonder: Are there any left these days? Our experts say they’re around, just really, really fickle.
Jul 16, 2017•5 min
How Chicago Beaches Get and Keep That Nice Fine Sand
Here’s why you shouldn’t take that "sand between your toes" experience for granted!
Jul 09, 2017•9 min
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