Bay Curious

Listener Allison Pennell recently saw a museum booklet featuring archival photos of Black residents watching the fire that consumed the city after the 1906. It got her wondering how this specific community fared after the quake, especially given the entrenched racism of the time. Additional Reading: Stunning Archival Photos Of the 1906 Earthquake And Fire tanea lunsford lynx's We Were Here project Entire set of Afro-American Oral Histories, Pre-WWII Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale, Brendan Willard and Katherine Monahan. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Depending on whom you ask, eucalyptus trees are either an icon in California or a fire-prone scourge. In today's episode, reporter Daniel Potter takes us on a journey through how this non-native tree came to the state. We'll learn why it was planted in such large numbers in the first place. Then we explore why some Eucalyptus groves have become a concerning wildfire threat. Additional Reading: Eucalyptus: How California's Most Hated Tree Took Root Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Daniel Potter. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Bay Curious listener Lorraine Page likes to comb the Pescadero beaches for treasures in her spare time. She used to find abalone shells often, but says in the last ten years she hasn't seen any. She wants to know: what happened to all the abalone? Additional Reading: Climate Change-Induced Heatwaves Are Decimating California's Kelp and Abalone Bay Curious Podcast Garage Event April 11 Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Dana Cronin. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Bay Curious listener Jules Winters has great memories of riding the school bus as a kid in suburban Philadelphia. When she moved to the Bay Area, she immediately noticed there weren't as many of those big yellow buses taking kids to school. She wants to know why. Additional Reading: Why Doesn't California Have More School Buses? How the San Francisco School Lottery Works, And How It Doesn't Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katrina Schwartz. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Erika Kelly, Dan Brekke, Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Love it or hate, drag is a hot topic of conversation now. And you really can’t understand how we got to this point nationally without heading to San Francisco. Today we’re taking a crash course through decades of drag herstory to better understand it’s larger impact on San Francisco, and the country. Additional Reading: How SF's Drag Queens Shaped the City (and the World) Show your love by donating!  Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. This story was reported by Christopher Beale. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

On Interstate 280, just south of the Sand Hill Road exit, near Stanford, there is this overpass that crosses over a long, skinny building. Bay Curious listener Eric Nelson has wondered what that building is for years. Turns out, scientists are unraveling the mysteries of the universe inside SLAC. We take you on a tour. Additional Reading: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe Inside SLAC Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Rachael Myrow. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Ever wonder why it can be so hard to fix your own appliances, laptops and other gadgets? Well, you're not alone. And there's a reason why so many things head to the landfill these days, rather than getting fixed. Bay Area "Fix It" advocates are taking matters into their own hands, while they wait for state laws to catch up. Additional Reading: Bay Area's 'Fix It' Culture Thrives Amid State's Forthcoming Right to Repair Law March 14 Sustainable Fashion Event: Mend, Fix, Style Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Hike near Leona Heights in Oakland, and you might come across vibrant graffiti art painted on the concrete remnants of an old conveyor tram that transported rock down the hill. This week on the show, reporter Katherine Monahan reveals the history of this place, and talks to artists who have transformed it into an art gallery hidden in the woods. Additional Reading: Read the transcript for this episode Web story: Hidden in the Oakland Hills Is An Outdoor Gallery of Murals Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katherine Monahan. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Alex Gonzalez, Dan Brekke, Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

It's a three-part transit lightning round! First we look at if aggressive driving has gotten worse in recent years. Then we take a trip on the San Francisco Water Taxi, and discover a low-cost way to get out on the San Francisco Bay. Finally, we crunch on the numbers on if the SMART Train in Sonoma and Marin is easing traffic along the 101 corridor. Buckle up, the answers are coming fast and furious this week. Additional Reading: Read the transcript for this episode Is the SMART Train Easing Highway 101 Traffic in Marin and Sonoma? Scooting Along the San Francisco Bay Front in a Water Taxi Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Dan Brekke, Katrina Schwartz and Paul Lancour. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Xorje Oliveras, Paul Lancour, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

When listener Beth Caissie moved to San Francisco she'd heard of Ghirardelli Chocolate, but she was surprised there were so many other fabulous chocolate shops around. She wondered if the lineage stretches all the way back to the Gold Rush. It does! And because high quality chocolate was produced here, innovative chocolate makers from all over the world have put their own cultural twist on the sweet treat. Additional Reading: From Ghirardelli to Socola: Unwrapping S.F's Chocolate History Why Burlingame Smells Like Chocolate Transcript Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Adhiti Bandlamudi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

California's primary is just around the corner, on March 5, 2024. This year, there's a statewide Proposition on your primary ballot, but don't worry we've got you covered. Prop 1 asks voters two big questions: Should mental health funding be used for housing? And should the state borrow money to build more housing and treatment facilities? There's tons of interesting stuff in this one. Additional Reading: Episode Transcript Did the Emptying of Mental Hospitals Contribute to Homelessness? KQED Voter Guide Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by (insert reporter name). Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Look closely at a map of Oakland and you'll notice an odd spot that seems to have been cut out. That's the city of Piedmont. Bay Curious listener David Levine wanted to know how and why Piedmont came to be separate. And he's curious about how that history has affected the relationship between the two places. KQED's Chris Hambrick went to find out. This episode first aired in 2019, but we still get questions about it on the regular. Additional Reading: Why Is Piedmont A Separate City From Oakland? East Bay Yesterday Podcast Sign up for the Bay Curious newsletter Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katherine Monahan. This episode of Bay Curious was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Bianca Taylor, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad and Holly Kernan.

Last year, we invited Bay Curious listeners to submit questions about squirrels, and wow did you deliver! In today's episode KQED's Angela Corral joins in as we tackle the nut economy, why squirrel tails are so fluffy, where they sleep and how long they nurture their young. Additional Resources Yes, That Squirrel Might Be Taunting Your Dog. And More Squirrel Facts Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Angela Corral, with help from Katrina Schwartz, Amanda Font and Pauline Bartolone. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

Wander onto the parade ground of Fort Scott, and one of the first questions that comes to mind is: "What is this place?" A large grassy field is bordered by tall beige buildings with red roofs. Their windows are boarded up and the place feels deserted. It's particularly odd because Fort Scott is just steps away from epic views over the Golden Gate Bridge, a well-traveled cycling path, and one of the biggest thoroughfares running through the park. But none of that bustle seems to reach this collection of empty buildings. What's the history of this place and why isn't being put to more modern use? In this episode KQED's Bianca Taylor takes us into the history of Fort Scott. Additional reading: Web story: The Hidden History of Fort Scott in San Francisco's Presidio Read the transcript for this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Bianca Taylor. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Joshua Ling, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.

The Bay Area's two water temples can be an unexpected finding if you stumble upon one. Stately, round, and featuring tall stone columns, the open-air structures look like they've been plucked right from ancient Rome. Bay Curious listener Will Hoffknecht wanted to know why these monuments exist and look the way they do. KQED’s Katherine Monahan traces their story back to the European colonization of San Francisco, and finds discontent about what they symbolize around our state. *This episode has been updated to include that the SFPUC is constructing an interpretive center at the Sunol Water temple and is working with the Muwekma Ohlone Nation to include an exhibit about their history. Additional Reading: Triumph or Insult? The Complicated Legacy of the Bay Area’s Water Temples Read a transcript of this episode Watch: Hetch Hetchy: To Restore Or Not Archival material about Hetch Hetchy from the National Archives Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Katherine Monahan. This episode of Bay Curious was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Bianca Taylor, Katrina Schwartz and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad and Holly Kernan.

When Bay Curious listener Lori Bodenhamer looks at Google Maps, she's always wondered why a small slice of Alameda island is part of San Francisco. The answer takes us all the way back to women the Spanish colonized the area. Additional Reading: Why Is Part of Alameda Island in San Francisco? Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Ryan Levi. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Bianca Taylor and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, and Holly Kernan.

For decades there was a phone service in Northern California that would read you the time and date if you dialed POP-CORN, the letters that represented 767-2676. That service went dark back in 2007, and Bay Curious listener George wants to know why. In this nostalgic episode, we take a romp through the innovative technlology that powered time-and-date services, and meet the beloved voice behind POP-CORN, Joanne Daniels. Additional Reading: Read the transcript for this episode You Used to Be Able to Call POP-CORN and Get the Time. What Happened to That? Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Reported by Christopher Beale. This episode was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz, Suzie Racho, Christopher Beale and Katie McMurran. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Cesar Saldana, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan, and the entire KQED Family.

During World War II, 10,000 Italian citizens living in California were forced to leave their homes as part of security measures meant to protect the West Coast from enemy invasion. Others were forced to register as enemy aliens, and were subject to property seizures, curfews and travel restrictions. On this week’s show, Pauline Bartolone investigates what West Coast Italians faced during WWII, how it was different from what Italians experience elsewhere, and why many people — including Italians – don’t know this history. Additional Reading How Bay Area Italians Were Treated as 'Enemy Aliens' During WWII Read a transcript of this episode Una Storia Segreta: When Italians Were Enemy Aliens Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Pauline Bartolone. Special thanks to Historian Stephen Fox and to James King for writing in to Bay Curious with the question.  This episode of Bay Curious was made by Olivia Allen-Price, Christopher Beale and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Jenny Pritchett, Bianca Taylor, Holly Kernan and the entire KQED family.

In the 1960s and 70s, American beer drinkers didn't have many options. Large brewers were pumping out beer that was bland, tasteless and characterless. But in San Francisco, one small brewer was doing it differently. Their methods weren't new — they were making beer the old fashioned way — but their brew stood out as robust and flavorful among the sea of lackluster options. Their beer garnered a lot of attention — and helped launch a craft brewing revolution. This week on the show, producer Amanda Font explores craft beer's history in San Francisco, and visits a successful brewery who is carrying on the creative torch. Additional Reading: How San Francisco's Anchor Brewing Started the Craft Beer Craze Read a transcript of this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Amanda Font. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Pauline Bartolone. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED Family.

Foggy days are a fact of life in the Bay Area, but climate change could lead to fewer of them in the coming years. While that might be welcome news to some, the truth is fog is an important weather phenomenon for all kinds of reasons. This week, reporter Dana Cronin demystifies the mist and finds out what we might expect for the future of fog. Additional Reading: With Climate Change, What Will Happen to the Bay Area’s Fog? Read a transcript of this episode Sign up for our newsletter Enter our Sierra Nevada Brewing Company monthly trivia contest Your support makes KQED podcasts possible. You can show your love by going to https://kqed.org/donate/podcasts This story was reported by Dana Cronin. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Christopher Beale and Brendan Willard. Additional support from Cesar Saldana, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Jasmine Garnett, Carly Severn, and Holly Kernan.