Curious City

Why Does Chicago Tap Water Taste Like That?

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:09:03 +0000

When Curious Citizen Jaemey Bush turns on her tap, she notices a distinct smell and taste. She wanted to know: what makes Chicago tap water taste like that? Jennifer Brandel dove into this investigation. In this episode, Jennifer brings us her findings as well as the results of a tap water taste test. WBEZ employees sipped water from different neighborhoods in Chicago and surrounding suburbs, and unanimously deemed one water the victor. Tune in to find out where it came from. Also, hey you guys: this episode wraps up season one of this here Curious City Podcast. We hope you've enjoyed our experimentation in making this. And, we'd love to know what you think about it all. What did you like? What did you dislike? What do you want more or less of? We've made a short survey for you to take over at wbez.org/curiouscity. If you can spare just like 5 minutes to lend us your brain, please do. Thank you for being a friend. The music in this episode came from: Christian Bjoerklund, .Tape. and Tiavannagh.

Nike Missiles: Chicago's Cold-War Era Supersonic Rockets

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:16:03 +0000

Ian Larkin has a lot of questions about the missile defenses that peppered Chicago and the suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s. It might surprise most current residents, but the Chicago area once had twenty-two supersonic steel missiles guarding us from enemy planes. Almost all physical evidence of this missile program is gone. Almost. Jennifer Brandel set out to bring the fascinating legacy of Chicago's Cold War history to light. This podcast was mixed with music by Lauki and Broke for Free. For more on this story including maps and more, visit: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/what-happened-nike-missile-sites-around-chicago-105087

What's unique to Chicago: in song

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:01:00 +0000

Brenda Guzman asked us, "What can you get in Chicago you can't get anywhere else?" That question led us on a goose chase to find answers, many of which came from you. And rather than stick those in some spreadsheet, we opted to make something out of them: a song. Local musician Nick Gage wrapped up your suggestions into a song ... or as we like to think, Chicago's new anthem.

Refugee settlement on Chicago's North Side

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:06:36 +0000

When Lowell Wyse moved to Rogers Park he heard it was the most ethnically diverse neighborhood in the country. It prompted him to wonder if the city plays a role in settling the many international refugees who live there. Turns out the city doesn't have much to do with it. WBEZ's North Side bureau reporter Odette Yousef and Lowell see first hand who settles new refugee families and how it's done. Here's the full web story: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-who-settles-refugees-chicagos-north-side-104781 And for the data visualization we mention in the podcast, go here: http://www.wbez.org/news/numbers-refugees-illinois-105106 Music: Sunny Jain’s Red Baraat Festival.

Chicago's Changing Coastline

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:12:22 +0000

Chicago resident Miriam Reuter spends a lot of time near the shores of Lake Michigan and wanted to know: How has Chicago's coastline changed over time? WBEZ's web producer and resident urban planning geek Robin Amer took on this question. You can check out her article (complete with visuals) here: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-how-has-chicago%E2%80%99s-coastline-changed-over-decades-104328 In this edition of the Curious City podcast, Robin and Jennifer brave the winter weather to put the coastline in perspective and give listeners something extra. Music in this episode by Daddy_Scrabble

Urban archaeologists: dig it

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 21:33:57 +0000

What the heck is underneath our city? Thanks to urban archaeologists and construction workers, we have *some* ideas. Dr. Linda Rudy was prompted to ask us about this when she spied some old railroad ties being hauled up underneath her street. WBEZ's Susie An finds out what can be known and what's been lost to time. For more on this story, check out: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/construction-work-boon-urban-archaeologists-104958 Also: if you want to contribute your memory of Riverview Amusement Park, call 1-888-789-7752. The line will be taking calls for the next week or so. Thanks! Music in this episode by: Rainbro and DJ JBVicious

The Chicago accent

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:30:21 +0000

The Chicago accent may be easy to recognize thanks to the Saturday Night Live Superfans, but it's harder to pinpoint just what makes it distinct. Sarahlynn Pablo asked Curious City where the Chicago accent came from and independent reporter Annie Minoff got her the answers. You can read that full story here: http://bit.ly/Rh0u1c We then asked folks to submit their accents so we can analyze what the accent really sounds like. Read that story here and play with the fun visualization: http://bit.ly/TYauLb This episode goes into analysis of the accent and gives further insight into how this series was created.

No pickups on Lake Shore?

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:23:12 +0000

This was news to a lot of us: pickup trucks aren't technically allowed to drive on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive. Also: they're not allowed to park on some of Chicago's streets. So why did WBEZ reporter Lauren Chooljian count more than 30 pickups on Lake Shore Drive, see a policeman, and no tickets being given? The answer to curious citizen's Jef Johnson's question lies in this podcast. We also brought Lauren in studio to give us some behind-the-scenes insight into how this story came together and some of its complexities. For more on this story, check out: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-why-ban-pickups-lake-shore-drive-where-can-they-park-104631 And if you're looking to get in touch to talk to us about Nike missile sites around Chicago, email us at: curiouscity@wbez.org

Field Museum's hidden stuff

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 07:01:04 +0000

We continue to serve up answers from our first-ever Curious City trivia bowl, which took place late last month. If you missed it, have no fear; we’ll likely do another one in 2013. For the trivia bowl we took 10 questions posed by curious citizens. Each was bite-sized in scope; the answers, though, provided plenty to chew on, and we’ve got three of them ready for you. Another bunch includes: how much the city spends on ornamental planting, the location of Chicago’s oldest sidewalk, and why ketchup’s taboo when it comes to Chicago-style hot-dogs. For videos and photos for this story, check out: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/questions-answered-museum-collections-where-bulls-live-and-chicago%E2%80%99s-first-non

Chicago's Most Biodiverse Area

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 19:02:32 +0000

Curious citizen Aaron Durnbaugh had nature on the brain when he asked us this question: What part of Chicago has the most biodiversity (plant, animal, bird species)? Maybe it’s no surprise that Aaron often has nature on the brain; after all, he’s the Director of Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago, and he’s spent a lot of time exploring the environmental richness of the region. “My hunch is that it’s some of the remnant areas we’ve been able to protect. A lot of areas down on the South Side — Beaubien Woods, Powderhorn Prairie. ... That’s my hunch as to where our biodiversity is, but I’d like to get it confirmed,” Aaron told us. For videos and photos for this story, check out: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-what-part-chicago-has-most-biodiversity-103725

How neighborhoods form

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 00:18:57 +0000

In this episode we deconstruct neighborhood boundaries and take a new look at old Chinatown. Kathy Herwig inspired the first investigation with her question: Who decides when new neighborhoods form and how does it happen? And Monica Glicken prompted us to look into Chinatown with her question about its origins and whether or not it's still predominantly Chinese. To see the stories and INTERACTIVE comic associated with this week's podcast, head here: Neighborhoods: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-how-are-chicago-neighborhoods-formed-103831 Chinatown: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-when-did-chicago%E2%80%99s-chinatown-develop-neighborhood-104125

No ketchup on hot dogs

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:17:33 +0000

If you were one of the lucky folks who made it out to the Curious City Trivia Bowl on November 20th, then you already know the answers to these questions. But if not! Here are three bite-sized answers to questions posed to Curious City: Chesney Floyd wondered: How much does Chicago spend on ornamental flowers and plants? Emily Tremmel wanted to know: What happens to all the plant material when it's changed out for a new season? Rosemary Caruk was curious to know: What's the oldest sidewalk in Chicago? And Kathy Herwig requested an answer to the question: Why is Ketchup strictly forbidden on Chicago-style hot dogs? For videos and photos for this story, check out: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/questions-answered-chicago%E2%80%99s-flower-costs-oldest-sidewalk-and-why-no-ketchup-our

An O'Hare aviary?

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:09:12 +0000

When Steve Brockway was leaving his job at the United Airways Reservation Center at O’Hare International Airport in mid-June, he noticed something he hadn’t noticed before; sitting between him and a runway was a wood cage of some sort — about 6 feet by 6 feet — with mesh wiring between the frames. And inside of that was a bunch of small, black birds. Maybe 20 to 30 of them. Brockway thought it was an odd sight, given the fact that he was at an airport, so he snapped a photo of the contraption and posted this question to the Curious City website: “Why is there an aviary at O’Hare airport?” An aviary, according to Merriam-Webster, is a place for keeping birds confined. The dictionary goes on to clarify, though, that aviaries are mostly used to keep birds for pleasure or study. Which is definitely not what that bird-house at O’Hare was for. For videos and photos for this story, check out: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-why-there-aviary-o%E2%80%99hare-airport-102520

Our giant softballs

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:29:56 +0000

Derek Stiles posed this question to Curious City: What is the deal with Chicago's ginormous 16-inch softballs? Derek is a transplant from San Diego and had played softball in Iowa City, Iowa, before coming here. His Iowan games involved a smaller ball and players used gloves, but he noticed something different when he tried picking up games in Chicago. “That is not how I played it,” he said. “The ball is huge, people don’t have gloves and I was curious ... why?” He had begun looking to play for a softball team and a league here, but his family grew by two (twins!) so he did not resume his playing days on the field. 16-inch softball is the norm in Chicago so sometimes it’s easy to forget that it’s not the norm elsewhere. If you were born and raised here, it would seem like an odd question, but that’s a bit myopic. We basically are 16-inch softball snobs, but it is our game and investigating Derek’s question was a fun game in itself! For videos and photos for this story, check out: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/what-deal-chicagos-ginormous-16-inch-softballs-103021

Cleaning the Bean

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:13:55 +0000

In this episode of the Curious City podcast you'll learn: How they clean Cloud Gate - aka the bean sculpture in Millennium Park Why left hand turn signals can be so short in Chicago And how the distinctive ChicAAAHgo accent formed. Be sure to check out wbez.org/curiouscity for lots more stories, videos, and photos. Check out more information on our Pub Trivia event here: http://www.wbez.org/member-meet-curious-city-trivia-bowl-edition-103493 And you can always ask US questions you've always wondered about Chicago, the region or it's people. Submit your questions to curiouscity.wbez.org Thanks for listening!

Differing American Dreams

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 22:51:28 +0000

Lisa Doi grew up on the North Shore and went to North Shore Country Day School, a long way from the University of Pennsylvania, where she now studies anthropology and urban studies. The distance didn’t stop her from thinking of home when she posed this question: How do conceptions of the American Dream differ across socio-economic class in the Chicago area? Do residents of the North Shore (especially Winnetka & Kenilworth) have different conceptions of what the American Dream is or its achievability than residents of lower socioeconomic communities (Rogers Park, Woodlawn, etc)? At Curious City we often track down the most learned experts we can find to answer questions, but at Lisa’s request we didn’t turn to academia, interest groups or City Hall. And in lieu of precise surveys conducted in and limited to our region, we’re betting that people across the region are themselves equipped to take on this question. For videos and photos for this story, check out: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-how-does-perception-american-dream-differ-around-chicago

Why do Chicago drivers fail to stop for pedestrians at crosswalks?

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 21:08:45 +0000

Crossing the street is one of those tasks that, sadly, isn't as straightforward — or safe — as it should be, at least to Chicagoans who feel threatened by impending traffic. We learned this after taking on our latest Curious City question, posed by Chicago native Marcy Phillips: “Why do Chicago drivers fail to stop for pedestrians at crosswalks?” A simple question? Not really, at least when you probe a bit. And, getting to the bottom of it led us to an experiment about what’s more effective: tough laws or a combo of wagging fingers, make-up and silent expressions. For videos and photos for this story, check out: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-why-don%E2%80%99t-chicago-drivers-stop-crosswalks-100855

Bottom of the Chicago River

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:33:53 +0000

Mike Mitterman lives near the Chicago River and crosses it daily on his way to work. One day he noticed an overflowing garbage barge toddling by below, and he imagined some of that trash falling off and sinking to the river's bottom. That prompted him to wonder: What IS at the bottom of the Chicago River? We investigated his question through the lens of both the man-made and natural. For video and photos for this story, check out: http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/question-answered-what%E2%80%99s-bottom-chicago-river-102651

First ever Curious City Podcast!

podcasts@chicagopublicradio.org (Chicago Public Media) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:59:01 +0000

We've packaged up some of our findings and put a bow on them. Take a listen!