Curious City
Episodes
Krampus is coming: The Christmas demon’s Chicago connection
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On the morning of St. Nicholas Day, good kids rush downstairs to see what kind of gifts might be in their shoes. The bad kids? Unfortunately they migh...
“A Christmas Carol”: An amateur actor’s journey into a Chicago holiday tradition
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Christkindlmarket, the CTA holiday train and “A Christmas Carol” at the Goodman Theatre. Chicago is full of holiday traditions. In this episod...
The first Black-owned airport in the U.S. was in Robbins, Illinois
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Robbins Airport, just southwest of Chicago, was the first Black-owned and -operated airport in the country. Its founders were pivotal to Black avi...
A museum, a mayor and a road: How Lake Shore Drive became a runway ... intentionally
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lake Shore Drive has served as a makeshift runway for emergency landings. But it’s also been an *intentional* runway for planned arrivals. We go bac...
How one organization is transforming Englewood’s vacant lots
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The city of Chicago owns thousands of vacant lots, and more than 80 percent of those parcels are in communities where the population is at least 80 pe...
Want to buy the vacant lot next door? It might take awhile
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Buying a city-owned lot seems like a simple process, but buying one might take longer than expected. The city puts a limited number of parcels up for ...
Does your iguana need x-rays? A local exotic animal hospital can help
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stop us if you’ve heard this one: A hedgehog, a river otter and an iguana walk into a local exotic animal hospital … Whether intentional or oth...
A monkey on the loose: Odd animal sightings in Chicago
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Animal control is used to dealing with stray cats and dogs. But what happens when there’s a peacock strutting down the alley? Curious City explores ...
Beyond the settlement: Helping Chicago’s many survivors of police torture
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chicago passed a reparations ordinance 10 years ago for the survivors of police torture committed under the direction of disgraced Chicago police comm...
What impact do big payouts have on survivors of police torture and misconduct?
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This year marks a new record, as Chicago city leaders have so far agreed to pay more than $266 million to resolve a wide range of police misconduct la...
Two-and-a-half minutes: Pilot John Ginley’s dance with disaster
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While flying over downtown Chicago on July 18, 2018, a World-War-II era single-engine Ercoupe airplane suffered “complete mechanical failure.” ...
‘Mayday, mayday, mayday’: How many planes have landed on Lake Shore Drive?
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A couple of pilots have made forced landings on DuSable Lake Shore Drive. What makes a road or any other non-airport spot the best option in an emerge...
A Curious City Halloween: Scary stories from spooked Chicagoans
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Three stories from Chicagoans who endured a terrifying experience that they couldn’t explain, couldn’t get over, or couldn’t escape. Karen Ho...
Gone and nearly forgotten: Lincoln Park’s High Bridge
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A bridge constructed for sightseeing during the turn of the century soon became known as a place for death. If you or someone you know is struggling w...
The unsung legacy of Margaret Burroughs: ‘We called her mama’
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Margaret Burroughs was a force to be reckoned with. An artist and a poet in Chicago from the 1920s until her death in 2010, she was also a teacher, an...
Chicago is a jazz city, but where are the jazz radio stations?
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The city is home to a vibrant jazz scene and the Chicago Jazz Festival. But WDCB is the only all-jazz radio station in the region. Why isn't there mor...
How a group of volunteers saved a rare Illinois wildflower
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Kankakee mallow is one of the rarest plants on the continent, according to the Smithsonian Garden in Washington D.C. It’s a pink flower that gro...
What’s that dead zone in the 19th Ward?
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a hole in the map of Chicago. It turns out, it’s a cemetery. But there are many other cemeteries in Chicago that don’t show up as holes ...
The tale of the two-flat
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You know the building: Two stories, an apartment unit on each floor, usually with bay windows and a facade of brick or greystone. But how did the ...
‘Women adrift’: How single women lived independently in early Chicago
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the turn of the century in Chicago, single women without a husband or family were considered to be "adrift," but they weren’t drifting at all. Th...
‘Friendship set to music’: Curious City goes square dancing on the South Side
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a Thursday night and a group of folks in Washington Heights do-si-do to the bassline from “Shake Your Groove Thing” by Peaches & Herb. Squa...
Square dance clubs used to be bumping on the weekends
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Square dancing was once so popular that a center opened in the suburbs dedicated to the hobby. Today, veteran dancers are trying to recruit new fans.
Is your local mall dying, thriving or evolving?
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Malls hold a special spot in the hearts of many Americans of a certain age. One may have been the setting for your first date, the place you caught a ...
What was Ford City Mall like in its heyday?
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vacant shops and faded signs, Ford City Mall is in the process of being sold. But this shell of a shopping center was once a bustling hub, especially ...
What happened after a dangerous year inside Cook County Jail
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The year 2023 was a deadly one at the Cook County Jail. Eighteen people died in custody, “for many reasons,” said reporter Carlos Ballesteros, who...
What is that supply tent outside of Cook County Jail?
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Almost every night, a group of volunteers sets up a table of supplies. Their goal is to assist everyone who is being released; from bottled water to a...
Apple slices are a nearly forgotten piece of Chicago pastry history
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Apple slices were a favorite Chicago pastry decades ago. Not many bakeries sell them today, but the dessert still has avid fans who hold on to its nos...
Do pigs need rescuing?
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The story of Pigasus, who unknowingly accepted the Youth International Party (Yippie) nomination for president in Daley Plaza in 1968, shows that some...
What happened to Chicago’s presidential pig?
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During the demonstrations at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, activists trotted out a pig named Pigasus for president. Her campaign was cut...
What’s the oldest book in circulation at the Chicago Public Library?
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Curious City went out to find the oldest book in circulation at the Chicago Public Library. Turns out, the title is over 200 years old, and you can st...
School is in session, and we put the CPS butter cookie to the test
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Summer is coming to an end, and it’s time to go back to school. Today, the number of Chicago Public School students complaining about school lunc...
School lunch used to pass the test
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some Chicago Public School alumni say school lunch used to be delicious, which might shock current students. How did school lunch go from delicious to...
What’s the history of Chinese gangs in Chicago?
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chicago is known for crime bosses like Al Capone, but the city is also home to two Chinese gangs that were once fierce rivals. This story first aired ...
What a failed robbery from 1951 tells us about Chicago crime
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A courageous Chicagoan once helped foil a robbery by men in butcher smocks — a little-known gang from a bygone era of crime in the city.
The other organizations empowering Chicago’s Chinatown
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Community organizations are helping Chinatown residents preserve what long-standing family associations helped build.
What happened to Chinatown’s family associations?
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Family associations were once the backbone of social and economic organization for Chicago’s Chinatown. Their evolution over the decades tells the h...
Is women’s pro softball here to stay?
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is it about softball? “What is it not about softball?” replies Megan Faramio, a star pitcher for the Talons in the all-new Athletes Unlimi...
A league of Chicago’s Own: The other women’s pro league of the 1940s
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There was the Rockford Peaches, women’s pro baseball team of the 1940s that was celebrated in the movie "A League of Their Own." But there was also ...
Car, bike, public transit: What’s the best way to get around town?
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What would win in a race between a car, bike and the Chicago Transit Authority? Over the past few years, Chicago has been abuzz with road construct...
Who thought traffic circles were a good idea? Do we need them?
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mini traffic circles at the intersections of residential streets might annoy drivers because they force cars to slow down. But their safety features o...
The curious case of the Swami Vivekananda Way street sign
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Swami Vivekananda is credited with introducing Hinduism to the West. His work earned him an honorary street sign on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, but i...
Chicago’s LGBTQ+ library is a space for people to ‘find themselves in the shelves’
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Early LGBTQ+ history can be hard to find. Photos, letters, literature and other artifacts have been destroyed or hidden away, in acts of homophobia, o...
Where are the girls? A look at early lesbian nightlife in Chicago
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not hard to find the LGBTQ+ hangouts in Chicago these days, but at one point it was. There’s a history of lesbian nightlife that goes back mo...
Yes, people really do win pledge drive giveaways at WBEZ
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One Curious City listener was skeptical about whether real people actually win WBEZ’s pledge drive giveaways. They do. But there’s a little more t...
Do people actually donate cars to public radio?
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An on-air spot soliciting car donations is a fixture of public radio, but do people actually donate? Yes, about 50 cars are donated a month.
There’s nature in Chicago. Go bathe in it.
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Forest bathing” is the exceptionally simple Japanese practice of taking a walk — or a seat — in the woods. Why? For your health, of cours...
Are healthy Chicago trees getting the ax?
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some Chicagoans have noticed city workers cutting down seemingly healthy trees. Who is responsible, and why are they cutting down these trees?
‘Have you checked on your ancestors?’ This woman brings dignity to deceased Black Chicagoans
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tammy Gibson wants you to visit the gravesites of your deceased relatives. “Have you checked on your ancestors?” said Gibson, the founder of Sa...
Exploring the segregated past of Chicago cemeteries
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mayor Harold Washington is buried in a cemetery that was once for “whites only.” Protests and legislative fights desegregated area cemeteries.
What happened to Chicago's Japanese community?
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lakeview once had a thriving Japanese community, but it fell victim to a push for assimilation. As one Japanese-American puts it: “You had to basica...
Car towed? Listen to this on your way down to Chicago’s Central Auto Pound
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve had your car towed in Chicago, there’s a decent chance you had to journey down to Lower Lower Wacker Drive — likely not in the best of...
Lower Wacker Drive: A uniquely Chicago street
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Curious City has gotten several questions about Wacker Drive over the years. We head down to the lower levels in search of some answers.
Schools, Water Plants and City Hall: We search for Chicago’s nuclear fallout shelters
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nuclear fallout shelters are still among us, though they are not exactly ready for the apocalypse. These remnants of Cold War-era infrastructure do ex...
Why does Chicago have a law prohibiting nuclear weapons?
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tucked in the city’s municipal code is a law that prohibits the production, storage and launching of nuclear weapons in Chicago. We find out why the...
Even when nothing goes wrong, moving is trash
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s typical to see moving trucks winding through streets and alleys of Chicago on the first day of any month. The act of moving hardly sounds like ...
‘Pure chaos’: Why did Chicagoans once move on the same day?
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You think moving is hard work? For about 100 years, Chicagoans used to move at the same time. Moving Day: May 1.
The complicated statue of labor leader Samuel Gompers
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Samuel Gompers fought for the eight-hour work day and helped create child labor laws. But for all he achieved, he was also fiercely anti-immigrant. We...
Maria Rodriguez: From fashion designer to restaurateur
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In our last episode, Curious City question-asker Emily Porter sent us on a quest exploring the world of local fashion designers, all after she found a...
Like NYC and Paris, Chicago was a hub for fashion designers
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A question about a sweater in a thrift store turns into a search for a prominent Chicago designer of the 1980s. Along the way, we discover the city’...
How sweet the sound: The history of Evanston folk coffeehouse Amazingrace
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Folk music surged in popularity across America in the late 1950s through the ‘70s, including here in the Chicago area. Last episode, we looked at ho...
‘An underground subculture’: How Chicago coffeehouses shaped the folk revival movement
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1960s and 70s, Chicago coffeehouses were popular spots for young people. These were alcohol-free establishments where people in their teens and...
You May Also Like: Stories Without End
13 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Introducing WBEZ's latest podcast series, Making: Stories Without End. Host Natalie Moore takes you on a journey to learn about daytime soap operas an...
Is extremist ideology still fringe?
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Extremism in America has been on the rise. Last episode, we looked at extremist groups in Chicago and how they terrorized select groups of people ...
How much influence did white supremacist groups have on Chicago housing?
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Extremist groups of the 1950s played a violent part, alongside real estate and neighborhood organizations, in keeping Chicago segregated.
What's up with the Chicago's feral cats?
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chicago is home to thousands of feral cats, and some people are looking after them.
“Enemy Alien”: How Chicago photojournalist Jun Fujita avoided Japanese internment camps
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jun Fujita is the Japanese-American photographer behind some of the most recognizable photographs taken in Chicago in the 20th century, including his ...
Restriction and sanctuary: A look at Chicago mayors’ wildly different approaches to immigrants
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chicago is in the national spotlight when it comes to the immigration debate, but that’s nothing new to the mayoral office. We take a look back at h...
The Life and Legacy of Alice Hamilton
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scientist Alice Hamilton’s investigations into toxins in Chicago’s factories led to some of the first workplace safety laws in the country. She wa...
How does honoring the dead impact the environment?
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How should we decide what happens to our bodies when we die? And what implications does that decision have for the living? It’s common to think ...
Why is there a cemetery at O’Hare Airport?
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The suburban village of Bensenville has a long history of getting eaten up by development. Resthaven Cemetery is a symbol of what remains.
How one Midwestern community avoids road salt all winter
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chicago — like so many other frigid American cities — can’t seem to kick its dependence on road salt. Last episode, we talked about why chloride...
Could Chicago ever ditch the road salt?
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Road salt helps us get around safely during snowy, Chicago winters. But salt is corrosive and harmful for the environment. Could the city ever go with...
The First Black-Owned And Operated Airport Was In Robbins
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Chicago area played a key role in Black aviation in the early 1900s. The founders of the first Black-owned airport learned to fly in Chicago and w...
“It’s too complicated”: The state of cannabis record expungement in Illinois
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Illinois legalized recreational use of marijuana five years ago, it came with a goal to right the wrongs of the war on drugs. “We’re addressi...
Illinois has made a lot of money from recreational pot. How’s that money used?
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The state has made about $500 million in marijuana tax revenue since the state legalized recreational use. Social programs have benefited from those f...
There’s a delicate alchemy to overturning a wrongful conviction
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to get a wrongful conviction overturned? Quite a lot, according to investigative reporter Alison Flowers, who says proving innoce...
Why does it take so long to free an innocent person from prison?
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We follow the case of Robert Johnson. Now, three decades after his arrest, a judge will decide whether to release him later this month.
How Filipino food entrepreneurs’ “sense of community” help them thrive
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chicago is a city of food as much as it is a city of neighborhoods and cultural communities. Last episode, we talked about how Chicago may not ha...
Is there a Filipino neighborhood in Chicago?
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While a concentrated community area might not be as easy to spot as a neighborhood like Chinatown or Little Village, the Filipino community has a long...
Drama, scandal or scores: What takes a sports team down?
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s no secret that last year was the worst year in Chicago sports. Last episode we got into what that means for future fans. But 2024 wasn’t ...
What happens when your team keeps losing?
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Collectively, 2024 was the worst year for Chicago sports teams. Chicago fans are used to remaining faithful to some loveable losers. But the younger g...
What does it take to put together a traffic report?
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Travel times and transit delays are part of the daily commute. There's a lot of chaos and information to sift through to bring you those traffic repor...
Why telling “the proper stories” is vital to understanding the Piasa
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Roadside attractions aren’t always the kitschy photo op we imagine them to be. Some have a complicated history that you can’t see from the side of...
Why is there a fire-breathing dragon in Illinois?
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As many as 40,000 people have come to see this downstate roadside attraction: a metal dragon, as big as a school bus, with a flamethrower in its mouth...
Chicago history is full of consequential years
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to picking the most consequential year in Chicago’s history, 1919 rises to the top for many historians because of how the race riots t...
What was Chicago’s most consequential year? It may not be what you think.
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Historians say it’s an impossible question to answer. Major events have shaped Chicago from its very start in 1837, but one year stands out.
Winter Weather Tips: From Extra Gloves To Hot Potatoes
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From mail carriers to photographers, we asked people who spend a lot of time in the cold how they stay warm.
Who Are The Folks At The Christmas Tree Lot?
25 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pop-up tree lots sprout up on every Chicago corner during the holiday season, only to disappear. Who are the people who make these happen and what's t...
Who’s Behind The CTA Holiday Train? Santa And The Elves!
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The CTA Holiday Train started from humble beginnings. Then a holiday celebrity and his helpers turned it into a Chicago tradition.
In Chicago, forget the cocktail; a beer and a shot will do
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chicago is a city of pubs and taverns with a robust drinking culture. During the holiday season, that might mean sipping on some warm Swedish glögg, ...
Where did the Tom & Jerry cocktail come from?
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Tom & Jerry cocktail didn’t originate in Chicago, but this cakey drink feels very Midwestern. We get into the drunken history of this classic dr...
Beer, architecture and Lincoln Square: The lasting impact of German culture in Chicago
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever shown up to a bar on a Sunday afternoon or listened to a concert at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, you’ve experienced firsthand th...
Christkindlmarket’s Forgotten Year
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Curious City listener collects Christkindlmarket mugs. But there’s one mug in her collection without a year on it. We go in search of that lost ye...
Why is there an aviary at O'Hare Airport?
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A curious listener asked why he saw an aviary at O'Hare Airport. It turns out, it isn't an aviary at all — it’s a trap for an invasive species of...
What happens to birds stuck inside the airport?
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Airplanes aren’t the only ones flying around at the airport. Birds often get stuck inside the terminal, and they can be a challenge to get out.
‘Indigenous Chicago’ project shows the city has always been a Native place
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
November is National Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate and recognize the history, culture and contributions of Indigenous people in ...
Without Native Americans, Would We Have Chicago As We Know It?
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chicago histories usually start in 1830, but Native Americans were already settled in the region long before that. Curious City fills you in on what s...
Bodegas, ‘The Bear’ and why family business is the ‘backbone of the economy’
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you think of a family business, one of two images probably comes to mind: either the mom and pop shop around the corner or the dysfunctional fami...
What’s The Oldest Family Business in Chicago?
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tracking down the oldest family business in the city is not as easy as it seems. The city’s business records only go back to 2002. Time for a fishin...
‘So many connections:’ Chicago indicator species are trying to tell us something
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A Curious City listener wanted to know about the decline of frogs in our area. We looked into what’s been happening with these species over the last...