Bay Curious
Episodes
The Sordid Saga of San Francisco’s Trash Cans
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Despite What You Learned, California Had Slavery. What Now?
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 real...
When the Winter Olympics Came to Lake Tahoe
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 out...
Bay Curious Presents: Berkeley's Rainbow Sign
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 —...
Shipwrecked! How a 120-Year-Old Ship Ended up in the Martinez Mud
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 di...
How You Can Responsibly Recycle Old Clothes
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 tho...
How You Can Help Save the Monarch Butterfly And Other Pollinators
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Western monarch butterflies migrate to California to overwinter each year, traveling hundreds, even thousands of miles When they arrive, they need nec...
$15,000 in Toll Penalties?! It Can Happen Faster Than You Think
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Is There A San Francisco Accent?
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When trying to identify a San Francisco accent, sometimes people point to the "Mission Brogue." But San Franciscans have always had many ways of speak...
How Black Shipyard Workers in Marin Helped Win World War II
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 wh...
Why So Many Driverless Cars in SF?
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 Ja...
More Whales Are Washing Up Dead on Bay Area Beaches. Why?
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 anot...
Are S.F. Streets Really Named For Gold-Rush Era Sex Workers?
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 wor...
La Llorona, Legend and Protector, in the Streets of San Francisco
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Listen If You Dare! Three Bay Area Ghost Stories
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Deep in the Santa Cruz Redwoods, Your Mind Will Play Tricks On You
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Meet the Bay Bridge Troll and the Broadway Tunnel Dragon
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 abou...
Why Are There So Many Graveyards in Colma?
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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. Plu...
Can Redwood City Really Boast “Climate Best By Government Test”?
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
There's a Castle in Pacifica?!
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 hi...
A Prison with Million Dollar Views? How San Quentin Came to Be
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Terese O'Malley commuted across the Richmond-San Rafael bridge for years, and always wondered about a landmark visible from the bridge: San Quentin St...
State of Drought 6: Big Solutions
03 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 infras...
State of Drought 5: Desalination, Water Recycling and More
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 wate...
State of Drought 4: Saving Water In Your Home
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
State of Drought 3: Are We in a Megadrought?
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 tim...
State of Drought 2: Where Our Water Comes From
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
State of Drought 1: Facing Our Hotter, Drier Future
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
California is in drought. Again. And the infrastructure used to sustain the state's 40 million residents — and $50 billion agriculture industry — ...
The Story Behind the Bay Area's Favorite Sandwich Bread
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 A...
Your Guide to the Gavin Newsom Recall Election
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
In Daly City, Filipino Culture Runs Deep
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 wit...
Daly City Is One of the Densest Cities in the Country. Why?
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 interesti...
‘It’s Pure Energy’: How Hyphy Came to Define Bay Area Hip Hop
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 mak...
Who Were the First People to Live in the Bay Area?
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
What Questions Do You Have About the Drought?
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 throug...
Trucks are Banned on Oakland’s I-580. These Sixth Graders Wondered Why
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Lightning Round! The Bay Area's Arts Innovators
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
San Jose Had 5 Chinatowns. Why Did They Vanish?
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 Chinato...
The Beautiful Bay Bridge Frank Lloyd Wright Never Got to Build
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Wait. There's A Volcano in the East Bay Hills?
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you head to Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve above Oakland, you might wonder the same thing as Bay Curious listener Bourke MacDonald: How did a vo...
The True Story Behind the Myths and Mysteries of Searsville Lake
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bay Curious listener David Mattea grew up in foggy Daly City. He remembers his family driving down the Peninsula to get some sun at a man-made beach o...
The Gold Rush Delicacy That Started A War: Eggs
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
During the Gold Rush, people flocked to the San Francisco Bay Area to make their fortunes. A few entrepreneurial folks realized seabird eggs could pro...
The Origins of the Bay Area's Donut and Chinese Food Combo
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bay Curious listener Jaimie Cohen wants to know: "Why are there restaurants that serve Chinese food, doughnuts and burgers all in one location? And wh...
Marin Was Once Armed With Nuclear Missiles, Luckily They Were Never Deployed
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bay Curious listener Chris Johanson wants to know whether the Nike Missile site in the Marin Headlands ever housed nuclear weapons. It's true. Veteran...
How Bay Area Homelessness Compares Globally
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Many people in our community are experiencing homelessness -- about 35,000 throughout the Bay Area at last count. Matthew Schmitz was shocked by how w...
Crumbling Tunnels to Nowhere: The Story Behind Santa Cruz's Mountain Route
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How did a cutting edge railroad become crumbling tunnels to nowhere? This week, the story of the Mountain Route, a long lost rail line that once cut t...
Lightning Round! Ch-ch-changes Around the Bay Area
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’re answering your questions in a Bay Curious lightning round. We tackle changes you’ve noticed this past year on our bridges, on the water, and...
Why There’s a Cross on San Francisco’s Highest Peak
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For years, Bay Curious listeners Julia Thollaug and Phil Montalvo have wondered the same thing: "What's the deal with the cross on Mount Davidson?" Th...
The Wacky Lumberjack Frat Behind 'Hoo Hoo Way'
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bay Curious listeners Peter Caravalho and Sarah Caravalho Khan live in Cupertino. While wandering around their neighborhood they wondered where the st...
Your Stories From the Year of COVID
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We asked you to send us reflections on how your life has changed in the year since Bay Area leaders first issued a shelter-in-place order —the e...
Why So Trashy? Your Highway Questions Answered
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we answer your questions about Bay Area highways. Herb Masters has noticed what looks like a ghost freeway where 280 and 380 intersect...
Will Oysters Ever Make a Comeback in the Bay?
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Bay Area is known for great oysters, but the ones grown locally are mostly from up in Marin County. San Francisco Bay used to have a thriving popu...
What Would Happen If Chabot Dam in the East Bay Hills Broke Open?
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The question is a simple but alarming one: If the Lake Chabot dam cracked open in a big earthquake, what kind of flooding should the communities below...
The True History of Irish Coffee and Its San Francisco Origins
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our question-asker, Sara Russell, grew up hearing stories from her mother about how Irish Coffee was invented in San Francisco. Now, she wants to know...
How COVID Could Change the Bay Area For All of Us
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A year into the coronavirus pandemic there's hope on the horizon. It's too soon to know the lasting impacts on the Bay Area, but we asked experts in m...
Why It's So Expensive To Build Housing In The Bay Area
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
California is the most expensive state to build affordable housing in part because the costs to build are high. Some builders are turning to modular, ...
Why California’s Vaccine Rollout Has Been Chaotic
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The coronavirus vaccine rollout in California has felt chaotic, in part because the state has changed course several times. Many Bay Area residents ar...
Olivia's Having a Baby!
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode, Olivia says goodbye (temporarily!) as she gets ready to welcome a new baby to the Bay! But don't fret, Bay Curious producer Ka...
Calling For Time: Whatever Happened to POP-CORN?
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Want to know what time it is? These days, it's as easy as looking at your phone. But before the digital age, Bay Area residents could dial POP-CORN or...
Why Doesn't PG&E Bury the Power Lines to Prevent Wildfires?
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In just two-and-a-half years the utility’s equipment started more than fifteen-hundred fires, a Wall Street Journal investigation found. Some of tho...
What's the Best San Francisco Movie? A (Sorta) Heated Debate
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Ben Kaiser loves watching films shot and set in San Francisco, and is looking for some recommendations. This episode features Peter Hartlaub,...
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s Life in San Francisco
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bay Curious listener Erin Al Gwaiz wanted to know more about the time that famous Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera spent in San Francisco....
What's Special About San Francisco’s Sourdough?
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We've got food on the mind this week, so are bringing back one of our all-time favorite episodes! Dig into the science behind San Francisco sourdough,...
How a Berkeley Police Chief Gave Rise to the Modern Force
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
August Vollmer was Berkeley's first police chief and is credited with pioneering many common aspects of policing used today. Listener Blake Schmidt wa...
What's Next For Incarcerated Firefighters In California?
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For more than a century California has relied on incarcerated firefighters to help combat devastating wildfires. Bay Curious listener Brittany Powers ...
How Ballots Get Counted in California
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are ballots counted by machines or humans? How sure are we there was no meddling with votes along the way? When do they stop counting ballots? What ha...
Part II: The Aftermath and Legacy of the Donner Party Saga
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What happened to the Donner Party survivors after they escaped the snowy Sierra? In this episode we explore how this notorious disaster struck deep at...
Part I: The Donner Party Story You Haven’t Heard Before
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You probably know the broad strokes of the Donner Party Saga: In 1846, a group of migrants traveling to California got stuck in a surprise October sno...
How The Official California Voter Guide Gets Made
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Colin Nichols gets the official California voter guide in the mail like folks in 11 million other households. It got him wondering, who puts it togeth...
Proposition 25: Cash Bail
16 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Proposition 25 would eliminate the use of cash bail in California, replacing it with a threat assessment system using algorithms and judicial discreti...
Proposition 24: Consumer Privacy
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Proposition 24 would expand California's privacy laws, including the creation of a new state agency to regulate how companies collect and use consumer...
Proposition 23: Dialysis Physicians
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're exploring the 12 statewide ballot propositions in our Prop Fest series. This episode takes a closer look at Prop 23, which would require dialysi...
Proposition 22: App-Based Drivers
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Proposition 22 asks Californians if they want to define app-based transportation and delivery drivers as independent contractors, instead of as employ...
Proposition 21: Rent Control
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Proposition 21 asks voters if local governments should be allowed to enact rent control measures. It would replace the Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Ac...
Proposition 20: Criminal Sentencing and Parole
09 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're exploring the 12 statewide ballot propositions in our Prop Fest series. This episode takes a closer look at Prop 20, which aims to roll back som...
Proposition 19: Property Tax Transfers
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Proposition 19 would allow adults 55+, people living with severe disabilities, and victims of natural disasters to transfer their property tax assessm...
Proposition 18: Youth Voting
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're exploring the 12 statewide ballot propositions in our Prop Fest series. This episode tackles Prop 18, which would allow 17-year-olds to vote in ...
Proposition 17: Voting While on Parole
06 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Proposition 17 asks Californians if people convicted of felonies should be allowed to vote while on parole. This would impact about 40,000 people in t...
Proposition 16: Affirmative Action
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're exploring the 12 statewide ballot propositions in our Prop Fest series. This episode tackles Prop 16, which asks voters to overturn a ban on the...
Proposition 15: Commercial Property Tax
02 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We're digging into the 12 statewide ballot propositions in our Prop Fest series. This episode tackles Prop 15, which would change how the state assess...
Proposition 14: Stem Cell Research Bond
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This year Californians are voting on 12 statewide propositions that will have a big impact on criminal justice reform, taxes, and voting, among other ...
What Was the Bay Area Like During the Last Ice Age?
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How the North Bay Became 'Wine Country'
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The area north of San Francisco has come to be known as "wine country," but listener Michael Viray wanted to know, how did it get that way? Bugs, taxe...
Does the Golden Gate Bridge Howl?
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Ryan heard an eerie noise while crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on his motorcycle. He's not the only one -- the sound can be heard from miles...
Evacuation 101 And Why Wildfire Can't Defeat Those Redwoods
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Recent fires in the Bay Area have a lot of us thinking about how to evacuate our homes, maybe for the first time. We answer all the basics about when ...
The Secret Lives of The Palace of Fine Arts Swans
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The lagoon in front of San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts has been home to swans since its was built in 1915. Bay Curious listener Mishi Nova loves t...
When And Why Did the Bay Area Become So Liberal?
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Now there’s no question that today the nine-county Bay Area is solidly blue, but it hasn’t always been this way. Bay Curious listener Marcus wants...
The Unassuming East Bay Beach Strewn With Ceramic Treasures
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On a tucked-away beach in Richmond, Calif., shards of broken pottery outnumber sand or rocks. It’s an odd feeling, like you’ve stumbled on some ki...
Getting Naked in San Francisco: A History
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The state of California has indecent exposure laws, making it illegal if someone is naked with the intent of being sexual (like masturbating in public...
Ethnic Studies: Born in the Bay from History's Biggest Student Strike
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Michael Viray wrote in to Bay Curious asking to learn more about the origin story behind ethnic studies: “I’ve heard from one of my profe...
Vegan Food is Big in S.F. — But Will the Scene Survive COVID-19?
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
San Francisco beat out Los Angeles, New York and Portland as the top vegan city in America. But with COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the food industry — ...
How Love Inspired the Murphy Bed
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we learn how one enamored entrepreneur on a shoe-string budget gave birth to the Murphy bed in San Francisco. Then, we revisit one of our mo...
Why Does The Bay Area Have So Many Microclimates?
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bay Curious listener Scott has lived in the Bay Area his whole life. He's always wondered why the weather can be so different just a few miles apart. ...
A Long and Winding Journey For Some Drinking Water
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bay Curious listeners Alex Kornblum, 8, and his dad, Heath Kornblum, were talking about their drinking water when they landed on this question: How lo...
Why San Francisco's Fillmore District Is No Longer the 'Harlem of the West'
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, this question won a public voting round on BayCurious.org: "The Fillmore district used to be known as the Harlem of the West. What's the st...
The Bay Area’s Long Tradition of Celebrating Juneteenth
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Juneteenth celebrations in the Bay Area are some of the largest, and longest-running in California. We offer a quick primer on the history of Juneteen...
What History Teaches Us About How Protests Spark Change
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We look back at protests from the civil rights era — both nonviolent and violent — to understand how these actions lead to changes in public polic...
Truth Be Told: Protesting For The Soul of America
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re sharing an episode from Truth Be Told, made by our colleagues: Tonya Mosley, Isabeth Mendoza and Suzie Racho. They speak with Dr. Ed...
The Little Known History of Japanese Internment on Angel Island
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Visitors to Angel Island often learn about how the island was once an immigration processing and detention center where Chinese immigrants were made t...
Where Everyone Gets a Slice of the Pie
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bay Curious listener Columbia Shafer was walking along Grand Ave in Oakland one day, when she noticed a new Zachary's pizza shop opening. "They were p...
How Rice-A-Roni Became The San Francisco Treat
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There was a time when you couldn't go too long watching television without seeing a commercial for Rice-A-Roni. Many featured images of San Francisco,...