Curious City

<p>A child psychiatrist, a public defender and a police officer weigh in on how to prepare kids for interacting with the police. </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/zhRTuLo4Cjw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>To explore the mysteries of Chicago’s rodents, Curious City took a rat safari, interviewed experts and turned your stories into a zine. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/cep2KPUROKw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Some were called Communist, while others have been called out for lack of diversity. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/USf0tl8L5b4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Our recent search for the origins of a famous South burger hit a dead end — until the elusive Nicky Vagenas finally came forward. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/3sMLV2mye7Q" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Choices made in the wake of the violence set a foundation for the racial inequality the city continues to grapple with. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/OuN7eqKJlPc" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Long-brewing racial tensions came to a head one hot summer day, when a black boy was drowned near a whites-only beach.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/vcRkYyq_EJ4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>It smells like garbage and gym shoes, but, surprisingly, the city’s geographic center says a lot about Chicago’s soul.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/j0HoMpDFwUk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>We used a Geiger counter to see if we could detect any radiation footprint from the site of the first sustained nuclear chain reaction. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/VVT_T835YN0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Use our handy guide to determine which Chicago beaches are safe for swimming, and when to proceed with caution. </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/rYyFg206osI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Dozens of unconnected fast food joints serve up the same popular Chicago cheeseburger under the same name. Where did it all begin?</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/Wcri5c83rHs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>A key experiment in the development of the atom bomb was hidden in plain sight on University of Chicago’s campus. Who was in on the secret?<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/vBm9vrvjPpU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>The DuSable Museum says — creepy or not — its Harold Washington robot will teach you a thing or two about the city’s first African-American mayor.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/NBHLCEvcXUM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Back in 2008, Mayor Richard M. Daley’s plan to make Chicago “the greenest city in America” by 2020 made national news. How’s that going? <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/GhWLStmxO1c" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Think you know all the recycling rules? Think again. Check out this quick guide to some common dos and don’ts of Chicago recycling. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/g0_vOxNnKk0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Lots of items in your local grocery aisle claim to have been at the 1893 World's Fair. We piece together these savory origin stories.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/0qzvpAFnPcs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>The U.S. legal system treated children the same as adults until the late 19th century, when a group of Chicago women demanded change. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/bmjA9NIy_Ho" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Yes, tornadoes can hit Chicago. Why do so many people think otherwise?<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/boE3itZaCZs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Like millions of black Southerners during the Great Migration, they sought greater freedom and opportunity. They found it in the blues.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/RmvAcF6lX9U" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Community activists and a university representative reflect on why the relationship has been difficult in the past and where it stands now.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/8e8lwSY0PAg" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p><b style="font-weight:normal;" id="docs-internal-guid-373ca730-7fff-8cec-ff2e-5f9abb6358de"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Here’s who and what to blame if you spill your coffee on your commute.</span></b><!--EndFragment--><br><br><br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/pP8Jb_gWFTA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Demographic shifts, changes in attitudes towards public drinking and the politics of the Daley family led to the shuttering of many Chicago bars.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/uHOYEA6Nq8A" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>It takes a lot of information and a lot of patience, but here’s what you need to know to get reimbursed from the city.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/XFa52l2DiQo" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Bruce Graham and Fazlur Khan changed the way architects and engineers thought about the structure of the modern skyscraper.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/90vIL1t877Q" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Part I of our CliffsNotes guide to Chicago music history included jazz, folk, Latin, and gospel. Here, we present four more genres.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/BXcSPAI2WGI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>A former CPS student wishes kids learned more about Chicago’s rich music history. So here’s a CliffsNotes music guide. Happy listening!<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/K479w6BT_DY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Northwest Indiana resident Beth Braun wants to know whether lead emissions from the nearby steel mill are landing in her backyard. <!--EndFragment--><br><br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/-OvLFoFrcpA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Did you know you can’t perform in a window or dye a baby chick? We feature nine of Chicago’s most obscure laws.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/xMeQtTae6hA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Election judges don’t usually count votes for cartoon mice or celebrities, but there was one exception. We took a peek.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/7hxeJjsed0I" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>One Chicagoan wants to know what people who moved to Chicago love about the city. From fireflies to marathons, here’s what they have to say.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/yAogH4FgxHE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>The Dill Pickle wasn’t just any old 1920s nightclub. It opened its doors to queer Chicagoans and other marginalized groups.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/9V15JAwgUu0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>The story of one Chicago grocery store tycoon’s dream for jazz music, movie stars, and bygone glamour. </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/34z7r60PGII" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>From boycotts to hashtags, Curious City traces the history of a 150-year-old message urging the black community to support black businesses. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/0Vl_qFdpx-Y" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p><b><span>Curious City spends a night at The Warehouse club through the memories of teens who danced there in the 1980s.</span></b><!--EndFragment--><br><br><br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/vUFFV0kfa4w" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>WBEZ’s Tony Sarabia talks with people who came out later in life about how that affected their closest relationships. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/EWVJkVkCFaM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>A recent episode from VPR’s podcast for curious kids features reporting from Curious City about what happens after you flush the toilet. <!--EndFragment--><br><br><br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/QXGfYWXBA2g" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>The city's top recipe sleuths share their secrets as we recreate a divine, but elusive, fried chicken dish.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/U_nHocJ-YhM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Hint: If you want a Chicago street named after you, it helps to know a real estate developer — or be married to one!  <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/hqLctwdVQNQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Candidates need to gather and then defend stacks of petition signatures. We break down who this helps and hurts. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/TkblQwMUcFI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Sure, they pass laws and vote on city budgets. But there’s so much more. Think: Pregnancy tests and pigeon poo.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/BxHLTzoUTp4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>The CTA consults lots of sources to decide how to pronounce street names. Take our quiz to find out how your pronunciations match up. </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/ig_lin0iOBM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>The Ike was the city’s first superhighway. <a href="http://interactive.wbez.org/curiouscity/eisenhower/">In this special presentation, people affected open up about how it scattered ethnic neighborhoods and changed many lives forever.</a><br><br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/bt9FMmmLge8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>The beef sandwich and slushy drink are sold together all across the South and West sides. We track down the guy who put the two together. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/pwMdfwpMwY8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p></p><p style=""></p><p>The story of Irish-American draft resisters, African-Americans who defied the odds in order to fight, and women who found alternate ways to support the war.</p><p><br></p><p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/I4_LGGWBBxk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Dominic Pacyga shares his encyclopedic knowledge of Chicago history and answers questions about everything from “gin joints” to stockyards.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/gjO3oewa1s8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>We unearth the business model behind these seasonal shops, and get the scoop on what costumes will be most popular this season. <!--EndFragment--><br><br><br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/0o6uBNzTPf0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>We learn that, despite the current paucity of food co-ops, the city actually has a strong food co-op history — and there may be more on the horizon. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/zJazqC10goY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Chicago once had a booming commercial fishing industry. Lawrence’s Fish and Shrimp is one of the last vestiges of that industry.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/q3elVUb5aHY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p></p><p style="">Billy Sunday was an influential preacher within the American evangelical movement. How'd he end up in a song sung by Sinatra?<br></p><p></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/oKjD9YKPGnI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Chicago continued to use lead pipes long after many cities banned them. We look at the politics and personalities behind it.<!--EndFragment--><br><br><br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/59hl4KsLjdA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Why did Richard J. Daley push for the UIC campus to rise from the heart of a long-standing ethnic neighborhood? In this special Curious City presentation, reporter Monica Eng examines the pervasive suspicion that the mayor’s choice rose from a political spat or — even worse — from disdain for the Italian-American community. <a href="http://interactive.wbez.org/curiouscity/littleitaly">Click here for the full story.</a><br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/mLIdEWy29Q0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>