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 CuriousWhy is Piedmont a Separate City From Oakland?
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 a closer…
Bay CuriousLightning Round: Where Kids Live, Palo Alto’s Two Downtowns and S.F.’s Weeping Women
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' statues at…
Bay CuriousYabba Dabba Don’t? A Trip Inside the (Now) Controversial Flintstone House
If you’ve ever driven northbound on Interstate 280 through Hillsborough, you’ve surely seen The Flintstone House from the highway. A cluster of orange and…
Bay CuriousHow Bill Graham’s Nazi Escape Might Explain His Fillmore Apples
The barrel of free red delicious apples have been a mainstay of the iconic San Francisco music venue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Bay CuriousKnow, Know, Know Your Boats, Drifting Through the Bay
The San Francisco Bay is full of boats, but do you know what most of them actually do? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bay CuriousThis Pricey San Francisco Cocktail Was a Gold Rush Knockout
This mysterious (and super-strong) cocktail cost $25 — and drove 19th century San Francisco wild. Why? It was probably the secret ingredient, that could get…
Bay CuriousAre There Dinosaur Bones in UC Berkeley’s Campanile?
On the way up to the observation deck, visitors pass five stories of prehistoric bones. Are dinosaurs among them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Bay CuriousIs There a San Francisco Accent?
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. Learn more…
Bay CuriousMile Rocks: A Bay Area Lighthouse Unlike Any Other
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 that was…
Bay CuriousFrom Aviators to Apps: The Evolution of Traffic Data
How do Bay Area traffic reporters do their jobs? From flying high in the 1950s to the tech-powered tools of today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Bay CuriousWhen Recycling Pays the Bills … and When It Doesn’t
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. Learn more…
Bay CuriousLightning Round: Brisbane’s Stars, Millbrae’s Sweet Smells and Red Rock Island
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 smell like…
Bay CuriousStew on This: Cioppino Comes From San Francisco, Not Italy
Cioppino's San Francisco origins are undisputed. But the origin of its name? That's another story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Bay CuriousHow SantaCon Got Its Start in San Francisco Counterculture
The event's roots go back to 1994, when a counterculture group called the Cacophony Society hosted "Cheap Suit Santas." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Bay CuriousBike Theft: How It Works, and What Police Are Doing in San Francisco
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 Potter…
Bay CuriousWhy Are San Francisco Houses So Close Together?
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. Reported by…
Bay Curious‘Frisco’: It’s Not Just for Tourists
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…
Bay CuriousThere Were Once More Than 425 Shellmounds in the Bay Area. Where Did They Go?
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. Bay…
Bay CuriousWho Invented the Martini? A Bay Area Story, With a Twist
There are two origin stories for the much-beloved martini, and both place its birth in the Bay Area. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Bay CuriousWhy Is Part of Alameda Island in San Francisco?
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, Jessica…
Bay CuriousGhost of a Legend: How a San Francisco Civil Rights Icon Was Made a Monster
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 Severn. Bay…
Bay CuriousThe San Francisco Origins of Green Goddess Dressing
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 Curious is…
Bay CuriousBlack Power, the 1968 Olympics and the San Jose State Students Who Shook the World
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 didn't get…
Bay CuriousShould Californians Allow Rent Control to Expand? Proposition 10, Explained
Proposition 10 aims to overturn the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing act, which limits rent control throughout the state. Produced by Jessica Placzek. Featuring…
Bay CuriousVoting on EMT Breaks, Children’s Hospitals and Dialysis Profits. Propositions 4, 8 and 11 Explained
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 Levi. Bay…
Bay CuriousShould California Expand Tax Breaks for Older Homeowners? Propositions 5, 1 and 2, Explained
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. Produced…
Bay CuriousVoting on Daylight Saving Time, Animal Confinement and Water. Propositions 3, 7 and 12, Explained
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…
Bay CuriousWhat If Californians Repealed the Gas Tax? Proposition 6, Explained
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 reporters Katie…
Bay CuriousThis Is Only a Test: San Francisco’s Tuesday Noon Siren
Every Tuesday at noon, San Francisco tests the Outdoor Warning System. A siren and announcement ring out for 15 seconds. The system got its start in the 1940s…
Bay CuriousS.F. School Lottery: Time For It To Go?
Three San Francisco school board members are calling for an end to the current student assignment system. Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by…
Bay CuriousHow the San Francisco School Lottery Works, And How It Doesn’t
San Francisco's complicated school lottery system offers opportunity that isn't always realized. Reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia…
Bay CuriousThe Story Behind Belmont’s Painted Fire Hydrants
Dozens of fire hydrants around the town of Belmont have one-of-a-kind paint jobs that date back to the early 1970s. Reported by Suzie Racho. Bay Curious is…
Bay CuriousCould Creating One Bay Area City Solve the Housing Crisis?
If all the nine Bay Area counties merged, would that result in a more cohesive approach to the regional housing crisis? Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay…
Bay CuriousHow Do You Define the ‘Bay Area’?
Where the boundaries of this region are will vary according to who you ask and what you're looking to define. Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made…
Bay CuriousThe Mystery of the ‘East Bay Walls’
For more than a century, stone walls scattered through the East Bay hills have proven a puzzle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bay CuriousWho’s Behind the Knitted Animals in San Francisco’s Civic Center?
Some have called yarn bombing a feminist response to graffiti. Meet the sisters behind one of San Francisco's most prominent displays. Reported by Suzie Racho…
Bay CuriousPalms, Prophecy … and Permits? How Fortunetelling Works in the Bay
How the state Supreme Court cleared the way for psychics in California, and how regulation works. Reported by Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Olivia…
Bay CuriousIs Ultimate Frisbee the Golf of Silicon Valley?
Why does it seem like a lot of start-up execs play ultimate frisbee and use that to network with VCs? Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia…
Bay CuriousWhy So Windy? Why So Foggy? And What’s With Karl?
If you're coming to San Francisco in the summer, bring a jacket! We take a closer look at what causes the wind and fog to descend upon parts of our region each…
Bay CuriousWhy Is Lane Splitting Only Legal in California? And Is it Safe?
People have a lot of feelings about lane splitting, but they don’t always have all the information. Reported by Ryan Levi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia…
Bay CuriousHetch Hetchy Water’s Epic Journey, From Mountains to Tap
Take a journey with the Bay Area's drinking water -- from mountain to tap. Reported by Sarah Craig. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek…
Bay CuriousCracking the Bizarre Urban Legend of Alameda’s Little People Houses
A small street inadvertently becomes ground zero for so-called "Hobbit Hunters," but is there truth in the legends? Reported by Chloe Veltman and Ryan Levi…
Bay CuriousIs Rent Control Working and Should We Have More or Less of It?
Rent control is in at least 15 California cities, but even in those cities there are many limits on what can be rent controlled. A proposition on the November…
Bay CuriousThe Origins of Bay Area Place Names
California was named after a fictional island for black Amazon-like warrior women, ruled by Queen Calafia. What about Bay Area names? Reported by Jessica…
Bay CuriousThe Forgotten Men of the Point Reyes Life Saving Service
A tiny hidden cemetery reveals the brutal realities of saving shipwrecked sailors in the 19th century. Reported by Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Olivia…
Bay CuriousThe Serpent Statue in San Jose That People Think Is Something Else
Is the Quetzalcoatl sculpture in San Jose the best tribute to the city's Mexican heritage? It's a matter of debate. Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is…
Bay CuriousAre There Really More Dogs Than Children in S.F.?
It's a dog show! We answer how many dogs could fit on a Muni train ... and other pressing canine questions. Reported by Lisa Pickoff-White and Ryan Levi. Bay…
Bay CuriousSpinning Rims, Spinning Cars: the History of the Oakland Sideshow
Sideshows have a bad reputation, but they also have a long tradition, East Oakland roots and deep ties to the hyphy movement. Reported by Sandhya Dirks. Bay…
Bay CuriousThis S.F. Fortress Is Full of Money That Will Never Be Spent
The prettiest pennies are made in San Francisco. Take a trip inside the S.F. Mint. Reported by Amanda Font. Editing by Jessica Placzek and Julia McEvoy. Hosted…
Bay CuriousWhy Hasn’t the Tenderloin Gentrified Like the Rest of San Francisco?
Tenderloin residents wanted to preserve its affordability. But will they be forced out as improvements come to the neighborhood? Reported by Kelly O'Mara…
Bay CuriousDoes Anyone Play Polo at the Golden Gate Park Polo Field Anymore?
We go back in time to the days when polo was king at Golden Gate Park. Reported by Ryan Levi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul…
Bay Curious420 Started in the Bay Area. Meet the Guys Who Invented It
It all began with a treasure map to secret weed plants abandoned somewhere in Point Reyes. Reported by Olivia Allen-Price and Emmanuel Hapsis. Bay Curious is…
Bay CuriousHave Ride-Hailing Apps Made Traffic Worse?
Traffic is worse in the Bay Area. Are Lyft and Uber making it worse? Or could they be our salvation? Reported by Eli Wirtschafter. Bay Curious is made by…
Bay CuriousOil Beneath San Mateo County? You Betcha
Bay Curious travels down the Peninsula and back in time to discover the history of oil drilling in San Mateo County. Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is…
Bay CuriousHow Worried Should You Be About Shark Attacks on the California Coast?
Learn why our coastline is called the Red Triangle and how you can minimize the risk of an encounter with a great white shark. Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay…
Bay CuriousName That Team! How the Sharks and the Golden State Warriors Got Their Names
Why are the Warriors the only team with a state nickname in their name? And how did we end up with the San Jose Sharks? Reported by Ryan Levi. Bay Curious is…
Bay CuriousHow Oakland Became a Gnome-Man’s Land
There are thousands of gnomes nailed into the base of Oakland utility poles. Meet the man who painted them there and learn why he did it. Learn more about your…
Bay CuriousWhy Are People Convinced This California Ghost Town Is Cursed?
Countless people who have stolen items from this deserted town have come to regret it. Reported by Carly Severn. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price…
Bay CuriousAmerica’s Emperor, San Francisco’s Treasure: Who Was Emperor Norton?
Almost 140 years after his death, the beloved eccentric is still celebrated and revered in San Francisco. So who was he? Reported by Ryan Levi. Bay Curious is…
Bay CuriousThe Sculpture Wonderland That Once Delighted I-80 Drivers
Anonymous artists once created sculptures made from driftwood and trash at the Emeryville Mudflats. Reported by Jessica Placzek and Maddie Gobbo. Bay Curious…