Curious City

577
Arts #151

Ask questions, vote and discover answers about Chicago, the region and its people. From WBEZ.

Recent Episodes
  • Maria Rodriguez: From fashion designer to restaurateur
    Apr 24, 2025 – 00:13:22
  • Like NYC and Paris, Chicago was a hub for fashion designers
    Apr 23, 2025 – 00:06:35
  • How sweet the sound: The history of Evanston folk coffeehouse Amazingrace
    Apr 17, 2025 – 00:12:14
  • ‘An underground subculture’: How Chicago coffeehouses shaped the folk revival movement
    Apr 16, 2025 – 00:07:42
  • You May Also Like: Stories Without End
    Apr 13, 2025 – 00:22:17
  • Is extremist ideology still fringe?
    Apr 10, 2025 – 00:20:15
  • How much influence did white supremacist groups have on Chicago housing?
    Apr 9, 2025 – 00:06:50
  • What's up with the Chicago's feral cats?
    Apr 2, 2025 – 00:05:01
  • “Enemy Alien”: How Chicago photojournalist Jun Fujita avoided Japanese internment camps
    Mar 27, 2025 – 00:18:06
  • Restriction and sanctuary: A look at Chicago mayors’ wildly different approaches to immigrants
    Mar 26, 2025 – 00:07:12
  • The Life and Legacy of Alice Hamilton
    Mar 19, 2025 – 00:04:10
  • How does honoring the dead impact the environment?
    Mar 13, 2025 – 00:15:18
  • Why is there a cemetery at O’Hare Airport?
    Mar 12, 2025 – 00:07:14
  • How one Midwestern community avoids road salt all winter
    Mar 6, 2025 – 00:10:15
  • Could Chicago ever ditch the road salt?
    Mar 5, 2025 – 00:06:08
  • The First Black-Owned And Operated Airport Was In Robbins
    Feb 26, 2025 – 00:20:04
  • “It’s too complicated”: The state of cannabis record expungement in Illinois
    Feb 20, 2025 – 00:11:55
  • Illinois has made a lot of money from recreational pot. How’s that money used?
    Feb 19, 2025 – 00:06:28
  • There’s a delicate alchemy to overturning a wrongful conviction
    Feb 13, 2025 – 00:17:34
  • Why does it take so long to free an innocent person from prison?
    Feb 12, 2025 – 00:07:08
  • How Filipino food entrepreneurs’ “sense of community” help them thrive
    Feb 6, 2025 – 00:13:31
  • Is there a Filipino neighborhood in Chicago?
    Feb 5, 2025 – 00:07:01
  • Drama, scandal or scores: What takes a sports team down?
    Jan 30, 2025 – 00:15:51
  • What happens when your team keeps losing?
    Jan 29, 2025 – 00:06:50
  • What does it take to put together a traffic report?
    Jan 22, 2025 – 00:05:00
  • Why telling “the proper stories” is vital to understanding the Piasa
    Jan 16, 2025 – 00:15:59
  • Why is there a fire-breathing dragon in Illinois?
    Jan 15, 2025 – 00:06:44
  • Chicago history is full of consequential years
    Jan 9, 2025 – 00:16:30
  • What was Chicago’s most consequential year? It may not be what you think.
    Jan 8, 2025 – 00:07:44
  • Winter Weather Tips: From Extra Gloves To Hot Potatoes
    Jan 1, 2025 – 00:08:07
  • Who Are The Folks At The Christmas Tree Lot?
    Dec 25, 2024 – 00:07:44
  • Who’s Behind The CTA Holiday Train? Santa And The Elves!
    Dec 18, 2024 – 00:16:28
  • In Chicago, forget the cocktail; a beer and a shot will do
    Dec 12, 2024 – 00:20:27
  • Where did the Tom & Jerry cocktail come from?
    Dec 11, 2024 – 00:07:05
  • Beer, architecture and Lincoln Square: The lasting impact of German culture in Chicago
    Dec 5, 2024 – 00:16:23
  • Christkindlmarket’s Forgotten Year
    Dec 4, 2024 – 00:05:07
  • Why is there an aviary at O'Hare Airport?
    Nov 28, 2024 – 00:08:46
  • What happens to birds stuck inside the airport?
    Nov 27, 2024 – 00:07:00
  • ‘Indigenous Chicago’ project shows the city has always been a Native place
    Nov 21, 2024 – 00:20:18
  • Without Native Americans, Would We Have Chicago As We Know It?
    Nov 20, 2024 – 00:12:50
  • Bodegas, ‘The Bear’ and why family business is the ‘backbone of the economy’
    Nov 14, 2024 – 00:20:03
  • What’s The Oldest Family Business in Chicago?
    Nov 13, 2024 – 00:07:32
  • ‘So many connections:’ Chicago indicator species are trying to tell us something
    Nov 7, 2024 – 00:16:31
  • “It’s Not Easy Being Green”: The Decline Of Frogs In Chicago
    Nov 6, 2024 – 00:07:18
  • “Spooky and salacious:” Do we need to rethink prison tourism?
    Oct 31, 2024 – 00:19:27
  • Who Or What Haunts The Old Joliet Prison?
    Oct 30, 2024 – 00:06:58
  • What Does "Chicagoland" Mean, And Where Did It Come From?
    Oct 24, 2024 – 00:15:26
  • This Episode Is Garbage
    Oct 17, 2024 – 00:11:41
  • The Legacy Of Margaret Burroughs
    Oct 3, 2024 – 00:07:01
  • Cardinal Club Was Polish Rock 'N' Roll Heaven In Chicago
    Sep 26, 2024 – 00:07:00
Recent Reviews
  • Klauski57
    Can do better
    Show has interesting topics but averaging 7 minutes a show, 2 and a half of which are ads or plugs for other shows, not really worth my time.
  • Bluefinkillie
    Curiously Void of Information
    Overall, it’s been enjoyable listening to the various aspects of this wonderful city, however the show lacks so much detail now! The shorter episodes, and in particular this last one on traffic are a complete waste of time. Never did the episode go into the history of Chicago traffic or highway systems, touched on the backstory of the application and its development, or really explained how it works. It fell short in so many ways- there was a depth of info that could have been useful and quirky. Nope, they inserted nearly a minute of music as fluff at the end because the journalist did a horrible job on this story. Ai could do better.
  • BCguy94
    Interesting Episodes
    I love how these short episodes delve into an aspect of Chicago history/culture!
  • Charmane Michelle
    Love the unique and interesting topics
    I love the unique and interesting Chicago stories brought to light by this team at WBEZ!!! Thank you
  • shikawgo
    Was great. Now brief and shallow
    This podcast WAS great for digging into interesting Chicago related topics of all kinds. But…recently, it’s become incredibly short and shallowly researched little blips of info. 7 minutes long to delve into a topic?? They barely even scratch the surface anymore. Do they think that everyone has short attention spans now? Or some kind of budget cuts made and they just don’t have the time or people to put in decent work? Regardless of the reasons, it’s a shadow of its former self.
  • mynameishel
    Such short episodes
    I miss the days when Curious Chicago had episodes that were longer than 5 minutes. There are so many great topics- why not go more in depth?
  • trying2Brational
    Memory Lane in my Chicago
    Such great episodes about so much Chicago history! I am taken back to my childhood memories all the way ahead to today with so many little known experiences. Nothing phony here. The guests are real Chicagoans, telling their memories of the city I love. Subscribe and binge away.
  • Disappointed on the NW side
    Barbie & Ken ride a snow plow
    I have to admit this show runs hot and cold. Either the topic is great or it’s kinda stupid. But the Snow Plow driver show was a new category. It was like listening to two high schoolers in a media class. I didn’t even get the whole way thru. “Gee whiz! That snow sure can get cold and you didn’t even wear gloves. Thee hee hee.”
  • CubanMuse
    Highly recommended!
    I appreciate all the good work you put in to make an awesome podcast, it helps people like me to learn more about history, urban legends, and historical events/places. 🇨🇺🇺🇸
  • eb ramírez
    Informative
    Love learning something new
  • spiritual reminders
    Love the show
    I've been to the Baha'i Temple a number of times. Loved hearing the backstory. Love so many of the shows. So fun to learn more about the city I live in. Thanks!!! Love, Tom
  • handsomepete78
    Informative
    I wish some of the episodes were a bit longer and would go further in-depth
  • chireader1234
    Police accountability and the election
    Thank you for this episode about the history and inner workings of the city boards/councils as they relate to police accountability. I was caught off guard learning we are voting on council members but this put everything in perspective—including the magnitude of the mayoral election in Chicago.
  • CR Barrett
    Interesting Stories
    I grew up in Chicago in the 1950s and 60s. I love Chicago history and you bring it to life in just a few minutes. The story of Dunning hit home. I took psychiatric nursing there in 1966. My father's aunt was a patient there until it closed and she was placed in a nursing home. Thanks for telling the stories that would be forgotten.
  • ETHS 73
    Member of Chicago diaspora
    Great stories about the real Chicago-merci
  • da real savannah
    Tennessee listener
    I never heard this podcast before and I thought about giving it a try because I’m going to Chicago one day when I grow up. Savannah grace Birchfield, 16 years old. I was born in Pensacola, Florida on October 12, 2005.
  • REZNIL JANNERY
    Wonderful
    Always interesting and well presented. TYVM
  • chicagoanlistener
    See a sinus doctor please!
    Lisa lutten, sorry for my insensitive remarks but enough is enough! please blow your nose, get a hold of Flonase or nasocort or see an ENT for that horrible stuffed up nose! Please!
  • fredo mac
    Informative But Irritating
    I love discovering information about Chicago—the unique history, the stories behind local traditions, trends and how they started, etc, but the hosts are extremely irritating. So much so that I think about unfollowing every time I listen, and I would I I could find something similar. The hosts are simultaneously condescending, , pseudo-intellectual, elitist, and insulting. It’s like listening to your 12-year old tell you how ignorant you are. I suppose that is to be expected, considering the producers. I would explain, but I don’t need to. A few listens will demonstrate. The recent Halloween episode describing a suburban haunted road myth is a good example.
  • Lauren92lofggbvvgh
    Great info about our great city!
    I love the stories this pod covers and shares with its audience! I do wish there were fewer repeated stories and fewer corporate sponsors/ads, but it's overall good info that I keep coming back for.
  • georgiebea23
    Soothes my homesickness
    Helps me feel connected to Chicago even when I’m not there anymore
  • funkman2000
    Where’s the history?
    Used to be more episodes on Chicago history, it’s a lot more current issues being discussed these days
  • Merrimack-Kid
    Missing episodes
    Where is the episode about the city expansion and the “gulping” up of neighborhoods? Where is the episode focusing on either Blue Island, Oak Park, or Evanston and why they choose not to join the city?
  • SoMuchAwesome
    Good Stuff
    Anytime someone asks me for a podcast recommendation, I recommend this one.
  • Lady_Shakespeare
    Chicago Enthusiasts, Tune In!
    Or if you just like history and human interest stories! Every episode of this podcast has a fun or interesting story about Chicago, its geography, its people, its history, etc. I love to learn about the great city in which I live, and there are a huge range of topics covered, so I’m always getting something new. Really love it and I recommend it to my friends!
  • Steverino 34
    TN listener
    I live in Tennessee and enjoy listening to this podcast. I get to learn so much history and random facts about the great city of Chicago.
  • Mr.Gal
    Great city specific podcast for infrastructure nerds
    This is a great podcast for anybody who’s ever lived in, or loved Chicago. And a lot of the stories will be interesting to folks who don’t have a deep link to Chicago, because they talk about the hidden side of things that are common to all cities. Infrastructure nerds from everywhere will love a lot of the episodes about how a city functions.
  • Sir Geometric
    Terrible music production
    That song that starts of “I was born on the south side”, is the worst 10 second snippet of production I have ever heard. It’s embarrassing.
  • Smackjacks
    So In Love
    I’ve almost finished bingeing all the episodes since I’ve discovered the show. It’s just more proof that Chicago is the best big city & the research is amazingly well thought out
  • RaquelTorre
    Ida B Well episode is amazing
    THAT IDA B WELLS EPISODE WAS EVERYTHING! But the Ending was my favorite. Y’all should do those little bonuses all the time. The host was the bomb!
  • FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderPig
    A Guide Of Chicago For Chicagoans
    I have lived by and eaten at a Nicky's for most of my life and without this show I don't think I ever would have truly appreciated the history and the story behind the place. In a time where the idea of neighborhoods and local oral history is eroding, this podcast helps fill that void by telling stories of places we take for granted and helping us find places we never would have known about.
  • Mark. Galassini
    Great!
    How about, the hardest ticket to get in Chicago... Bozo a ten year waiting list. Ray Rayner, Dirty Dragon show... Future subjects to do??!!! Thank you
  • Tiddly Wink
    Keep up the good work!
    I am passionate about my beloved city’s cultural history and I love that this podcast is too!
  • Rachael from Oregon
    Curious ➡️ Informed
    I’ve been living in East Lakeview in Chicago for a year and a half now as a grad student at Northwestern. I’m a transplant from the Pacific Northwest and know next to nothing about the Midwest let alone Chicago. I’ve particularly enjoyed learning about what the heck an “Alderman” is and what they do, the corrupted origin of the lead in our water and that that is why water fountains in public parks run constantly, and that there are coyotes in the city 😮. Thanks WBEZ!
  • chipsahoy10
    Love it!
    The podcast is all about Chicago (the city that I live in). I love that they talk about all of the topics possible and the CTA noise.
  • Irving679
    Good stories but many glitches
    These questions are super interesting and the answers are well-researched. Unfortunately there are often technical glitches, e.g. this weeks episode on the civil war was cut off in the middle, and some episodes from the archive have played nothing at all.
  • Plodder5462
    Weird, obscure and usually great
    This is a podcast for true Chicagoans who have curiosity about things they see or hear every day. Myths are debunked. The Half Day Road episode was particularly great at this. History is revealed. Not every episode hits the bullseye but most do. Love it.
  • HappyAtWork
    If she says KAHN-shaws, one more time, I’m gonna lose it
    As a Mexican American, that makes up per of the 30% Latino population of Chicago, I am amazed that you couldn’t find one voice working on curious city that could at least advice you to say something so ubiquitous as ‘Conchas’. I am a fan of many national radio shows and I wanted something more local, as a producer of a local radio station; wanted to see my what else is out there. And the lack of diversity speaks for itself.
  • Andysupe
    Great!
    Essential listening for curious Chicagoans
  • Pizgurl
    Love it!
    So glad I discovered this podcast! Every episode I've listened to so far has been really interesting. I've enjoyed the topics and all of the interviews with Chicagoans. Keep 'em comin!
  • Ktmmcc24
    Makes me miss Chicago!
    5 stars for the 4 Star City!
  • Fish de Schaumburg
    A podcast for natives of Chicago
    If you live in Chicago then you must listen. And enjoy. Maybe connect dots you didn't before. I love it and learn something new every episode. In my opinion. Thank you.
  • Jenna and Bunny
    No Need to Live in Chicago to Enjoy
    I do not live in or anywhere near Chicago and this podcast is awesome. The information is fascinating and well presented and while definitely centers around Chicago, there's a lot of topics that are more broadly applicable in understanding America and the history of our cities. Either way, it's one of my favorites to listen to. Check it out.
  • Edwardsarah
    So informative!
    Such great questions answered and so helpful to learning more about Chicago!
  • ACE161989
    A MUST listen for any Chicagoan
    If you're a Chicagoan, love Chicago, or like random tidbits of history this podcast is for you! Thank you WBEZ for producing this show!
  • mjdpu
    Great for Chicagoans
    Such interesting stories!
  • Kalebbn
    New
    I'm new to the city and this is a perfect way to get to know the area and its history!
  • ReallyGoodAppReviewer
    Can't listen?
    For some reason, I'm getting an error when I try to listen or download an episode. I can listen to other WBEZ podcasts, so not sure what's up...
  • Cabira
    Cute and quick chicago stories
    Makes me nostalgic for living in Chicago. Short and interesting stories and what goes on beneath the surface in Chicago.
  • Dcholew
    Real Deal
    You have to love hometown history. Particularly when it is filled with those factoids that makes you seem smart around out of town guests. Keep up the great work.
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