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 CuriousCar Break-Ins Are Up in San Francisco. What’s Being Done?
San Francisco saw more than 30,000 car break ins last year - three times that of 2010. We tag along with police as they try and catch one of these thieves, and…
Bay CuriousSan Francisco Was Once Aglow With Neon
The city was right up there with places like New York, Los Angeles and even Las Vegas. Market Street alone had hundreds of signs lighting up the night…
Bay CuriousEucalyptus: How California’s Most Hated Tree Took Root
Depending who you ask, eucalyptus trees are either an icon in California or a fire-prone scourge. Reported by Daniel Potter. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price…
Bay CuriousThe Beautiful Bay Bridge Frank Lloyd Wright Never Got to Build
What would the San Francisco Bay look like if Frank Lloyd Wright got to build the bridge he proposed in 1949? Reported by Rachael Myrow. Produced and edited by…
Bay CuriousUnwrapping the Bay Area Origins of the Fortune Cookie
There are California and Japanese connections to the fortune cookie, going back more than a century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
Bay CuriousWhy a Tire Shop Built ‘The City’s Biggest Fortune Cookie’
This sign in front of the tire shop was built in 1958, and it has displayed nothing but quotes ever since. Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made by…
Bay CuriousHow Joseph Eichler Introduced Stylish Housing for the Masses
Between 1949 and 1974, when the developer died, his group built roughly 11,000 homes in California, mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more about your…
Bay CuriousEverything You Want to Know About Legal Weed in California
Reported by Jessica Placzek, Eli Wirtschafter and Ryan Levi. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Ryan Levi, Erika…
Bay CuriousWhat Are Those Weird, Pink Ponds in San Francisco Bay?
In the South Bay's colorful salt ponds, a decades-old industry continues to crystalize. Reporter by Lauren Sommer with KQED Science. Bay Curious is Olivia…
Bay CuriousIs the Castro Getting Less Gay?
How economics and cultural acceptance are changing queer communities across the Bay Area. Reported by Ryan Levi. Produced and edited by Olivia Allen-Price…
Bay CuriousCan You Go To Jail For Picking California’s State Flower?
Rumor has it California's golden poppy has some special protections. Is it true? Reported by Jessica Placzek. Produced and edited by Olivia Allen-Price, Paul…
Bay CuriousThe Buried Ships of San Francisco
The hulls of several dozen ships can be found below ground in the middle of San Francisco. Reported by Jessica Placzek. Produced and edited by Olivia…
Bay CuriousThe True History of Irish Coffee and Its San Francisco Origins
Legend has it the Irish coffee was brought to the U.S. by the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco. Reported by Kelly O'Mara. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price…
Bay CuriousWhy Are There Rainbows on the Tunnel Between S.F. and Marin? (Plus Bonus Anniversary Questions)
It started as a quest to make Bay Area highways more beautiful. Plus, three other bonus questions! Reported by Jessica Placzek and Olivia Allen-Price. Bay…
Bay CuriousBay Curious Lightning Round: Inspiration for AT-ATs, the ‘Tenderloin’ and Popeye’s Voice
This week the Bay Curious podcast is celebrating our one-year anniversary with a lightning round of questions and answers! Is it true that George Lucas was…
Bay CuriousEl Camino Not-So-Real: The True Story of the ‘Ancient Road’
Legend has it, El Camino Real is an ancient road that connects the Spanish missions. But is it true? Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is Olivia…
Bay CuriousWhy Are There So Many Dead People in Colma? And So Few in San Francisco?
Reported by Jon Brooks. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price, Jessica Placzek, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho and Julia McEvoy. Theme music by Pat Mesiti-Miller. Ask…
Bay CuriousWildfires: You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers
What does containment mean? How are wildfires named? What happens after your house burns? Reported by Lindsey Hoshaw, Jessica Placzek, Sukey Lewis and Olivia…
Bay CuriousWhat are the Mysterious Brick Circles in San Francisco Intersections?
Spend some time walking around San Francisco, and you'll probably notice the large, brick circles decorating the pavement at some intersections. What are they…
Bay CuriousHow San Francisco’s Drag Royalty Does Good, While Looking Fierce
How an S.F. drag artist founded one of the biggest and most bejeweled charities dedicated to LGBTQ causes. Reported by Chloe Veltman. Bay Curious is Olivia…
Bay CuriousTheir Country Hated Them, But They Fought for It Anyway
Bay Curious listener Marcy Ballard wrote to us wanting to know more about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team — a segregated, Japanese-American unit that fought…
Bay CuriousQuake Prep: BART’s Tunnel Plan and the Muni Bus That Could Save You
Picture a set of binoculars — only a pair the size of a low-rise building. That’s the shape of BART’s Transbay Tube — the dual-bore, 3.8-mile passageway that…
Bay CuriousHistory of the Berkeley Pier: A Ferry Tale
For years Martin Kunz has been looking down the hill from his office at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, out over the water, at one of the longest piers in…
Bay CuriousParking After the Street Sweeper Passes: Legal or Not?
There's one "no parking" sign in San Francisco that you can bend the rules on ... if the conditions are right. Reported by Penny Nelson. Bay Curious is Olivia…
Bay CuriousThe History of Nudity in San Francisco Uncovered
Whether at Baker Beach or Bay to Breakers, it’s not unusual to see public nudity in San Francisco. What are the current laws on the matter, and how did the…
Bay CuriousRusty Navy: The Bay Area’s ‘Mothball Fleet’ Enters a New Era
Reported by Craig Miller. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price, Vinnee Tong, Paul Lancour, Jessica Placzek, Suzie Racho and Penny Nelson. Theme music by Pat…
Bay CuriousWhat Gets Shipped Through the Port of Oakland?
Oakland is home to the fifth-busiest container port in the country and all around it, containers are stacked sky high like colorful, life-size Lego bricks…
Bay CuriousMountain Lions: Real Threat to Bay Area Hikers?
A Bay Curious listener who hikes a lot wonders: Should he be scared of mountain lions? We find out for him. Reported by Vinnee Tong. Bay Curious is Olivia…
Bay CuriousThe Mesmerizing Machine That Makes Your Golden Gate Bridge Drive Less Terrifying
Two years ago, a big steel and concrete median barrier went in on the Golden Gate Bridge, and two yellow machines appeared that move it several times a day…
Bay CuriousThe Island Ghost Town in the Middle of San Francisco Bay
Drawbridge was a popular bird hunting destination decades. What happened? Reported by Jessica Placzek. Produced and edited by Olivia Allen-Price, Vinnee Tong…
Bay CuriousWhat Is the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Why Is It in San Jose?
If you attended sixth grade anywhere in or near San Jose, there’s a high likelihood you've been to see the largest collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities…
Bay CuriousWhy the ‘O’ in San Francisco’s Airport Code, SFO?
Why the "O" in SFO? And why is one of Chicago's airports coded ORD? And IAD for Dulles? Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price, Vinnee…
Bay CuriousLiving Without a Home in San Francisco: 3 stories and 4 questions
Since Bay Curious first answered your questions on homelessness in 2017, the cost of living has continued to rise in the Bay Area and with it, the number of…
Bay CuriousHomelessness: You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers
What causes homelessness? What's the best way to help people you see on the street? And what other cities have had success in solving homelessness? Reported by…
Bay CuriousWhat Would Really Happen if a Tsunami Hit the Bay Area?
Our question-asker saw a tsunami hit San Francisco in the movie San Andreas, and wonders: would it really be like? Reported by Johanna Varner and Olivia…
Bay CuriousWhat’s With the Bison in Golden Gate Park?
Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price, Vinnee Tong, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Penny Nelson and Julia McEvoy. Theme music by Pat…
Bay CuriousWhat Dinosaurs Roamed the Bay Area?
The answer is satisfyingly full of toothy prehistoric beasts. Reported by Daniel Potter. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price, Vinnee Tong, Paul Lancour, Suzie…
Bay CuriousYou Live in S.F. and Your Home Was Built in 1906: True or False?
Ask around in the more historic parts of San Francisco and you’ll find a good number of the homes were built in 1906. Or so people have been told. Reported by…
Bay CuriousAre Plastic Bag Bans Actually Helping the Environment?
California became the first state to ban single-use plastic bags in November. A middle-schooler from Sacramento wants to know if the ban actually helps the…
Bay CuriousCan’t Get That Camping Spot? It Could Be Bots
Some people are using bots to get campsites at state and national parks. Is it legal? Is it fair? Credits: Jessica Placzek, Olivia Allen-Price, Paul Lancour…
Bay CuriousIt’s-It! The San Francisco Treat That Sparked a Cult Following
San Franciscans have been having a love-affair with this ice cream treat since 1928. Reported by Alyssa Kapnik Samuel and Seth Samuel. Bay Curious is Olivia…
Bay CuriousWho’s Behind the Colorful Lights at San Francisco City Hall?
It used to take hours or days to change the lights at city hall lights. Now it's done with a few clicks. Reported by Jessica Placzek. Produced and edited by…
Bay CuriousWhat Makes San Francisco Sourdough Unique?
Reported by Julia Scott. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price, Vinnee Tong, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Jessica Placzek, Penny Nelson and Julia McEvoy. Theme music…
Bay CuriousWhy Do Giants Fans Hate the Wave? Oakland Started It.
Reported by Olivia Allen-Price and Adam Grossberg. Bay Curious is Olivia Allen-Price, Vinnee Tong, Paul Lancour, Jessica Placzek, Suzie Racho, Penny Nelson…
Bay CuriousThese Colorful Dots Are For Your Health
They look like a work of abstract art, but these colorful dots on Bay Area streets have a big purpose. Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is Olivia…
Bay CuriousIt’s a Mushroom Bonanza This Year! What’s the Deal?
It’s been a wet winter across Northern California this year, and that means a bounty of mushrooms. Get ready for a lesson in fungi from KQED Science reporter…
Bay CuriousWhat Would It Take to Make Lake Merritt Swimmable?
It would take a lot of money, work and imagination to turn Lake Merritt into a swimmable body of water. Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is Olivia…
Bay CuriousWhat’s That Thing Off 280? The Flintstone House
Take a tour inside this unique Peninsula home that architects find whimsical. Would you live there? Reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is Olivia…
Bay CuriousHow Does Rain Create More Potholes?
This year's rainy winter has left San Francisco Bay Area roads riddled with potholes. Why? And will Caltrans fix them? Reported by Penny Nelson. Bay Curious is…
Bay CuriousWhy Do Some Hate the Nickname ‘Frisco’?
Not long after people started using it, others started hating it. They said only out-of-towners used it. Reported by Vinnee Tong. Produced and edited by Paul…
Bay CuriousThis Lumberjack Frat Once Had the Coolest Clubhouse in S.F.
A Cupertino couple wondered where the street name "Hoo Hoo Way" came from. Turns out, it's a long story. Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is Olivia…
Bay CuriousWhy is Marin County So White?
Marin County is the whitest county in the Bay Area -- but why? Reporter Ericka Cruz-Guevarra takes us through some pivotal moments in Marin history that…
Bay CuriousHow Many Are Being Displaced by Gentrification in Oakland?
Putting a number on displacement is a tall order, but we do have an idea about who is leaving Oakland. Produced and edited by Olivia Allen-Price, Vinnee Tong…
Bay CuriousWhy Does San Jose Have So Many Urban Islands?
Bay Curious listener Kristin Seitz was looking at a map of San Jose when she noticed an awful lot of holes. The city's territory isn't one undivided shape, but…
Bay CuriousFor Sale: San Francisco Air
Owners of historic buildings might be able to sell the air space above their building, allowing developers elsewhere to build higher. Learn more about your ad…
Bay CuriousIs Air Quality in the Bay Area Getting Worse?
Listener Jenny Wread has noticed the Bay Area's smog on her commute. And she's hearing more Spare the Air alerts. How is the air quality doing in the Bay Area…
Bay CuriousOde to the Foghorn: The Sound of the Sea
Take a trip around the San Francisco Bay and get to know our local foghorns -- where they are, how they work, who turns them on. Reported by Laura Klivans. Bay…
Bay CuriousFor Whom The Foghorn Blows
If you live in the Bay Area, a foggy day can be a good excuse for some guilt-free time indoors. If you live near the water, days like that bring something…
Bay CuriousWhy Aren’t There Any Strip Clubs in the East Bay?
In the 1960s, San Francisco was in the midst of a sexual revolution. Officials across the Bay in Oakland wanted none of it. Reported by Adizah Eghan. Produced…
Bay CuriousSutro Tower: The Origins of an ‘Eyesore’
When Sutro Tower was first proposed, nearly everybody hated it. How did it get built? Reported by Jessica Placzek. Produced and edited by Olivia Allen-Price…