Podcast
Curious City
Hosted by WBEZ Chicago · EN
Ask questions, vote and discover answers about Chicago, the region and its people. From WBEZ.
25episodes
Episodes
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A good lake, not a Great Lake
1w ago00:21:12Tap to summarizeFor a brief moment in the 1990s, Lake Champlain was known as the sixth Great Lake. The lake wedged between Vermont and New York doesn’t quite measure up to the five Great Lakes. So how did this happen? Curious City partners with the Points North podcast from Interlochen Public Radio to bring you the story.
Transcribe →Why does Chicago have so little love for the ‘Watchdog’ of the lakefront?
2w ago00:25:39Tap to summarizeThe name Aaron Montgomery Ward might sound familiar, either from the chain of now-defunct department stores that once bore his name or as the catalog guy who revolutionized mail-order shopping over 150 years ago. His lesser-known legacy, perhaps, is his drawn out fight over Grant Park. Ward spent 22 years and upwards of $1 million in today’s dollars fighting to keep Chicago’s premier downtown park “forever open, clear and free” from buildings. But why did he do it? And why isn’t he celebrated more for his crusade?
Transcribe →Is This Your Card? A Brief History Of Chicago-style Magic
3w ago00:22:29Tap to summarizeChicago-style magic is close up, funny and usually performed at a bar or restaurant. We learn about its history and talk to several magicians who are part of the tradition. This episode was originally published in 2024.
Transcribe →Where did the term 'Chicagoland' come from?
4w ago00:15:41Tap to summarizeThere’s no New York-land or Boston-land, so why does the Chicago metropolitan area have its own unique name? It turns out this has been a question on the minds of many Curious City listeners. To learn more, we looked at the origins of this term, how its meaning has changed over time and the media mogul — or Colonel — behind it all. This episode originally aired in 2023.
Transcribe →How did Hollywood Beach become Chicago’s ‘gay beach’?
Jun 1000:19:34Tap to summarizeThe stretch of beach that starts where DuSable Lake Shore Drive ends wasn’t always as vibrant or as ‘gay’ as it is today. Its transition was spearheaded by Jerry Marcoccia, who was searching for a sense of belonging in the 1990s. "You can't talk about this beach being gay without including me,” he said.
Transcribe →Why does Chicago use Comic Sans on some elevator inspection certificates?
Jun 300:15:54Tap to summarizeComic Sans often signals levity or sarcasm. The font is occasionally used for a key phrase in some official city elevator inspection certificates. That’s caused concern for some Chicagoans, including at least two Curious City listeners.Stand-up clips in this episode were from comedian @EricSchwartz.
Transcribe →Does Chicago have a Filipino neighborhood?
May 2700:22:10Tap to summarizeA concentrated Filipino community area is not as easy to spot as neighborhoods like Chinatown or Little Village. In this episode, we’ll look at the long history Filipinos have had in Chicago stretching back to the early 1900s. We’ll also look at how Filipino restaurants have made a mark across the city in recent years, from Jefferson Park to Pilsen. Originally published in February 2025.
Transcribe →Why are there helicopters flying over my neighborhood every night?
May 2000:19:01Tap to summarizeCurious City listeners wondered if helicopters they heard buzzing around their Chicago neighborhoods at night were part of the federal government’s immigration enforcement. There is some truth to that, but it turns out odd helicopter flights have been a curiosity long before Midway Blitz.
Transcribe →Why does Chicago have a monument named for fascist leader Italo Balbo?
May 1300:30:36Tap to summarizeThere’s an ancient Roman column in Chicago hidden in plain sight near Soldier Field. It was a gift given by Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini during the 1933-1934 Chicago World’s Fair, commemorating a daring transatlantic flight to the fair by Italian Air Marshal Italo Balbo. In a time when controversial monuments get removed, why does this one still stand?Written sources:“Italo Balbo: A Fascist Life” by Claudio Segré“Broken Icarus: The 1933 Chicago World's Fair, the Golden Age of Aviation, and the Rise of Fascism” by David Hanna“Genocide in Libya: Shar, a Hidden Colonial History” by Ali Abdullatif Ahmida“Italo Balbo's Flight to the 1933 Chicago World's Fair” by Don Fiore “The meaning of monuments : Remembering Italo Balbo in Italy and the United States” by Nick Carter“Italian Colonialism” edited by Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Mia Fuller
Transcribe →Standing on history: Who built Chicago’s WPA sidewalks?
May 600:17:05Tap to summarizeHave you ever noticed a branded stamp in the sidewalk? Keen-eyed Chicagoans have found some that date back to Depression-era infrastructure projects by the Works Progress Administration. Who were the workers behind the WPA and why did they brand Chicago sidewalks? We explore the labor history under our feet.
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