Bay Curious
Episodes
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,...
No Prom. No Yearbook Signing. No Graduation Ceremony. It's High School in 2020.
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For KQED's annual Youth Takeover project, we hand the mic over to four Bay Area high school students who have been keeping audio diaries while under s...
What Help Is There for California’s Undocumented Immigrants?
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Russ Johnson asked how coronavirus is impacting undocumented Californians, and if leaders are working to help them. An estimated 2 million Ca...
For Love and Hair
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The coronavirus pandemic is affecting people in ways big and small. Some are very personal. What's it like to date an immunocompromised person right n...
Cleaner Air and Weirder Dreams — Such Is Life in April 2020
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As we shelter-in-place, a lot of people on Twitter are sharing the strange dreams they're having. We look into why that might be. And, listener Anne-M...
Did We Put the 'Bay' In Bay Windows?
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are so many bay windows in San Francisco, Oakland, and other cities around the Bay Area it would be easy to assume they were invented here. But ...
Coronavirus: A Guide to Grocery Shopping
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to Judith Milgram and Ryan Stauffer for their questions. We cover how to shop safely, bring groceries home, and order takeout during the novel ...
Just Don't Call Them Buffalo: Meet the Bison of Golden Gate Park
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bay Curious listener Paul Irving wanted to know: "What's the story with the bison in Golden Gate Park?" The park celebrates its 150th birthday this we...
Does Mount Diablo Have the Biggest View in the World?
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Mark Isaak heard that the spot on the earth from which you can see the most land is the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. But that the summit of M...
A Coronavirus Care Package: Care For Yourself, Others and Still Have Fun
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It has been a week, y'all. We're bringing you some tips on how to care for yourself, an inspiring story about how one neighbor his helping another, an...
Coronavirus in the Bay Area: Your Questions Answered
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are the recommendations for taking public transit? Should I go to work? Should I cancel upcoming travel plans? How long does the virus last on a ...
Why Highway 280 Has So Few Billboards
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Question asker David Shayer has a lot of opinions... about billboards. He says the worst are electronic billboards that flash changing images at night...
In A Changing City, How Does The Tenderloin Stay The Same?
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood is bordered by some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city, yet it has a bad reputation. Tourists are t...
Coyotes, They're Back and They're Thriving
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Question asker Lauren Fleming has noticed a lot of signs warning about coyote sightings in San Francisco parks. She wants to know how many coyotes liv...
Bay Area, I Love You
13 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week the Bay Curious team asked locals to help us make a collective love letter to the Bay Area. We talked to people whose families have been her...
We Built This City on ... Water and Marsh?
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When Nicole was growing up, her grandmother always told her: Don't live anywhere built on fill. Her uncle also had strong memories of watching the Mar...
You're Really, Really Curious About BART
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We get a lot of BART questions from our listeners, so this week we're answering a slew of them with long-time transit reporter Dan Brekke. How did th...
Jerry Brown’s Impact on Oakland May Surprise You
23 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jerry Brown has been a dominant force in California politics for decades. He spent 16 years as governor of California, ran for Senate twice, ran for p...
What's The Real History of El Camino Real?
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Reporter Rachael Myrow and listener Debbie Torrey discover that what we've been told about this famous road is mostly bunk. This story first ran on th...
Why Do S.F.'s Crosswalks Play a Machine Gun Sound?
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The crosswalks in San Francisco, and many other Bay Area towns, play a 'machine gun' sound when the 'walk' sign is illuminated for pedestrians. A Bay ...
What Are Those Grids of Glass in the Sidewalk — And Why Are They Purple?
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Britt McEachern is a tour guide in San Francisco, and spends a lot of time walking around city streets. He's noticed grids of glass embedded ...
Rising Seas and Sinking Land: The Precarious Future of Treasure Island
19 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This is the second part of our series on Treasure Island. Listener Gary Pilgrim was taking a drive across the Bay Bridge with his new wife when they ...
Between Romance and War: the Making of Treasure Island
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Gary Pilgrim was taking a drive across the Bay Bridge with his new wife when they decided to stop at Treasure Island. After taking in the sw...
How Charlie Chaplin and Silent Films Flourished in the East Bay
05 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Question asker José Muñoz wants to know more about the storied history of this place, which was a pivotal stop-off in Charlie Chaplin's career. Was ...
A Look Back at the Occupation of Alcatraz, 50 Years Later
28 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Occupation of Alcatraz began on Nov. 20, 1969, when a group of Native American students, calling themselves the Indians of All Tribes, landed on A...
Why Is There A Texas Flag Outside S.F. City Hall? What is S.F.’s First Square?
21 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Platt was checking out a flag display outside San Francisco's city hall when he noticed the flag from his home state, Texas, was among them. Wha...
Think the Bay Used to Be Bluer? You're Not Imagining It
14 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Bay Curious listener Justin Hartung was growing up in Oakland, he remembers the Bay being blue. After moving to New York for college in the early...
It's Our Birthday! Come Behind the Scenes
07 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
To celebrate the third birthday of the Bay Curious podcast we are answering listener questions about our favorite episodes, how we make the show, our ...
Secret Tunnels Under San Francisco?
31 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
San Francisco is 49 square miles, but contains more than 1,000 miles of sewer mains, running under every block. Take a trip with Bay Curious reporter...
Why Can't You Swim in Most of the Bay Area Lakes?
24 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Bay Area is defined by water. Not just by the bay itself, but by the Pacific Ocean and myriad rivers, reservoirs, lakes and ponds. Yet most of the...
How Rocky Road Ice Cream Got Its Start in Oakland
17 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Two Oakland ice cream makers claim they invented the famous flavor — Fenton's Creamery and Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream. Either way, the depression-era ...
You Gotta Check Out These Offbeat Museums
10 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Our first stop is the Bay Model in Sausalito, a roughly 1.5-acre model of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta system. We visi...
Do Preserved Bodies Dwell in Lake Tahoe's Depths?! The Truth Behind Tahoe's Myths
03 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lake Tahoe is the backyard playground for many in the Bay Area, so earlier this year we asked the Bay Curious audience what questions they had about t...
Sutro Tower’s Journey From Eyesore to Icon
26 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Back in the 1960s, San Francisco had really bad television reception. By many accounts, it was the worst of any city in America. Good reception requir...
The State Capitol Almost Moved to Berkeley and All It Got Was This Sweet Bear Fountain
19 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re in Berkeley and wander far enough up Marin Avenue, there’s no doubt you’ll run into the Fountain at The Circle. The grand Beaux Arts f...
Oh, SFO: Why So Delayed? (And What’s With the “O”?)
12 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It might seem like everyone thinks their local airport is the worst of them all: the longest security lines, the worst food, the most delays. But we i...
How the Bay Area Came to be a Hub for Casual Style
05 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On a recent visit to San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, KQED listener Michelle Morby didn’t like what she saw. In the middle of the champag...
Why Are There So Many Palm Trees in the Bay Area?
29 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After Joseph Morales, an electrician from Chicago, moved to Emeryville this past winter, he found himself wondering: What’s with all the palm trees ...
Think Bay Area Nightlife Ends Early? That Could Be About to Change
22 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ever had your late night revels ended abruptly by the bartender announcing last call just before 2 a.m. here in the Bay Area? If this strikes a chord,...
The Minister of Loneliness, Aristotle And How To Make That Awesome Person Your Friend
15 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, Bay Curious received the question: “How do I make friends?” We tried reaching out to the question asker, but they never responded. Howe...
How To Find New Friends
08 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There isn’t a clear path on how to make close friends. Some people find making friends even harder than dating. They say with romantic relationshi...
Why Isn’t Local Seafood a Bigger Deal in the Bay Area?
19 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Rayan Rafay was prepared to be blown away by Bay Area seafood when he moved here in 2016. After growing up on the East Coast, he had been amazed by th...
Is Dutch Crunch Bread From the Bay Area?
18 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
While the Bay Area is known for its sourdough, it’s often Dutch Crunch that really gets the attention of newcomers. The tasty bread is especially pr...
What’s the Best Way to Get Rid of Your Old Clothes?
11 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Spring cleaning, Marie Kondo-ing, whatever you want to call it — there is a massive purge of clothing coming out of people’s closets right now. Th...
Yes, Your ‘Tropical’ Mai Tai Was Invented Here in Oakland
04 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You might think the iconic rum cocktail was born in Hawaii. We set off to discover its true roots.
Lightning Round: Dead Whales, Expensive Gas and ‘Earthquake Weather’
22 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week we answer three listener questions: What happens to whale carcasses that wash ashore? Why is gas so expensive in the Bay Area? What is 'eart...
California Sounds: What’s It Like to Navigate the Bay Area While Blind?
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Follow one man through his morning routine to get a taste of what's helpful and harmful for commuters who are blind.
Marin Was Once Armed With Nuclear Missiles, Luckily They Were Never Deployed
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Veterans say the Cold War missile batteries that ringed the Bay Area packed nuclear warheads with a punch that more than equaled the Hiroshima and Nag...
Why Are There So Many Crows in the Bay Area?
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of crows in the Bay Area, but maybe that's not such a bad thing.
Why Wild Turkeys Love the Bay Area’s Suburbs
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The turkeys we see today are descendants of birds captured near the Rio Grande in Texas that were brought to California. Learn more about our wild tur...
The Not-So-Crystal Clean History of San Francisco’s Drinking Water
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As San Francisco's population exploded in the 1850s, speculators looked to cash in by delivering fresh drinking water to the new boomtown.
How Old Oakland’s Historic Buildings Survived Decay (and Demolition)
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Many of the classic buildings were condemned and padlocked in the 1970s before an architect undertook a massive project to restore them.
Meet Charley Parkhurst: The Gold Rush’s Fearless, Gender Non-Conforming Stagecoach Driver
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Read our web story: Meet Charley Parkhurst: The Gold Rush’s Fearless, Gender Non-Conforming Stagecoach Driver Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curi...
From Arks to Anchor-Outs: The History of Waterfront Living on Richardson Bay
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
People have been living for free anchored in Richardson Bay for decades, but living on the water in Marin County goes all the way back to the state's ...
The Flying Aircraft Carrier That Once Called Moffett Field Home
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve driven north on 101 through Mountain View, you really can’t miss Moffett Field. Seeing the giant open airfield is one thing — but wha...
Why is Piedmont a Separate City From Oakland?
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Piedmont is surrounded on all sides but the city of Oakland, yet has remained an independent city since it incorporated in the the late 1800s. We take...
Lightning Round: Where Kids Live, Palo Alto’s Two Downtowns and S.F.’s Weeping Women
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We answer three listener questions: Where do kids live in the Bay Area? Why does Palo Alto have two downtowns? And what's with the 'weeping women' sta...
Yabba Dabba Don’t? A Trip Inside the (Now) Controversial Flintstone House
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever driven northbound on Interstate 280 through Hillsborough, you’ve surely seen The Flintstone House from the highway. A cluster of or...
How Bill Graham’s Nazi Escape Might Explain His Fillmore Apples
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The barrel of free red delicious apples have been a mainstay of the iconic San Francisco music venue.
Know, Know, Know Your Boats, Drifting Through the Bay
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The San Francisco Bay is full of boats, but do you know what most of them actually do?
This Pricey San Francisco Cocktail Was a Gold Rush Knockout
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This mysterious (and super-strong) cocktail cost $25 — and drove 19th century San Francisco wild. Why? It was probably the secret ingredient, that c...
Are There Dinosaur Bones in UC Berkeley’s Campanile?
21 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On the way up to the observation deck, visitors pass five stories of prehistoric bones. Are dinosaurs among them?
Is There a San Francisco Accent?
24 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When you think about America’s biggest cities, many have a recognizable accent. Does San Francisco have one? And no, saying 'hella' doesn't count.
Mile Rocks: A Bay Area Lighthouse Unlike Any Other
18 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Mile Rocks Lighthouse used to stand more than 80 feet tall guiding ships through some of the most treacherous waters in San Francisco Bay. But tha...
From Aviators to Apps: The Evolution of Traffic Data
17 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do Bay Area traffic reporters do their jobs? From flying high in the 1950s to the tech-powered tools of today.
When Recycling Pays the Bills … and When It Doesn’t
10 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In California over 18 billion beverage containers were recycled in 2017. Meet some of the people who recycled them and what their scraps are worth.
Lightning Round: Brisbane’s Stars, Millbrae’s Sweet Smells and Red Rock Island
21 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
For our last episode of the year, we get the answers to three of your questions: What's with the stars in Brisbane? Why does Millbrae BART station sme...
Stew on This: Cioppino Comes From San Francisco, Not Italy
20 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cioppino's San Francisco origins are undisputed. But the origin of its name? That's another story.
How SantaCon Got Its Start in San Francisco Counterculture
06 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The event's roots go back to 1994, when a counterculture group called the Cacophony Society hosted "Cheap Suit Santas."
Bike Theft: How It Works, and What Police Are Doing in San Francisco
29 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of bikes are stolen in San Francisco every year. What are police doing about it? And how does this crime operation work? Reported by Daniel...
Why Are San Francisco Houses So Close Together?
22 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Early on, housing lots in San Francisco were subdivided into plots as little as 25 feet wide -- just enough room for a parlor and a staircase. Report...
‘Frisco’: It’s Not Just for Tourists
15 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Frisco is the nickname we love to hate. How did this once widely-used name fall out of favor? Reported by Vinnee Tong. Bay Curious is made by Olivia ...
There Were Once More Than 425 Shellmounds in the Bay Area. Where Did They Go?
08 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
These mounds were used by Ohlone as burial sites for their ancestors, to help navigate bay waters and as a gathering place. Reported by Laura Klivans...
Who Invented the Martini? A Bay Area Story, With a Twist
03 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There are two origin stories for the much-beloved martini, and both place its birth in the Bay Area.
Why Is Part of Alameda Island in San Francisco?
01 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The answer stretches back to 1820, when California was still a part of Spain. Reported by Ryan Levi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessi...
Ghost of a Legend: How a San Francisco Civil Rights Icon Was Made a Monster
25 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One of San Francisco's purported “ghosts,” has a remarkable real-life story often left out of San Francisco's history books. Reported by Carly Se...
The San Francisco Origins of Green Goddess Dressing
18 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
California's iconic Green Goddess Dressing may be herbal and delicious — but its name has a not-so-savory history. Reported by Sasha Khokha. Bay Cu...
Black Power, the 1968 Olympics and the San Jose State Students Who Shook the World
18 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As John Carlos and Tommie Smith stood on the medal stand, raising their fists in a black power salute, the San Jose State students were praying they d...
Should Californians Allow Rent Control to Expand? Proposition 10, Explained
12 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Proposition 10 aims to overturn the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing act, which limits rent control throughout the state. Produced by Jessica Placzek. Fe...
Voting on EMT Breaks, Children’s Hospitals and Dialysis Profits. Propositions 4, 8 and 11 Explained
11 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Wonky and easy to overlook, these health-related propositions could have a big impact on Californians and the rest of the country. Produced by Ryan L...
Should California Expand Tax Breaks for Older Homeowners? Propositions 5, 1 and 2, Explained
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Propositions 5 would expand the ability of older Californians to take advantage of property tax breaks put into place 40 years ago by Proposition 13. ...
Voting on Daylight Saving Time, Animal Confinement and Water. Propositions 3, 7 and 12, Explained
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Should California go full-time daylight saving time? Take animals out of cages? Pass a water bond? For Bay Curious Prop Week, we explore the three sci...
What If Californians Repealed the Gas Tax? Proposition 6, Explained
08 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If Proposition 6 is approved, it would repeal SB 1, the gas tax and vehicle fee increase passed by state lawmakers last year. Featuring KQED reporter...