Shows / Bay Curious
Bay Curious
Bay Curious is a show about your questions – and the adventures you find when you go looking for the answers. Join host Olivia Allen-Price to explore all aspects of the San Francisco Bay Area – from the debate over "Frisco", to the dinosaurs that once roamed California, to the causes of homelessness. Whether you lived here your whole life, or just arrived, Bay Curious will deepen your understanding of this place you call home.
Episodes
Bay CuriousThe San Francisco Years of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera
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. In this…
Bay CuriousThe Story of Russell City, the Town that Lost the Blues
Russell City used to be a thriving community in the 1940s and 50s. But in the 1960s Alameda County and the city of Hayward used eminent domain to seize the…
Bay CuriousLabyrinths Everywhere! Why Are There So Many in the Bay Area?
If you do a lot of walking or hiking in Bay Area, there's a reasonable chance you've stumbled upon a labyrinth—a large, winding, self contained path lined with…
Bay CuriousThe Story Behind Those Giant Paintings Off Central Valley Highways
Listener Nick Loey often drives between the Bay Area and Southern California. He's long wondered about the giant paintings that dot many Central Valley…
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The Farallon Islands: Nice Home For Birds, Less So for Humans
Twenty-seven miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Farallon Islands jut out of the Pacific. On the clearest of days, the grouping of 20 islets is visible…
Bay CuriousWhy Were Many SF Hospitals Once Affiliated With Ethnic Groups?
Bay Curious listener Ken Katz noticed that many of San Francisco's current hospitals used to have names affiliated with ethnic groups, like the French hospital…
Bay CuriousThe WWII Prison Camp in Pacifica That's Been Largely Erased
Sharp Park in Pacifica was the site of a prison camp during World War II, where residents deemed "highly dangerous" were sent. It's lesser-known than the…
Bay CuriousThe Sizzler: The California Origin Story Behind One of India’s Flashiest Dishes
Take any popular dish – pizza, ice cream, hot dogs – and try to trace its origin story. Chances are, you’re going to go on a winding road with conflicting…
Bay CuriousHow San Francisco and Ed Hardy Gave Rise to the Custom Tattoo
San Francisco has left a mark on American tattoo history. In today's episode, we learn about longtime Bay Area resident Ed Hardy's impact on the industry, and…
Bay CuriousWas Monterey Jack Cheese Created in Pacifica?
Monterey Jack cheese get its name from the nearby city of Monterey, but the city of Pacifica alleges it should really be called Pacifica Jack. On this week's…
Bay CuriousS.F.’s AIDS Memorial Grove is a Place Like No Other
Dawn Linhardt lives near Golden Gate Park and often wanders through the AIDS Memorial Grove at its eastern end. She finds it to be one of the most tranquil and…
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Does Anyone Play Polo at the Golden Gate Park Polo Field Anymore?
These days, the Golden Gate Park Polo Field in San Francisco is probably best known as the home to music festivals like Outside Lands. But for nearly 3…
Bay CuriousGolden Gate Park's Windmills Were Essential, Then Abandoned for Decades.
The Murphy Windmill is one of the largest windmills outside of Holland. It, along with the smaller and older Dutch Windmill, once provided essential water for…
Bay CuriousThe Complicated Origins of S.F.'s Beloved Japanese Tea Garden
The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park was originally built as a temporary exhibit for the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894. But the…
Bay CuriousMeet The Bison Herd of Golden Gate Park
Bison once roamed the West, but settlers hunted them to the brink of extinction in the 19th century. A captive breeding program operated in Golden Gate Park…
Bay CuriousGolden Gate Park Was Once Miles and Miles of Sand Dunes
Bay Curious listener Will Kardas heard once that it was a magical combination of spit and manure that allowed early San Franciscans to tame the sand dunes that…
Bay CuriousThis Bay Area Sex-Loving Commune Is Still Going Strong
Sabrina McQueen grew up in Walnut Creek and would often see people driving around in purple limos. The locals call them "Purple People," and she's been…
Bay CuriousNope, The Stanford Dish Isn’t Listening For Aliens. It Was Built to Spy on Russia
Former Menlo Park resident Jim Timmons remembers the park around the Stanford Dish fondly. It has tons of wildlife and great views. But he wants to know more…
Bay CuriousTeens Take Us Inside Bay Area Sneaker Culture
If you see someone wearing a pair of pristine, gleaming white sneakers do you ever ask yourself: How do they keep their shoes so clean? We dig into sneaker…
Bay CuriousFor Many Tenants, Section 8 Is A Broken Promise. Can It Be Fixed?
Millions of people are evicted each year, often because they can't pay rent. That causes a cascade of problems and makes it harder for many to get back on…
Bay CuriousWest Oakland's 16th Street Station Was Once A Community Anchor
Listener Tadd Williams often sees the 16th Street Station from I-880. It's a huge, stately building in the Beaux-Arts style. It's looking a little rundown now…
Bay CuriousWhy You Might See Wacky Art Cars Rolling Downhill in McLaren Park
Bay Curious listener Rich Wipfler loves cars. So when he read that back in 1975 the museum that would become SFMOMA held a soapbox derby where local artists…
Bay CuriousWhat Makes a Street ‘Private’? And Why Does San Francisco Have So Many?
When Victoria Eng did a web search for her Duboce Triangle avenue she learned something curious. “It popped up on a list as an intersection of a privately…
Bay CuriousWhat Happened to the Ohlone Shellmounds?
Shellmounds are man-made mounds of earth and organic matter that were built up by humans over thousands of years. They were created by the people native to the…
Bay CuriousLatinos in La Misión: A Story of Resistance and Community
The Mission District is one of San Francisco’s most famed neighborhoods -- and one of its oldest. It’s lived a lot of lives, from the Yelamu native people to…
Bay CuriousWhat's It Like to Live on the Filbert Steps?
Eric Johnson has been trying to explore more areas of San Francisco. He discovered the Filbert Steps on Telegraph Hill one beautiful spring day and it got him…
Bay CuriousThe Sordid Saga of San Francisco’s Trash Cans
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 hard to…
Bay CuriousDespite What You Learned, California Had Slavery. What Now?
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 reality…
Bay CuriousWhen the Winter Olympics Came to Lake Tahoe
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 outsize…
Bay CuriousBay Curious Presents: Berkeley's Rainbow Sign
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 — as a…
Bay CuriousShipwrecked! How a 120-Year-Old Ship Ended up in the Martinez Mud
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 did it get…
Bay CuriousHow You Can Responsibly Recycle Old Clothes
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 those old…
Bay CuriousHow You Can Help Save the Monarch Butterfly And Other Pollinators
Western monarch butterflies migrate to California to overwinter each year, traveling hundreds, even thousands of miles When they arrive, they need nectar…
Bay Curious$15,000 in Toll Penalties?! It Can Happen Faster Than You Think
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 we were…
Bay CuriousIs There A San Francisco Accent?
When trying to identify a San Francisco accent, sometimes people point to the "Mission Brogue." But San Franciscans have always had many ways of speaking…
Bay CuriousHow Black Shipyard Workers in Marin Helped Win World War II
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 when she…
Bay CuriousWhy So Many Driverless Cars in SF?
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 Jaguar SUVs…
Bay CuriousMore Whales Are Washing Up Dead on Bay Area Beaches. Why?
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 another Bay…
Bay CuriousAre S.F. Streets Really Named For Gold-Rush Era Sex Workers?
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 workers. He…
Bay CuriousLa Llorona, Legend and Protector, in the Streets of San Francisco
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 San…
Bay CuriousListen If You Dare! Three Bay Area Ghost Stories
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 from right…
Bay CuriousDeep in the Santa Cruz Redwoods, Your Mind Will Play Tricks On You
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? What is…
Bay CuriousMeet the Bay Bridge Troll and the Broadway Tunnel Dragon
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 about an…
Bay CuriousWhy Are There So Many Graveyards in Colma?
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. Plus, we'll…
Bay CuriousCan Redwood City Really Boast “Climate Best By Government Test”?
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 the…
Bay CuriousThere's a Castle in Pacifica?!
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 hit…
Bay CuriousA Prison with Million Dollar Views? How San Quentin Came to Be
Terese O'Malley commuted across the Richmond-San Rafael bridge for years, and always wondered about a landmark visible from the bridge: San Quentin State…
Bay CuriousState of Drought 6: Big Solutions
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 infrastructure…
Bay CuriousState of Drought 5: Desalination, Water Recycling and More
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 water…
Bay CuriousState of Drought 4: Saving Water In Your Home
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 water…
Bay CuriousState of Drought 3: Are We in a Megadrought?
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 time to call…
Bay CuriousState of Drought 2: Where Our Water Comes From
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 miles!…
Bay CuriousState of Drought 1: Facing Our Hotter, Drier Future
California is in drought. Again. And the infrastructure used to sustain the state's 40 million residents — and $50 billion agriculture industry — hasn't kept…
Bay CuriousThe Story Behind the Bay Area's Favorite Sandwich Bread
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 Alexander…
Bay CuriousYour Guide to the Gavin Newsom Recall Election
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 on…
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In Daly City, Filipino Culture Runs Deep
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 with many…
Bay CuriousDaly City Is One of the Densest Cities in the Country. Why?
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 interesting is the…
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‘It’s Pure Energy’: How Hyphy Came to Define Bay Area Hip Hop
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 makes you…
Bay CuriousWho Were the First People to Live in the Bay Area?
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 and what…
Bay CuriousWhat Questions Do You Have About the Drought?
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 throughout the…