Curious City

<p>A half day from ... what? Why this suburban myth is not even half true, and why the same mistake was made again 600 miles away.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/kwrA_0Lrq1A" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Over three decades, Aadam Jacobs obsessively documented Chicago’s indie rock scene. His collection includes the early work of Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins, Jeff Tweedy, New Order, Naked Raygun, Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo and much more. Today, the future of his roughly 10,000 live recordings is unclear. We took a peek into Jacob's archive.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/DCDHFP5cWN8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Population estimates vary drastically. And numbers matter, since they dictate funding for crucial resources like shelter beds, food and social services.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/ftsOp9wr13M" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Erratic water levels, disappearing beaches — climate change is already affecting Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Here’s what else we can expect.<br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/5AM7Qj04K7g" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Chicago’s Full Moon Jam is now a popular city-sanctioned attraction. But it began back in 2004 as a birthday party among friends. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/uWYj8sXtJ3k" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<p>Don your dancing shoes as we track down the Chicago band members, musicians, and dancers who helped create five iconic moves. <br></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CuriousCityPodcast/~4/C-dsILkbFug" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>

<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=""/>