Bay Curious

Bison once roamed the West, but settlers hunted them to the brink of extinction in the 19th century. A captive breeding program operated in Golden Gate Park helped the species rebound. Today’s bison aren’t used for breeding anymore, but they remain one of the park’s popular attractions. Additional Reading: What's With the Bison in Golden Gate Park? How Bison are Saving America's Lost Prairie Buy Tickets for our Japanese Tea Garden Walking Tour Take a DIY walking tour of Golden Gate Park with our guide Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Thanks also to Sarah Rose Leonard, Lance Gardner, Kyana Moghadam, Amanda Font and Rebecca Kao for their help on this series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Will Kardas heard once that it was a magical combination of spit and manure that allowed early San Franciscans to tame the sand dunes that became Golden Gate Park. We've got the true story behind the myth and more on the early history of this urban gem. This is the first in a six-part series that explores the history behind some of our favorite features in the park. We kick off the series in our podcast feed on May 26, with new episodes appearing daily from May 30 to June 3. Additional Reading: Golden Gate Park Was Once Miles and Miles of Sand Dunes Buy Tickets for our Japanese Tea Garden Walking Tour Reported by Katrina Schwartz and Olivia Allen-Price. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Carly Severn, Amanda Font, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sabrina McQueen grew up in Walnut Creek and would often see people driving around in purple limos. The locals call them "Purple People," and she's been wondering about them for decades. The group's official name is Lafayette Morehouse and they're one of the few 1960s-era intentional living communes that have survived the decades. Additional Reading: This Bay Area Sex-Loving Commune Is Still Going Strong Reported by Jon Brooks. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Jen Chien, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Menlo Park resident Jim Timmons remembers the park around the Stanford Dish fondly. It has tons of wildlife and great views. But he wants to know more about the massive satellite dish in the middle of it. The 1960s-era parabolic antenna radio telescope was built to keep tabs on the Russian space program at the height of the Cold War. It's still used for research. Additional Reading No, the Stanford Dish Isn't Listening For Aliens, But It Was Designed to Spy on Russia Sign up for Bay Curious' monthly email newsletter Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Carly Severn, Jen Chien, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you see someone wearing a pair of pristine, gleaming white sneakers do you ever ask yourself: How do they keep their shoes so clean? We dig into sneaker culture with a couple of self-identified sneakerheads from John Henry High School in Richmond. And learn how internet influencers play a part. Additional Reading: Colorways, Hypebeasts and Influencers: Bay Area Teens Talk Sneakerhead Culture More Youth Takeover Stories Reported by Arline Villagres and Victor Rodriguez. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Amanda Vigil, Emiliano Villa, Carly Severn, Jen Chien, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millions of people are evicted each year, often because they can't pay rent. That causes a cascade of problems and makes it harder for many to get back on their feet. The KQED podcast Sold Out: Rethinking Housing In America has produced a special series on evictions in the Bay Area. Today we present an excerpt of their work that looks at the history, promise and drawbacks of the biggest rental assistance subsidy available to low-income people -- Section 8. Additional Reading: For Many Tenants Section 8 Is A Broken Promise. Fixing It Could Help Keep More People Housed SOLD OUT Podcast Reported by Molly Solomon and Erin Baldassari. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Kelly, Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Jen Chien, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listener Tadd Williams often sees the 16th Street Station from I-880. It's a huge, stately building in the Beaux-Arts style. It's looking a little rundown now, but it clearly was grand at one time. He wants to know about its past lives, and how was this spot important to West Oakland's Black community and the Civil Rights Movement. Additional Reading How Oakland's 16th Street Station Helped Build West Oakland and the Modern Civil Rights Movement Legacy of the Pullman Car Porters Thanks to the Newberry Library in Chicago for use of archival audio from the Pullman Railroad Company Records. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Rich Wipfler loves cars. So when he read that back in 1975 the museum that would become SFMOMA held a soapbox derby where local artists showed off wild, zany homemade creations careening downhill, he need to know more. We take you behind the scenes to meet the artists who starred in it. And, as luck would have it, the event is finally happening again -- April 10, 2022. Be there. Additional Reading: Wacky, Homemade Cars Will Soon Roll Down the Hill in SF's McLaren Park Amanda Pope's documentary: The Incredible San Francisco Artists' Soapbox Derby Reported by Mary Franklin Harvin. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Victoria Eng did a web search for her Duboce Triangle avenue she learned something curious. “It popped up on a list as an intersection of a privately owned street nearby.” That got her wondering why San Francisco has private streets at all. “Who owns these streets and why would someone want to own one of these streets?” She asked. Today we dive into a private street primer, and revisit one of the city’s most notorious private street sagas. Additional Resources: Sign up for our monthly newsletter to hear about future events What Is A Private Street and Why Are There So Many in San Francisco? Reported by Vanessa Rancaño. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli, Brendan Willard and Ceil Muller. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shellmounds are man-made mounds of earth and organic matter that were built up by humans over thousands of years. They were created by the people native to the San Francisco Bay Area. One archeologist estimated there were more than 425 shellmounds in the Bay Area at one point. Paul Gilbert wants to know what happened to them. Additional Reading There Were Once More Than 425 Shellmounds in the Bay Area. Where Did They Go? Who Were the First People to Live in the Bay Area? Court rules a 260-unit apartment complex can go up at 1900 Fourth St., a site the Ohlone consider sacred Reported by Laura Klivans. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mission District is one of San Francisco’s most famed neighborhoods -- and one of its oldest. It’s lived a lot of lives, from the Yelamu native people to the Spanish missionaries, and then waves of European immigrants. So then how did it become the center for the Latino community? Bay Curious intern Sebastian Mino-Bucheli tells us the story. Additional reading Latinos in La Misión: A Story of Resistance and Community Reported by Sebastian Miño-Buchli. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Johnson has been trying to explore more areas of San Francisco. He discovered the Filbert Steps on Telegraph Hill one beautiful spring day and it got him wondering what it's like to live there. Are there special rules homeowners have to follow? We met up with some residents to find out, discovering a whole lot more about this tight-knit community along the way. Additional Reading: How the Filbert Steps Came to Be an Oasis in San Francisco Where Did the Wild Parrots of San Francisco Come From? Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jen Chien, Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Matt Leonard asked: "What's the deal with San Francisco's trash cans? Why are they so unwieldy and why does it seem like it's so hard to get them replaced?" The answer takes us into the belly of San Francisco's Mohammed Nuru corruption case. On the upside, we'll get to know the new trash can prototypes. Additional Reading: The Sordid Saga of San Francisco's Trash Cans (with prototype photos) San Francisco's Unfolding Web of Corruption: A Cartoon Interactive Vote in our March Public Voting Round Reported by Christopher J. Beale. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli, Vanessa Rancaño and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When California became a state in 1850, it entered the union as a state that would not allow slavery. That's the history most people know. But in reality, California did allow slavery and its early leaders sided with the South and the rights of enslavers through a litany of early laws. The effects of that racist foundation are still being felt by people of color in California today. Additional Reading: California Celebrates Its History As a 'Free State.' But There Was Slavery Here KQED coverage of the Reparations Task Force work Stacey L. Smith discusses California's legacy of slavery on Forum Gold Chains: The Hidden History of Slavery in California (ACLU podcast) Reported by Otis Taylor and Lakshmi Sarah. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You might consider the 1960 Winter Olympics in Lake Tahoe a quaint affair compared to what's going on in Beijing right now, but these games had an outsize impact on televised sports, snow sports along the West Coast, and subsequent Olympic Games. Yet that these Games were even held in Tahoe is a bit of a miracle. Additional Reading: 'The World Was Shocked': How the Winter Olympics Came to Tahoe in 1960 Reported by Chloe Veltman. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Editing help on this episode from Victoria Mauleon and Katrina Schwartz. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Located at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Derby streets in Berkeley, The Rainbow Sign was a Black-centered space that was open to all — as a performance venue, a political organizing nexus and a legendary cafe. It saw dozens of high-profile Black luminaries walk through its doors, including James Baldwin, Nina Simone, Maya Angelou and Shirley Chisholm. The Rainbow Sign opened its doors in 1971, but was forced to shut down just six years later. Despite its short existence, the venue left an indelible mark on many young people in the community, including Vice President Kamala Harris. Bay Curious is presenting this episode from The California Report Magazine, a KQED radio program and podcast. Subscribe to their podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for more stories from around California. Additional Reading: Remembering The Rainbow Sign: The Short But Powerful Reign of Berkeley's 1970s Black Cultural Center Archive material from The Rainbow Sign curated by students at UC Berkeley Reported by Sasha Khokha and Marisa Lagos. The California Report Magazine is made by Victoria Mauleon, Sasha Khokha, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Toven-Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're out for a walk along the Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline at low tide, you might see the bones of an old ship poking out of the mud. How did it get there and what kind of life did it have? Additional Reading: How Did a 184-Foot Long Shipwreck Wind Up Grounded in the Carquinez Strait Martinez Historical Society resources on the Forester National Maritime Museum archived materials on the Forester Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of us are cleaning out our closets these days, getting rid of the stuff we don't wear and maybe even downsizing. But what do you do with all those old clothes? And, can stained or ripped clothes be recycled? We've got answers. Additional Reading: How to Responsibly Purge Your Closet in the Bay Area What Can You Do With Used Clothing Not Suitable for Donation? Reported by Sarah Craig. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Western monarch butterflies migrate to California to overwinter each year, traveling hundreds, even thousands of miles When they arrive, they need nectar flowers and milkweed to survive, but climate change, pesticide use and loss of habitat are threatening these magical creatures. A Bay Curious listener named Ellea wants to know what we can do to help support the Monarchs and other pollinators. One major learning from this episode: It's illegal to rear monarchs without a permit! Additional Reading How You Can Help Save the Monarch Butterfly and Other Pollinators Reported by Amanda Stupi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kyana Moghadam, Jessica Placzek, Natalia Aldana, Carly Severn, Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious newsletter reader Mike Robbins wrote to us saying he has thousands of dollars in toll violations and penalties. The number seemed so high we were incredulous. But, it turns out if you miss a few toll invoices, or don't pay them quickly enough, it's easy for a $6 or $7 toll fee to escalate into thousands of dollars of debt. We explain how and what's being done about it. Additional Reading Hit With Bridge Toll Debt? We Explain the Change That's Led to Skyrocketing Bills for Drivers 'High Pain, Low Gain': How Bridge Toll Penalties Pile Debt on Lower-Income Drivers Ways to Pay Your Toll, Invoice or Violation Reported by Dan Brekke. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When trying to identify a San Francisco accent, sometimes people point to the "Mission Brogue." But San Franciscans have always had many ways of speaking. Naming just one the San Francisco accent says more about who has political power than how people speak. Additional Reading: Why the Myth of the 'San Francisco Accent' Persists Uncovering the Real Story Behind the 'East Bay Mystery Walls' Tunnels Under San Francisco? Inside the Dark, Dangerous World of the Sewers Reported by Chloe Veltman. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bay Area is full of World War II history, even if it isn't always obvious. Listener Lise Ciolino stumbled on some in her Sausalito neighborhood when she learned that during the war there was a huge shipyard there. She wants to know "how the Liberty Ships produced in Sausalito affected the outcome of World War II." Additional Reading How Black Shipyard Workers in Marin Helped Win World War II Rapping About the WWII Black Shipyard Workers in Marin "A Way Out of No Way" on Spotify Reported by Pendarvis Harshaw and Marisol Medina-Cadena. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Ceil Muller, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lenore Kenny has noticed an uptick in autonomous vehicles on the streets of San Francisco in recent months. Specifically, she's seen a lot of white Jaguar SUVs with "Waymo" stamped on the sides. We dig into why there are more driverless cars on the road now and what they're doing. Additional Reading: You're Not Imagining It: There Are More Driverless Cars in SF Now Come play trivia with us on December 8, 2021. Reported by Christopher Beale. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kindergartner Caleb Whan is fascinated by whales. He wants to know all about what they eat and where they live. We've got answers for him and for another Bay Curious question asker, Ellea, who wonders why more whales have been washing up dead on Bay Area beaches in recent years. Additional Reading: More Whales Are Washing Up Dead on Bay Area Beaches. Why? The Biggest Whales Can Eat the Equivalent of 80,000 Big Macs in One Day Sign up for Bay Curious Trivia December 8, 2021! Reported by Amy Mayer. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Christopher Cox, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Ron Hewlett heard a rumor that several alleys in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood are named for Gold Rush era sex workers. He wondered if it was true. Plus, why does San Francisco stamp the names of streets into the sidewalks? There's a lot in a name, folks! Additional Reading: Were S.F. Streets Really Named After Gold Rush Era Sex Workers? Why Are Street Names Stamped Into S.F Sidewalks? Come play trivia with the Bay Curious team on Dec 8th, 2021! Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve grown up with the legend of La Llorona, you might be surprised to see how she’s depicted in a two-story mural at 24th and York Street in San Francisco’s Mission District. Instead of the ghost of a wailing woman, crying out for the very children she murdered, in this mural La Llorona is a protector of children, and she reflects the environmental struggles of women around the world. In today’s episode we delve into modern interpretations of La Llorona, and how she has revealed herself as a feminist icon. Additional Reading: Learn more about Juana Alicia's "La Llorona's Sacred Waters" on her website Reported by Sebastian Miño-Bucheli. Edited by Carly Severn and Olivia Allen-Price. Special thanks to Lina Blanco, Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí, Erika Aguilar and Gabriella Frenes. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recommend you listen to this episode on headphones. Join us around the campfire to hear three ghost stories, some of them decades old, and all of from right here in the Bay Area. Featuring Wes Leslie of The Haunt Ghost Tours, Tommy Netzband of Haunted Haight Walking Tour and the San Francisco Ghost Society and storyteller JP Frary. Additional Reading Ghost Stories and Macabre Tales to Binge This Halloween Chilling Histories of California Event at KQED Bay Curious Newsletter Sign-Up Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Toven-Lindsey, Vinnee Tong, Don Clyde and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listener Clayton Schloss sent Bay Curious this question: "Why do so many people have bumper stickers on their cars from the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz? What is that place?" Reporter Amanda Font takes us on a journey to "the Spot," where perception appears to bend reality. Additional Reading/Listening: What's Behind One of California's Most Ubiquitous Bumper Stickers? The California Report Magazine Podcast Reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Help on this episode from Suzie Racho, Victoria Mauleon, Sasha Khokha. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the show, we hear the tale of the Bay Bridge Trolls, who have been keeping the Bay Bridge safe since 1989. Plus, we get to know more about an oft-overlooked but very cool dragon sculpture on the Broadway Tunnel in San Francisco. It's a transit sculpture special! Photos and Additional Reading: The Tale of the Bay Bridge Troll Hiding In Plain Sight: The Dragon Sitting on Top of S.F's Broadway Tunnel Reported by Christopher Beale and Rae Alexandra. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You'll find millions of graves in Colma, but hardly any in San Francisco. This week on Bay Curious we dig into the history on how that came to be. Plus, we'll get to know more about some of the famous people buried in Colma. Additional Reading: Why Are There So Many Graves in Colma? And So Few in San Francisco? MAP: Where to Find Some of the Most Famous People Buried in Colma Reported by Jon Brooks and Sebastian Miño-Bucheli. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drive around downtown Redwood City and you're sure to see the city slogan on a big arching signs: "Climate Best by Government Test." The slogan caught the attention of Lauren Tankeh of San Carlos, who wanted to know if it's true. “Does Redwood City actually have the best weather?” Today on the show we look at the history of the town slogan. Plus: We answer a question from another listener about the origins of Los Gatos. It's a Peninsula special! Additional Reading: Can Redwood City Really Boast "Climate Best By Government Test”? Yes and No... Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Christopher Cox, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Krisi Riccardi was a girl, her father used to take her on leisurely Sunday drives down Highway 1. She'd enjoy the beautiful scenery until they hit Pacifica, where something odd always caught young Krisi’s attention — a stone castle perched high on the hill. Not exactly what you'd expect to find in a laid-back beach town. “As I got older we would walk up to this castle and walk around it. I’ve never been inside, but I looked over the wall. I’m now 68 and I always wondered what the history was of this castle,” Krisi said. She isn’t the only one curious about this place. Her question won a Bay Curious voting round. Today, Katrina Schwartz takes us inside the castle to explore why it was built, and the many lives this place has lived. Additional Reading: Rum Running, Ghosts and Speakeasies: The Many Lives of Pacifica’s Castle Sam Mazza Foundation website Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Terese O'Malley commuted across the Richmond-San Rafael bridge for years, and always wondered about a landmark visible from the bridge: San Quentin State Prison. The maximum-security prison sits on a primo piece of waterfront property in Marin County that would likely sell for an unfathomable sum in today's market. "How did Marin end up with San Quentin prison?" she asked Bay Curious. And why hasn't it moved? Editor's Note: We finished production on this week’s story about San Quentin prison in February 2020, just before Coronavirus took hold. In the months that followed, a few cases at the prison grew to more than 2,200. Ultimately two-thirds of people at San Quentin got infected, and 29 people died. It was one of the deadliest outbreaks in the nation’s prison system. Things have mostly turned the corner now that the majority inside are vaccinated, but questions remain about how things were handled. Long term effects from the outbreak are still being felt. In addition to our episode, we encourage you to listen to The Bay's episode from April about life at San Quentin today. Additional Resources: The Lasting Impact of COVID-19 in San Quentin State Prison (The Bay podcast episode) Court Hearing Examines Whether San Quentin’s Deadly COVID-19 Outbreak Could Have Been Prevented Reported by Kelly O'Mara. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Lina Blanco, Christopher Cox, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re looking at four big solutions California could tackle that would help us survive a megadrought. We're talking stuff like changes to our infrastructure and reprioritizing how we use water throughout the state. Additional Reading: 12 Important Things to Know About California's Drought One of the Most Important New Water Laws in 50 Years Explained Will California Drought Force Changes in Historic Water Rights? Reported by Ezra David Romero. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Buchelli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kevin Stark, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of listeners, including Steve Held, want to know why Bay Area cities aren't investing more in desalination plants as a long term fix to our water problems. We’re a state with 840 miles of coastline. Most of our big population areas are near the ocean. Why don’t we have more desalination plants? In this episode, we'll also talk about wastewater recycling and water budgeting. Additional Reading: What Can Local Water Agencies Do to Boost Water Supply? (Transcript) Desalination's Future in California Is Clouded by Cost and Controversy KQED's Desalination archive Water Recycling Comes of Age in Silicon Valley Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kevin Stark, Bianca Taylor, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even though California’s population has grown since 2017, we’re using 16% less water. Good job everyone! We’ve already made some big strides in water conservation that are paying off. Today, we’re going to look at more ways individuals can conserve water at home. Additional Reading: Three Big Ways to Save Water at Home 12 Simple Ways to Conserve Water at Home During a California Drought Reported by Nina Sparling. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Kevin Stark, Katie McMurran and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've been flirting with exceptional drought on and off in California for many years now. Bay Curious listener Nicholas Hardy is wondering if it's time to call it a megadrought. That got us wondering: what is a megadrought and are we in one? Additional Reading: Is California In A Megadrought? (Transcript) Megadrought Conditions Not Seen For 400+ Years Have Returned to the West, Scientists Say Reported by Amy Mayer. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Kevin Stark, Katie McMurran and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isabeth Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of us in the Bay Area, the journey our water takes to reach us is hidden from view. It travels long distances, sometimes more than a hundred miles! That can leave us disconnected from the source. We go about our days oblivious to how precarious our water resources might be. Today we’re going to answer what seems like a really simple question: where does our water come from? Because where your city gets its water has a lot to do with how you’re experiencing the drought right now. Additional Reading Bay Area: Do You Know Where Your Water Comes From? Russian River Drought: Sonoma and Mendocino Residents Save the Little Water They Have San Jose Relies On Water From the Sierra Nevada. Climate Change Is Challenging That System Gripped By Drought, Marin Considers Desalination, Water Pipeline Over the Richmond Bridge Reported by Ezra David Romero. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Buchelli, and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kevin Stark, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Prichett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

California is in drought. Again. And the infrastructure used to sustain the state's 40 million residents — and $50 billion agriculture industry — hasn't kept up with new climate patterns. In Episode 1 of our State of Drought series we explore why some experts say changing our mindset about drought may be the hardest, and best, thing we can do to survive a hotter, drier future. Additional Reading: How Should We Be Thinking About A Hotter, Drier Future? (Transcript) A Delta In Distress Will California Drought Force Change to Historic Water Rights? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dutch Crunch is a common find at Bay Area sandwich shops, but get 10 miles outside of the Bay and that option disappears. Jonathan Hillis and Lauren Alexander sent this question to the Bay Curious team: “Where does Dutch Crunch bread come from? How does everyone know about San Francisco sourdough, but not about the Bay Area’s best bread?” Reporter Amanda Font took on the task to bring us the goods. Additional Reading: Dutch Crunch: A Bay Area Favorite, But Not a Bay Area Original Reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, and Vinnee Tong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may have thought we were done with elections for a little while, but there's another big one coming up. On September 14th, Californians will vote on whether or not to recall Governor Gavin Newsom. Here's a primer with nitty-gritty voting details, some context for the campaign, and what you'll find on your ballot. Additional Reading: Your Guide to the Gavin Newsom Recall Election How to Make Sure Your Mail-In Ballot Isn't Rejected Please take the Bay Curious survey! Reported by Guy Marzorati. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Jenny Pritchett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Ricky Tjandra used to work helping international students find families to stay with in the Bay Area. In Daly City, he worked with many Filipino families, which got him wondering how the city became such a hub for Filipino Americans. Additional Reading In Daly City, the Bayanihan Spirit Is Alive and Well Little Manila: Filipinos in California's Heartland Little Manila Perseveres: How FilipinX Leaders in Stockton Are Organizing For the Next Generation Reported by Amanda Stupi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Chris Hoff. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daly City is only eight square miles, but it's one of the densest cities in the US. There are a few factors behind this, but one of the most interesting is the design of the houses. But it's not all building hacks in this episode, there's a darker past to some of Daly City's housing too. Additional Reading: How Daly City Became One of the Most Densely Populated Cities in the Country Richard Rothstein on KQED's Forum discussing his book The Color of Law Little Boxes: The Legacy of Henry Doelger by Robert Keil Reported by Amanda Stupi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Brendan Willard, Sebastian Miño-Bucheli and Chris Hoff. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Lena Blanco, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to cultural exports of the Bay Area, Hyphy is in a league of its own. The subgenre of hip hop has an up-tempo, hyperactive beat that makes you want to dance. In the early 2000s, artists like E-40 and Too $hort had audiences around the world loving this distinctly Bay Area sound. But where did that sound come from? And what was Hyphy culture like more broadly? Today we bring you an episode from KQED's Rightnowish, hosted by Pendarvis Harshaw. He speaks with music producer Trackademicks. Subscribe to Rightnowish for more on Bay Area arts and culture. Reported by Pendarvis Harshaw. Produced by Marisol Medina-Cadena. Edited by Jessica Placzek and Vanessa Rancano. Engineering by Ceil Muller and Brendan Willard. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Sebastian Miño-Bucheli. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bay Curious listener Héctor Pérez has long wondered about the first people to call the Bay Area home. He wants to know what life was like for them and what happened to them. Additional Reading: Who Were the First People to Live in the Bay Area? The Bay Area During the Ice Age (Think Saber-Tooth Cats and Mammoths) Reported by Daniel Potter. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This summer is shaping up to be really dry. Water officials around the Bay Area are asking people to conserve and wildfires are already burning throughout the state. The Bay Curious team is cooking up some episodes about the situation and we want to hear from you. Enter your question in the blue box at the top of baycurious.org or leave us a voicemail at 415-553-3334. Thanks! The Bay Curious Team Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we take on a question from the sixth graders at East Oakland's Life Academy of Health and Bioscience. Many of them live near Interstate 880. They've seen lots of big rigs on I-880 but none on nearby I-580, which runs parallel but closer to the hills. They want to know why. Additional Reading: Trucks are Banned on Oakland’s I-580. These Sixth Graders Wondered Why Asthma Rates Higher in California's Historically Redlined Communities, New Study Finds Reported by Laura Klivans. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Kevin Stark, Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isa Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s arts appreciation week on Bay Curious! We take on questions about the tension between the creative freedom in the Bay vs commercial acclaim in the theater world, dig into the musical legacy of Mills College and find out what happened to Beach Blanket Babylon's outarageous costumes since the musical closed. Additional Reading: Is the Bay Area Known For Its Theater Scene? Depends on Who You Ask You've Heard Experimental Sounds From Mills College (Even If You Don't Realize It) Preserving the Legacy of 'Beach Blanket Babylon' One Hat at a Time Here's Why the Bay Area's Theater Scene is Amazing Right Now (Bold Italic) Reported by Katrina Schwartz and Suzie Racho. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Olivia Allen-Price, and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isa Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Bay Area residents know about the long established Chinatowns in San Francisco and Oakland, but did you know that San Jose used to have a Chinatown? In fact, it’s had FIVE throughout its history. Why isn’t there a Chinatown in San Jose today? Additional Reading: San Jose Had 5 Chinatowns. Why Did They Vanish The Fairmont Hotel Was Built on the Arson-Ravaged Ruins of San Jose's Chinatown Reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Isa Mendoza, Paul Lancour, Carly Severn, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As soon as the Bay Bridge was completed in 1936, people wanted a second bridge. Even back then, traffic was terrible. Did you know the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed a bridge to cross the San Francisco Bay? This week, why Wright's vision for that second bridge never materialized. Additional Reading: The Beautiful Bay Bridge Frank Lloyd Wright Never Got to Build Another Bay Bridge? 70 Years of Absurd, Crazy and Downright Dumb Span Plans Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Isa Mendoza, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices