Curious City

What do you wonder about Chicago, the region & its people? Ask your question & we’ll investigate together. Stories online, on the podcast, and on WBEZ.
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Curious City is housed at WBEZ in Chicago, with support from the McCormick Foundation and the Doris and Howard Conant Fund for Journalism. It was created by Jennifer Brandel, as part of Localore, a national initiative produced by AIR, the Association of Independents in Radio, Incorporated. Financial support came from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Wyncote Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Knight Foundation.

07/25/2024

We’re at the Chicago Public Library South Shore branch this afternoon gathering your questions about Chicago 💬 Come hang out and tell us what question we should answer next!

07/24/2024

Are you a frequent visitor of Big Bend Lake, the Skokie Lagoons or Saganashkee Slough?

Recently, we learned many of Cook County's beloved fishing areas started out as construction pits to build expressways, flood mitigation tools or limestone quarries.

Through archival documents and interviews with experts from the Forest Preserves of Cook County, we learned more about the major construction projects from the 20th century that led to the creation of popular fishing areas in and around Chicago.

Major construction projects from more than 50 years ago left behind large pits in the ground. Many have since been converted into beloved fishing lakes.

07/21/2024

Major construction projects from more than 50 years ago left behind large pits in the ground in the Chicago area. Many have since been converted into beloved fishing lakes.

Major construction projects from more than 50 years ago left behind large pits in the ground. Many have since been converted into beloved fishing lakes.

07/19/2024

“If you go to Ireland, the pub is central to any town,” said Liz Garibay, founder of the Beer Culture Center, a Chicago-based non-profit organization. “Ireland is particularly special in that life in that town revolves around that pub.”

In Chicago’s early days, Irish pubs were part cultural center and social service agency. Today, many are the product of marketing genius.

07/16/2024

All year long we answer your questions about Chicago. Now, we want your questions about the state! Ever wondered what the highest elevation in IL is? Or what the deal is with the Superman theme in Metropolis, IL? Send us your questions about Illinois! bit.ly/askcuriouscity

07/15/2024

Reporter Jessica Pupovac did a deep dive into her family history to learn about the connections between early Irish immigration to Chicago, the decline of manufacturing jobs and the recent resurgence (and marketing genius) of Irish pubs in the city 🍺

In Chicago’s early days, Irish pubs were part cultural center and social service agency. Today, many are the product of marketing genius.

07/07/2024

As you head out on that summer road trip, you may find yourself wondering about certain landmarks in central Illinois — or the dividing line between Cubs and Cardinals fans in the state. Send us your questions about Illinois! https://trib.al/bcKJmEp

07/03/2024

Have you visited the Baháʼí House of Worship in Wilmette?

The Baháʼí House of Worship stands in contrast to its suburban surroundings. Known as the holiest Baháʼí temple, it’s also the oldest in the world.

06/27/2024

Known as the holiest Baháʼí temple, the Baháʼí House of Worship in Wilmette, IL is also the oldest in the world.

The Baháʼí House of Worship stands in contrast to its suburban surroundings. Known as the holiest Baháʼí temple, it’s also the oldest in the world.

06/21/2024

Some things we learned while reporting this episode:

⌛ The oldest circulating book at the Chicago Public Library is likely one printed in 1819
🩹 Occasionally books are rebound to give them a longer shelf life

It’s rare to find a library book more than 200 years old still in circulation. How does a title avoid the “weeding” process?

06/20/2024

This week we're revisiting an episode that's all about... us! This is the story of how Curious City got its start as a public-powered journalism project over a decade ago.

The show began in 2012 as a project that asked listeners what they wanted to know and leveraged the power of a newsroom to bring them answers.

06/14/2024

While searching for the oldest circulating book at the Chicago Public Library, we found a title from 1819 you can still check out. We also spoke with librarians about how long books stay on shelves and when happens to them after they're removed.

It’s rare to find a library book more than 200 years old still in circulation. How does a title avoid the “weeding” process?

05/31/2024

Recently, a group of third and fourth graders from Urban Prairie Waldorf School in the city’s Pilsen neighborhood asked us if dinosaurs ever walked in Chicago 🦖 We spoke with experts to learn find out.

Chicago’s geological history stretches back more than 400 million years. The region was once an underwater reef, and was later covered in ice.

05/30/2024

Chicago’s geological history stretches back more than 400 million years. The region was once an underwater reef, and was later covered in ice.

05/29/2024

Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, known for vibrant cultural communities. While there isn’t one single neighborhood that serves as a hub for Native Americans anymore, Uptown on the city’s North Side used to be that nucleus.

Native Americans have always lived in Chicago, but in the mid-20th century they established a cultural enclave in Uptown, anchored by community centers and social connections.

05/28/2024

Native Americans have always lived in Chicago, but in the mid-20th century they established a cultural enclave in the Uptown neighborhood, anchored by community centers and social connections.

Native Americans have always lived in Chicago, but in the mid-20th century they established a cultural enclave in Uptown, anchored by community centers and social connections.

05/20/2024

We looked into the history of Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, which is tied to early settlers in the area. We also spoke with a local advocate who wants to preserve those remnants of the region’s history, but argues the ghost stories have made it difficult.

The cemetery in suburban Midlothian is a reminder of early settlers of the area. But some visit in hopes of experiencing the paranormal.

05/20/2024

In the mid-20th century, Chicago popularized a style of magic that was up close, funny and performed at a restaurant or bar.

05/16/2024

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery in suburban Midlothian is a reminder of early settlers of the area. But some visit in hopes of experiencing the paranormal.

The cemetery in suburban Midlothian is a reminder of early settlers of the area. But some visit in hopes of experiencing the paranormal.

05/14/2024

Chicago is the birthplace of many things — including a particular type of magic. We learned about the people and places that popularized "Chicago-style" magic in the mid-20th century.

In the mid-20th century, Chicago popularized a style of magic that was up close, funny and performed at a restaurant or bar.

05/10/2024

Chicago started commemorating people who left their mark on the city through honorary street signs starting in the 1960s. It was a way to celebrate notable people without the logistical nightmare of officially changing a street name.

In Chicago, honorary street signs are used to celebrate people and organizations that have left their mark on the city. We looked into the process of creating these signs.

05/09/2024

In Chicago, honorary street signs are used to celebrate people and organizations that have left their mark on the city. We looked into the process of creating these signs.

05/03/2024

Chicago-style magic is close up, funny and usually performed at a bar or restaurant. In this week's podcast episode, we learn about its history and talk to several magicians who are part of the tradition.

Chicago-style magic is close up, funny and usually performed at a bar or restaurant. We learn about its history and talk to several magicians who are part of the tradition.

04/25/2024

In 1960, Mayor Richard J. Daley presented Prince Akihito of Japan with a gift of friendship: 18 bluegill, the Illinois state fish — which some say the mayor scooped from an aquarium tank himself.

In October 1960, Prince Akihito of Japan visited Chicago. Chicago’s mayor presented the prince with live bluegill — which would forever alter one Japanese lake.

04/23/2024

Labrador retrievers are most often found in North Side neighborhoods. As for the pit bull, the most commonly registered dog in Chicago in the last five years? They tend to be found on the South and West Sides.

We dug into the numbers to learn which breeds are most common in which neighborhoods — and why pit bulls are “Chicago’s dog.”

04/18/2024

We analyzed data on more than 84,000 dogs registered with the city to find Chicago’s top dogs, as well as which breeds are most common in which neighborhoods.

We dug into the numbers to learn which breeds are most common in which neighborhoods — and why pit bulls are ‘Chicago’s dog.‘

04/16/2024

Are you a Chicago resident with a dog? 🐶

We're working on a story about the most popular dog types in Chicago, and we want your dog pics!

Send us the following: 1) Photo of your dog, 2) Dog's name and age, 3) Fun fact about your dog (e.g. something they like or dislike), 4) Your full name and the neighborhood where you live.

Your dog might be featured in an upcoming web article about popular Chicago dog breeds on WBEZ's website.

Email our digital producer at [email protected] (no DMs, please)

04/15/2024

The rectangular cutout in the 19th Ward is the largest of its kind within city limits. It turns out that hole in the map is Mt. Greenwood Cemetery, an unincorporated piece of Cook County that has a history of its own.

On Chicago’s far Southwest Side, there’s an area that was never incorporated into surrounding Cook County. This municipal ‘dead zone’ is Mount Greenwood Cemetery.

04/09/2024

Dear listeners: In the near future, Curious City will no longer be a podcast. But you’ll still find us on the radio and at WBEZ.org.

We’re collecting your favorite memories of the podcast. See slides for more details 💙

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Videos

Feral cats of Chicago

Have you come across a feral cat colony in Chicago? The Chicago area has one of the most progressive feral cat policies in the nation. That’s in large part because Cook County is one of just a handful of large metropolitan counties in the U.S. where Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is legal and residents can become recognized caretakers of feral cat colonies. It turns out there’s a whole community of people taking care of and bonding with the city’s feral felines. At the same time, there’s tension with members of local birding groups, who think cats pose an outsize risk to native birds. And at the center of it all, there are feral cats — somewhere around 300,000 of them, according to people who work with feral cats, though official numbers aren’t available — that call the area home.

What's up with Chicago's feral cats?

Paranormal Activity: Suburban Edition

WBEZ’s Curious City listened to your tales of true-life hauntings then sent our team to investigate a call that gave us chills. Join us at noon on Monday, when WBEZ contributor Jeff Ruby will join paranormal investigator, filmmaker and author Scott Markus for a live chat about hauntings in suburbia and the art and science of ghost hunting. We’ll also talk about the process of reporting our own modern-tale haunted tale that starts in a 1960s estate in Barrington in the northwest suburbs and winds through past and present.

Did you quit your job in 2021? Over the last year, millions of Americans quit their jobs for all kinds of reasons: better pay, better working conditions, more flexibility, better benefits. And many people simply saw the pandemic as an opportunity to “reset” or follow a long-time dream of trying something new. If you’re part of the “Great Resignation” in 2021, we’d love to know what you used to do, why you quit and what you're up to now. Click the link below and fill out our very short form. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdcSLYivJzEH6QoWO_df_VpK1CP3y2O9a-MiC8u8XCcAyv6Sw/viewform

Hello there! If you're a Curious City listener (doesn't matter if you listen every week or once in a while), we need you to take our listener feedback survey. You'll help us improve the show and be entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card 🐎 wbez.org/curioussurvey

🚨 Take our survey! 🚨 We’re interested in hearing about your experience with Curious City and would love for you to take our listener feedback survey. It'll help us make the show better 🏆 Plus, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card ➡️ http://wbez.org/curioussurvey

Great Chicago Fire Episode: Conversation with Paul Durica

Join Curious City and the Newberry Library for a conversation about our newest episode (which will be out Thursday, Oct. 7). We'll be talking about three buildings that you may not know survived the Great Chicago Fire, and why they're not still around today.

Feedback Friday: 16 Inch Softball Edition:

How did it start in Chicago and what's its future with Cheryl Raye Stout and Justin Kaufmann

Feedback Friday: Beach Safety Edition

We talk about questions we've gotten on beach safety and about the best way to navigate the biggest Great Lakes dangers with Dave Benjamin of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue

We've really enjoyed interacting with listeners, subjects and question askers on our Feedback Friday livestreams this month! But this holiday weekend we're going to put our feet up or maybe cruise around the lake--safely. Next week, though, we'll be back with more.

Feedback Friday: Illinois Gardening Tips

We get gardening tips from Elmhurst gardener--and the subject of our recent story--Nicole Virgil. Write in with your questions.

The Garden Act: One Woman's Fight To Grow Vegetables The Way She Wants

On May 27, 2021, the Illinois legislature passed the Vegetable Garden Protection Act (or "Garden Act," for short), a new state law that protects Illinois homeowners' right to grow a vegetable garden on their property. Nicole Virgil, an Elmhurst, Illinois resident, has been fighting to get this bill passed for years. Nicole and her family started growing food in their backyard as a healthier alternative to industrial agriculture products found in grocery stores. But the growing season in Illinois is short. So in 2015, Nicole and her husband built a hoop house — a temporary structure that traps heat in order to extend the growing season during colder months — over one of their garden beds. After a neighbor complained about the hoop house's appearance, Nicole became locked in a years-long battle with the City of Elmhurst over whether she had the right to put a temporary hoop house in her backyard. While the Garden Act doesn't specifically talk about hoop houses, it does protect the rights of gardeners using a variety of techniques and tools to grow and maintain vegetable gardens. In this video, you can meet Nicole, see her garden, and hear from her about what the Garden Act means for her and her family.

Curious City's Feedback Fridays BAGELS!!

We talk about the awesome local bagels we found and those WE MISSED with local bagel fans and makers. Come tell us about your favorites.

Feedback Fridays: On WBEZ educational origins

We talk to former student broadcasters, makers of WBEZ educational shows and radio professionals who worked at the station during the educational days. Plus we answer your live questions.

WBEZ 5K: Mid-Month Check-In

Curious City 5K

🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️ ICYMI: We’re hosting a 5K next month. Here’s Curious City intern and resident runner Natalie on what you need to participate 👟 Find out more at wbez.org/5k 🔗

We invite all runners, joggers and walkers to join other Chicagoland residents alongside your favorite public radio journalists and personalities for WBEZ Chicago’s month-long virtual 5K. Register today! wbez5k.org/register